Customer Reviews

How to Get Your Child to Love Reading: For Ravenous and Reluctant Readers Alike

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_How to Get Your Child to Love Reading_ was conceived when Esmé was staring at a shriveled potato that was sprouting eyes. She wondered, " . . . if I had a potato, nothing but a potato, how could I teach a classroom full of children? Well, I could cut a potato in half. (I can use the paring knife from my own kitchen, right?) We could review fractions. With one half, I could cut a design and do potato prints. We could plant the eyes from the other half of the potato (it can have eyes, right?) and grow more potatoes, charting their growth." The ideas cascade: writing a story about a potato, making a book of potato recipes or potato poems, making potato stamps of all the letters, teaching reading, getting books from the library about potatoes, talking about the Irish potato famine, writing letters to executives about potato chips or Mr. Potato Head.

The preceding excerpt illustrates the boundless creativity of author Esmé Raji Codell. On this first page she establishes the metaphor that recurs throughout _How to Get Your Child to Love Reading_: "Children's literature is our national potato." It is the seed that, through its many shoots, can help our children become caring, educated citizens.

Although the cover dubs _How to Get Your Child to Love Reading_ a "Parent's Guide," this book is a treasure trove for teachers, librarians, grandparents, anyone who cares about children and books. It provides "activities, ideas, and inspiration for exploring everything in the world through books." It is a valuable resource for nourishing juvenile readers, both the reluctant and the ravenous.

_How to Get Your Child to Love Reading_ includes over 3,000 titles recommended for children from birth through eighth grade. However, it doesn't stop with mere recommendations. As Esmé says, "This book is a recipe book for children's literature: how to serve it up so it's delicious and varied."

After a section on reading with "the littlest bambinos," _How to Get Your Child to Love Reading_ is organized by subject matter: social studies, math and science, story books, etc. Esmé subdivides the broad categories, however, so that book lists have very specific headings. She offers books for specific seasons, for special occasions (such as the arrival of a sibling or losing a tooth), for dealing with everyday problems (tattling or the hiccups).

Because the categories are so specific, many books are listed simply by title and author. That is sufficient. Sometimes Esmé adds just a word or two of description. For example, in the math section the note "place value" beside the title _The King's Commissioners_ is extremely elucidating. For some books Esmé provides sentence summaries. For others she provides more information, even excerpts. She provides just enough information to whet our appetites.

But _How to Get Your Child to Love Reading_ has so much more! Esmé's wisdom and revelry shine through on every page. Esmé includes dozens of articles, some on controversial subjects (for example, should reading be rewarded?). She has recurring features honoring "reading heroes" and addressing questions about various aspects of reading. She provides a list of benefits of reading aloud, a "Happy Childhood Checklist," a list of "Must-Reads by the Time You're Thirteen," six pages of story starters. She offers suggestions for integrating literature with life, often in celebration -- a parade of books, a storytelling festival, an unbirthday party. She recommends additional resources, many of them on the Internet.

Appendices and indices round out _How to Get Your Child to Love Reading_. The appendices include Newbery and Caldecott Award honorees as well as winners. Information about a specific book is easy to find since the books are triply indexed -- by title, author, and subject.

I am thrilled to have discovered Esmé Raji Codell. She is indeed an exuberant, eloquent young voice for promoting literacy through children's literature. _How to Get Your Child to Love Reading_ may well offer the best hope for stemming the current tide of illiteracy.

What a fun, cleverly written book! Codell's writing is inspiring as well as informative. She provides tons and tons of ideas for reading materials on all manners of topics from social studies to bath time. But she doesn't stop there! She also includes clever ideas to make reading come to life for kids. As an avid lover of resource and child education books, I admit I only own few but this one is a keeper. I would recommend this for parents of infants through early elementary students. If you are looking for reading material to augment your child's life experiences or classroom experiences, I believe this book would be a valuable asset. Happy Reading!

