books and reading

Ruby wants to be a teacher, but after her father's death in a logging accident she must quit school to care for her ten brothers and sisters, until a chance meeting with a lonely old blind woman transforms her life.

Verity Gallant, a lonely little girl, acquires two steadfast friends after she is given an ancient book that leads her into the mystery of an ancient pledge and a battle with the powerful Mistress of the Storm.

Describes free voluntary reading (FVR), presenting evidence that it is the most effective tool for increasing linguistic ability, and discusses such topics as access to reading material at home, library funding, the impact of poverty, and the effectiveness of reading comic books, teen romances, and magazines.

When twelve-year-old Owen finds that his nine-year-old cousin has a magic bookmark, he joins her when she enters different stories in hopes of finding a way to prevent their parents' upcoming marriage.

A comprehensive overview of the best English-language scholarship on books and print culture.

Princess Sylvie and the other characters in the book entitled "The Great Good Thing" confront the perils of being uploaded onto the World Wide Web, forcing them to act out their story both in print and in cyberspace.

Nearly fourteen and poor, Ceclia Gonzales wants desperately to go to high school and become a teacher until her mother's old-fashioned ideas about a woman's place threaten her dreams.

Lists 1,001 important works of literature written or published over the course of more than three hundred years, selected by a team of international critics and literary scholars, each including a critical essay.

Provides a road map for adult readers who want to gain enjoyment and self-improvement from the time they spend reading, discussing how different genres should be read to get the most out of them.

Contains chronological, detailed accounts of some 750 novels written in English, including plot summaries, critical assessments, and more.