Thinking and Learning Through Children's Literature by Miriam G. Martinez, Junko Yokota, and Charles Temple (review)

Reading is not only a pleasurable aesthetic experience but can also make an important contribution to the development of children's personalities and their civic engagement. Based on this insight, this book offers a thorough, user-friendly companion to literacy/reading promotion for children and young adults. It presents a thoughtful combination of theoretical foundations and didactic practices by using examples of literature to illustrate how young readers can engage with literature in its different genres and media, taking into account their developmental stage and providing meaningful connections to their personal experiences. The book is divided into five sections. The first chapter, "Children and Reading," gives ideas for reading promotion. Based on empirical research on children's reading behavior and meaning making, the authors describe different methods of how to develop the reception, reading comprehension, and analysis of literary texts.

The second chapter, "How Literature Works," provides a didactic perspective on introducing basic concepts of narratology—such as setting, plot, character, theme, or style—as well as subgenres of fiction, including contemporary realistic fiction, historical fiction, and fantasy. Using the picturebook "Freedom in Congo Square" with poetry by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrations by Gregory Christie as an example, the authors analyze how the text, image, and paratexts interact to create complex storytelling. They give ideas on how to use the book in class and provide reference material with many links to websites with further resources.

The third chapter, "Inviting Children into Literature," proposes methods for the promotion of literature-rich classrooms—such as an inspiring presentation of books in the classroom library, making books easily accessible through communal reading, read-aloud programs, and discussions of new books—by providing audiobooks, e-books or related video games on tablets, or by having children write reading-logs or book reviews. The authors also discuss the possible contribution of multimedia storytelling and the oral storytelling tradition to reading promotion. Chapter Four, "Let's Talk about Literature," features a toolkit equipping educators with a wide range of didactic options to promote the discussion of literary texts in the classroom: using formal or thematic approaches, building on identification and empathy, exploring description or the creative continuation of a suspended plot, close reading, or dramatizing a story. Poetry and non-fiction are also addressed.

The final chapter, "Literary and Content Units," provides templates for planning, organizing, and realizing literature units based on the different methods, including the use of technology, both in literature classes and across the curriculum.

A glance at the detailed table of contents will convince readers of the user-friendly structure of this book. The five main chapters are each subdivided into three parts. Short paragraphs enhance the readability and orientation even further. The layout, including text boxes, illustrations, or diagrams of current theoretical models make information highly accessible; headings such as "Don't miss" highlight notable books; "Try this," "Technology Tip," or "Want to know more" readily identify ideas for hands-on reading activities. "What do you think?" and "What do experts say" propose discussion points or professional opinions. Each chapter concludes with a useful annotated list of recommended books with plot summaries as well as further reading under the headings "References" and "Resources." An index at the end of the book guides readers towards important names, titles, and key terms used in the book.

The authors practice what they preach—they present their topic in engaging and memorable ways. This is the secret to their success: They inspire the intended readers of this book—educators working in reading promotion—and equip them with the necessary enthusiasm and tools not only to teach reading but also to encourage children and young adults to share the joy of reading and to become passionate readers of their own.