This book was eye opening for me. How simple. Just let students read and they will become readers. Amazing how it will boost their scholastic scores as well. Great recommendations and advice on books for middle grade readers. ( )

Outside my reading comfort zone but valuable for work. ( )

A great look into establishing an ambitious reading program with your students. Filled with helpful how-tos and explanations behind each of her actions.

Recommended for all reading and ELA teachers. ( )

I am a parent of 4 girls who has been trying to instill the love of reading in them. I am only half way through and LOVE this book and highly recommend it to everyone! It has made realize that even as a parent who loves to do nothing but shove my nose into a book, I need to look at each child's interests, personalities etc. I am now changing my "tune" and let them choose their own books with recommendations and not say no to any book that they decide to take out. It's all about getting them to read right?! ( )

This is the kind of book that more teachers need to read, but more importantly, write. Rather than relying on control-groups and university-funded research protocols, Miller's book relies on practical, real-classroom experience.

My only complaints about the book rest in my own classroom issues: I teach juniors, and motivating 16 and 17-year-olds to read presents different challenges from motivating 11 and 12-year-olds to read. And yes, I do teach in a district with a couple of key books that EVERY student is required to read, so there's no getting around that. But I do want to try adopting Miller's ideas in my classroom next year...the biggest challenge?

"It's hard to give up the control." (pg. 171)



( )

As an elementary school teacher for the last 12 years, teaching in 3 countries in the style that Donalyn Miller beautifully describes I can tell you, yes, it works.
Last year, the reading screening teacher came down the hall, pointed at me and said, "I could tell," and walked away. She later explained that she could tell each student who was in my class because they loved reading, loved talking about reading and had definite tastes and ideas about genre and authors. Some of these students she had been working with for three years and she saw a difference after 4 months. ( )

One of the genres that I read very little is non-fiction. The truth is, I believe if I find books in this genre with subjects I like, I will pick them up. That's what happened to me with The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child.
That's happened to me while browsing the Libby app of my city's public library. I saw that I could borrow it and picked it up right away.
I believe that every teacher and particularly high school English teachers should devour this work.
I have a strong feeling that everyone that loves to read, also, parents of young children should pick up this five-stars book.
The thing I love most about the book is its focus: how to nurture students to be enthusiastic readers. The stories of the struggles she had to help turn kids onto reading and the examples of things she's tried are incredibly helpful. This book is so practical and so useful and, most importantly, so HOPEFUL. I needed that. ( )

I believe this book should be mandatory reading for ALL teachers and those of us who love putting a good book in a child's hands. Well done, Ms. Miller! ( )

Although this book is about the author's teaching experiences with the 6th grade, there is much to be learned and applied to any classroom. Miller discusses how modern education sucks all the joy out of reading for students. If we want students to love reading, then we need to rework our classrooms and reading assignments. There should be choice, there should be opportunity to change books, there should be constant access to books, and there MUST BE TIME TO READ. This book will revolutionize the way I teach English in the coming years (if we ever get back into our classrooms). ( )

YES,YES, YES! This is so much better than what I experienced in 6th grade. Thankfully, I did get this kind of teacher in other grades (5th, 7-12th!) I love the way this book flows and find SO much to inspire my teaching in the pages. ( )

I can't wait to start my school year because of this book ( )

Wish I had read this book in 2009 when it first came out. It's every bit as relevant now and validates what many teachers and librarians have known all along. To motivate children to become lifelong readers, they need choice and time to read, not worksheets and test prep. ( )

Awakening the inner reader in every child

As a school librarian this is an inspiring read. If only all teachers shared her philosophy my life would be a breeze!
Seriously there are some fantastic ideas in here for encouraging reading for pleasure and for me it really bought home just how important 'free' reading is to students progress and well being.
Off now to read 'Reading in the wild' ( )

I read this about five months ago and forgot to review it, so please forgive me if anything is misspoke.

Miller is one of my mother's favorite educational guru's. In this book, she intersperses personal anecdotes regarding superliterate, illiterate, and aliterate readers with tips and tricks on how to reach each student. I like a lot of her ideas and plan to implement some. I love that she's not a fan of programmed reading (pre-packaged, scripted lessons) but at the same time I fear she teaches *only* a love of reading without teaching any of the dynamics of books, grammar, or vocabulary. ( )

Normally I have a hard time liking books that paint things too easily or rosey. Being a reader, I found myself willing to let the message (and not the many missing specifics of her teaching methods) be what I took away. The book arrived in my hands at a time when I've been pushing for more reading within my workplace -a bit of serendipity. ( )

Oh, to have more English teachers like this in our schools. Ones who love their students enough to realise that to develop a love of reading, students must read books of their choice, and not just complete worksheet after worksheet. A terrific, inspiring book, Ms Miller. ( )

I loved the main points the author was trying to make, but did not always love the author's voice. ( )

In "The Book Whisperer," Donalyn Miller inspires with personal accounts as a reading teacher who has successfully taught children how to intrinsically love to read. Miller writes of the importance of understanding and connecting individual readers with books that they would enjoy. ( )

The intended audience for this book is classroom teachers and school librarians, but I enjoyed it anyway; it reinforced my own beliefs about reading (i.e. it's good, do more of it, read what you like).

