The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child

By Donalyn Miller

Book Overview

Turn any student into a bookworm with a few easy and practical strategies

Donalyn Miller says she has yet to meet a child she can't turn into a reader. No matter how far behind Miller's students might be when they reach her 6th grade classroom, they end up reading an average of 40 to 50 books a year.

Miller's unconventional approach dispenses with drills and worksheets that make reading a chore. Instead, she helps students navigate the world of literature and gives them time to read books they pick out themselves. Her love of books and teaching is both infectious and inspiring.

In the book, you'll find:

Hands-on strategies for managing and improving your own school library Tactics for helping students walk on their own two feet and continue the reading habit after they've finished with your class Data from student surveys and end-of-year feedback that proves how well the Miller Method works

The Book Whisperer includes a dynamite list of recommended kid lit that helps parents and teachers find the books that students really like to read.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0470372273
• ISBN13: 9780470372272
• Release Date: March 2009
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.83 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 7.0" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Must Read for Everyone

I have bought at least 6 copies of this book over my teaching career. I love it. I pass it on to everyone I can and sometimes it finds its way back to me other times I order a new one. This time I ordered 2, both came in great shape!

Every educator should read this book!

Donalyn Miller gets it. She understands perfectly why many of our kids don't like reading any more, and she has the answer. You'd think Congress would be knocking down her door by now. Let's hope it happens soon. In the mean time, anyone who considers himself or herself a teacher needs to read THE BOOK WHISPERER. It's a book that gets right to the heart of what makes us readers and how to instill that love of words and stories in our kids. Miller goes right after so-called "tried and true" methods like comprehension tests, book reports, whole class required novels, and test preparation workbooks not just with empty criticism but with solid research that supports reading time and student choice. More importantly, she provides a healthy list of more kid-friendly, reading-friendly alternative strategies that teachers can use in their classrooms right away. Truly, this book is a model for getting kids back to books they love, and it provides a great model for classroom teachers to follow. For those who aren't sure where to start, there are plenty of anecdotes, sample student interactions, and useful classroom forms to get new teachers started. I'm both a children's author and a National Board Certified middle school English teacher, and I found myself nodding my way through these pages to the very end. Miller's ideas -- and they're ideas that smart teachers all over our country are using in various ways -- have the power to make a real difference in education.