Reading for Pleasure: International Perspectives

Teresa Cremin is Professor of Education (Literacy) and Co-Director of the Literacy and Social Justice Centre at The Open University in the United Kingdom. Her conceptual and pedagogic research focuses on the social and relational nature of children’s volitional reading and teachers’ knowledge, practice and identities as readers and writers.Sarah McGeown is Professor of Literacy and Director of the Literacy Lab at the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom. Her research focuses on understanding and supporting children and young people’s reading motivation, engagement and affective reading experiences.

• Reading for Pleasure: Exploring the Concept, the Causes and Consequences Part I: Understanding Readers 1. Reading Motivation: Embracing Multiple Perspectives 2. Girls and Boys as Readers: Challenging Binary Beliefs 3. Reading Identities and Recreational Reading Part II: The Nature of Texts 4. Sensory Literacies to Foster Reading for Pleasure 5. Fiction Books and Benefits to Wellbeing 6. Connected Digital Reading among Adolescents Part III: Pedagogies and Practices Conducive to Reading for Pleasure 7. Agency within Pleasure Reading 8. Informal Book Talk 9. Shared Reading Aloud Part IV: Environments Conducive to Reading for Pleasure 10. Home, Parents and Siblings 11. School Libraries: A Systematic Review 12. Lifelong Reading Journeys 13. Reading Communities: A Pluralist Perspective Conclusion and Reflections for Research, Practice and Policy

‘Reading for pleasure should indeed be the right of every child. That requires investment – in understanding readers’ motivations and interests; and in resourcing for reading in different contexts in ways that engage, support and provoke the curiosity of readers in wanting to know more. This book brings together cutting-edge research internationally that will delight and inform its readers.’ Gemma Moss, Professor of Literacy UCL Institute of Education, UK.‘Reading for pleasure is a critical factor for supporting youth today. This edited volume provides a much-needed resource reflecting multiple perspectives from scholars in the field. It offers diverse insights into how reading for pleasure can be nurtured, and how it can elevate both children and youth.’ Margaret Vaughn, Professor, Washington State University, USA.‘Reading for Pleasure is a term used by teachers and scholars who view the teaching of reading as a matter of social justice. A rich body of evidence exists that demonstrates its potential to enhance academic outcomes and redress inequalities of opportunity. This book brings together international scholars to build a timely, research-informed case that reading for pleasure matters – a lot! Led by the experts in the field, the chapters provide an overview of past studies and current issues across a wide range of areas and global contexts. It speaks a powerful message that needs heeding.’Alyson Simpson, Professor, The University of Sydney, Australia.