Reading Rules!: Motivating Teens to Read

Knowles and Smith combine years of experience in education to create this resource text for educators working with students in grades six to eight. Coverage includes an overview of the challenges of motivating teens to read, how to create a conducive reading environment at school, how to use interactive activities to interest students and help them relate to the literature. Several individual chapters focus on a number of specific approaches, such as reading workshops, literature circles, book clubs, booktalks, thematic units, and information literacy. Each chapter contains extensive lists of sample materials, including annotations on resources for student reading, and journal articles and books for professional consultation.

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VOYA

Note the exclamation point. This resource is not a set of rules for reading. It is, instead, about motivating reluctant teen readers with chapters on reading workshops, literature circles, book clubs, booktalks, and thematic units. Reading the book presumes prior knowledge on the part of the professional, and it does not explain how to do the techniques it presents. Knowles and Smith include excellent bibliographies, many annotated, of professional references, young adult literature, and Web sites. The book might have been edited better. The repetition of the same annotations in different chapters is helpful, but the quality of writing varies among entries for the same book or article. The chapter on current young adult literature includes a series of paragraphs that appear to be either notes or annotations. It appears that once the book was all in one piece, it was not read by an editor who could see it as a whole and suggest small but appropriate revisions. This weakness makes it difficult to read from one end to the other. Nonetheless the book is a useful resource for those looking for references specifically about teens and reading. Biblio. Further Reading. Appendix. 2001, Libraries Unlimited, 168p, $32 Oversize pb. Ages Adult. Reviewer:Lynne Hawkins—VOYA, December 2001 (Vol. 24, No. 5)

ELIZABETH KNOWLES, Ed.D. received her undergraduate degree in Elementary Education from Central Connecticut State University, a master's degree in Reading from Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and an Ed.D. in Curriculum Development and Systemic Change, also from Nova Southeastern University. Liz has been an elementary teacher, grades K-6, for 30 years. She has also been an adjunct professor, teaching graduate courses in reading, at Florida Atlantic University. She currently serves as Director of Professional Development and Curriculum for both campuses (Ft. Lauderdale and Boca Raton) of Pine Crest School in Florida.

MARTHA SMITH received her undergraduate degree in Library Science from Eastern Michigan University and a master's degree of education in Library Science from the University of South Florida. Martha has been a media specialist for over 20 years in the Pre-K through 8th grade setting and is currently serving as Library Media Specialist at Pine Crest School, Boca Raton, Florida.