The Book in Question: Why and How Reading Is in Crisis

by Carol Jago

In The Book in Question, Carol Jago issues a call to action. Reading is in crisis. Too often, too many students are choosing not to read. "There is urgency to our work," She argues. "We are living in an increasingly polarized world. Books offer access to lives and stories outside the boundaries of our limited first-hand experience. Without those stories it can be difficult to empathize with others. And without empathy, I fear we are doomed." Along with her research-based rationale for the critical importance of reading, Carol offers practical suggestions for how to nurture a community of readers, providing a wealth of ideas for helping students - Begin to think of themselves as readers
- Choose books for themselves purposefully - for pleasure and for challenge
- Know what to do when confronted with unfamiliar vocabulary
- Develop confidence navigating complex sentence structures
- Overcome their instinctive fear of poetry
- Participate (both speaking AND listening) in classroom conversations
- Find time to read outside of class
- Write from the heart about what they have read The book includes an extensive recommended book list for middle and high school classroom libraries. Without easy access to a wide range of appetizing books, students have difficulty making reading the one habit they never wish to break.

Genres: Teaching, Education, Nonfiction, Professional Development

176 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2018

About the author

Carol Jago is an American English teacher, author, and past president of the National Council of Teachers of English. In 2016, Jago received the CEL Kent Williamson Exemplary Leadership Award from the National Council of Teachers of English.

Reviews

[Jenny Leitsch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Carol Jago. This book did not necessarily reveal anything new to me, but it affirmed so many of the decisions I make in my classroom. Jago is realistic and optimistic about the reality of teaching and the work students will do if supported in the right ways. A great read right before heading back to school.

[Cynthia Prevedel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love Carol Jago. This seems to be a compilation of many of her other thoughts.

[Stacey Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this one. Carol Jago writes not only about the need for students to be reading more in their interest and in volume, but also about how we as teachers can be rigorous and supportive and create a community of readers through the teaching of common materials. There were some really good ideas about poetry, using whole class materials, questioning, close reading, and the overall importance of why improving reading skills is important for all of our students. High school teachers especially will lean into this book.

[Kailey Valenti · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a guide I will hold on to and refer to throughout my future career. The appendixes in the back will surely be an invaluable resource as I plan and constantly alter my lessons; I will likely look through them to choose novels to read in my personal time as well. I like how Jago included a list of book recommendations from a twelve-year-old, as I would certainly like to teach books that would interest the demographic I would be teaching. However, I’m kind of confused why there are two lists of recommendations from young boys, but not a list from a young girl; because I was, at one point, a young girl, I think I have a few ideas.
This guide explains new ideas for getting our students passionate about literature while simultaneously debunking overused practices that have been known to make students less than excited about reading. While I have been reading for quite a long time now, I still have trouble interpreting wordy passages. Sometimes I’ll read a page and have no idea what happened, and I’ll have to go back and re-read it however many times it takes. In chapter 6, Jago shares a story about how her students had no idea what happened at the beginning of a chapter, despite having read it. She decided to share her thought process with the students while she was reading. Then she had her students do the same thing in pairs. This is great because it makes the students slow down and really understand what it is they are reading and also how the language makes them feel. If students are just rushing through a chapter to get it done with, they’re not going to be invested in the story at all. I also like this because it gets the students in the mode to be questioning the literature and themselves as they read.
This leads me to another practice Jago shared: Question Papers. The students write a whole page of questions about the text. This allows the students to work through their confusion while also diving deeper into the text. The whole chapter on questioning is thorough and I’ll be sure to come back to this section in the future. Similarly, the section on poetry includes lots of ideas to get students excited about poetry. The example poems from students show that it’s imperative to have our students write poetry to learn poetry.
One last point I wanted to emphasize was Jago’s acceptance of and embracing of confusion. I think it's important to show your students that it's okay to be confused by literature - and that sometimes that may even be the point.

[Thomas Gagliano · Rating 4 out of 5]

In The Book in Question: Why and How Reading Is in Crisis, Carol Jago discusses the different techniques that teachers can employ to get students interested in reading. The book is filled with tips for various genres and units, as well as examples of how to introduce each suggestion in the classroom. Jago also provides a comprehensive list of suggestions for a classroom library in Appendix B, complete with a genre and reading level for each.

