What do you think?
Rate this book
READ! READ! READ!
Twenty-three poems capture the joys of reading from that thrilling moment when a child first learns to decipher words to the excitement that follows in reading everything from road signs to field guides to internet articles to stories.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2017
About the author
Amy Ludwig VanDerwater
12 books87 followersAmy Ludwig VanDerwater is author of several poetry books for children including Forest Has a Song, With My Hands, Read! Read! Read!, and Write! Write! Write!. In addition, she is author of picture books Every Day Birds, Dreaming of You, That Missing Feeling, poems in many anthologies, and popular classroom blogs The Poem Farm and Sharing Our Notebooks. Her newest book is If This Bird Had Pockets: A Poem in Your Pocket Day Celebration (March 2022).
Having studied and worked at the Teachers College Writing Project at Columbia University, Amy has been an elementary school teacher and is author of the Heinemann professional book Poems Are Teachers: How Studying Poetry Strengthens Writing in All Genres and co-author, with Lucy Calkins and Stephanie Parsons, of Poetry: Big Thoughts in Small Packages. For 23 years, she has led writing workshops and has taught lessons celebrating the power and joy of words.
Amy lives on an old farm in Holland, NY with her husband, sometimes a child or two, and a handful of sweet pets.
Having studied and worked at the Teachers College Writing Project at Columbia University, Amy has been an elementary school teacher and is author of the Heinemann professional book Poems Are Teachers: How Studying Poetry Strengthens Writing in All Genres and co-author, with Lucy Calkins and Stephanie Parsons, of Poetry: Big Thoughts in Small Packages. For 23 years, she has led writing workshops and has taught lessons celebrating the power and joy of words.
Amy lives on an old farm in Holland, NY with her husband, sometimes a child or two, and a handful of sweet pets.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
April 15, 2023
4/10/23 Reading is more than books in these poems about newspapers, comics, maps and more.
11/6/19 Poems about reading, this will be great for April (National Poetry Month) or any time of the year.
11/6/19 Poems about reading, this will be great for April (National Poetry Month) or any time of the year.
November 17, 2018
Absolutely wonderful! I loved every single poem and cannot wait to share with my students as they discover the beautiful world of reading.
July 1, 2017
Love this picture book as a treat for readers and writers of all ages. Wonderful collection of poems to share and spread book love. Perfect poetry for launch units as they explore all kinds of reading opportunities. Wonderful collection to celebrate the joy of reading all year long!
Read
January 13, 2018We read. We read for reasons varying from day to day from the time we first read until the last time we read. We read to know and to grow. We read to find ourselves and to find others. We read for the laughter, the joy, and the hope. We read.
Whether you are a new reader or a reader having spent decades immersed in the written word, to celebrate this skill and the freedom to choose what we read is an honor. Read! Read! Read! (WordSong, an imprint of Highlights, September 19, 2017) written by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater with illustrations by Ryan O'Rourke is a collection of twenty-three poems. Each one focuses on this life-changing ability.
My full recommendation: http://librariansquest.blogspot.com/2...
Whether you are a new reader or a reader having spent decades immersed in the written word, to celebrate this skill and the freedom to choose what we read is an honor. Read! Read! Read! (WordSong, an imprint of Highlights, September 19, 2017) written by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater with illustrations by Ryan O'Rourke is a collection of twenty-three poems. Each one focuses on this life-changing ability.
My full recommendation: http://librariansquest.blogspot.com/2...
July 25, 2017
A must to add to your poetry basket. Readers will rejoice and relate to Amy Ludwig VanDerwater's poems. The joy of reading is captured in poetry. Amy's words sing, Amy's poems create beautiful visuals, and kids will be able to easily create conversations and connections. I couldn't pick a favorite poem there were so many, but I will be able to give as a gift many of her poems.
October 29, 2017
“The cover opens. You are born.”
“Every single thing you read becomes a part of you.”
Beautiful poems about being a reader. I loved ‘Reading Time’, ‘I Explore’, and ‘Double Life’.
“Every single thing you read becomes a part of you.”
Beautiful poems about being a reader. I loved ‘Reading Time’, ‘I Explore’, and ‘Double Life’.
