This book, unfortunately, ended up as a "Did Not Finish" for me. Despite my initial interest in exploring a story centered around the love of reading, the slow pace failed to engage my attention. While I admired the concept, this particular book didn't resonate with me as I had hoped.

This book does a great job of refocusing and recentering our discussions on student literacy. My rating is a bit lower only because I've noticed a lot of books have the same basic ideas. If you've never read a book by Donalyn Miller, then this is a FABULOUS read! If you've followed her journey, then there are only a few new tidbits.

I love that this is research based. There are many popular ideas that I've heard of but never knew who they were attributed to (specifically the mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors metaphor). There's also a great balance of inspiring anecdotes and examples that illustrate how these concepts really work. This book made me reflect on my own moments of reading joy and moments when my reading life was not flourishing. The advice here was solid and well done.

Definitely pick this up if you are new to Donalyn Miller or a new literacy teacher. It is inspiring!

3.5 stars rounded up.

I love Donalyn Miller and have been fortunate enough to see her in person a few times. This book was good but in my opinion it didn’t offer much beyond her other books.

As always, anything written by Donalyn Miller is fantastic. The fact that she wrote this book with her friend Teri Lesesne makes it even better. It is sometimes hard to find the joy in reading and this book helps us find both our students and our own reading joy again.

The Joy of Reading by Donalyn Miller and Teri S. Lesesne (Heinemann 2022) is a beautiful book for educators about how we can help develop a love of reading with the children in our lives. With a focus on what the joy of reading is and how we nurture this joy within our students, Miller and Lesesne make a strong argument for letting children have plenty of time for free reading and lots of access to books.

Much of what is said in The Joy of Reading seems obvious to me, a homeschool parent and a regular reader of books both for my own joy and for current or future reading with my children. I found myself right at home during the discussion about what the joy of reading is, why time and access are essential, and why we should allow students to choose their own reading material. These are concepts I have long believed in, and it made me sad that my girls (who are in public school this year) don’t have as much time to self-select and choose to read on their own.

The most valuable portions of The Joy of Reading were the final two chapters. These chapters addressed honoring a reader’s natural response to reading and why discussing books in a community environment helps build on the joy of reading even further. Reading this book made me excited to be a part of a book club again sometime! The only teacher talk came in this section

The Joy of Reading is truly a gorgeous book. With full-color watercolor illustrations, pull quotes from literary experts and student readers, stylized lists with book recommendations, and colorful sidebars, just picking it up is a treasure. As a parent-teacher education book, The Joy of Reading felt a little bit self-explanatory and yet reading it brought the joy of reading into my own life.

Note: I received a review copy of The Joy of Reading.

An excellent resource for parents, librarians, and teachers, this book is a gem, a guide to lay the foundation for lifelong readers. As parents and teachers, this is what we all want to instill in our children: the joy of reading. The authors argue that joyful reading: relies on abundant access and time to read, encourages readers' choices, honors readers' responses, and thrives in a supportive community.

A quote in the book from Beverly Cleary summarizes everything in the book so well:
"Children should learn that reading is pleasure, not just something that teachers make you do in school."

Many thanks to Netgalley and Heinemann Publishing for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Dnf, this book was extremely slow and didn’t catch my attention. I loved the concept of reading a book about the love of reading but this book just didn’t do it for me personally

Thanks to #netgalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. Disclaimer: I am always drawn to books about reading/bookish people or bookish loving looking books, this was one of those books I was drawn to just by the cover and the title, I didn't even read what it was about I just dove straight into it. This book was meant to be a guide teachers, librarians, school administrators, and caregivers who love reading, to help them find a way to encourage a love of reading in children.
From the book's blurb
"Now consider: When talking with children about their reading lives at school, are you likely to hear about this transformative reading joy? Or are you more likely to hear about reading logs, book reports, and standardized tests? For too many young readers, reading is joyless. It is something that is required of them, but not something that they choose to do.

Here's the truth: It is possible to teach children how to read well without killing their love for reading in the process."

When I was reading this book I found it to also serve as a reminder as to why those of us who already have a love of and find joy in reading, love books so much. It was such an interesting read and sent me on my own trips down memory lane of some of the books I have read through different stages of my life and how they have impacted and shaped me into the reader I am today. This book could even serve as a great starting point for adults who aren't particularly fond of reading to encourage them to also try reading for joy. As a schoolgirl one of my greatest joys was when the Scholastic Bus would arrive at my school and I could collect the books I had saved up my pocket money to buy. Reading this delightful and informative book was a great reaffirming read of why I have and always will continue to find such joy, comfort and calm when reading. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ #thejoyofreading #donalynmiller #teri s lesense #netgalley #tea_sipping_bookworm #goodreads #litsy #thestorygraph #bookqueen #bookstagram #amazonkindle #amazonaustralia

I was only able to read the first part of the book, but I will definitely purchase this book so that I can make notes, fill it with sticky notes and use it to talk about the teaching of literacy with my colleagues. I found many ideas that could be used in my work and many parts that both affirmed and stretched my thinking. I greatly respect both Donalyn and Teri's work, and this is another solid professional read that I will recommend to the teachers I work with.

Donalyn Miller is just amazing. All teachers, especially reading teachers, need to read The Joy of Reading as well as her older books. She knows how to make kids love reading. Period.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Donalyn Miller, “The Book Whisperer,” as usual offers great advice for teachers. Students must love reading to enjoy it, but that love is often killed in the process of teaching them to read. Miller offers suggestions to help with this issue, and reminds teachers of their own love of reading.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I am a reading teacher, and I loved this book! This was a no-nonsense read for teachers about bringing the love of reading back to kids.

Great nonfiction text for reading teachers on sparking a love of reading. I enjoyed the stories within.

What a joy to have this book from two incredible educators & children's literacy supporters! Donalyn Miller & Teri Lesesne have had the biggest influence on me from the start of my teaching career, and I can hear the warmth in their voices in the pages of this professional book. I hope many educators can use it to center joy in their classrooms and reading lives of their students.

I have really enjoyed Donnalynn Miller’s other book so I immediately put this on my wishlist. Unfortunately I didn’t manage to open the book on any of my devices. I’m really disappointed as I am an advocate for teaching reading and creating reading motivation in teenagers.
I will probably order the book anyway as I am really interested in the contents.

As a library assistant I enjoy reading books about about books. And I enjoyed The Joy of Reading, because since I was a kid I've always loved reading because it has always been a means of escape. And I love that this book highlights that.

Wonderful book from Donalyn Miller.that is sure to ignite the passion for reading. Wonderful for student teachers and teachers alike who are looking for ways to freshen their reading instruction.

Wow, what a labor of love the creation of this book must have been! The authors have given us a comprehensive guide that gives new perspectives on fostering a love of reading. I had so many ah-ha moments while reading this book. I will be purchasing it for our library and discussing it widely.

I have already purchased this title after seeing this book on NetGalley. I am a certified reading teacher. This book is a handbook to encourage students to read and enjoy it. We as teachers must find ways that the students will want to read. I believe the people who read this book will see the value instantly as I did. Thank you the opportunity to read and review this book.

Miller and Lesesne speak to the importance of reading not simply as a limited act to be tested, but as a life-giving experience.