While The Book in Question: Why and How Reading Is in Crisis is not a book that would be taught in the classroom directly, teachers should use the ideas presented in the book in the classroom. As Jago explains, it is imperative that English teachers create an environment where reading (for school and for fun) is encouraged. This can be accomplished by following her suggestions, such as focusing on how themes in novels relate to the present, teaching vocabulary through books rather than in a vacuum, and asking open-ended questions that spark discussion.

I found Jago's chapter on poetry to be particularly insightful. Poetry is often confusing to students (as it was for me when I was in high school), and teaching it in a way that encourages students to enjoy the genre is not easy. Jago says that students are often too concerned with figuring out the meaning of every line, and are frustrated when they cannot. Instead, she recommends focusing on the feel of poems and the questions that they present, rather than trying to understand exactly what the author is trying to say. She says that readers "don't need to understand every nuance to enjoy the journey."

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually really liked this book, despite not agreeing with everything Jago says about how we should teach our students.

I really identify with, and understand, many of the aspects that Jago mentions in the "Why All the Bad News?" section right in chapter 1. I actually feel called out for thinking along the same lines as the parents for asking these questions. And yeah, it may be true that "young readers draw courage and inspiration from characters who have overcome extraordinary hardships" (8) and the importance of understanding the full human experience, but I think that we need to better work on this as teachers, with books that aren't all completely depressing. Maybe throwing in a book or two into the curriculum with a happy ending, or without someone grieving or remembering a murder, might help to round out the students full emotional scopes. I can only remember reading one book in school that I couldn't put down--Pride and Prejudice. The rest I felt were all boring and depressing, and completely unrelatable.

That being said, I feel this book will be an invaluable resource when I am teaching my students. Especially the section about grasping poetry, that includes some lesson ideas that may even help me appreciate poetry more. Or how and why you can get your students to read a Milton sonnet 4 times during one class. I have learned that not every poetry lesson needs to analyze the rhyme scheme, metaphors, vocabulary, ect. to get any kind of meaning out of it.

I also really love the reading lists at the end of the book, some of which are recommended by the children themselves. This is something that I will for sure look back at.

[Sean Bottalico · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why and How Reading is in Crisis by Carol Jago was very informative. This book gave many tidbits of information on how and what work to assign to create and manage a good atmosphere for learning and for students to cultivate an interest in English and the many great experiences and teachings it has to offer. In this book, Jago notes a fine line between assigning work students are already interested in vs. assigning work to students they may not be necessarily interested in but can further develop an interest for -- in one instance Jago notes that if a student is interested in something, that student will read that text without being pushed to do so. From a teaching perspective this book would not have much use for anyone who does not have plans to teach in the future, but, for us it is very useful as it maps out the do’s and dont’s in the career of english education. All in all, Carol Jago has a tremendous amount of passion for her profession and has calculated all the intricacies and how-to’s for the next wave of teachers which I appreciate.

[Nicholas Brunet · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book Carol Jago quells many of the fears that may plague a future teacher, and for that, I'm grateful. Full of valuable insight to help get kids reading, keep kids reading, and to help them engage with what they're consuming in a meaningful, englightening way.

As a future teacher, this kind of information is invaluable, and she walks us through the many different levels of meaning that one should be hoping to develop in their own curriculum. Those being a meaningful engagement with the text, resulting in confident and questioning readers, and guides us towards our ultimate goal as public servants, hope for and means of change.

What's most valuable, perhaps, is her extensive appendices chronicling the vast and diverse cast of books she would welcome into english classrooms. Broken down by genre and grade level, Jago gives us a deep dive to help us fill our classroom shelves with content to keep kids reading, interested, and questioning.

[BookChampions · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this wasn't earth-shattering stuff (and those familiar with Jago will not be surprised by her stance and many of her ideas), Jago just makes so much sense that it's definitely worth the read. Since I'm in the midst of a curriculum re-write, I'm especially grateful for this book at this moment in time.
The way she formulates her argument is helping me frame my own, even if a few of her arguments diverge from my thinking.

Carol Jago's books had a huge impact on my teaching during the early part of my career. A dream of mine would be to sit down with Penny Kittle, Carol Jago, Thomas Newkirk, and Nancie Atwell (among a few others) and create a model for teaching English in 2020.

