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The Book Whisperer  By  cover art

The Book Whisperer

By: Donalyn Miller
Narrated by: Sean Runnette,Hillary Huber
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Publisher's summary

Donalyn Miller is a dedicated teacher who says she has yet to meet a child she couldn't turn into a reader. In The Book Whisperer, Miller takes us inside her sixth grade classroom to reveal the secrets of her powerful but unusual instructional approach. Rejecting book reports, comprehension worksheets, and other aspects of conventional instruction, Miller embraces giving students an individual choice in what they read, combined with a program for independent reading. She also focuses on building a classroom library of high-interest books, and above all on modeling appropriate and authentic reading behaviors. Her zeal for reading is infectious and inspiring, and the results speak for themselves. No matter how far behind Miller's students may be when they start out, they end up reading an average of forty books per year, achieving high scores on standardized tests, and internalizing a love for reading that lasts long after they've left her class.

Travel alongside the author as she leads her students to discover the ample rewards of reading and literature. Brought to life with Miller's passionate voice, The Book Whisperer will help teachers support students of all levels on their path to reading success. This book also includes a dynamite list of recommended "kid lit" to help parents and teachers find the books that students really like to read.

©2009 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (P)2012 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Miller provides many tips for teachers and parents and includes a useful list of ultimate reading suggestions picked by her students. This outstanding contribution to the literature is highly recommended for teachers, parents, and others serving young students." (Library Journal)

What listeners say about The Book Whisperer

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Good

Would you try another book from Donalyn Miller and/or Sean Runnette and Hillary Huber ?

I would try another from Miller but Huber's narration left a lot to be desired.

Would you recommend The Book Whisperer to your friends? Why or why not?

Teachers of reading may be interested or at least those who are inclined to be creative with their classrooms and give their students a space for freedom of reading.

What didn’t you like about Sean Runnette and Hillary Huber ’s performance?

Runnette wasn't bad. It was Huber whose performance sounded almost robotic at times. If I wanted a robotic performance I would have bought a Kindle ebook and then allow the device to read to me.

Was The Book Whisperer worth the listening time?

Definitely.

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Do You Want to Inspire Kids to Be Readers?

If you could sum up The Book Whisperer in three words, what would they be?

Powerful-Reading-Motivation!

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Book Whisperer?

The author made a very strong case that reading books we love creates readers. This fundamentally changed how my classroom operated. I saw the evidence that even my "low" students could become glued to the pages of a book they chose. The day that one of my struggling students handed me a page and said, "Read this, Mrs. K., isn't it just about the saddest thing you ever read?" was a day that I knew without a doubt that Donalyn Miller's insights were spot on.

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ALL TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS MUST READ

This is an excellent resource for ALL teachers, administrators, and district AND state school administrators to read, consider, and implement in ALL CLASSROOMS. Anyone who truly wants kids to enjoy the love reading and not just become “reading test-takers” must read!!!

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Parents only need the first few chapters

I loved the concepts of this book and will definitely apply them at home! A good part of this book is directed towards teachers though and I wish she would write a separate book for parents on how to encourage reading and the questions and conversations we can have with our kids that encourage growth in comprehension and constructing meaning from text as the state tests look at those things. She has a natural niche for pulling information from kids but as a parent who hasn’t read as much as her and probably hasn’t read the book my kid is I need words and phrases to use.

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Holy Self-Aggrandizement, Batman!

Is there valuable advice and insight in this book? Yes, there undoubtedly is. Does this author think that she is God’s gift to the English teaching profession, and that she alone holds the keys to instilling a passion for reading in students? Why yes, yes she does.

I recommend the book, as it filled me to the brim with new teaching ideas and the language I was missing to justify independent reading time in class. But I warn other teachers that they’ll endure earfuls of constant condescension.

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Great for teachers

This was a great book about getting students interested in reading.. It read very well and gave great information without bogging you down with how-tos..

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The authors thoughts on how to help students become readers.

I love the honesty of the author. She helps teachers and parents understand how to help students become readers who will possibly become lifelong readers.

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Good Information Surrounded by Monotone Reading

I am a new teacher, and thought this book sounded like it would have great ideas to use. I already have a large library I’m curating, so I was interested in how to run/implement that library. This was more stories about how her set up has worked for her and her evidence for its success and less problem solving or plan oriented. The narrator is very monotone and robotic; it would make the book unlistenable for extended periods of time.

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A game changer

Eye-opening view on reading!!! Totally changed my view on reading for students! Must read!

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Life-changing

This is a must read for any of this language arts teacher! I so lucky to have come across this book.

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