We know what our kids are watching. What about what they’re reading?

A recent survey found that 71 percent of Kiwi parents were extremely or very concerned about their children accessing harmful content online.

Each day seems to bring a new story of how damaging the internet is for young people, whether they’re being groomed, bullied, or simply losing the ability to problem-solve and pay attention.

In a world in which we’re desperately trying to get our kids off screens, for modern parents seeing their child pick up a book can be a joyous relief.

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But are we forgetting that books - like websites - can contain content we may prefer our children not consume?

Kate Gordon-Smith is an author of children’s novels and the founder of The Kiwi Kids’ Bookstore, an online shop showcasing New Zealand books for kids aged 0-15.

Gordon-Smith says she read Flowers in the Attic - the wildly salacious gothic novel by V.C Andrews - as well as her first Stephen King novel “when I was really quite young, and I wish my mum had said ‘Don’t read those, they’re not good for you’.”

She wasn’t mature enough to deal with themes like incest, child abuse and maternal abandonment in the former book, while the latter meant she had “been put off any kind of horror book ever since”.

The tricky part is the tween years, when kids are able to fluently read books written for teen or even adult readers, but lack the maturity to understand them.

“For every parent there’s a balancing act of encouraging reading, but having an idea of what they are reading,” Gordon-Smith says.

“I've come across more parents who are worried about getting their child to read at all, and finding something they are interested in. But with things like BookTok they are getting exposed to some things not appropriate for them.”

BookTok: The pandemic internet phenomenon that, according to a UK Publishers Association poll, has helped 59 percent of 16-25 year olds discover a passion for reading.

The online book community is particularly notable for its veneration of romance novels (if you’ve ever heard of Colleen Hoover, you have BookTok to thank), recognisable by a house cover style: simple and graphic, with bright colour blocks and cartoon-style illustrations, they belie their frequently very steamy sexual content and, deliberately or not, attract a younger eye.

At first glance, a parent may not recognise them as inappropriate for their tween reader.

This is something that Ruby Wallace says she’s been thinking a lot about recently, as she prepared to open the doors to her shop, Enamoured Books, a dedicated romance bookstore in Remuera.

“We’re very conscious of the content we stock and how it's presented to different age groups,” she says. “We have a dedicated Young Adult section specifically curated for high school-aged teens, and I always encourage parents to be mindful and check the books before purchasing them for their teens. While we love that teens are reading, not every book is suitable for every age.”

We tend to valorise reading above other forms of entertainment, like television or particularly social media or online scrolling, and for good reason, says spokesperson for conservative Christian lobby group Family First, former National MP Simon O’Connor.

“We do see reading as really good for kids,” he says. “We know it’s good for young kids to have parents read to them. It might be apocryphal, but there is some indication that just having books in the home is good for a child.”

Perhaps surprisingly for an organisation that was behind New Zealand’s first banning of a book in 20 years in 2015, Family First doesn’t promote a strident policing of books, O’Connor says.

“There shouldn’t be a paranoia. Kids can’t avoid all harm.”

He says parents should take an interest in what their children are reading - “the same way we’d want to know what they’re eating” - but also see books as a safe way of approaching challenging topics.

“If they read something that disturbs them… we encourage parents to talk about it and engage.”

Wallace agrees, saying it’s “unrealistic” to think we can shield youngsters from anything complex or confronting.

“Rather than fearing certain types of content, I think it’s far better to stay engaged,” she says. “Know what your kids are reading, talk to them about it, and create an environment where they feel comfortable asking questions. That way, even when a book introduces a challenging topic, it becomes an opportunity for connection and learning.”