Lucky guy I am, I could probably do a pretty fine job with the inspired teachers I'm so privileged to know. Jago encourages me to throw my hat in the ring.

[Dana Buquicchio · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Jago’s book. I felt there were a lot of really interesting and great ideas to help create an environment in the classroom to support students and their reading. This book affirmed a lot of the things I have learned in many of my other classes so far. The importance of student choice is something that I have been really interested in and has been stressed in many of my classes so I really enjoyed Jago’s take on giving students opportunities to make choices throughout different readings and assignments. I also really loved Jago’s chapter on poetry. I have always really loved poetry, gaining an even deeper appreciation after taking poetry writing workshops throughout college. I thought it was really great that Jago suggested having students write poetry and learning the craft of poetry to better understand reading poetry. That is something that I would definitely want to implement in my classroom. Although I think this is a really great book for future teachers with a lot of excellent ideas, I would not introduce this book to students.

[Alyssa Dey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jago's book is okay. It touches on all of the important things with respect to how reading is in crisis, and how we need to reengage our students in the fruits of reading, yes; in that respect it is good. But for me, textbooks or books in the style of a textbook do not compute with me. Hence, why I am an English major. Her topics are helpful to bear in mind, but otherwise it is boring. Because this book is helpful to teachers, or those inspiring (with the caveat that they gain something valuable from a text such as this) the only means by which we could connect this content to our students is by putting it into our teaching practices. This is all not to say, though, that reading is unimportant to our students simply because I didn't jive with this book, no. I agree with what she was saying wholeheartedly.

[Yadira Flores · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the Jago text to be really insightful way to look at how students read and understand the literature we provide them with. I’ve been thinking a lot about the way English teachers approach their classes and Jago’s rather candid remarks on teaching literature has been really nice to read. This is definitely one of those books that all preservice teachers should take a look at. Additionally, the enthusiasm from Jago truly makes the book shine. From the way she incorporates teachers, future teachers, and students into the work it’s pretty clear that there is dedication and love for teaching reading. Her emphasis on the needs of the students and on creating a classroom where all students can thrive makes this an extremely compelling read.

[Jason Escobar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I honestly found this text to be very helping as I turn to become an educator. There are a lot of topics that I can recall from my own childhood. I definitely see myself possibly implementing an independent reading book and having them attempt to at least for ten minutes a day for how ever long we do a unit on, such as possibly a month and so on. I think this would improve classroom reading because they'll be reading something they chose on their own, not given to them and told they have to read it by a specific day. We lose the children in doing that and unfortunately we see the problem.

Overall, the text was very insightful, short and very informative, and all we want is to create a community of readers and it helps to have someone addressing the problem.

[Anya Marquardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carol Jago’s book was an enriching read for me, as an aspiring English teacher. Jago covered topics that I wish my teachers had learned before they taught me. Jago is writing about a current problem that will continue to plague in the future, which is one reason why I really found it to be enjoyable and enriching.

I think that the “teachability” of this novel is a bit different compared to the other novels we’ve written because it’s not a traditional novel. It’s more of a guide for current and to-be teachers. If anything, we are teaching it to students by applying the concepts that Jago shared with us to the classroom.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Carol Jago's love of reading and teaching reading is unquestioned as she moves throughout the book and into ideas and strategies for teaching reading for a variety of purposes. One of my favorite quotes from the book is, "I want students, able to read and write well, to choose to read and write often" (p. 16). Jago emphasizes that statement throughout the entirety of the text (though, more so on the reading end of it). And I also think that statement opens important dialogue to teachers and researchers about how one might go about empowering students to to act in such a way.

[Heather Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked "The Book In Question"'s insights as well as the practical solutions that it offers for the problems it presents. I think that addressing the fact that reading is in crisis is vital to what we do as English teachers. I have been observing at the 10-12 grade levels this semester and notice than many students struggle to complete the independent readings despite being able to choose books for themselves. They are also - like myself - very much addicted to their cell phones. Jago's insights on the decline of reading made me not only think of what I've seen in the classroom, but also how I myself have turned away from reading and towards my screens as I've gotten older.

