When Will I Read?

by Miriam Cohen, Lillian Hoban (Illustrator)

Jim had waited all his life. But still he could not read. "It will happen, " said the teacher. "It will happen when you are ready." But Jim was ready now. Some of the children in the class could read. Some simply remembered what was under each picture. Jim knew what all the signs in the classroom said, but that was not reading. Then one day the sign on the hamster's cage said something different! Children who have met Jim, Paul, Anna Maria, and the others in previous books will welcome them back in this universal -- and triumphant -- story, with its loving pictures of classroom life.

Genres: Picture Books, School, Contemporary, Animals, Childrens, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1977

Reviews

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice story, but not especially believable or universally relevant.

[Susan Whitehead · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the kindness of the teacher and acknowledgement that children learn at their own speed.

However, the book does not include any evidence-based, structured literacy. Most kids required significant early literacy and structured literacy to become fluent readers. This book portrays balanced literacy and magical thinking, which is disastrous for most children, especially children who are dyslexic, ELL, poor, Black, Hispanic, or Native American. I would love to see the author publish a second edition of this book that includes best practices for reading instruction.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

While simplistic, the story celebrates a diversity of reading and pre-reading: reading signs, retelling the stories in picture books, reading names, reading cereal boxes, and noticing when words look different.

[Pamela Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jim is impatient to learn to read and his teacher tells him it will happen. Jim is frustrated but suddenly he notices that the sign near the hamster cage has been chewed on and now has incorrect information. He read it!

[Marni · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story about the gradual process of learning to read, with some unique parts that crack me up and don't seem to have anything to do with the actual story. Like...

"Anna Maria said, 'Oh, this is a bad baby. He needs to be washed.' And she began to wash her baby very hard."

Huh.

[Elly McIalwain · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautiful written story. It is especially great for children struggling to read. It is the truth about how children can be at different levels and how they learn in different ways.

[Kelly Chester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute book

[Cindy Sa · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Will I Read?
This is my first time to read this book. It said a story about Jim is a boy who is a love-reading child. He always wanted to read for his classmates. But his classmates did not want to listen to him. They just wanted to have a play with their toys. So, he had no chance to read. He told the teacher about this situation and he also said he want to read. Suddenly, there was a cranking, bashing, clashing noise outside the first grade windows. All children rushed out to the playground to watch the garbage men work. They were so excited to watch the garbage man work. One of the garbage man winked at Jim. He said, “How are you doing, son?”. Then they go away. Afterwards the teacher wrote down everybody’s story about the garbage man. Jim wanted to read his story to his friend Sammy and Willy. But Sammy and Willy fell down on the floor, laughing. So, Jim wanted to read for his another friends Danny, Paul and Margaret. But they were being fireman and their block city was on fire. They wanted to save man. But Danny also want to save the teacher’s pet--hamsters. At this time, Jim saw everything and he helped Danny read the note. And the teacher told him he could read now because he really read the note beside the hamster.
In our Student Times, there are many classmates around us. Maybe some of them would want to read something for us like Jim wanted to read something for his classmates. At this time, we need to encourage them to read and listen to them. Maybe this is a little thing for us but this little thing has the big meaning for them. I think if we encourage our students or friends to do valuable something, they will feel more better than no person support them to do it. For example, my boyfriend always read a newspaper for me on the morning. But at the first time, I was not very agree about this action because I do not like the news from newspaper. I think some of them are so boring and so long. But after he argued with me about the newspaper. I supported his action. I listen to him and talk with him about some personal ideas about the news. At a meeting with my parents, he talked to my father about the news on the newspaper. My father love him very much because of the same hobby. And my parents allowed us to marry with each other after I graduate. So, I think we need give them a chance to do some meaningful things because may be one day these small things can help you or your friends work well.

[Kaitlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story is centered on a young Jimmy who just entered first grade. Jimmy asks his teacher “When will I read?” to which his teacher replies with “Soon”. The teacher reminds Jimmy that he already knows what all the signs say in the classroom but Jimmy immediately replies by saying that that is not reading. As the story goes on, we see that some of his classmates can read while others have only memorized words that they see in the classroom. When George, his classmate, repeats the memorized lines of his favorite book, everyone calls him out by saying that is not reading. The teacher gently tells the students that memorizing is how reading begins. As the day goes on, Jimmy plays with his friends and meets a garbage man who he and his class observe while the trash man takes away the trash. While he plays with his friends, he realizes that the sign in front of the hamsters is not the same. The words have changed! Jimmy races to his teacher to inform her that the Hamster sign now reads “Do let the Hamsters out” instead of “Don’t”. The teacher makes a new sign and fixes the mistake and praises Jimmy on being able to tell the difference between the two signs which means that Jimmy can read!
The idea behind the story was very good, but I do question some scenes within the book that seem to bring no significant information to the plot line. One example of this is the garbage man visiting and the teacher writing down what the kids thought of the garbage men. Although this does contain the practice needed to learn reading, it doesn't seem to affect the story line at all. The illustrations of the book were well done and pleasing to the eye. The characters, many of whom are children, are all round faced with black little dots for eyes that come off as a little strange. The art style was like many children books I have read before so it was nothing new. I did appreciate the way Jimmy came to find out he could read because I find it neat how he saved the day because he could read. I think that it was a great message about the things people find out about themselves when put into an urgent situation. It’s a story that is simple in its understanding but it does leave you with a positive message about reading.

[Megan Cureton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jim couldn't wait until he can read. The only problem was that it was taking so long! He claimed that he had been waiting all his life to be able to read, and it still hadn't happened. "It will happen," Jim's teacher told him, "It will happen when you are ready." But Jim thought that he was ready now. Jim was rushing to read because some of the children in his class could already read, and this was aggravating to him. Jim knew all the signs in the classroom, and what they said, but that is just from memory. When suddenly, Jim notices that the hamsters sign on his cage has been ripped. The note now says something different, and he goes to tell his teacher. When he meets with the teacher and tells the teacher what the sign now says, the teacher looks at him and tells him that he is reading! Jim is so excited and even makes the hamster a new sign for his cage. I really enjoyed this book. My favorite part of the story would have to be when he realizes that he read the sign on the hamster cage. I also enjoyed this story because so many children have this same problem that Jim is having and they could relate to this story and have something to get inspired by. It is right up students ally that are in kindergarten and first grade and maybe even second and third graders, so having this book as a read aloud or even in the classroom library is a must. The students would really enjoy this book and not feel so bad if they can't read but the whole class can. It is good that this book emphasizes that they will read when they are ready and that their time will come. I really liked the simplicity of the illustrations also. The colors weren't too bright or bold and they added that little extra to the story to make it that much more interesting. I really enjoyed this story and I think that the students would really like having this book in their classroom library so they can have something to relate to when they are feeling down on themselves about reading. I really enjoyed this book.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Will I Read? By Miriam Cohen, illustrated by Lillian Hoban, follows a day with Jim and his friends in his first grade classroom. Jim asks his teacher many times, “When will I read?” His teacher responds that he can read, and that he reads all the time. Jim doesn’t see how his being familiar with what signs say is reading, and the teacher tells him it’s practice. He and his friends have differing opinions about what reading and writing is. For example, one of Jim’s friends tells him that dogs read with their noses when they sniff smells. Jim forgets about his pleas to read, and it’s then that something wonderful happens.

This book, published in 1977, does a great job of depicting children’s sense of what it means to be literate compared to adults. As a child, Jim only sees the task of deliberately reading as a sign of his literacy. However, his teacher, along with all the other students in the classroom, try to show him that literacy is not just reading book words in a classroom setting, but it’s everywhere. Even animals have their own type of literacy, according to one of the students. I think this idea of showing students that yes, they all are literate is very important, especially in this digital age of storytelling video games and terse text communication.