I purchased this book when I began my journey to become an elementary school teacher and I have never put it down. I have countless books that I accumulated in course after course throughout this experience, but I assure you that this is the only book that is DOG EARED. I even bought copies for all my friends who were becoming teachers. Every recommended "Potato Pick" has been wonderful as suggested, every author hightlighted has been fantastic, and Esme has also completed categories for any kind of theme you can think of for kids. In my children's literature course I just chose books I found in this book to read. I take it with me to all bookstores, Scholastic book fairs, ordering via Amazon dot com, or even the public library. Teachers need to but this book, pre-service teachers need to buy this book, and parents especially should buy this book to hook your kids to the most wonderful gift in the world...the world of reading and all the fantasy and fulfillment it can bring.

I checked this book out from the library, interested in this whopping 500 page book! I had heard about the author from her Educating Esme book. I was interested in what she had to say, being a teacher myself. This book is quite inspiring, for children, teachers, and parents alike!!!

I am obviously a huge advocate for children being surrounded by books and as well as ordering from scholastic every month, I scan the titles at the local bookstores, hoping that someday, the book fairy will come down and wave his/her magic wand at me! All silliness aside, reading about reading always gets me excited!

I have no idea where she came up with all of those titles, she must have done tons of researching, because there are over 3000 titles in this book alone!

I loved the little pages full of advice and ideas... example: Your Job: Connect children with books. Basically, if they want to be an accountant, read: Alexander, who used to be rich last Sunday. If they want to be in hotel management, read Rabbit Inn.

Her chapters range for ages from infants to teenagers, stopping at interesting subjects in between! Books in the bath, alphabet and counting books, wordless books, unbirthday stories, civil war, slavery, Africa, Asia, the list goes on and on!

Also, there are lots of little advice columns for those that need help. She responds, Dear gentle reader...

I wish there was a book around when I was younger so I could have a greater access to all of these titles! Reading to children is the most important thing we can do for them because it spells out love and caring! I have to buy it!

What an amazing author! What an incredible book! From the woman who brought us "Educating Esme" comes another gem that helps those who help kids.

If you love to read, to wallow in the sheer delight of works scampering across the page and want to share this with a child....

If you wish to bring a reluctant reader back into the fold...

If you work as a teacher, Librarian, Parent, Mentor, caregiver...if you touch a child's life at all then this book is for you!!!

Not only does her wit shine through, making this an enjoyable read, but she has practicle and applicable ideas. There are a variety of things that you can do for the slow, reluctant and non-reader, and her advise is sound.

If you skim a chapter, read a hunk, or devour the whole book please pick this up....amazing and fun, useful and practical....researching for work has never been this much fun!

Thank You Esme!!!

I cannot say enough about this book! I caught about ten minutes of Esmé's recent interview on NPR and was immediately captivated, not only by what she said but also by how she said it.

_How to Get Your Child to Love Reading_ was conceived when Esmé was staring at a shriveled potato that was sprouting eyes. She wondered, " . . . if I had a potato, nothing but a potato, how could I teach a classroom full of children? Well, I could cut a potato in half. (I can use the paring knife from my own kitchen, right?) We could review fractions. With one half, I could cut a design and do potato prints. We could plant the eyes from the other half of the potato (it can have eyes, right?) and grow mor potatoes, charting their growth." The ideas cascade: writing a story about a potato, making a book of potato recipes or potato poems, making potato stamps of all the letters, teaching reading getting books from the library about potatoes, talking about the Irish potato famine, writing letters to executives about potato chips or Mr. Potato Head.

The preceding excerpt illustrates the boundless creativity of author Esmé Raji Codell. On this first page she establishes the metaphor that recurs throughout _How to Get Your Child to Love Reading_: "Children's literature is our national potato." It is the seed that, through its many shoots, can help our children become caring, educated citizens.

Although the cover dubs _How to Get Your Child to Love Reading_ a "Parent's Guide," this book is a treasure trove for teachers, librarians, grandparents, anyone who cares about children and books. It provides "activities, ideas, and inspiration for exploring everything in the world through books." It is a valuable resource for nourishing juvenile readers, both the reluctant and the ravenous.

