Novels read monthly by 'less than one in two children'

Fewer than 50% of UK children aged eight to 17 read a novel outside class every month, research suggests. The National Literacy Trust survey of about 18,000 school children suggests youngsters are more likely to read text messages and emails than fiction. Most children (28.9%) estimated they had between 11 and 50 books in their homes. But one in six said they rarely read outside the classroom