Nearly two-thirds of German youths aged 13 and under read books several times a week, according to a new study. Magazines are still very popular among the age group. Only one-third turns to YouTube for entertainment.
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In Germany, the birth place of the printing press, books may have a bright future.
According to a study published Tuesday, 61 percent of six-to-13-year-olds in Germany regularly read books, while just over half of kids (55 percent) in this age group pick up childrens' magazines and comics several times a week.
The study - however - was commissioned by a group of six publishing houses, including Panini, Egmont Ehapa Media and Spiegel. Some 1,700 children were interviewed with their parents.
While 62 percent said they used the internet and apps, only one in three (34 percent) kids aged six to 13 regularly watched videos on YouTube. Even fewer (28 percent) said they played video games.
Only TV beat print media when it came to winning children's attention. Ninety-three percent of four-and-five-year-olds watch television multiple times a week, while 97 percent of 10-to-13-year-olds regularly sit in front of the tube.
Not surprisingly, however, DVDs and blue-rays don't play a big role in German kids' lives, with only 15 percent of six-to-13-year-olds using them regularly.
Cell phones widespread among German kids
Just because many enjoy reading, doesn't mean they're not digitally oriented. In the six-to-nine-year-old category, 37 percent of those surveyed had their own cell phone or smartphone, while the number jumped to 84 percent among 10-to-13-year-olds.
Among that older group, the Facebook-owned messaging service WhatsApp has overtaken old-fashioned text messaging (68 compared to 61 percent). Only one in four (29 percent) 10-to-13-year-olds said they used Facebook.
kbm/cmb (AFP, epd)
10 German children's books classics you can read in English
Whether you'd like to introduce your kids or yourself to German culture, a good place to start is with literature for children. From moralist fables to surreal adventures, here are a few of the country's favorites.
Image: DW/G. Reucher
A good witch and a coffee grinder robber
A giant of German children's lit, Otfried Preussler wrote for kids aged six and up. "The Little Witch" tells of a girl learning the hard way what it means to be a "good" witch. In "The Robber Hotzenplotz," a man steals a grandma's coffee grinder - and two boys set off to capture him. This tale also features the wizard Petrosilius Zwackelmann. Say his name aloud - that's the kind of story this is.
Image: Thienemann Verlag
'The NeverEnding Story' and beyond
If the movie "The NeverEnding Story" thrilled you during your youth, you can - like the hero of that tale - immerse in Michael Ende's masterpiece that inspired the film. Following the movie's success, his other works were also translated. "Momo" deals with time - and criticizes efficiency and stress. "Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver" is a beloved classic of German children's literature.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Off to paradise with tiger and bear
In "The Trip to Panama," a bear and a tiger lead a dreamy and lazy life - until a wooden crate comes floating on a nearby river. "Panama" is written on it, and it smells like bananas. Intrigued, the bear and tiger set off to find this wonderful smelling country. Their long and winding quest leads them to the best place on Earth: home. Janosch's imagery and surreal logic charm young and old alike.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/R. Weihrauch
Germany's favorite dinosaur
A well-known little dinosaur in Germany, the urmel, hatches from an egg in "Urmel From The Ice." The story is one Max Kruse's most famous works, thanks to its TV adaptation by the Augsburger Puppenkiste (picture). It also inspired the animated film "Impy's Island." The author's other famous work, "Lion on the Loose," is a merry adventure following an escaped wild animal through the city.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/S. Puchner
Escaping the Nazis
Each of the main characters remains a safe distance away from evil in "When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit" (1971), by Judith Kerr. It is told through the eyes of a nine-year-old, Anna, whose family flees Germany just as the Nazis take power. There is no war in this novel; it hasn't happened yet. But the story remains as relevant today as it ever has been: By the end, Anna and her family are refugees.
Image: Puffin Books
Humorous adventures in realist Berlin
Heading to Berlin? Pick up a copy of "Emil and the Detectives" by Erich Kästner. It'll take you (and your children) back to the German capital as it was in the late 1920s. After that, try another of Kästner's stories: In "Lottie and Lisa," separated twin girls meet each other for the first time at a summer camp. Decades later, it was adapted to the 1998 Hollywood blockbuster "The Parent Trap."
Image: Vintage Classics
Max and Moritz
Many kindergartens and primary schools in Germany are named "Max and Moritz" after the prank-pulling duo in Wilhelm Busch's classic book. Note, however, that the book's pranks - and its moral compass - are firmly set in 1865. One example (spoiler alert!): After the boys' final prank fails, the two are ground up into pieces and fed to ducks. That's it. The end. No sequel.
Image: Karikaturmuseum Wilhelm Busch
The consequences of misbehaviour
Another sure way to traumatize your kids is "Struwwelpeter." In two of these 10 "moral" stories, a child dies; in another, a kid's thumb is cut off. At least some of the stories are lighter. One involves "Fidgety Philipp," whose dinner table antics spoil every meal. Even 150 years later, his name is used to scold children who can't sit still: "Don't be such a Zappel-Philipp!"
Image: gemeinfrei
The power of books
The "Inkheart" trilogy was published in the midst of the "Harry Potter" hurricane but still went on to become a success. Set in contemporary times, Cornelia Funke's main character in the story, a 12-year-old named Meggie, has the ability to take things out of books and make them come to life. It's something of a family trick. But it wouldn't be a good story unless that power came at a price.
Image: Chicken House Publishing
A city of books awaits
Zamonia is a fictional continent where funny stories happen - and the name of a series by Walter Moers. "The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear" is a good introduction, but it's OK to start with the fourth book, "The City of Dreaming Books." Often, the author describes a character, waits a while for the mental picture to cement, and then - surprise! - unveils a wacky illustration of his creation.