March 4, 2018
If you love to read and enjoy short poems, this book will warm your heart and remind you why books are just like magic!
August 17, 2017
This beautifully illustrated collection of poetry celebrates reading. As I read each poem, I was nostalgically reminded me of my own reading journey from learning how to read, anxiously waiting for my Cricket magazine to appear in my mailbox, being emotionally affected by characters in books as well as being transported to different times and places. I can't wait to share these poems with students and teachers at my school.
A sincere thank you to the author, Amy Ludwig Vanderwater for providing my #bookexcursion with an advanced reader copy of Read Read Read.
A sincere thank you to the author, Amy Ludwig Vanderwater for providing my #bookexcursion with an advanced reader copy of Read Read Read.
September 17, 2017
I have been waiting, waiting, waiting for this book and I can’t tell you how much I love, love, love it!
Amy has penned a collection of poems to celebrate, inspire, and capture the joys and wonders of reading. I wanted to dive in and devour them all, and now I want to share them with students and give them time to savor each and every one. Invite them to reflect on their own reading lives through the words of each poem. I definitely think this is a MUST HAVE for every elementary classroom. It is just that good!!
Amy has penned a collection of poems to celebrate, inspire, and capture the joys and wonders of reading. I wanted to dive in and devour them all, and now I want to share them with students and give them time to savor each and every one. Invite them to reflect on their own reading lives through the words of each poem. I definitely think this is a MUST HAVE for every elementary classroom. It is just that good!!
August 13, 2017
I loved this book. It is a cute poetry book for kids. Each poem is about reading and includes different types of reading kids can relate to. From reading a ceral box, to street signs, to Sunday comics. The illistrations are well done. This is a great book for elementary classrooms or as gifts for younger readers. I read this as apart of #booktrek.
September 5, 2017
Thank you Amy Ludwig Vanderwater for sending an advanced copy of your book. This book of poems needs to be in every language arts classroom. Students enjoy all the poems and the pictures and they are easy to analyze. The amount of discussion that came from these is amazing and I immediately purchased the book for myself!
October 28, 2017
This has been in my TBR pile for more than a month, and now I'm kicking myself for not reading it sooner.
The collection of poems represents a range of structures, topics, rhyme and unrhymed verse, reflective and immediate. Within its pages there are poems about Googling guinea pigs, dealing with grief in satires to be prepared for real-life grieving, stoking imagination, exploring the past and the future, among many other recognizable moments in life.
This is must have for every library and classroom and makes an ideal gift book as well.
The collection of poems represents a range of structures, topics, rhyme and unrhymed verse, reflective and immediate. Within its pages there are poems about Googling guinea pigs, dealing with grief in satires to be prepared for real-life grieving, stoking imagination, exploring the past and the future, among many other recognizable moments in life.
This is must have for every library and classroom and makes an ideal gift book as well.
June 21, 2021
Ludwig VanDerwater shares poems about reading from different perspectives and styles. Elementary level readers will appreciate how fun reading can be when they look through these lenses.
November 29, 2017
I have read and reread each poem over and over again. I have enthusiastically shared this with my students. Looking on your website for more and more poems.
November 25, 2017
Read, Read, Read by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater makes everyone a reader. If read cereal boxes, sports pages, history, signs, maps, comics, stories, or books, it makes no difference, we are all readers. This book is incredibly empowering and prolific. This is a book that every library should have in droves. It is beautiful in word and image and I hope to share it with each of my students.
July 30, 2017
A perfect compilation of poems that share the magic of reading.
November 12, 2017
This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!
Hello, friends! Today’s book is Read! Read! Read!, poems written by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater and illustrated Ryan O’Rourke, a joyful and moving ode to books and reading for little ones.
Comprised of twenty-three poems written in different styles and forms, the reader is pulled into a celebration of reading, especially the impact that reading can have on a child. Books, magazines, newspapers, road signs, even the backs of cereal boxes; no type of reading is excluded or frowned upon. The poems explore the joy of getting lost in a thrilling story, how great books can change us or guide us through difficult times, and how we carry each tale we’ve read with us as we change and grow.