As far as reviewing how "teachable" this book is as per Prof. LoMonico's requirements for our reviews, I don't think that it's made for a high school or middle school audience. The kiddos reading it might feel attacked. This is a book for people preparing to be educators, and an important one at that. It has a place in the discussions that we have about how to keep literature alive and relevant.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I believe Jago is a genius. I agree with almost everything she says. I think our way of teaching has truly digressed. This is due to our obsession with state tests. As Jago states, "the goal [of teaching] should be an educated populace, not a nation of good test takers" (17).
There is so much useful information in this book, down to the appendix, which includes an array of recommended reading for us to take to our classrooms.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ll read anything Carol Jago writes. As many reviewers note, this book is largely a review of her previous books, which were foundational in my early teaching career. However, her research is fresh and she does offer some new instructional ideas. This was my first professional book of the summer, and Jago already has me excited for next year.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a future English teacher I really enjoyed this book and found it very helpful. It helped to affirm some o the ideas that I’ve said I was to try in my classroom and it also gave me so many new ideas on how to get students to enjoy reading. One of the things explained that I think is so important is to assign books in areas that students are interested in. This is something that many of my teachers did not consider and it had a very negative effect on many of my classmates including myself. I think all teachers should read this book to get fresh ideas on how to keep students reading, and enjoying reading.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I purchased this book after hearing Carol's workshop at the 2019 ILA Conference. It does not disappoint. Full of ideas to push students' thinking, especially in high school classrooms. A bonus: A well-curated book list for classroom libraries, divided into middle/high school and by genre.

[Meyers Cooper Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"In conversation with colleagues I often hear the same complaint: students don't read anymore."

I'm typically not someone who will find myself voluntarily reading a book that is geared toward professional development. However, when this came up in my Amazon Prime suggestions, I couldn't stop thinking about it. As someone who loves to read, I'm often struck by how reluctant students are with wanting to read. I feel like this opens up and explains some views about reading/teaching that I hadn't considered before. I marked several sections and would like to implement them into my classroom to see if it creates a spark to get students back into reading. This is practical and thought provoking. Several times I had to walk away from the book because I knew I needed some time to process Jago's ideas. This was a different type of read for me, but definitely one I appreciate finding through Amazon.

[Dorothy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that this book is an interesting read for prospective English teachers. Carol Jago's candid take on her years as an English teacher are definitely to the benefit of anyone going into the field. She lays out strategies to handle the pain-points that she, and others, have experienced or will experience in their careers as teachers. I think the use of her own life experiences is a good strategy to go about a textbook like this since there really is no one way to teach successfully. Her approaches have worked for her and she is sharing them with an audience of soon-to-be teachers who can take these strategies and modify them to their own use. In particular, I really appreciated her chapter on poetry, since that particular area of English literature has always felt overwhelming for myself even when I was a student in middle and high school English classes.

As for the teachability of this book, this isn't really meant for middle or high school students, this is meant for college and grad school aged students looking to become teachers themselves. For me, I think the textbook is successful in getting its point across but it does seem rather similar to other books I have read in methods courses and lacks a uniqueness that would make it stand out amongst the rest. However, the appendices are great and I think they are an excellent guide for those going into the field feeling that they aren't as experienced in YA as they should be (myself included). I also have a unique perspective looking at this textbook as someone that used to read and edit college textbooks for a living. Many of the successful books on my list when I worked for an academic publisher shared the same writing style of this book, an experienced teacher giving their own life experiences to benefit their audience. However, I do feel that while this style works, it's important to watch out for tone and there are times in this text where Jago's tone is more harsh and critical than I think it should be. I also felt myself disagreeing with her on certain points, in particular that the books we have students read help put their troubles in perspective. While I do agree that books can help students expand their world view and understanding of the world, I don't think that they necessarily need to all put others' troubles in perspective. I actually think this idea is damaging in a way since it suggests that we only need to read about the experiences of other people, from different genders, races, or ethnicities, in order to put our lives in better perspective instead of recognizing that we need to acknowledge and learn about the experiences of people different from us. Despite this, Jago does do a great job of mentioning the many books out there that can help reach students, from many different views and perspectives, and gives her readers effective methods in order to inspire reading amongst our future students.

[Mr. Armstrong · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a helpful resource.

