Read Pam Allyn's posts on the Penguin Blog The books to read aloud to children at the important moments in their lives. In What to Read When , award-winning educator Pam Allyn celebrates the power of reading aloud with children. In many ways, books provide the first opportunity for children to begin to reflectively engage with and understand the world around them. Not only can parents entertain their child and convey the beauty of language through books, they can also share their values and create lasting connections. Here, Allyn offers parents and caregivers essential advice on choosing appropriate titles for their children—taking into account a child’s age, attention ability, gender, and interests— along with techniques for reading aloud effectively. But what sets this book apart is the extraordinary, annotated list of more than three hundred titles suitable for the pivotal moments in a child’s life. With category themes ranging from friendship and journeys to thankfulness, separations, silliness, and spirituality, What to Read When is a one-of-a-kind guide to how parents can best inspire children through reading together. In addition, Pam Allyn includes an indispensable “Reader’s Ladder” section, with recommendations for children at every stage from birth to age ten. With the author’s warm and engaging voice throughout, discussion questions to encourage in-depth conversations, as well as advice on helping kids make the transition to independent reading, this book will help shape thoughtful, creative, and curious children, imparting a love of reading that will last a lifetime. These Penguin Young Reader's Books are referenced in What to Read When Sylvia Jean: Drama Queen by Lisa Campbell Ernst (Penguin Young Reader’s Group: 2005) - Two Is For Twins , by Wendy Cheyette Lewison, illustrations by Hiroe Nakata (Penguin Young Readers: 2006) - Remember Grandma? by Laura Langston (Penguin Group (USA): May 2004) - Soul Looks Back in Wonder compiled by Tom Feelings (Puffin Books) - Time of Wonder by Robert McCloskey (Penguin Books USA, Incorporated: December 1957) - When I was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant illustrated by Diane Goode (Penguin Young Readers Group: January 1993) - Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs by Tomie DePaola (Puffin Books, an imprint of Penguin Books, Inc.:1973) - Good Night, Good Knight by Shelly Moore Thomas, illustrations by Jennifer Plecas (Penguin Young Readers Group: 2002) - Targeted principally at parents, Allyn’s earnestly utilitarian guide to read-aloud books for children promises to “help you find the perfect books for the perfect times.” To that end, she offers a potpourri of self-help tools including a “reader’s ladder” of titles for children from birth to age 10, 50 thematic lists of “all the best books for the moments that matter most,” 10 reasons for reading to kids, and four keys for helping children become lifelong readers. All of this material has its uses, but its presentation is often either cloying (especially when the author invokes her own family) or a bit too rah-rah for some readers. Her knowledge of the history of children’s literature is occasionally a bit spotty (she praises Margaret Wise Brown without ever acknowledging the influence of Lucy Sprague Mitchell), and is Stuart Little really suitable for reading to a six-year-old? Nevertheless, the author is at her best when she is discussing the inarguable—almost ineffable—importance of reading to and sharing books with kids. And here her enthusiasm and genuine passion are infectious. One hopes her spirit is catching. --Michael Cart This volume by Allyn, director of the literacy organization LitLife, reminds parents that through reading aloud they can ?teach the beauty of language and joys of rhythm and rhyme? and introduce their offspring to the ?Big Wide World.? Part one of this book?a combination of Jim Trelease's "Read-Aloud Handbook" and Anita Silvey's "100 Best Books for Children"?offers 10 reasons why parents should read to their kids: to develop shared values, to fall in love with language, to build comprehension, among them. Useful, too, are Allyn's Four Keys, revealed in an apt mnemonic, READ: a Ritual of coming together in an Environment conducive to reading with Access to the right book at the right time for a Dialogue. Chapter Four's 14 landmark books, from "Pat the Bunny" to "Harry Potter" (with Margaret Wise Brown, Dr. Seuss and Maurice Sendak titles included) will resonate with parents, but the best feature may be a brief section called ?How to Read Aloud, ? which teaches parents exactly how and wh Pam Allyn is the Executive Director of LitLife, a national organization specializing in innovative literacy education for schools and families. Pam is also the Founding Director of LitWorld which brings literacy programs to underserved communities worldwide. She is the author of The Complete 4 for Literacy , a guide for educators, and coauthor of the six-book series The