The Joy of Reading

– Donalyn Miller and Teri S. Lesesne –

Heinemann Educational Books

Published 29 April 2022

♥♥♥♥

As a reader and librarian, I know firsthand the joy of reading. I also know how hard it is to sometimes impart that joy to my students. How do I truly capture everything reading does and is and convince those reluctant readers to take the plunge. In The Joy of Reading, Donalyn Miller and Teri Lesesne bring decades of experience to highlight the importance of reading joy and how teachers can support this joy.

The Joy of Reading is divided into five parts. In the first, the authors address the key part of this book. What reading joy is and why it is important. They also raise the issue of how reading in school can sometimes kill that joy. Part two focuses on access and time. Citing research around the time children really need to engage with reading, this section of the book provides practical ideas for encouraging students, including using classroom libraries, school libraries and public libraries. They also raise the issues and barriers that censorship creates.

Part three brings us to the importance of readers’ choice. From book talks to reader surveys, this section providers readers with lots of ideas for sparking reader choice. In part four we move to reading responses and how we can make these more authentic for students. Finally, part five takes a wider look at reading communities and how to build a community of readers. Along with a range of appendices that includes a reader survey, this book is designed to be used in practice. This book is targeted at teachers, but there will be some appeal to librarians. I love how the authors are not afraid to raise important and contentious issues or call out bad practice.

Throughout the book, the authors provide personal reflections, examples from their classroom practice and anecdotes. It makes it an easy book to read cover to cover. I adored the little graphics scattered in the pages, especially the frequent book recommendation stacks. Super cute and the colours, graphics and design make this a really beautiful book, which is so important (and often overlooked) in professional books.

I hope this book inspires teachers to help direct their students towards a love of reading joy.

The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

More information

Category: Non fiction

Subjects: Personal development, professional development, reading, education, teachers.

Published: 29 April 2022 by Heinemann Educational Books.

Format: Paperback.

ISBN: 9780325061566

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