Research of 1,000 children aged six to 12 and their parents revealed eight in 10 read regularly and feel characters always look the same, and don’t represent different views.
And of the 37 per cent of girls who don’t feel represented, 38 per cent thought lead roles in stories always seemed to be boys.
While more than a quarter (27 per cent) of parents also agreed in the lack of representation of their children - with being an only child, allergies and wearing glasses rarely covered.
It also emerged 41 per cent think their child would be more inclined to read more often if the main characters represented similarities to them.
Common themes are rarely covered - including divorced parents and mental health conditions
Asi Sharabi, CEO and co-founder of personalised book brand Wonderbly, which commissioned the research, said: “Children want nothing more than to feel a part of a story and the research has highlighted while some are able to, for varying reasons, others are not.
“It’s vital in engaging a child for them to feel like they can relate to either the story or the characters involved.
“The research also found that parents are quite aware of this too when it comes to finding content they consume as they strive to find things like books that are more representative of their children.”
Other characteristics children haven’t seen in their books, according to their parents, include physical disabilities, different locations kids can live such as in the city or the country, and skin conditions.
Being short or tall, having divorced parents and mental health conditions are also seemingly rarely covered.
When asked which were least represented by a main character traits, parents identified being transgender, being physically disabled and having alopecia as untouched areas.
And 61 per cent believed it’s important for kids to see themselves represented in the wider content they consume including films and TV as well as books.
Almost four in 10 (39 per cent) children would like to see more people like them in movies, 37 per cent in TV shows and a third at school.
While 46 per cent of kids have never seen a character they relate to on television and a third have asked their parents to buy books with more personalities that speak, look or act like them.
Representation is important for child development
Parents believe representation is vital in such mediums in order to normalise their feelings, help them relate more to a story and to know other children find themselves in the same circumstances as them.
And 36 per cent don’t want them to feel like they’re different, according to the OnePoll data.
Almost half (48 per cent) also reckon seeing characters like them in books will enable them to feel like they can achieve anything.
Though, 38 per cent admit it’s difficult to find books that do represent their young, with 37 per cent reckoning it has put them off reading altogether.
Asi Sharabi from Wonderbly, a service where you can personalise book characters including their skin tones and hairstyles, added: “It’s so important for children to feel represented in the books they read.
“When children see themselves as the hero of a story, it helps them believe that they can do anything they can imagine; that any story they imagine could be their story.
“Books are also a way to educate your child on an infinite number of topics and themes that shape how they view the world.
“Personalisation helps children relate to the storylines and makes them far more receptive to the key messages and learnings of each tale.
“We want as many children as possible to see themselves in their own story."
Top 20 ways kids aren't represented in books, according to parents
- Being transgender
- A physical disability e.g. being in a wheelchair, not having certain limbs, being blind etc
- Alopecia
- Skin conditions
- Female or non-binary/alternative gender identity
- Having same sex parents
- Having lost a parent
- Having dyslexia
- Being significantly under/above average height for their age
- Non-heterosexual sexuality
- Religious beliefs
- Living in a flat
- Minority race
- Having divorced parents
- Allergies
- Wearing glasses
- Not having a brother or sister
- Non-native nationality
- Wearing braces on your teeth
- Uncommon hair colour e.g. red hair
