ABSTRACT
We now have a larger repertoire of information texts than ever before. Material with an informational function reflects cultural needs and social change just as much as fiction does. The global markets for information texts and the rise of popular culture affect what is produced and published. A study by the NFER (National Foundation for Educational Research) on the state of reading as we begin to move through the twenty-first century found, as we might expect, that children’s reading has to take its place alongside other activities like texting, emailing, surfing the web, watching television or films or playing interactive games. Visual literacy is increasingly valued and many children respond enthusiastically to images and graphics, both print and electronic (Twist et al., 2006). There follow some comments on the main non-fiction media which children now encounter.