[Amber McFarland · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is centered around a young boy named Jim who just wanted to read. He kept asking his teachers when he would be ready to read but the teacher would only tell him that he will be ready soon and not to rush it. His classmates point out that memorizing lines of books is not reading but the teacher is quick to say that memorizing is how you begin to read. At the end of the book, Jim notices that their hamster sign has been ruined and it is now saying a different message than the intended one, Jim tells the teacher that it is reading something different. It is then that Jim realizes he can read and he is very excited about it.
I thought this was generally a good book. The illustrations were very helpful in pulling the story together. However the part about the garbage man was slightly irrelevant to the plot line. While it is an essential part of learning to read, the story went off on a tangent about dogs not being able to read. The illustrations were all very pleasing and I think that because most of the characters in the book were children, it will help intrigue the younger readers.

[Jose · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book sends a good message to younger students that they're reading all the time, even though they don't know it. Students may say they don't know how to read, but they can read things such as a sign just fine. In the story, Jim (the main character) continually asks his teacher when he is going to read. The teacher tells Jim that he'll read "soon". Throughout the story, Jim is eager to start reading and at one point he noticed that their class's hamster had a incorrect sign (the sign was suppose to say to not take out the hamsters). Jim notifies his teacher and they correct the sign. The teacher explains to Jim that he was able to read the hamster sign and told him, "...that's was reading."

This book sends out the message that a child doesn't have to wait to read because they're reading all the time. A student doesn't aways need a book to actually read.

[Allie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is really good for children that are just starting to read so I would say around kindergarten. In this story there is a little boy Jim who wants to read. Many people in his class can already read and he feels as if he is behind. He asks his teacher when will I learn how to read. She tells him that he already can read and it just takes a lot of practice. Jim can read signs though, but his classmates tell him that is just memorization. On day Jim finally realizes that he can read. This story is a good one to read to little kids in a classroom. Everyone learns at different paces and each student will read at different times. If you read this to them they will realize that if they can’t yet read it will come to them when they are ready. Learning to read is something that every kid looks forward to so as a teacher you could help the children that can’t yet read.

[Chrissy Muller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. It had such a story to it! The setting was in a classroom, where many children probably read this book, and that may make them feel more attached to it and that it resembles them in some way. The illustrations in this book were of various children, all of different backgrounds and ethnicities. This may also help children connect with the story, as if they're the students in the class. The plot of this book is that a little boy named Jim wants to learn how to read, and he feels that he is behind because his classmates already can. In the end, Jim's teacher plays a trick, and she shows him that he actually has learned to read! It was a happy ending, for a rather discouraging book.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it was funny that this book had a typical situation where a child is really reading everything in their environment, but does not realize that they are actually reading because they are reading simple things. I would read this to kindergartners and first graders to motivate them on their journey towards being able to read. The main point is that reading is everywhere. This was similar to a satire type of realistic fiction. It ties to school life and growing up.

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/bo...
Interest Level
Grades K - 2
Reading Level
Grade level Equivalent: 1.9
Lexile® Measure: 320L
DRA: 16
Guided Reading: I
Genre
General Fiction
Theme/Subject
Character and Values
Culture and Diversity

[Jordan Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have experienced first hand kids that are learning at a slower level than other kids. I have had YMCA kids that Ive spent countless hours trying to explain that they will learn something, just just need to give it time. This is a great book that I wish I had on my side during those days. Jim just wants to read. Thats all the poor boy wants! He is so caught up, that he doesn't realize he already can! I find it wonderful that jim wants to read, there are not many kid out there that want this. I feel this is a great book for expelling to students that they all learn at different paces, and neither is right or wrong. And neither is good nor bad.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really appreciated this story because I am currently learning about how important reading is for children in elementary school and this book definitely encourages it. The illustrations were really cute and I believe a lot of students would think so too. This is a contemporary fiction book because it's a more recent book and could happen, but isn't real. Children will probably enjoy this story after they have learned how to read and I would recommend it to them. I would also really recommend it to adults who read to their children or students because it is a book that encourages children to grab a book themselves and read on their own.

