Around the world, there’s a quiet, transformative protest taking place. It doesn’t involve politics or economics, a street presence or placards.

Rather, it’s about reviving the joy of reading – for connection and pleasure, and beyond academic learning. Communities, educators, parents, and students of all ages are embracing this approach. It’s an evolving response to concerns about poor reading abilities among children, as well as the decline in the share of people – young and old – who say they read for pleasure.

This month, Britain’s National Literacy Trust hosted a global event to get the most people reading in a 12-hour period. It was joined by thousands. A few weeks ago, North Carolina announced a campaign encouraging the state’s children to read 10 million books of their choice in 2027.…