In his hugely successful "Connecting Boys with Books" (2003), the author delved into the problem that reading skills of pre-adolescent boys lag behind those of girls in the same age group. In this companion book, Sullivan digs even deeper, melding his own experiences as an activist with perspectives gleaned from other industry experts to help…

Many reading programs today overlook an essential component of literacy instruction--helping children develop an enduring love of reading. This authoritative and accessible guide provides a wealth of ideas for incorporating high-quality children's books of all kinds into K-6 classrooms. Numerous practical strategies are presented for engaging…

Suggests book report questions, covering the hierarchy of thinking skills on one 5" by 8" index card. (MM)

Describes a technique that allows children to share their reading interests with others. (FL)

Lists twelve activities to encourage children to enjoy reading. (MKM)

Presents 10 teachers' methods for recommending and sharing books with their students and for encouraging students to recommend and share books with one another. (ARH)

Describes how series books such as "Nancy Drew,""The Hardy Boys," and Horatio Alger stories can be the basis for lessons on critical reading. (MKM)

Sustained silent reading (SSR) is a structured activity designed to allow students to engage in normal reading while in school. Characteristics of SSR include (1) students select their own materials to read, (2) each student reads silently during the SSR time period, (3) the teacher also reads silently, and (4) the period is ended by an informal…

Outlines the steps in presenting a "book talk." Argues that it can be an effective way to broaden children's awareness of literature while developing their verbal skills. (FL)

In conjunction with National Children's Book Week, this article provides activities to motivate children's reading; descriptions of some unusual elementary reading programs; ideas for creating book clubs and reading corners in the classroom; a children's literature quiz; and Allan Yeager's annotated list of the best children's books of this…

Discusses a number of devices for motivating students to read both in and out of the classroom. (DD)

This article presents easy computer projects to send students into the summer feeling good about the past year and looking forward to the next. The projects involve printing summer reading book lists, making bridges to the next grade, publishing books of class events, designing reading posters, and creating summer calendars. (SM)

Offers a detailed plan for a book swap, which not only helps place new books in the homes of most children but also places books in the homes of children who may have no books at all. (SR)

Points out that schools should instill in students a love of reading. Presents a checklist for assessing reading attitudes, and several instructional strategies for promoting positive attitudes. Suggests that the teacher is often the most powerful force in promoting positive attitude development. (ARH)

Proposes a technique that allows students to identify with a character in a story as a method of encouraging them to read. Lists prereading and follow-up questions for use with the technique. (FL)