Making the Match: The Right Book for the Right Reader at the Right Time, Grades 4-12

I have taught English and Reading in the middle and high school for twelve years, and in that time I have been a voracious consumer of professional books in those subject areas. Helping kids become lifelong readers has always been my primary goal, and people like Linda Rief, Nancie Atwell, and Janet Allen have all helped with inspiring stories about their successes with children and classroom applications. This book is different. If you are not in the market for another description of the perfect reading workshop classroom with resources and children you will probably never have or teach, but you need real ways to help get books into kids' hands, this is the book for you. Filled with practical suggestions (as well as wonderfully inspirational "reader autobiographies" and statements from authors about why they write YA Lit), this is the book that you keep on your shelf in your room because you will USE it, not because you want to have the "right titles" visible to your colleagues. She provides practical methods for matching the kid and the book, from techniques to learn about your students to EXTENSIVE book lists organized into multiple (again: USEFUL) categories. My favorite section (apart from the book lists) was the last section of the book, in which she discusses ways to entice the kids into reading the books -- "Read and Tease" is a great, effective strategy, and her discussion of the mechanics of booktalking is the best one I have read. If you teach children, run a media center, or have a reluctant reader or two in your own home, this book is a sound investment in their futures as readers.

Making the Match should be required reading for every reading teacher!! Helping students make choices about their free reading material can be one of the most challenging jobs a reading teacher faces. Lesesne's book is full of great ideas written in an easy to read format. She really understands the challenges teachers and students alike face in making appropriate reading matches. The appendix alone is worth the cost of the book!!

Sam Houston State University Library Science Professor Teri Lesesne is a legend in her professional universe. She has a magic -- a knowing -- when it comes to literature for teens. That magic makes her latest book, MAKING THE MATCH: THE RIGHT BOOK FOR THE RIGHT READER AT THE RIGHT TIME an essential for any professional educator serious about making literacy a priority on and off the job. It is a resource well worth the fiscal investment, but more to the point, it's a work well worth your time. Years of practical experience and interaction with other experts shine with each passage. And as is always the case, Lesesne is a pleasure to read thanks to her warm but professional tone.