Let Them Have Books: A Proposal for Universal Reading Proficiency, (Paperback)

Reading is the most important skill children can learn and provides a lifetime of benefits. But most children do not become proficient or lifelong readers. In Let Them Have Books, author Gaby Chapman offers a formula for delivering the gift of avid reading to every child.

Using research and her experience as a teacher, Chapman presents a detailed discussion of the reading habits of children. She covers why children should read, why they don't, and what we can do to ensure that all children become enthusiastic readers.

Let Them Have Books outlines a new model for reading education. This model recognizes that the process of learning to read begins at birth and that different brains learn to read in different ways. This reading education centers on creating a dynamic reading culture in schools, one that encourages students to choose the books they read and provides ample time in school to read them.

About the Author: Gaby Chapman learned to question education norms from her uncle, acclaimed educator John Holt. As school board president in the 1970s, she oversaw construction of a school and developed one of California's first charter schools. She retired from teaching in 2009 and lives in Northern California with her husband.