“Each chapter reminds us of an important ingredient in the ‘making’ of a reader who, well, reads! From time to choice to quality…each disposition a reader must develop is captured gracefully and artfully and purposefully.”
—Patrick Allen, fourth-grade teacher, Douglas County Schools, Colorado, and author of Conferring: The Keystone of Reader’s Workshop
“Donalyn Miller’s Reading in the Wild is the guide we need to understand the complexities of leading readers. She knows books, she knows kids, and she knows teachers. This book gave me new ways to think about a personal literary canon and the limitations of lexile levels. If you’ve hesitated about conferring with readers, Readers in the Wild will get you started with a new sense of purpose and the tools for diagnosing non-reading habits that you need. Donalyn’s honest portrayal of the challenges of building reading lives is inspiring and practical.”
—Penny Kittle, high school teacher and professional development coordinator, Conway School District, New Hampshire, and author of Book Love: Developing Depth, Stamina, and Passion in Adolescent Readers
“Where The Book Whisperer was a road map for powerful and empowering reading instruction, Reading in the Wild is a foot placed firmly on the accelerator. Donalyn Miller once again challenges the inner workings of our classrooms—and her own—and asks, ‘If students were truly independent readers, why do they still need a teacher to orchestrate their reading lives?’ With Susan Kelley, Donalyn redefines what it means to read ‘independently’ and draws on research and classroom practice to help every child become a bona fide wild reader.”
—Chris Lehman, international speaker, consultant, and coauthor of Pathways to the Common Core
“This book is the perfect follow-up to The Book Whisperer! Not only do the authors expand upon the ideas for awakening the inner reader in every child, they also truly guide teachers at any level of experience to provide opportunities for their students to become Wild Readers. If you are looking for a book that will inspire all teachers and administrators to help students become reading tribe members, sit down and enjoy Reading in the Wild!”
—Marsha Thauwald, education consultant, Key Connections for Learning
“In Reading in the Wild, Donalyn Miller and Susan Kelley have crafted a book rich with possibility and authenticity. I feel as if they have genuinely seen my classroom, heard my questions, anticipated where I would stumble, and know my students well enough to lead me to see them in a new way. This is a unique book that acknowledges, validates, and encourages teachers. Built from the authors’ own master-practice and inquiry, this is a book that nudges, models, and authentically supports teachers in elevating their practice when taking student readers from meaningful in-class experiences to cultivating the true habits and identities of ‘Readers in the Wild’. Miller and Kelley are lead readers and visionary teachers who set the bar high, expecting students to grow from compliance to achievement, not because of limited school measures but because real readers have purpose, community, and identity. This is the kind of book we will pass amongst our colleagues, gift to those new to our field, and return to again and again. It evokes (and feeds) our own wild reading.”
—Sara Kajder, eighth-grade teacher, Shady Side Academy, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, English department chair, and author of Adolescents and Digital Literacies: Learning Alongside Our Students
“In her inimitable way, Donalyn Miller has written another gorgeous book about relationships: relationships between teachers and children, relationships among children, and the intimate relationships wild readers have with books. She acknowledges the imperative of emotion and connection if we hope to engage students in reading that will impact their lives. Wild readers, she shows us, make time, assert choice, and find ‘comfort’ and ‘a center’ in books and conversation with each other. Reading in the Wild is brimming with children’s voices and practical solutions to common obstacles. Instead of leading us further into the wilderness, it orients our professional and ethical compass to a perfect true north.”
—Ellin Oliver Keene, staff developer, and author of Talk About Understanding
“Picking up where The Book Whisperer left off, Reading in the Wild extends the instructional conversation beyond the classroom to get students thinking about their reading lives outside the scaffolds we present during the school day. Straightforward, honest, and—above all—pragmatic, Reading in the Wild is as sensible as it is timely. Whether you’re a fan of The Book Whisperer or you’re just meeting Donalyn Miller through this newest book, you’ll find a motivating friend whose realistic, you-can-do-this voice is both thought provoking and refreshing at the same time.”
—Terry Thompson, instructional intervention teacher consultant, and author of Adventures in Graphica: Using Comics and Graphic Novels to Teach Comprehension
“This book is special. Miller puts into practice what she offers from the pulpit. It’s about connection, celebration, and choice. It’s about readers and books.”
—Paul W. Hankins, high school teacher, Silver Creek High School, West Clark Community Schools, Indiana