This book was an absolute delight. I was hesitant about a poem collection for JJ, considering the length, but this was so worth it. The poems themselves are bite-sized, only taking one or two minutes to read apiece, and the entire book can be completed comfortably in one sitting. And what marvelous poems they are, capturing the special relationship that children have with books and reading, and the impact that reading anything and everything can make on one’s life as they mature (the poem about Charlotte’s Web helping a young girl understand how to deal with grief was especially powerful). The illustrations are simply perfect, capturing the mood of each poem spectacularly and building fanciful and imaginative worlds around them. This one is a treasure, and JJ and I both loved it. Perfect for the little bookworm in your life, any age, and it’s Baby Bookworm approved!
Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!
October 25, 2017
A couple of weeks ago, I made a Facebook faux pas in replying to a comment on my phone that I thought was to me, but wasn’t. The happy upshot of a long, boring story is that Amy Ludwig VanDerwater sent me one of her copies of her new poetry collection, Read! Read! Read! (illustrated by Ryan O’Rourke, WordSong 2017).
Wow. Y’all know I love me a poem about reading and books:>) This collection is like a huge reading party! There are funny poems and heart-wrenching poems. (I teared up several times.) There are rhyming poems (mostly) and free verse poems. There are poems celebrating so many reading materials: maps, cereal boxes, the sports page, online content, and more. But mostly, there is heart. In every poem, Amy’s immense passion for books and reading shines through. And her heart. And her kindness. Amy is one of those people who is exactly the same person in real life as she is on her blog and on the pages of her books. And as you can see from this poem, books get at least part of the credit for her kindness!
I had a terrible time trying to choose a favorite to share, but I’m happy to share “An Open Book.”
"An Open Book," by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater
An Open Book, by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater (Read! Read! Read!, WordSong Press, 2017, illus. by Ryan O’Rourke)
This book encapsulates the best thing about reading–beyond the learning, beyond the entertainment, beyond the joy, reading makes us better people.
An Open Book
An open book
will help you find
an open heart
an open mind
inside yourself
if you’re inclined.
An open book
will make you kind.
© Amy Ludwig VanDerwater, from Read! Read! Read!
Don’t miss this book. If you’re here for Poetry Friday, then I know you’ll love this collection as much as I do. Thank you to Amy, for your words, to Ryan O’Rourke for your clean, compelling art, and to editor Rebecca Davis for bringing all the elements together to make this magical book!
Wow. Y’all know I love me a poem about reading and books:>) This collection is like a huge reading party! There are funny poems and heart-wrenching poems. (I teared up several times.) There are rhyming poems (mostly) and free verse poems. There are poems celebrating so many reading materials: maps, cereal boxes, the sports page, online content, and more. But mostly, there is heart. In every poem, Amy’s immense passion for books and reading shines through. And her heart. And her kindness. Amy is one of those people who is exactly the same person in real life as she is on her blog and on the pages of her books. And as you can see from this poem, books get at least part of the credit for her kindness!
I had a terrible time trying to choose a favorite to share, but I’m happy to share “An Open Book.”
"An Open Book," by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater
An Open Book, by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater (Read! Read! Read!, WordSong Press, 2017, illus. by Ryan O’Rourke)
This book encapsulates the best thing about reading–beyond the learning, beyond the entertainment, beyond the joy, reading makes us better people.
An Open Book
An open book
will help you find
an open heart
an open mind
inside yourself
if you’re inclined.
An open book
will make you kind.
© Amy Ludwig VanDerwater, from Read! Read! Read!
Don’t miss this book. If you’re here for Poetry Friday, then I know you’ll love this collection as much as I do. Thank you to Amy, for your words, to Ryan O’Rourke for your clean, compelling art, and to editor Rebecca Davis for bringing all the elements together to make this magical book!
July 11, 2017
Beautifully collection of poetry;each poem captures a slice of reading magic – the worlds books allow you into, the comfort they provide, the experience of being in a room full of other readers who are all lost in the books they are reading. Vibrant illustrations by Ryan O'Rourke add so much to the reading experience. This book will be sure to become a classroom favorite!
