The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child »

Donalyn Miller teaches 6th grade language arts and social studies at Trinity Meadows Intermediate School in Keller, Texas. She also writes an ongoing blog for teachermagazine.org. The book is published in partnership with Education Week Press (www.edweek.org).

". . . a primer of the heart on how to make reading magical again."

—Carol Ann Tomlinson

Donalyn Miller is a dedicated teacher who says she has yet to meet a child she couldn't turn into a reader. In The Book Whisperer, Miller takes us inside her 6th grade classroom to reveal the secrets of her powerful but unusual instructional approach. Rejecting book reports, comprehension worksheets, and other aspects of conventional instruction, Miller embraces giving students an individual choice in what they read combined with a program for independent reading. She also focuses on building a classroom library of high-interest books, and above all on modeling appropriate and authentic reading behaviors. Her zeal for reading is infectious and inspiring, and the results speak for themselves. No matter how far behind Miller's students may be when they start out, they end up reading an average of 40 books per year, achieve high scores on standardized tests, and internalize a love for reading that lasts long after they've left her class.

Travel alongside the author as she leads her students to discover the ample rewards of reading and literature. Brought to life with Miller's passionate voice, The Book Whisperer will help teachers support students of all levels on their path to reading success. It also includes an invaluable list of books that Miller's students most enjoy reading.

"Miller's new book, The Book Whisperer, is a breath of fresh air. Powerful and practical, this book will support you as you change your classroom for the better while helping you to understand how to overcome current classroom cultures where some children learn and many learn to hate reading."

—Richard L. Allington, Ph.D., University of Tennessee

"In The Book Whisperer, Donalyn Miller deftly describes the inherent need children have to engage with books, intellectually and emotionally. The book is a timely and rare gift for teachers."

—Ellin Oliver Keene, author and consultant

"This book reminds anyone—who is lucky enough to have loved a book—what classrooms and kids have lost in our frenzy to 'cover' content and standardize student performance in the name of reading. This is a primer of the heart on how to make reading magical again."

—Carol Ann Tomlinson, William Clay Parish, Jr. Professor of Education, University of Virginia

Mark Bay - Library Journal

Miller, a sixth-grade language arts and social studies teacher and blogger, has enabled students of many different backgrounds to enjoy reading and to be good at it; her students regularly score high on the Texas standardized tests. Her approach is simple yet provocative: affirm the reader in every student, allow students to choose their own books, carve out extra reading time, model authentic reading behaviors, discard timeworn reading assignments such as book reports and comprehension worksheets, and develop a classroom library filled with high-interest books. Her students regularly read more than 40 books in a school year and leave her classroom with an appreciation and love of books and reading. Miller provides many tips for teachers and parents and includes a useful list of ultimate reading suggestions picked by her students. This outstanding contribution to the literature is highly recommended for teachers, parents, and others serving young students.

Foreword ix

Introduction 1

Chapter 1 There and Back Again 7

Chapter 2 Everybody Is a Reader 19

Whisper Student Surveys 39

Chapter 3 There's a Time and a Place 47

Chapter 4 Reading Freedom 69

Whisper Reader's Notebooks 99

Chapter 5 Walking the Walk 103

Chapter 6 Cutting the Teacher Strings 119

Whisper End-of-Year Evaluations 153

Chapter 7 Letting Go 159

Afterword, by Ron D. Myers, Principal 179

Appendix A The Care and Feeding of a Classroom Library 183

Appendix B Ultimate Library List 193

Appendix C Student Forms 201

References 213

Index 216

Acknowledgments 225

About the Author 228

About the Sponsor 228