[Arlene Balczo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gave me some great ideas to implement here in year 31

[Evan Lizardi Simo · Rating 5 out of 5]

The one thing that I adored about this book was the author’s voice. Carol Jago is so adamant, so passionate and enthusiastic about teaching and inspiring students to read that it was moving for me as a reader and future teacher. With a title that contains the phrase “reading is in crisis,” admittedly I was initially turned off by this book. I assumed this would be some old professor complaining about how phones are bad and today’s kids are lazy, etc., and while the book does mention some of those notions in a more joking and lighthearted manner, the entire novel is nothing like that. In fact, it is by far the most positive and optimistic book about said topic I’ve ever read, and it truly was invigorating to read someone narrate with such drive.


Carol Jago knows who her audience is: college students, aspiring teachers, especially young adult teachers, and her language choices reflect that. Previously, I had written about how Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You maintained a casual tone throughout, finding every opportunity to make a joke to lessen the burden of the subject being presented in a respectful manner. I remember finding myself slightly annoyed at this since it still managed to preserve the integrity of the topic, but sometimes the comments distracted me from reading. Jago’s book reminded me of that in some sense, as I appreciated the small moments in which she makes a personal comment or joke as she goes over something, but it was way more contained and way less distracting than Stamped. Her tone is that of someone who is having a passionate conversation with the reader; someone who really wants the best for her students and wants you to do the best for your students. For that, I found myself adoring both Jago and the book while reading.

Jago altered my perception of reading for not only teaching my students but for myself. I had always felt some insecurities when it comes to reading pertaining to my reading ability, the list of books I’ve read, and finding something interesting to read. However, she reassured me in each of these regards. Sometimes, it takes a while to find that perfect book. Reading some pages is better than reading no pages. Every reader should explore different genres. Always ask questions when reading. Reading is not entirely entertainment, but a source to provoke thought and intrigue. Now that I’ve internalized these concepts, I can’t wait to share them with my students.

Overall, Carol Jago’s “The Book in Question: How and Why Reading is in Crisis” was a pleasant read. Nothing too out of the ordinary, this book doesn’t break any boundaries or really do anything different. This is a book where a teacher expresses her desire to have her students read and be passionate about reading, and in that desire made this book to help us as fellow teachers or teachers-to-be get our students feeling the same way. And for that I can truly appreciate it for what it is. I personally hold this book to a high regard, especially due to the fact that you can tell she is really trying to help. One of the best parts of this book is the appendixes, in which she gives long detailed reading suggestion lists. I know myself that I will reference this book when I eventually teach; I’m honestly thankful I read this book.

[Catalina B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why and How Reading is in Crisis by Carol Jago is a must read for pre-service teachers and teachers already in the field. Its inviting yet information tone is one that will have you marking off every page because of its insights. I have even compiled many of the tips, teaching strategies, and activities Jago includes in her book into a sheet for myself to refer to as I start my teaching journey. I really enjoyed reading a book that I felt connected and supported my mission in teaching students. I don’t ever want to discourage students from pursuing challenging reads as Jago notes, but I do want to make them think about the world and to see themselves as readers and learners for a lifetime who question things constantly as the book stresses.

One of the parts I enjoyed the most was the section where Jago explained how to best teach poetry. Personally, I always struggled with poetry and even enjoying it because I felt I never fully understood how to read poetry because of the way my teachers taught it. However, the strategies Jago provides simplifies the learning/teaching process of poetry. My favorite line from this section is “Reading poetry can be like visiting a foreign country” (79). I view literature— all of its types— as an opportunity to learn about and study the stories of writers from all over the world which is what I want to teach my students. The books we “teach should offer readers insight into what it means to be human” (39). There’s more than one way to be human and using an English curriculum to talk about the human experience and social justice issues is a great way to show students what life is all about. I love how Jago summarizes an English teacher’s role as not to tell students what to think or how to see the world but instead to “convince them the result will be worth the effort” (98). We are giving them the tools to analyze and close read the world around them— a valuable tool they will always use. I encourage all educators of English to pick this up and have it as book to refer to from time to time.

