A Little, Aloud, for Children

The importance of reading aloud to children cannot be underestimated, and this anthology is designed not only to facilitate that but to help inculcate a love of books in youngsters, especially those who regard reading as uncool or too much like hard work. * The Financial Times *
Absolutely impeccable anthology of short poems and prose excerpts designed for self-contained readings at bedtime. It’s intended not only to entertain but to encourage children to seek out literature for themselves. * The Financial Times *
Reading aloud should be a pleasurable experience for both the reader and the listener and this book will do so much to promote this. I feel sure that it will become a well-thumbed family favourite and will work brilliantly in schools and libraries too. It would also make a lovely gift. Highly recommended. * The Bookbag *
This new anthology brings together a wide range of poetry and prose ideal for reading aloud with children. With a foreword by former Children’s Laureate Michael Morpurgo, it incorporates a lively and diverse selection of both well-known and well-loved favourites, and less familiar material which may be new to young readers…Each piece has been selected by the Reader Organisation, a UK charity for reading and health, with the aim of capturing children’s interest and imagination. Ideal for classroom use as well as bedtime reading, this is a delightfully varied and enjoyable collection. * Booktrust website *
As a present for anyone who can find a child to read to it is A VERY GOOD IDEA. This satisfyingly thick anthology of poems and stories contains more than 60 choices of good stuff…as an added help, a reading time is given for extracts from longer stories. * Newbury Weekly News *
The aim isn’t merely to entertain at bedtime but to entice children to explore the world of fiction and broaden the scope of their reading. If the book encourages even one person to discover the work of Russell Hoban, say, or Joan Aiken, or Jack London, then it will have performed a great service. But it is likely to encourage many. A splendid idea, admirably executed. * The Financial Times *
Many years down the line, memories of those happy shared times in which lessons are disguised as pure enjoyment for both reader and listener will be recalled as golden days. * Newbury Weekly News *

The Reader is a national charity dedicated to bringing about a reading revolution by making it possible for people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to enjoy and engage with literature on a deep and personal level. Their Shared Reading groups, in which books and poems are always read aloud, reach across all ages, demographics and settings from nurseries and schools to care homes, via hospitals, mental health settings and prisons. The organisation started on Merseyside but has since expanded across the UK and beyond. Angela Macmillan has worked at The Reader since its inception and has run several ‘Shared Reading’ groups.

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