Drawing on their extensive past experiences as principals and classroom teachers, Carol and James Beers (both education, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia) combine efforts with West Point, Virginia school district administrator Smith to create a practical guide for elementary principals who want to be literacy leaders in their schools. Each chapter focuses on an element believed essential for strong literacy leadership. Coverage includes the components of good literacy instruction, as identified by the National Reading Panel; establishing a strong literacy culture within a school; initiating an elementary school professional development program to sustain strong literacy practices among staff; literacy assessment challenges and appropriate assessment techniques; the importance of good school-family-community partnerships; and assessing the strengths and needs of elementary school teachers regarding literacy instruction strategies. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)