Reading Together: Everything You Need to Know to Raise a Child Who Loves to Read

by Diane W. Frankenstein

A dynamic guide to more than 100 books that will get kids talking and reading more.

How do children become good readers? In Reading Together, educational consultant Diane W. Frankenstein shares the secret: guiding children to find an appropriate book and talking with them about the story helps them connect with what they read.

This engaging guide shares advice for parents, teachers, librarians, and caregivers on how to help children find what to read, and then through conversation, how to find meaning and pleasure in their reading. With more than 100 great book recommendations for kids from Pre-K through grade six, as well as related conversation starters, Reading Together offers a winning equation to turn children into lifelong readers. Some of the award-winning books discussed include Betty G. Birney?s World According to Humphrey , Gennifer Choldenko?s Notes from a Liar and Her Dog , and David Shannon?s Bad Case of Stripes .

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Education

288 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2009

About the author

Diane Frankenstein is the author of Reading Together: Everything You Need to Know to Raise a Child that Loves to Read, Penguin Fall 2009. Her educational consulting business specializes in childrens literature and provides parents, teachers and librarians with the tools to ensure children learn to love to read. She holds a Master Degree in Children's Literature and Language Arts, with a specialty in teaching the Holocaust toAdolescents through Literature, from San Francisco State University."

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 1 out of 5]

Honestly, and as someone who generally MUST read every single day and for whom reading often is in fact rather more essential and necessary than even eating or drinking (at least to a certain point), I most certainly am hugely glad and appreciative of the fact that in particular my mother and my grandmothers were NOT EVER all that personally involved with ANY of my actual reading choices and discussing or debating these with me both when I was a seven year old just learning my letters and also later as a middle grade and young adult reader. And truly, I therefore definitely do thank providence (or whomever or whatever) that the only time my family in fact actively perused books with me and had a few minor and specifically guided discussions was when I was still being regularly read aloud to, and yes, that once I had learned to read independently, my mother and my grandmothers basically and happily for the most part completely left me to my own reading devices, to always make my own book choices, with indeed, ANY AND ALL discussions only ever occurring to answer reading questions I had specifically asked and wondered about (and obviously, with this ALWAYS coming from, being initiated by me and NEVER EVER by or from the adults in my family).

And as such and very much categorically and vehemently so for me, what Diane W. Frankenstein proposes, suggests and points out in her Reading Together: Everything You Need to Know to Raise a Child Who Loves to Read, well and personally speaking, if my family, if in particular my mother had tried these in my humble opinion smacking of immense pedantry tactics and considerations on me, and certainly, if reading did not mean enjoying myself alone, by myself and generally without all parental input unless I specifically was asking for, was demanding this, I would very very likely have massively rebelled and considered reading a despised chore and annoying task, and not something, not a pastime to be enjoyed and treasured. In other words, Ms. Frankenstein (and your Masters in children’s literature quite notwithstanding), if when I was a young reader, my mother, my father, my grandmothers etc. had actively made use of the suggestions, discussion topics, questions to ask that you feature and propose in Reading Together: Everything You Need to Know to Raise a Child Who Loves to Read, not only would I have more than likely actively felt bullied and controlled by my family regarding the ONE THING that was truly always my own (my personal love of reading and my freedom to choose my own books and not to discuss and debate any of this with my family), I would also perhaps even have ended up actively hating to read (and thus also not decide to major in the humanities, to study German and French literature at university).

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

This handbook for reading with children provides everything parents and other caregivers need to know about reading aloud and discussing books with kids. In a brief front section, Frankenstein lays out her advice for selecting, owning, and reading aloud children's books. The next section, the longest of the book, presents profiles of 101 different titles. Each of these includes the book cover, a brief synopsis, a related quotation, an observation the author made, a "souvenir" concept or lesson to be taken from the book, a list of themes explored by the book, possible discussion questions, and a list of read-alikes. The final portion of the book provides more general questions across a variety of themes that can be used with any book that involves the given topics and a series of additional themed booklists across a variety of subjects.

Over the past few months, I have read several books about books: The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie, The Intentional Bookshelf by Samantha Munoz, Our Library by Phyllis Fenner, and The Book Whisperer and Reading in the Wild by Donalyn Miller. Unequivocally, Reading Together is the best of the bunch. Frankenstein has obvious experience suggesting books to a variety of families (not just her own), and she wastes no words in concisely and clearly explaining how best to evaluate books and share them with kids of all ages. The books for which she provides profiles are a varied collection, covering different topics, comprehension levels, developmental phases, cultures, and interests. She gives just the right amount of information about each book to inform parents about content, and to entice potential readers to select that book. The list is also curated. It's not simply a list of every book she has read; instead, it represents the books she truly recommends and which she has seen families enjoy.

