Born to Read [Hardcover]

Judy Sierra (Author), Marc Brown (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

THE AWARD-WINNING COLLABORATORS of the New York Times #1 picture book bestseller Wild About Books are back with a new story that promotes books and reading. Told in Judy Sierra’s inimitable read-aloud rhyme, the narrative chronicles the amazing successes of Sam—thanks to his early love of books. The story ranges from Sam’s infancy, when his mother reads him a picture book (“then another, then another, then another . . . such a perfect, patient mother”), to school age, when he cleverly uses some of his favorite books to rid his town of the rampaging baby giant, Grundaloon. “‘Here’s my secret,’ Sam decreed. ‘Readers win and winners read.’” Marc Brown’s playful pictures joyously complement this fun-to-read, upbeat story

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2—In quick, quirky rhymed couplets, Sierra relates the story of Sam, who starts reading as soon as his eyes open and never, ever stops—even when he plays basketball. There's a book (or three) out there for all of his various interests, and those he chooses help him with everything from winning bike races to saving the town from a marauding baby giant. To befriend the latter, he pulls out an assortment of classics (including The Cat in the Hat and an Arthur title), some cake, and a cup of tea, all of which work like magic. "And while the giant ate his snack up,/Sam discreetly called for backup." Help arrives in the form of a big brown UPS cargo jet. As an adult, Sam makes the cover of Time when he's awarded a Pulitzer. Sierra's wry acknowledgment of recognizable brands and their value works out okay for grownups—sure, it's obvious product placement and cross promotion. For kids, the familiar bindings depicted in miniature promise a happy "Hey, I know that book!" Brown's gouache illustrations are cheery, and each page pours into the next through the use of subtly repeated background motifs. Polka dots on wallpaper in Sam's nursery evolve into dapples and spots across a wide swath of lawn, reappear as large potato-print circles in a doctor's office, and then shrink into a dizzying spray of blue and purple spots in Sam's dazzled imagination. This is an easy, obvious choice for events with literacy and early learning as their themes.—Catherine Threadgill, formerly at Charleston County Public Library, SC
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From Booklist

The collaborators who produced the hugely popular Wild about Books (2004) have created another book that is a hooray for reading. Rhyming text introduces youngsters to a boy named Sam, who was “born to read”—and read he does. When he becomes interested in winning a bicycle race, he reads everything he can on the topic, including books on “motivation, concentration, muscle action, getting traction,” and against the odds, he wins. When a baby giant terrorizes the town, Sam, with a basket of books and snacks, charms the critter and saves the day. This definitely lacks the allure and cleverness of Wild. It seems like two stories lumped into one, and it isn’t really clear how Sam wins the bicycle race (the statement “Readers win and winners read” isn’t enough). However, Brown’s bright, colorful illustrations and the message that reading can be the ticket to what someone wants to accomplish give the book a fair amount of appeal. Preschool-Grade 2. --Randall Enos

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (August 12, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375846875
• ISBN-13: 978-0375846878
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 0.4 x 12.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #886,226 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I grew up in a very creative, book-loving family. My father was a photographer, and my mother was a librarian. They read to me constantly, especially poetry. When I was seven, they built me a puppet theater and I gave my first performance, "The Three Wishes." In college I studied literature, and afterwards I became a children's librarian. A few years later, I set out on my own as a puppeteer, quickly joining forces with another puppet artist, who became my husband. We studied traditional puppetry in Indonesia, and traveled all over the U.S. as teachers and artists-in-residence. About twenty years ago, I combined what I had learned as an avid reader and writer, as a librarian and children's entertainer, and began writing books for children. All of my books are meant to be read aloud and dramatized. To learn more about how each of my books came to be, please visit my web site: http://www.judysierra.net.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Smart Book, September 29, 2008

By 

M. Himed (Oakland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Born to Read (Hardcover)

I have never reviewed a kids book before, but this one inspired me to. Especially after reading that the author is from my hometown of Oakland,Ca.
The story in this book that a boy is reading from the time he is a toddler and grows up to read wherever he is, even when he is playing basketball, is a very smart way of getting young people to read. The T.V. is currently dominating the minds of young people and we need to use every means we can to get them inspired to read instead of sit in front of the tube. This book gets us a little closer to doing that. I recommend it and every other book that this author has written and you can find most of them at your local library.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars From good to what?, December 6, 2008

By 

N.L. (Minnesota) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Born to Read (Hardcover)

I agree with the last review that the story started out great (I was already thinking about people that I could buy it for) and then it gets very disjointed. Too many ideas are squished together. Take a look to it in a library first to see if it's the right book for you.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AWESOME BOOK!!!, November 2, 2008

By 

My2Babies0610 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Born to Read (Hardcover)

This is a must have for little readers or children getting ready to read. My son will be 3 in 2 months and he has this extreme desire to learn to how read. My husband found this book and had to buy it for him, and we all love it!! Such a cute, silly, and fun book to encourage and inspire children to read. This has become an instant favorite in our house!