Quotes

"What we have loved
Others will love
And we will teach them how"
-William Wordsworth (quoted p. 7)

My identity as a person is so entwined with my love of reading and books that I cannot separate the two....I know from personal experience that readers read richer lives, more lives, than those who don't read. (10-11)

"To acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge from almost all the miseries of life." -W. Somerset Maugham (19)

Providing students with the opportunity to choose their own books to read empowers and encourages them....Readers without power to make their own choices are unmotivated. (23)

Factors that contribute to successful learning (Brian Cambourne): Immersion, Demonstrations, Expectations, Responsibility, Employment (practice), Approximations, Response, Engagement. Reading must be an endeavor that: has personal value to students, students see themselves as capable of doing, is free from anxiety, and is modeled by someone they respect, trust, and want to emulate. (36)

No single literacy activity has a more positive effect on students' comprehension, vocabulary knowledge, spelling, writing ability, and overall academic achievement than voluntary free reading. (Stephen Krashen, The Power of Reading, 51)

Are we teaching books or teaching readers? I would rather have my students read books of questionable literary value than not read at all. (85)

I do not promote reading to my students because it is good for them or because it is required for school success. I advocate reading because it is enjoyable and enriching. (106)

Readers are made, not born. (108)

Rosenblatt's transactional theory...defines two types of readers: efferent readers and aesthetic readers. (Efferent: skill-based, outside-to-inside, informational. Aesthetic: inside-to-outside, experiential.) (108-109)

Useful websites (116):
http://jkrbooks.typepad.com/
http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia
http://www.teenreads.com/

"unexamined wallpaper" (Richard Elmore) classroom practices and institutional policies that are so entrenched...that their ability to affect student learning is never probed. (122)

Chapter 6: Cutting the Teacher Strings
Traditional practice / Alternative:
Whole-class novels / Teach readers, not books
Comprehension tests / Test reading as a genre
Book reports / book commercials and book reviews
Reading logs / Expand reading in class, read within requirements
Round Robin or "popcorn" reading aloud / Prepare and practice for oral reading, or let students read in pairs, or use audiobooks or podcasts
Incentive programs / Reading is its own reward

I have never observed a student who developed a long-term reading habit because of an incentive program....I want my students to learn what life readers know: reading is its own reward. Reading is a university course in life; it makes us smarter by increasing our vocabulary and background knowledge of countless topics. (150-151)

We have turned reading into a list of "have to's," losing sight of the reality that students and adults are more motivated by "want to's." (169) ( )

Donalyn Miller is a teacher and avid book reader. In The Book Whisperer she explains the importance of reading in and out of the classroom and what you can do to encourage your students to read. I loved this book and found it very inspiring. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to awaken the inner reader in a child! ( )

I had picked up this book once or twice at book fairs last year, but was never compelled to buy it. Then this year I dropped in on one of the teachers in my new school at back-to-school night. She is an amazing teacher -- she teaches the 4/5 G/T class with such creativity and flexibility, and tremendous freedom for her students to be struck by inspiration and run with it. She told parents she devotes a lot of time during the school day for independent reading -- far more than most other teachers. She said she read a book a few years ago that changed her life, and since implementing the practices from the book in her classroom her students' reading scores had gone through the roof. Well, of course, I had to find out what the book was, and she lent it to me. I am very impressed, and wish every child could have a teacher like this one, but in this era of nonstop assessment those teachers are few and far between.

Ms. Miller's belief is that endless instruction of discrete reading skills, worksheets, and testing have killed the love of reading for students. She advocates for a dedicated time every day for self-selected independent reading, arguing that student choice should be honored, that students who grow to love reading in the classroom will continue reading at home and beyond, and that what kids need to master those discreet, tested reading skills is actual practice time reading actual books. Ironically, struggling readers receive more reading instruction, but are allowed less time to actually read, and very rarely catch up. Her success stories with students are amazing, but what I found most inspirational was her love of reading that she instills in each student. She has a requirement of students to read 40 books a year, which is often 10 times or more than they have ever read in a year before. She offers alternatives to time-honored but joy-killing practices like book reports, book talks, reading logs (oh, how we hated those!!!! My girls read constantly, but reading logs were an intrusive chore that we usually made up the night before they were due), reading incentive programs, whole-class novel studies and more well-used reading instruction strategies and assignments. I'm not sure this book would be interesting to anyone not teaching, but for the sake of students everywhere, I sincerely hope teachers do read it.

Loved this book! I'm inspired and empowered to make a difference! I'm a mom (and not much of a reader - yet). I read this book because I wanted to find ways to inspire my child who is a developing reader. My biggest take away is "MY role" needs to change from telling her to read to becoming a reading role model. We will be more diligent about dedicating daily time "together" as a shared experience instead of sending her off alone to read. She will read independently, or to me if she wishes, books of her choice - just for fun. I also appreciate the section devoted to setting up the classroom library by genre. I love that idea because so often we know the genre we enjoy and connect with but don't know the author or even what is available without prior research via book reviews or recommendations. This way, you can find your genre section and fall in love with any number of books right there at your fingertips. I think all libraries should move to this shelving method. Your "Ultimate Library List" and "Useful Books & Websites" will also be a great resource. I highly recommend this book if your goal is to inspire reading in yourself or others. You don't need to have the occupation of a teacher to benefit from this book! ( )

This book explains how one teacher set up her classroom to encourage students to become readers. No matter how much we rail about standardized tests, they seem to be here to stay. Get over it! Many of the author's ideas are not new--veteran teachers have been doing these things for years.

The letter by the principal as the Afterword greatly annoyed me. It implied that teachers are not in favor of making kids better readers, or think that reading is not important. It reminded me a lot of a rallying cry or political speech.

I was also annoyed by the author's incorrect grammar--plural/singular, as well as the shortened incomplete soundbite sentences.

The book list at the end was great--created by kids! ( )

Great resource. Mrs. Miller points out the obvious: children need to read a lot to become better readers. She includes independent reading (within genre limits and high reading expectations) plus explicit instruction, and interactive reading journals to improve literacy skills in her classroom. Even struggling readers improve and are able to pass state tests (from her experience).