This article examines how problems and solutions associated with reading and readers are formulated in Swedish policy documents related to reading promotion in the period 2012–2023. In 2012 Sweden showed unusually low results in the PISA survey, and since then reading has been emphasized as a key competence for both individuals and society. Many government inquiries, propositions and directives have come into existence to politically govern and support a change. Drawing from Carol Bacchi’s policy analysis, this study explores what values and notions about reading that are expressed in central government documents from the period, and to what extent these affect the problem formulations underlying various reading promotion investments and activities for children. The analysis shows that Swedish reading promotion policies over the past decade align with a long tradition of beliefs and values regarding the benefits and importance of reading. Problems with reading are continuously related to the development of new technology, and maintaining traditional book reading becomes the focus around which solutions and proposed measures are gathered. The analysis further shows that expressed inherent values of reading, such as entertainment, enjoyment or personal intellectual development are always subordinate to societal benefit in terms of language development, successful school results, and the maintenance of a democratic society.