Reading in the Wild
Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer’s Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits by Donalyn Miller with Susan Kelley is a book I would suggest to any reading teacher in elementary, middle, and high school. I first became acquainted with Donalyn Miller’s ideas about reading education when I read her book The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child and I was hooked. Her passion to share the joys of reading with children is infectious and although I’m not a teacher in the strict sense, her ideas and knowledge of the subject have given me new ideas, book titles, and knowledge to try new things to get kids reading. I think that’s one of the best parts about being in the field of children’s librarianship – the passion. The people I’ve met both physically and online are some of the most passionate people I know and they make me want to try harder to make a difference for each and every child I see walk in the doors of the library.
I think that Miller was smart to write this second book addressing a need, that I believe she was already encountering while writing her first book – kids will read when given the time, encouragement, and guidance, but as soon as you take that away then they will fall back into the mold of a non-reader. Reading in the Wild addresses these concerns providing teachers, librarians, and even parents with tried and true tips, tricks, and ideas to encourage kids to read regularly and for fun – to become wild readers. This book is organized well with easy to read sections that are accessible for teachers to use quickly and easily. I am so glad that this is the last book I will have complete for 2013, it has inspired me to work harder still to get the right book into the hands of every kid. Have a safe and happy New Year’s Eve and I’ll be back in the new year!
Title: Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer’s Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits
Author: Donalyn Miller with Susan Kelley
Publisher: Jossey-Bass
Publication Date: 2013
Page Number: 273 pgs.