July 11, 2017
Every reader and every teacher of readers will want this book and love it to shreds!
Check out my review at A Year of Reading: http://readingyear.blogspot.com/2017/...
Check out my review at A Year of Reading: http://readingyear.blogspot.com/2017/...
July 2, 2017
Love thinking about how many conversations this book will start in the classroom!
April 26, 2020
This is the perfect time for Amy Ludwig VanDerwater’s new book: Read! Read! Read!, charmingly illustrated by Ryan O'Rourke. From young to old, readers will connect to the poems as life links to their past, or links to the joy of reading that will be coming to them.
How letters gather into words, then stories, begins this book's excitement that is reading, where O'Rourke's swirl of letters shows they "sing/into your soul/like soothing/summer rain." Amy lets readers travel on to the heart of reading when one believes it's like flying. And it is, a student discovers, whether reading cereal boxes or the sports pages, exploring in the pages of a book or looking at a map: "I like to hold a whole city/crinkling/in my hands."
Amy's poems show over and over that reading is more than opening the pages of a book to discover what is there, it's meeting letters and images in life and both interpreting and celebrating them. The fun there lies in the poem, Double Life, where it "builds a treehouse in your head/a haven you can climb to/when you wish to get away."
New readers can become confused about reading, sometimes believing they're not good readers if they aren't reading book stories, long book stories. However, as these poems show, page after page, reading is a jumble of actions that may make you happy or sad or informed. One poignant example is the poem, Stories, when O'Rourke paints a poignant scene of a young girl and her father finishing Charlotte's Web to accompany Amy's words:"tears heal/broken hearts."
Connecting our reading to our lives is what readers do, and the poems in this book show it again and again. Like all of what we read, each poem will spark a connection in children, wanting to share their own reading experiences, in discussions, perhaps in their own poems? The back cover sums it all up with the poem, In Love. It begins "I'm in love/with a poem./No love/could be sweeter."
From nature guides to maps to poetry, Amy's book clearly shows reading rocks! Thanks, Amy and Ryan for this wonderful book!
How letters gather into words, then stories, begins this book's excitement that is reading, where O'Rourke's swirl of letters shows they "sing/into your soul/like soothing/summer rain." Amy lets readers travel on to the heart of reading when one believes it's like flying. And it is, a student discovers, whether reading cereal boxes or the sports pages, exploring in the pages of a book or looking at a map: "I like to hold a whole city/crinkling/in my hands."
Amy's poems show over and over that reading is more than opening the pages of a book to discover what is there, it's meeting letters and images in life and both interpreting and celebrating them. The fun there lies in the poem, Double Life, where it "builds a treehouse in your head/a haven you can climb to/when you wish to get away."
New readers can become confused about reading, sometimes believing they're not good readers if they aren't reading book stories, long book stories. However, as these poems show, page after page, reading is a jumble of actions that may make you happy or sad or informed. One poignant example is the poem, Stories, when O'Rourke paints a poignant scene of a young girl and her father finishing Charlotte's Web to accompany Amy's words:"tears heal/broken hearts."
Connecting our reading to our lives is what readers do, and the poems in this book show it again and again. Like all of what we read, each poem will spark a connection in children, wanting to share their own reading experiences, in discussions, perhaps in their own poems? The back cover sums it all up with the poem, In Love. It begins "I'm in love/with a poem./No love/could be sweeter."
From nature guides to maps to poetry, Amy's book clearly shows reading rocks! Thanks, Amy and Ryan for this wonderful book!
December 9, 2020
Read! Read! Read!, written by Amy Ludwig Vanderwater, illustrated by Ryan O’Rourke, and 2018 Notable Poetry Books, is a collection of poems all about reading. The book has poems related to all the different things we can read about, such as sports, adventures, dogs, and birds and all the things we can read, like maps, magazines, cards, road signs, and even cereal boxes. It encourages children to have a love of reading and makes the act of reading seem magical. The book incorporates different elements of poetry, such as rhyming, metaphors, and onomatopoeia. The illustrations are colorful and imaginative. The first poem, “Pretending,” is about a child who used to pretend they knew how to read until eventually one day her reading took off and she could read all on her own. The illustration that goes along with it shows a girl sitting on a book that is acting like a magic carpet. She is soaring over land with books all over the ground.