[Marc Ford · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Will I Read is a Child's book written by Miriam Cohen and Pictures by Lillian Hoban. It is about a young boy who is eager to learn how to read. Throughout the story our main character Jim is constantly asking and wondering when will the time come he will be able to read? After a while Jim decides he is not going to worry about when he will learn to read and the unexpected happens!


The book is very nice and has some good messages. Its good for kids to know we all learn at different paces, and we can all learn but to be patient.

[Rose Goodwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book will be really good at helping children understand what reading is and how they learn to read when they are ready. I think this would be a good re-read book because the children will like it. It may even boost their confidence and instill a desire to read. The story line is well done and enjoyable. It may spark some predicting of what is going to happen next - aiding in reading skills. This would be good for teachers to read aloud in class, or parents to read to their children. Check it out for yourself!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

All Jim wanted to do was learn to read. He had been waiting all his life, what few years that was, to learn how to read. His teacher told him that he would soon be able to read, but Jim was frustrated because he wanted to read now. This book does a great job at showing young students/non-readers, that with time, they will learn to read. Jim was able to read everyday signs and pictures, not realizing he was actually reading. Reading this to pre-K and Kindergarten students would be great to encourage them that with work and time, they too will be able to read.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think one of the reasons I enjoyed this book so much is because it is so relatable to children. I remember when I was learning to read; my brother was two grades ahead of me and he already knew how to read. I was so frustrated because I could not read yet. I think having this book read to me made me recall this experience and realize that all kids go through this when they are learning to read. One think I liked was that it also depicted a typical child asking questions all the time; also, I could actually picture myself in the classroom because I felt a part of the story.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Will I Read? is an inspiring book for those who are just learning how to read, and even for those who are still waiting to learn to read. Jim, the young character is waiting for his turn to be able to read, and he keeps asking his teacher when he will finally learn to read. His teacher told him, "It will happen." Finally one day while playing with his friends, there was an event that helped him realize he can read!

[Honah Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book did a good job illustrating how learning to read is an on going process. The little side tracks where the first grade students get off topic of reading and talk about random things like garbage men, baby dolls, and firemen is an accurate depiction of how first graders go on random tangents when focusing on other topics. I also liked the idea of how reading starts as remembering.

[Ronda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful story about 1st grader, Jim, who wonders when he will learn to read and fears that it may never happen. Used in discussion about choosing just-right books and not worrying and comparing themselves with one another. Was also useful in discussing contractions, exclamation marks, question marks, and capitalization.

[Sammie Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an enjoyable book to read to children who are learning to read to encourage them that they can read. It has a new definition to what reading, and shows children they know more about reading than they think they do. Kids could read it alone but may struggle, a great read aloud especially for learning readers like in kindergarten.

[Cheryl Kays · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, Jim, a first grader, is beginning to get impatient that he is not reading yet. His teacher tries to show him he can read and will become a better reader with time. This is a great book for kindergarten and first graders that are having problems with reading and may be getting discouraged.

[Emily Vander · Rating 4 out of 5]

AR - 2.3

This book is a cute book about a boy who wants to read. This is a great concept book that can be used in pre-school, kindergarten, and even first grade to introduce children to reading. Some children have negative attitudes towards reading, and this book can kick start a reading lesson on a positive note.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a bit outdated, but still great when talking to children about how reading takes time. It helps reassure them that in time, they will get it. Jim was frustrated and didn't think he could really read. However, he was reading signs and recognizing his own name. Finally, in the end with help from his teacher, he realizes he really can read.

[Kaylin Marton]

As an educator, I enjoyed this book more because of the way the teacher was teaching her students. Her students were already reading things but because it wasn't from a book they did not think they were able to read yet. She patiently lets them discover for themselves that they are able to read and its a wonderful moment for them once they realize it.