A joker in the class: Teenage readers' attitudes and preferences to reading on different devices

•Students in 10th grade reported an overall positive experience with e-readers as compared with print.•Differences in medium preferences varied between subgroups in the sample.•More boys than girls were in favor of e-readers.•Avid readers tended to prefer print, whereas reluctant readers preferred e-readers.•Device features had little impact on self-reported perceptuo-cognitive and phenomenological experiences.

A comparison of 10th graders' reading of a narrative, literary text on a Sony e-reader and in print showed that preferences for reading devices are related to gender and to general reading habits.One hundred forty-three students participated in the study. In a school setting, students were asked to begin reading a novel on one device and then continue reading the same novel on the other device. A survey was administered before and after the reading session, measuring reading habits in general, device preferences, and experiences with screen and paper reading. Results showed that, overall, most students preferred reading on the e-reader. This preference was particularly strong among boys and reluctant readers, whereas avid readers were more in favor of print. Implications of these findings to library policies and priorities are discussed.