This book inspired me not just to ask my kids more questions about the books we read, but also to consider making profiles like the author's for books we love that she didn't include. It's just an all-around excellent, practical, well-informed manual with something to offer every adult who reads with kids.

This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.

[Eric Anest · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not sure what I was expecting from this book, but didn't find it very useful at all. Also, it's more of a reference book and is not well-suited to Kindle reading, which is how I was trying to read it. Started but didn't finish reading the book.

[Mary Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

As parents, we want to help our children become successful readers, but the question is how can we best help our children? Diane Frankenstein has just published a wonderful resource to help parents do just this: raise a child who loves to read.

Countless research has shown that parents have a tremendous impact on helping their children learn to read successfully. But how do we help our children become "good" readers? Reading Together explains that it is through reading for pleasure that children will read more, enjoy reading and become better readers. The first step for parents is to help your child find books that they enjoy and can read successfully - a book that is at their reading level and one that engages them.

Reading Together suggests over 100 different books that work with children - that are fun to read, interesting, engaging. But Frankenstein goes further. She provides questions, ideas, things to think about, to help parents engage their children with reading.

"Children need the adults in their lives to show them how to better understand and make a story their own. We best support them in this endeavor by having conversations that engage children in the stories they read."

Parents are wonderful resources to help children find the right books. You know your child's interests, what they're curious about, what makes them laugh. You know your child's emotional maturity, what issues and conflicts they can handle. This book helps take what we know as parents, find books that will work with our children, and then helps us talk with our children about these stories. This is Reading Together's winning equation:

"Help children find an appropriate book
+ talk with them about the story
= children who connect with storeis and love the stories they read"

The heart of the book is Story Pages: 101 books to explore with your child. I love the selection of books - they range from classics like Bridge to Terabethia to wonderful new books like Scaredy Squirrel or A Bad Case of Stripes. She explores books I love, and books I hadn't heard of and now want to go find. Here's an example of a Story Page from Reading Together, looking at the story Hunter's Best Friend at School. I don't know this book, but it looks like a great book for my kindergartner - I've already put it on hold at the library!

For each book, Diane gives a brief summary, lists the ideas and subjects the book explores, and then shares questions to get a conversation started and help you look closer at the story, bringing it from the plot to the personal. It's a wonderful format, easy to browse but also easy to dig into. It will stay on my shelves for years to come.

I've known Diane for the past four years, as I've taken her workshops and classes on children's literature. This book is the fruition of years of teaching and helping children love reading.

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

First part mostly good (fairly common-sense), though it occasionally veers into "it's all good" relativism. Second part is the bulk of the book: a bunch of book summaries with ideas for discussions (there are also many quotation snippets that attempt to distill essential concepts). The idea is fine and the format is too, but I can't say I endorse all the selections (de gustibus non est disputandum). Third part is fairly generic, taking broad "ideas" (adversity, blame, etc.) and presenting a bunch of aspects that could be used for discussions. These don't even necessarily relate to books. Last part is some short book lists in categories and is not particularly special. Some of her favorite authors seem to appear everywhere (William Steig, for example). I don't think her lists will be that valuable to those who are well-read in the universe of children's literature.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasn't what I thought it would be. I thought it would give various tips on how to get my child to want to turn off the tv and put down video games and WANT to read books. Instead, after a brief introduction, it is a list of books with questions you can ask your child about each book. They tend to be the sorts of books that kids who are already readers are going to want to read. (The books she lists usually contain "big issues", especially the chapter books.) She doesn't list the totally fun books like "Captain Underpants".

This would be a good resource for teachers and homeschoolers, but I prefer Jim Trelease's "Read Aloud Handbook" which gave me a YOU CAN DO IT! sort of pep talk.

[The Reading Countess · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Stuck deep in the dark ages. Most titles listed here are considered classics now. Don’t get me wrong. Classics have their place. But in an ever changing and complicated world, we owe it to our kids to have stories reflect a diverse range of people and problems in this world. I’d rather they get their first experience of learning about had topics like food insecurity or mental illness within the safe confines of a book. Most of the titles included in this book were popular when I was a kid, and that, my friends, really was n the dark ages. Do you want to raise a reader? Read to your kids. Have books available everywhere. Don’t restrict what they wish to read. Let them see you reading, too. Talk about what’s happening in those books. You’ll have a reader by the end.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book would be helpful for a new elementary school teacher or parent. It contains lists of books that the author loves and recommends. Included are 101 books with specific conversion starters and questions to ask your student or child. The author believes in helping kids find the right book, but also in the power of read aloud and having conversations about books. I remember being a brand new teacher and not knowing what books to read. The library seemed overwhelming (too many to choose from, where to start) and I was so busy, I didn’t have time to find the right books. Now, as I flipped through this book I see some familiar favorites, some classics, and a few to add to my to-read list.