_How to Get Your Child to Love Reading_ includes over 3,000 titles recommended for children from birth through eighth grade. However, it doesn't stop with mere recommendations. As Esmé says, "This book is a recipe book for children's literature: how to serve it up so it's delicious and varied."

After a section on reading with "the littlest bambinos," _How to Get Your Child to Love Reading_ is organized by subject matter: social studies, math and science, story books, etc. Esmé subdivides the broad categories, however, so that book lists have very specific headings. She offers books for specific seasons, for special occasions (such as the arrival of a sibling or losing a tooth), for dealing with everyday problems (tattling or the hiccups).

Because the categories are so specific, many books are listed simply by title and author. That is sufficient. Sometimes Esmé adds just a word or two of description. For example, in the math section the note "place value" beside the title _The King's Commissioners_ is extremely elucidating. For some books Esmé provides sentence summaries. For others she provides more information, even excerpts. She provides just enough information to whet our appetites.

But _How to Get Your Child to Love Reading_ has so much more! Esmé's wisdom and revelry shine through on every page. Esmé includes dozens of articles, some on controversial subjects (for example, should reading be rewarded?). She has recurring features honoring "reading heroes" and addressing questions about various aspects of reading. She provides a list of benefits of reading aloud, a "Happy Childhood Checklist," a list of "Must-Reads by the Time You're Thirteen," six pages of story starters. She offers suggestions for integrating literature with life, often in celebration -- a parade of books, a storytelling festival, an unbirthday party. She recommends additional resources, many of them on the Internet.

Appendices and indices round out _How to Get Your Child to Love Reading_. The appendices include Newbery and Caldecott Award honorees as well as winners. Information about a specific book is easy to find since the books are triply indexed -- by title, author, and subject.

I am thrilled to have discovered Esmé Raji Codell. She is indeed an exuberant, eloquent young voice for promoting literacy through children's literature. _How to Get Your Child to Love Reading_ may well offer the best hope for stemming the current tide of illiteracy.

This treasure trove features over 3,000 hand-picked titles on all kinds of topics, and has been both child-tested and teacher-approved. From books which begin with read-alouds to support for parents of reluctant readers and indexes for locating books by subject, this packs in activities, ideas for storytimes, and all kinds of book-reinforcing fun for the kids. Many creative ideas for parents wanting to instill a love of reading abound here, making How To Get Your Child To Love Reading very strongly recommended.

If you want your kids to start reading or if you need direction in finding books that your kids will love this is a must buy.

Every child will adore books and reading once they have experienced them as Esme Codell suggests. Parents, older children, teachers and volunteers will also be caught up in the process of helping children love to read using Codell's relevant and meaningful activities, coupled with books.

It took only an hour to peruse and learn how to navigate this magnificent reference book full of lists, ideas, encouragements, tips, actrivities, and so much more. It is now easy to locate the right books and activities for the children I teach.
Esme Codell is a delightfully "up" person, whose personality and joy of living fully is expressed in her writing. She tells how to share that joy of life, experienced through books and activities, with your child. To quote her, she believes there is "no reason you shouldn't be empowered to make learning happen for your child whenever you see fit." Through this book, she makes it easy. As a former story hour lady and librarian, a current teacher, parent, grandparent and author, my excitement level and desire to "dig in" and use more of her ideas is high.

Thematic learning is the ultimate way to capture children's interest. Codell offers multiple themes from science, history, fairy tales, party ideas, to traveling, and so much more -- all featuring a wealth of book choices. She knows her literature!

How to Get Your Child to Love Reading is a "must-have" book for every parent, grandparent and teacher, and a great compliment to the book I authored, "You Can Teach Someone to Read". It's one you'll never stop using, even when it gets dog-eared. You may, however, have to pass it down to your child to use when he becomes an parent.

I am very pleased with this purchase and found it to be a great value. I didn't realize what a huge book I would receive and I am thrilled with the information crammed inside. There are so many wonderful ideas with book lists galore. I have actually carried this book around my public library looking up different recommended titles! This is a wonderful book for both parents and teachers and makes a perfect gift!