I found this book on the National Council of Teachers of English website and was able to read it using Epic! The illustrations and text were easy to see on Epic! and the pages were easy to turn. This book is recommended for ages 5 to 9. It would be great to use as part of a poetry unit for young children when teaching about the different elements of poetry. Students in the classroom could also write their own poems related to reading.
I found this book on the National Council of Teachers of English website and was able to read it using Epic! The illustrations and text were easy to see on Epic! and the pages were easy to turn. This book is recommended for ages 5 to 9. It would be great to use as part of a poetry unit for young children when teaching about the different elements of poetry. Students in the classroom could also write their own poems related to reading.
February 26, 2018
There are certain poetry books that I return to over and over again in my classroom. Books with poems that reflect my students’ experiences show up as read-alouds every year. The books then find worthy places on our classroom bookshelves where they are adored by dozens of third graders. Read! Read! Read! by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater may become an instant classic, too.
This book is a celebration of what it means to be a reader. Much of the book explores the magic of the written word and how we carry it with us as we grow. While many of the poems are inspiring, they are funny and clever, too. The poems are inclusive of many different reading experiences, from the child whose favorite reading material is on the cereal box to the child who lost a grandmother, but found healing in Charlotte’s Web.
As I read the poems, connections to students past and present were swirling around in my head. Amy Ludwig VanDerwater has given us a gift: poems that will meet readers where they are on their reading journeys. Every child reading this book will find a poem that makes them feel celebrated. It is my hope that this book finds its way onto the bookshelves of classrooms and homes, and into the hands of young readers everywhere.
This book is a celebration of what it means to be a reader. Much of the book explores the magic of the written word and how we carry it with us as we grow. While many of the poems are inspiring, they are funny and clever, too. The poems are inclusive of many different reading experiences, from the child whose favorite reading material is on the cereal box to the child who lost a grandmother, but found healing in Charlotte’s Web.
As I read the poems, connections to students past and present were swirling around in my head. Amy Ludwig VanDerwater has given us a gift: poems that will meet readers where they are on their reading journeys. Every child reading this book will find a poem that makes them feel celebrated. It is my hope that this book finds its way onto the bookshelves of classrooms and homes, and into the hands of young readers everywhere.
October 18, 2017
This poetry collection was meant for someone like me. There are so many ways to read, and we don't always tell children that it doesn't matter what you read, just READ.
March 12, 2018
Read! Read! Read! contains twenty-three poems all about reading. The poems, accompanied by vibrant illustrations, cover everything from the imaginative, lifelong value reading has to reading road maps and looking up information on the internet.
This is a wonderful poetry book for all readers. The first thing that stood out to me about this book were the illustrations. The colors are captivating and I really like the style. The impact that this book has is that it is very relatable and could resonate with readers young and old. Since it is a poetry book, the author utilizes literary elements like rhyme and descriptive language. Design elements like the use of large illustrations to accompany the poems and bright colors help bring the poems to life. Overall, I think this book does a wonderful job of celebrating reading and I highly recommend this book.
This is a wonderful poetry book for all readers. The first thing that stood out to me about this book were the illustrations. The colors are captivating and I really like the style. The impact that this book has is that it is very relatable and could resonate with readers young and old. Since it is a poetry book, the author utilizes literary elements like rhyme and descriptive language. Design elements like the use of large illustrations to accompany the poems and bright colors help bring the poems to life. Overall, I think this book does a wonderful job of celebrating reading and I highly recommend this book.
November 20, 2018
As a reader, I adore the subject here. I connected with each poem. The poems were simple but quite enjoyable for me and easy to connect to and understand. They flowed well for me, too. Illustrations went well with them. I am looking forward to sharing this with SD, who loves to be read to but is still hesitant about reading. I have been trying to think of ways to remind her of the excitement she will have once she has her reading skills up so she won't be so reluctant on her own. This may help!
