"Teachers often struggle to find the right literature to build background and inspire students to read. This excellent resource gives you a wealth of book ideas and strategies to bring literacy to life in your classroom. The author brings such a personal touch to her writing; it felt like she was speaking just to me. Literature lovers will be captivated by this book."---Nancy Kelly, MA, literacy consultant/coach, Sparks, Nevada<BR><BR>"Barone presents a clear road map for engaging young readers with literature as they read for pleasure or critical analysis. This refreshing book is complete with book lists, text sets, attention to gender issues, ideas for matching readers to texts, and think-alouds. Barone clearly has 21st-century teachers in mind. She helps teachers plan for their day with explicit examples of schedules and standards, and demonstrates ways to meet the needs of diverse readers."---Suzette Youngs, PhD, University of Northern Colorado<BR><BR>"Barone covers a wide range of topics in a concise and easily accessible manner. She gives preservice and inservice teachers a better understanding of children's literature along with numerous practical ideas for using it across the curriculum. The book will help you become a more capable reader (and teacher) of children's literature by focusing your attention on the important visual, textual, and design aspects of different genres."---Frank Serafini, PhD, Arizona State University<BR><BR>Many Reading Programs Today Overlook an Essential Component of Litercy Instruction---Helping children develop an enduring love of reading. This authoritative and accessible guide provides a wealth of ideas for incorporating high-quality children's books of all kinds into K-6 classrooms. Numerous practical strategies are presented for engaging students with picturebooks, fiction, nonfiction, and nontraditional texts. Lively descriptions of recommended books and activities are interspersed with invaluable tips for fitting authentic reading experiences into the busy school day. Every chapter concludes with reflection questions and suggestions for further reading. The volume also features reproducible worksheets and forms.