EUCLID, Ohio — At seven months old, AJ Sheriff already has a shelf filled with stories – from the soft fabric ones that crinkle to sturdy board books designed for small hands.

His parents, Andrianna and Jerome Sheriff, try to fit in reading whenever they can. A few minutes in the morning, after waking up. Or late at night, if AJ’s struggling to sleep.

“Life is busy. Everybody has stuff to do. We all have work. But we just force it into the schedule, because it’s important,” Andrianna said of picking up a book.

A recent study shows that we’re doing that much less often.

The share of Americans who read for fun dropped by about 40% between 2003 and 2023, according to researchers from the University of Florida and University College London. Their analysis , based on data from the America

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