11/20/18 Had this at home to get more reviews from other ages. Only read to SS. I know he didn't catch the fun and joy of some of the poems. But that still helps me to see what age works well with the book. I think Hubby would like the poems, but unexpected moved up due dates for the books has me needing to turn in as soon as I can.
11/20/18 Had this at home to get more reviews from other ages. Only read to SS. I know he didn't catch the fun and joy of some of the poems. But that still helps me to see what age works well with the book. I think Hubby would like the poems, but unexpected moved up due dates for the books has me needing to turn in as soon as I can.
June 8, 2021
Poetry
K-6
Poems about reading! Books can't get much more perfect than that. These poems take the reader into the magical world of reading using a variety of poetic styles. They are all perfectly suited for elementary readers of any age. Some rhyme, some are free verse. The illustrations match the tone and whimsy of the poems perfectly.
I'd use these as fluency practice for students, including ENL learners. They'd be great to use in a rotating "Poem of the Day" as well.
text set ideas: poetry; school world; Charlotte's Web (the poem Stories> is about a child's reaction to the book and is wonderful)
Faves: pg 11 I Explore; pg 1 Reading; pg 15 Field Guide; pg 24 Forever; pg 19 Stories; pg 16 An Open Book
K-6
Poems about reading! Books can't get much more perfect than that. These poems take the reader into the magical world of reading using a variety of poetic styles. They are all perfectly suited for elementary readers of any age. Some rhyme, some are free verse. The illustrations match the tone and whimsy of the poems perfectly.
I'd use these as fluency practice for students, including ENL learners. They'd be great to use in a rotating "Poem of the Day" as well.
text set ideas: poetry; school world; Charlotte's Web (the poem Stories> is about a child's reaction to the book and is wonderful)
Faves: pg 11 I Explore; pg 1 Reading; pg 15 Field Guide; pg 24 Forever; pg 19 Stories; pg 16 An Open Book
October 11, 2021
This is the first time I've added to my Goodreads shelves a book I've read to my children; they're young, so we read a lot of children's books! This delightful collection of poetry deserves a place on my shelves and a five-star rating for its winsome, deep, and emotive poetry and its beautiful, well-matched illustrations. My kids and I laughed at a poem and accompanying illustration describing a young child's preparatory reading for bringing the class guinea pig home for the weekend, and I held back my own tears at the poem depicting a child's use of books to come to terms with the grief of losing a loved one. This wonderful little book should be read to and by all the budding bibliophiles in your life. My six-year-old son said that this is a five-star book, and he's right!
August 1, 2021
The author
and the illustrator
may be living
may be dead.
It doesn't matter.
Both live now
forever
in your head.
Buku kumpulan puisi tentang keasyikan dan keseruan membaca. Kalimat-kalimatnya sederhana tapi cukup dalam dan indah. Puisi-puisi yang menginternalisasikan membaca dalam kehidupan sehari-hari, seperti dalam: Cereal Box, Sports Page, Maps, Road Signs, Book Dog, Sunday Morning.
Ada juga puisi yang menganalogikan istilah/kegiatan seperti I am a Bookmark, Book Dog, Googling Guinea Pig, dan Word Collection.
Buat para bookworm, puisi-puisi dalam buku ini sangat relate. Untuk read aloud juga bagus, meski bagi anak-anak yang belum terbiasa membaca mungkin kurang nyambung.
and the illustrator
may be living
may be dead.
It doesn't matter.
Both live now
forever
in your head.
Buku kumpulan puisi tentang keasyikan dan keseruan membaca. Kalimat-kalimatnya sederhana tapi cukup dalam dan indah. Puisi-puisi yang menginternalisasikan membaca dalam kehidupan sehari-hari, seperti dalam: Cereal Box, Sports Page, Maps, Road Signs, Book Dog, Sunday Morning.
Ada juga puisi yang menganalogikan istilah/kegiatan seperti I am a Bookmark, Book Dog, Googling Guinea Pig, dan Word Collection.
Buat para bookworm, puisi-puisi dalam buku ini sangat relate. Untuk read aloud juga bagus, meski bagi anak-anak yang belum terbiasa membaca mungkin kurang nyambung.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews