This Simple Hobby Could Boost Your Grades in Every Subject

Kael Beckstead
Staff Writer
  The results of a school-wide survey for Bonneville High School showed that 60.3% of survey participants read at least one hour every week. Reading is a thoroughly entertaining and quite typical hobby among students, but most people do not consider the benefits of students’ reading for enjoyment. Many studies have revealed various benefits of reading, including enhanced academic performance, social intelligence, vocabulary development, and more. In fact, a post-secondary paper summarizing thirteen of these studies was “not able to find a single study that presented disadvantages, in any context, of reading for pleasure.” Of the aforementioned benefits of reading the paper went into far greater detail “...[R]eading for pleasure is linked to students having improved vocabulary, grammatical, and writing skills, in addition to higher levels of reading comprehension and engagement in classrooms.” 
  Of these students, many of them recognized benefits of reading, but not to the extent that the studies show: “Reading for pleasure is also attributed to better academic performance not only in English settings, but in math, science, and history, as well.” Of the students that answered the form, 75% read physical books rather than digital. While 73.3% of students said that they think spending time reading is better than electronic entertainment, only 24% said they actually prefer reading to digital entertainment.
  Reading for pleasure has been linked to many benefits for the reader. Because of this, students were also asked to provide their favorite genre and a book recommendation. Of the various genres, fantasy at 56%, romance at 36%, and “romantasy” at 12.3% dominated the others. Of the student submissions, below is a table of title, genre, and possible content warning (no titles contain more than light romantic themes and moderate violence). With the cited evidence of enhanced academic and social performance, students who read can have the comfort of knowing their hobby is improving their academic lives in more ways than one, and students who rarely pick up books have an available compromise of enjoyment and academic help. 
Novel Title
Author
Genre
Content Warning

A Christmas Carol
Charles Dickens
Classic / Fantasy
Themes of poverty and redemption; ghostly content

Fablehaven
Brandon Mull
Fantasy
Magical creatures and mild peril

Anne of Green Gables
L. M. Montgomery
Classic / Coming-of-Age
Emotional themes and family challenges

Beyonders
Brandon Mull
Fantasy / Adventure
Fantasy violence and perilous quests

Harry Potter (series)
J. K. Rowling
Fantasy
Dark magic, mild peril, themes of loss

The Lord of the Rings
J. R. R. Tolkien
Epic Fantasy
Epic battles, war themes, some violence

The Chronicles of Narnia
C. S. Lewis
Fantasy
Battles with evil forces and peril

Dragonwatch
Brandon Mull
Fantasy / Adventure
Magical creatures, moderate action

The Giver
Lois Lowry
Dystopian
Dark societal themes, mild peril

Better Than the Movies
Lynn Painter
Romance / Contemporary
Romantic relationships and teen emotional struggles

Dear Evan Hansen
Val Emmich, Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul
Contemporary / Drama
Mental health and grief themes

Heartless
Marissa Meyer
Fantasy / Romance
Manipulation, revenge, romantic tension

The Hagenheim Romance (series)
Melanie Dickerson
Historical Romance
Historical conflict, romance, mild peril

The Selection
Kiera Cass
Dystopian / Romance
Competition, social hierarchy, romantic tension

Once Upon a Broken Heart
Stephanie Garber
Fantasy / Romance
Betrayal, romantic tension, magical intrigue

P.S. I Like You
Kasie West
Contemporary Romance
Romantic misunderstandings, mild emotional drama

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
Holly Jackson
Mystery / Thriller
Crime investigation, suspense, mild violence

A Series of Unfortunate Events
Lemony Snicket
Dark Comedy / Adventure
Misfortune, danger, dark humor

Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians
Brandon Sanderson
Fantasy / Adventure
Inventive violence, perilous quests

Alex Rider (series)
Anthony Horowitz
Action / Spy Thriller
Spy missions, moderate action and danger

Attack of the Black Rectangles
A. S. King
Satire / Contemporary
Satirical content, mild peril, dark humor

Carnival
Stephanie Garber
Fantasy
Manipulation, dark carnival settings, suspense

City of Ember
Jeanne DuPrau
Dystopian / Adventure
Dark dystopia, themes of survival

Divergent
Veronica Roth
Dystopian
Social conflict, moderate violence, identity themes

Elantris
Brandon Sanderson
Fantasy
Political intrigue, battle scenes, moral conflict

The False Prince
Jennifer A. Nielsen
Fantasy / Adventure
Deception, danger, moderate peril

Five Survive
Holly Jackson
Thriller
Suspense, kidnapping, danger

Five Total Strangers
Natalie D. Richards
Thriller
Mystery, suspense, adult situations

Keeper of the Lost Cities
Shannon Messenger
Fantasy
Magical danger, mild peril

Lightlark
Alex Aster
Fantasy
Dark fantasy themes, moral ambiguity

The Wingfeather Saga
Andrew Peterson
Fantasy
Family danger, fantasy violence

The Inheritance Games (series)
Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Mystery / Thriller
Crime puzzles, suspense, mild danger

The Invisible Library
Genevieve Cogman
Fantasy / Adventure
Magical intrigue, danger, deception

The Last Kids on Earth
Max Brallier
Adventure / Comedy
Zombie peril, mild violence, humor

The Lunar Chronicles
Marissa Meyer
Science Fiction / Fantasy
Rebellion, identity challenges, mild violence

Mistborn (series)
Brandon Sanderson
Fantasy
Political conflict, battles, moral dilemmas

The Mysterious Benedict Society
Trenton Lee Stewart
Adventure / Mystery
Puzzles, mild danger, villainous plots

The Novice
Taran Matharu
Fantasy
Battle training, magical combat

The Queen’s Thief (series)
Megan Whalen Turner
Fantasy
Political intrigue, mild danger, moral ambiguity

Magisterium (series)
Holly Black & Cassandra Clare
Fantasy
Magical conflict, moral challenges

Maze Runner
James Dashner
Dystopian
Traps, social conflict, moderate violence

Realm Breaker (series)
Victoria Aveyard
Fantasy
Epic battles, moral dilemmas, peril

Renegades
Marissa Meyer
Science Fiction
Vigilante justice, moderate violence

Tress of the Emerald Sea
Brandon Sanderson
Fantasy
Perilous adventures, magical threats

Treasure Island
Robert Louis Stevenson
Classic / Adventure
Piracy, mutiny, peril, moral dilemmas

Wings of Fire (series)
Tui T. Sutherland
Fantasy
Dragon conflict, adventure, betrayal

Can’t Hurt Me
David Goggins
Nonfiction / Personal Development
Intense self-discipline, physical challenges

Inner Excellence
Jim Murphy
Nonfiction / Self-Help
Performance pressure, motivational challenges

The Art of War
Sun Tzu
Philosophy / Strategy
War strategies, ethical dilemmas, historical conflict

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