<i>How to Raise a Reader</i> by Pamela Paul and Maria Russo is a pretty exceptional book and one that I would recommend to just about any parent, though I can't account for whether or not all parents will read it. But the truth is that one of the best things you could ever do for your child is to set them up for a future in which they are exceptional readers. Having the capabilities to read is something that will greatly benefit every single person alive, especially your children. And, as a reading specialist myself who works every day with children who have been left behind and let down by their struggle to read, I can say unquestionably that their journey through learning to read has changed their lives for the better in an immense way. Believe me when I say that, if you are a parent, this book is worth picking up.

Pamela and Maria spend a lot of time really breaking down the steps of introducing your children to books, moving through various stages of growth that a child will go through and what the best approaches are toward fostering a love for reading with your child are. Not only does this book begin with your child as a newborn, but it develops all the way through until your child starts to become an independent adult. Filled with a plethora of useful tips regarding how to develop a child's interest in reading and how to pick some of the perfect books, <i>How to Raise a Reader </i>is a book I can definitely picture getting for myself in the event that I ever have a child of my own. There were a number of suggestions here that I personally might not have thought of if I had simply gone about doing this all on my own.

I think one of the most enjoyable parts I found within this book were the long lists of suggested books to get for your children. They were exceptionally well thought out and I was thrilled to see many that I recognized. I recall eagerly flipping through these particular pages, even writing down several that I'd not read before with the intention of later looking themselves up and procuring myself copies to read. More and more, I found myself looking forward to the instance in which I would have the opportunity to put these ideas into practice.

One thing I will say that bothered me about this book was how the authors would alternate between referring to the readers' children as he or she. On the surface, I suppose to many this wouldn't come across as problematic in any way, but the truth is that I wish they had simply used gender neutral pronouns. There's an assumption within this alternation--while I'm sure it was unconscious as these things often tend to be among those who don't know better--that the only children people may have will be of one of the two genders. I don't imagine this was the goal of the authors or that they left out communities with individuals who don't identify with a gender intentionally, however I do think that we need to do a better job than we have of being inclusive for those people. And having a book in which we alternate pronouns to "include" both male and female children does open the book up for some reasonable criticism in this case as far as I'm concerned. "He" and "she" are not the only genders out there and while I'm sure many infants and toddlers will not be fighting to have specific genders at that period in their lives, but as this book does discuss teenagers, who will likely have opinions on their gender at that point, I think it's a fair complaint to bring up. It is especially important as someone who does identify as genderqueer or non-binary as a <i>parent</i> might read this and it's important to be inclusive to them, as well.

All in all, I really did love this book and I would definitely suggest it as a good read for any parent wishing to foster a love for reading within their children.

<i>I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

How to Raise a Reader would make a fantastic baby shower gift. That was the thought I had the entire time I read this book. As a parent of school aged children and as someone who values reading, much of this book was “preaching to the choir.” However, for first time parents or parents to be, I think it would be very valuable. It has wonderful book lists at the end which would be a terrific resource to keep handy. I enjoyed the way the book was divided and found it to be easy to read and very relatable.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Wonderful and relatable novel that spans from babies to new adult ages. Would be a wonderful fit for those who are expecting and are avid readers, yet will also fit for those who want their child to develop a passion for reading. Includes title suggestions based on age, but could be adaptable to reading level.

*Received an ARC from NetGalley, in exchange for my own honest review.

This book is an incredible resource for parents and other important adults in a child's life who want to impart a love of reading to children. I was given this book in e-galley form by the publisher and NetGalley. I will most definitely want to purchase the hard copy. I bookmarked and bookmarked as I read.

Pamela Paul oversees book coverage at the New York Times while Maria Paul is associated with the Times. They both love reading and want children to as well. Both authors recall their favorite reads over the course of the book. As an adult, like me, you may start thinking again about when you learned to read and the books that you most loved as a child as you make your way through the text..

