A creative, subversive book. Great idea for reluctant readers or kids who like to get away with things.

This was a really fun book to read. It engages kids who might not like to read into reading. The book makes a deal with the reader to keep turning the pages and they will make it fun. There are puzzles and games that the book has you do as well as letting you “pretend” to read it until you have actually read it all. It is a fun concept and I think it will work really well on engaging reluctant readers.

Thanks to HarperCollins Children’s Books and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book in e-book form. All opinions in this review are my own.

This is a creative and interesting picture book that will appeal to reluctant readers. It is very colorful and highly interactive.

This book was a bit all over the place but was a fun and creative read. The book is narrated by the book itself in a very cheeky voice and includes jokes, puzzles, and interactions (like I said, a bit all over the place). This book is mostly aimed at reluctant readers and encourages the kid to "pretend" to read. I guess in pretending to read, you actually end up reading... but I would have liked it to be a little more pro-reading. It was silly and fun; I could see kids getting a kick out of it... but I'm not sure how much re-read value it has nor would it really work in a group setting. It might work for an intriguing booktalk for lower elementary.

As a school psychologist, I frequently observe kids in the classroom picking up books that are too hard for them during silent reading and flipping aimlessly through the pages to "look like they're reading." This book is the perfect balance of reading and fun for the reluctant readers out there. For those children who have difficulty reading on grade level, this book is silly enough to be fun but removes the element of being "too young to be cool." As an adult, I found myself interacting with the book and smiling throughout. I will be recommending this book to many of my elementary classrooms!

This book is great for those kids who think reading is "boring". I read it with my 5-year-old daughter and she thought it was hilarious. Would be perfect for elementary school libraries.

With bright colors and silly fun built in, The Book That No One Wants to Read will keep even the most reluctant of readers turning the pages!

This is a really cute book to catch the attention of kids, even the kids who may not be too much into reading. It’s as if the book is interacting with you. It will surely put a smile on a kid’s face as it’s full of fun and giggles.

This book made me giggle! It's such a great book for reluctant readers- kids who think reading is a chore. I can already picture them flipping the pages, doing what the book is asking them to do (wiggling their nose, ears, and bum at the same time, ha!) and reading the whole book to themselves. I will definitely get a copy for my classroom!

Fun, entertaining, and a must have for my classroom library! The book lures you into reading it, leading with jokes and activities that engage the reader while including just the bare minimum of words per page to keep readers hooked.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC.

I love this book. It’s funny and engaging, a good bedtime story but also a great read-along and read-alone. Witty and charming, I think kids are gonna love this,

My goodness!
This was the cutest interactive book i have ever read. I cant wait to get my hands on this book for my 6 year old nephew who is a total book worm!
This book will be great in preschool through elementary classrooms.
Definitely going on my favorites list

This was a really funny book for kids who don't like to read. The best part is the book has a conversation with you, and before you know it, you've read the whole book!

This is such a cute book, similar in nature to The Book With No Pictures. Any reluctant reader will be happy to have this book in their hands.

I love this book! It’s so cute, I love being able to bond with a book so easily. I think kids would absolutely love this book

<i>You're not one of those kids who thinks books are boring, are you?</i>

I've always kind of hated these <em>supposedly</em> clever, "oh, you hate reading, well here's something for you" books. In general, they kind of just annoy me. I think this is a testament to how much I just don't think they work. They're almost always conglomerates of goofy nonsense and, barring the irritating attempt at simply enticing kids to engage with reading, never teach much.

<em>The Book No One Wants to Read</em> by Beth Bacon, however, is <em>very</em> different.

<i>Pretend you're reading.</i>

<em>The Book No One Wants to Read</em> is the first of the "you don't like reading so read this!" books I've ever actually liked or considered worthwhile. Now, it still has the irksome <em>the book is talking to the kid</em> theme to it, but where it didn't work with previous books, it actually works in this one. Instead of <em>just</em> acting goofy, this book is conspiratorial with the reader. Readers find themselves making a deal, appeasing not only the supposed distaste they have for reading but entering into a secret in the process.

Not only that, but the pull here isn't on actually reading the book. Instead, it's simply on flipping through the pages. I was honestly amazed. But then, even better, the reader is making a friend in the book. By sneakily getting away with pretending to read, the book gets some time off the shelf and eventually asks if it can consider the reader a friend.

It's adorable and effective.

<i>But when some kids read, they drag their finger under the sentence.</i>

The book goes on to play some goofy games with the reader, very clearly citing fooling around as their course of action. The book suggests that the best way to deal with the boredom they both have is to play some games. And the games are engaging. But, what I loved <em>most</em> about this book is that it doesn't just begin and end with the conspiratorial nature and games.

Instead, it takes opportunities to impart lessons. For those who<em> 'hate' </em>reading, it can often be a result of struggle. The fact that Bacon includes a piece about how kids point to words while reading struck a cord with me. Most young readers probably won't notice how impactful this moment is. But, as an educator, this single section meant <em>so much</em> to me.

It's one thing for a book like this to focus solely on engaging a reluctant reader. But to include subtle tips on how to aid in reading skills is kind of unheard of for me. In this sense alone, <em>The Book No One Wants to Read</em> blew every other book like this out of the water. I don't know if I'll ever turn to a different one.

<i>What if...you sit here and turn my pages, and...we just goof off?</i>

Now, the artwork isn't exceptional or anything. But it is colorful. I think engagement level really depends on who is reading this book. And, admittedly, it is unfortunate to say that there are a number of kids who might not even be able to read all of it. The language is, in my opinion, a little advanced. Even that line that I love so much...<em>sentence</em>? You could have used words, sent the same message, and made it far easier for struggling readers to access.

So, this book isn't perfect by any means. I don't really expect it to be. Ultimately, I still think it's a great starting place.

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

Wow! What a brilliant, wonderful experience! This book tells jokes, keeps secrets, plays games, and makes deals with the reader (while also endearing the reader to the power of words in the most delightful and clever ways). This wildly subversive celebration of literacy (including visual literacy) and its relationship with the reader is a masterwork in picture books, literacy, design, and storytelling. Educators, parents, and librarians will LOVE The Book No One Wants to Read!

"The Book No One Wants to Read" by Beth Bacon is fun and keeps your attention throughout. I love the interactive aspect of this book. The book starts out with excitement and joy at the fact that someone picked it up. Then it realizes that the person who picked it up thinks books are boring so the book makes a deal with the reader. This is the perfect book for children who are reluctant to read. It will keep their interest by making them interact with it.

ADORABLE. Thank you to Net Galley and Harper Collins for the ARC! This book is such a cute way to get your little reluctant readers READING without them "knowing" it. With cute games and bright, graphic illustrations, this book is sure to keep the pages turning. Reminds me a lot of Herve Tullet's Mix It Up and Press Here in that this book is totally interactive and sure to bring the laughs. I'll definitely be adding a copy to our library's shelves.

Very cute book. It was funny and kept you interested by games and puzzles. I liked how it kept you engaged..