[Suzanne Lorraine Kunz Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love books. But having collected a ton, most books I simply get from the library. This is one I'd want to add to my collection. Have I read each word in this book. No I've read some, and perused the rest. But what a great resource to have when wanting to pick a good book to read together with your family. Highly recommended!

[Alvin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great advice and guidelines for making the reading experience richer for your kids. A comprehensive list of books and talking points. It's more like a long blog series.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

[This review appears on both Andi's Book Reviews and Books for Parents and Teachers on Blogger.]

One of the most important things that parents can do for their children is to establish a love for reading from the very beginning. Reading Together: Everything You Need to Know to Raise a Child Who Loves to Read by Diane W. Frankenstein is a great foundational point for this.

In the introduction to this book, Diane outlines ways for parents to help their children find appropriate books to read, to turn them on to reading. Many times, the child's lack of desire to read simply stems from an inability to find anything that really turns them on and encourages them to keep on reading. She encourages rereading stories, focusing on the plotlines instead of only vocabulary, and performing conversational reading.

Conversational reading is the art of reading a book together and talking about it. Start by asking concrete questions about what happened within the story. Then, find ways to apply the book to the child's personal circumstances, so that he can really put himself into it. Encourage the child to think about other perspectives of the story. The possibilities are endless!

The first part of the book consists of 101 different books that parents and teachers can share with children. Within this part are three different sections. One is for picture books, one for grades 2-5, and those for grades 4-6+. Each book has a short story synopsis, key words, and sample questions that can be used to elicit conversation with the child. Then, there are recommended follow-up titles, if this one was of particular interest to the child.

Part two gets into subject questions, which are even more ways adults can deepen the conversation with the child. Instead of focusing on a particular book, these parts focus on general topics, such as popularity, bullies, manners, choices, and challenges.

Finally, Diane provides even more recommendations for books. Trying to choose only 101 when there are so many good books out there is a daunting task, indeed!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.

[Mandy J. Hoffman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Do you want to raise a child who not only reads, but likes to read? Maybe even loves to read? Reading Together is a wonderful book to help you with "everything you need to know to raise a child who loves to read".

Diane writes about 101 books that kids will want to read and talk about. Each two-page spread features a book and gives a short synopsis, interactive questions to talk through with your children, a list of other books to read, and several other informative helps. In the back of the book she lists more books by a fun variety of categories and also includes a discussion list by topic.

For me personally, I am not sure that all of the listed books will be books I choose to read to my kids, but it definitely helps me more discerning choices and then make the most of them through interaction. I found this book to be very easy to use and a great resource to have on hand and even take to the library, too!

ISBN: 978-0-399-53524-6
Details: Soft cover, 279 pages
Published by: Penguin

[Monique · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great resource book to have for kids k-6 grade. I am ordering one of my own. It gives suggestions on age appropriate books to read to your children and what age they can read the books independently. I love that there are questions and discussions topics about the themes of the books. The author also gives suggested books that are similar to the highlighted books. A very big good book list for children.

[Suzan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the idea behind this book, that after reading a book, talking about it and thinking about it is important and enhances the reading experience. There are several book suggestions along with different questions you can ask to get a conversation going (as well as brain cells).

[Jolee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yeah, so I'm a geek. I read books about reading books....esp. to children -- fostering that love of reading which has such an impact on their lives. Not a lot new here for me, but enjoyed the re-hash and the book lists. May use it for young reading clubs too.

[Tanja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Provides parents with ideas of conversation starters and title suggestions for different age groups. Very detailed resource. (But I would caution parents not to make every read aloud a study session by going through the list of questions and tips.)

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book about getting kids (who already know how to read) to enjoy reading with literary analysis. Not bad but well above the level of my kids currently, so I didn't get much out of it. I need something more like getting my kid to want to learn to read.

[RKR]

A reference book of books. Hoping it is as useful as the Jim Trelease resources.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Borrowed from CCL on my kindle.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was greatly written. I learned great techniques and decided to a reading challenge with my son.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went to hear this author speak. , She's an incredible speaker. Her book is also very good...and that rare thing a book aimed at helping teachers and parents.