The book is divided into four sections: Born to Read which is about babies and toddlers; Growing a Reader which is about emerging and then independent readers; Your Middle-Grade reader and A Reader for Life: Teenagers. The book ends with a section on more books by theme and reading level.

In each section there are many suggested books. I will give just a brief idea of the riches within. For babies: Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed and Moo, Baa La La La. Classic board books are mentioned as well including The Very Hungry Caterpillar and The Snowy Day. Toddler suggestions include The Carrot Seed, Millions of Cats and Harold and the Purple Crayon along with new Classics like Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and Hello Lighthouse. The authors continue with suggestions right through the teen years. The importance of keeping an open dialogue with children is stressed; for example, The Hunger Games may upset some readers but not all. It can be good to dialogue with the reader.

Paul and Russo are parents and it shows. They have practical knowledge about raising readers. There are so many suggestions from using the library, to NOT using books that are device based, to not getting overly caught up in parental contests about whose child learned to read first, to the joys of bedtime stories, young readers love of series and so much more. One aside was about Harry Potter with the authors noting that these are not meant for very young readers even if they are able to decode the words.

I recommend this book most highly. It is full of reasoned ideas and book suggestions that will make adults excited about opening the world of literacy to children.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this terrific book. The opinions are my own.

As an avid reader who has had a lifelong passion for books, it is so important to me that I do my best to raise kids who are also readers. I have read a lot on this topic and while most articles and books seem to recycle the same information and tips, this book was full of interesting and new advice that I hadn't heard before. It's broken down in chapters for each stage of life and has so many great book recommendations both at the end of each chapter and at the end of the book. I highlighted and saved multiple tips and books and I'm very happy to have been given the opportunity to read and review this book. I hope to pass this recommendation on to others and I hope reading becomes a passion for more kids out there.

Apologies at the moment all i can do is read and review mobi or convertable pdf format books.

I love the blurb of the book and will still watch out for it being released as ebook

I wanted to see what this book was about seeing as most of my job is working to get kids reading. I have heard a lot of what this book was saying but I could see how for new parents much of this information would be new and helpful. I liked the little tips and ideas throughout the book and the reassurance that it is never too late for your child to become a reader. I think that is what scares many parents.

My favorite part of the book was the book lists. I love book lists. Always so helpful. I would get this book just for the lists.

Wow, what a treasure! How to Raise A Reader stood out to me as the parent of a middle-grade reader and a new reader in Kindergarten. This book is divided into sections from babies to teenagers. The advice is approachable and relatable and I loved that it was coupled with specific book suggestions and also some types you might want to avoid.

How to Raise A Reader would be a great refresher for someone who has been a lifelong reader or really helpful advice for someone who is hoping to incorporate regular reading into their families lives for the first time.

The directory at the end of the book gave wonderful suggestions by not only genre and age groups but also by important messages such as kindness and empathy. Sometimes the number of books that are available to us as parents can feel overwhelming so having a list of suggestions about different topics was a wonderful addition to this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Workman Publishing Company for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'm confused about the audience for this book. Obviously parents, but parents who care enough about literacy to make an effort to raise a child to enjoy reading don't need the generic, banal advice. As a librarian, I'm passionate about the topic, and as a parent I want my children to feel passionate about books. But this seemed pretty skimpy on statistical relevance and relying more on anecdotes which is fine if the book has taken more of a memoir approach. While everything was solidly good advice, I was curious how dated the suggested reading list would be in a year. Heck, most of the suggestions seemed obvious already. I liked it, but I think this would have made a great serial in a parenting magazine rather than drag it out to a slim book.

This is a great book full of practical tips to foster reading and love of books in children. It includes lists of suggested books for different age groups. The clean layout is accented with lovely color illustrations, which show readers of many skin tones.

A great book for parents who want to raise readers but are unsure where to start. Some of the information seemed like common sense to me but that may not be the case for those who weren't raised on books. My favorite thing about this book was that it included specific book recommendations for the different age groups (babies, toddlers, etc) and things to be wary of when choosing books.