[Hannah Erhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book gives a great overview of some of the challenges teachers face getting students to engage with reading. Jago gives a concise overview of the problem: young people are not reading as much as they used to. As she writes, many people have tried to explain this phenomenon by blaming the distractions that young people have more readily available now: social media, television, video games, etc. I agree with her assertion that this is too easy of an answer, that we should look at what we are doing as teachers to see how we can better engage students with reading. I think this book is an essential read for any future ELA teacher, and also for parents who are interested in encouraging their children to read more. I think the most important point Jago makes is that we need to create a community of readers. One of the pieces that is often missing from the conversations around, "why aren't young people reading more?" is the fact that adults aren't reading a lot either. As teachers, we don't have as much control over what broader society is doing in regards to reading, but we can control the environment that we have in our classroom. Encouraging students to read by activating their interests, teaching them words in context, asking open-ended questions in the classroom, and expanding the way we teach poetry are all ways that we can encourage students to read more and to find a love for reading. I think Jago lays out a convincing argument in this text and gives many useful tools to current and future teachers. My one critique is I think she is a little techno-phobic. Even though she says in the beginning not to place blame on new technologies, I believe she falls into this trap herself at times.

[Zainab Khan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jago's book is, I think, an essential read for aspiring English teachers. It works to directly break down the problems that young teachers may face in their classrooms. I think that's why I liked it. She's direct. The issues with reading as a dying practice, and what teachers can do about it. I've often about how to approach a book or reading, as a whole, when talking to persons younger than me, in a way as not to come off as being too pretentious. To be able to drive children's minds towards reading and to keep them engaged in it, may sometimes be called a prerequisite for future teachers. Too often, however, young teachers can become too ambitious in what they want their students to focus on, and Jago does a remarkable job in not only providing advice, but also, pacing the teachers themselves.
Though we should know what to include in our classroom's reading lists, we must also recognize when we're getting ahead of ourselves. "The Book in Question: Why and How Reading is in Crisis" seemed a dry book to read, just by the title. It's anything but. There is a familiarity, almost, in the problems she presents. That may have to do with the fact that aspiring teachers are students themselves. We face the same dilemma when it comes to picking up a book. The want to read something "acceptable" often turns us away from choosing a book at all.
For teachers to understand what should be taught, and the ways in which it can be retained by the students, it is inherently important that we allow ourselves to feel the same way as our students. And the book, I think, does its job in helping us realize that as we prepare to bring books to our own students.

[Shabiha Rahman · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the things I greatly appreciated about this piece was that it comes from an English teacher who has been in the field. Her strategies come from a place of practice and experience. For example, in her chapter about poetry, the students hating poetry reminds me exactly of myself. As a future educator, I have always been worried about having a student who thought like me in middle school about poetry. She makes it seem less daunting by making future teachers know that it is scary to approach but it is ultimately something that can be accomplished. Another good point she brings up is how our questions can either feed into a fulfilling conversation or shut down discussion. That is another thing I have always feared but to know her advice and perspective on it was helpful.

As the target audience for this book, I feel like it was very straightforward and did the job. The organization of the book is something I really personally enjoyed, it was very easy to get through and follow. However, I do not think this is unlike any other book about teaching. Although it is good, it did not stand out to me but it did get the point across. I do think she misses the mark on some things like when she claims students should be taught about places, people, and events that are outside their own experiences but then lists Shakespeare as an author who does that perfectly. I personally disagree with that but she does describe some methods that insert the students’ experiences that may make Shakespeare or other authors fit that.

[Joi Keen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before we start this, I must state that I am a Carol Jago devotee. She is a favorite voice of mine in the ELA/Reading/Writing world. I made a goal for myself to try and read more professionally this school year, and I started this summer with 180 Days (Gallagher and Kittle) and have now finished The Book in Question: Why and How Reading is in Crisis. As usual for Jago, she clearly states her premise, follows that with evidence and personal anecdote, and then gives suggestions for how she approaches text and student engagement/interaction in her classroom. I will say that I have been teaching for 20 years and I always find neat ideas in her books. Sometimes they are a reminder of things I have done in the past, sometimes they are newer, fresher versions of things I already do, and sometimes they are brand new ideas I have never thought of. No matter what, I always take ideas with me into my classroom. In this work, Jago is a passionate voice for real, thoughtful, and powerful reading with students. I highly recommend this text for those thinking about reading in their classroom.