The following books on reading have been reviewed for the Harried Parent's Book Club. They are sorted by Guide Rating, with five stars being best.
1. Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons
Cover image courtesy of PriceGrabber
Here's a book that does just what it says it's going to do: gives parents exactly the tools they need to conduct daily sessions and, in fact, teach their children to read. No theories, no case studies, just remarkably clear lessons that get results. 5 Stars
2. Great Books About Things Kids Love
Cover image courtesy of Random House
Picking a book on a subject your child is interested in -- even if it's nonfiction, a picture book, a movie tie-in, a magazine -- is one of the great keys to motivating reluctant readers. If you're reluctant to read another education book, rest easy knowing that you don't have to go through this entire volume to get some use from it. Just pick a topic your child likes, pick a title that fits, and go. 4 Stars
3. The Mislabeled Child
Cover image courtesy of Brock Eide, M.D., M.A.
The authors, founders of the Eide Neurolearning Clinic, have seen plenty of children who have received diagnoses of ADHD, autism, and mental illness -- and discovered that in some cases, the real problem was a learning or language disability. They share their expertise here with parents, at great length and maybe excessive detail. But if you've worried that professionals just don't quite get your kid, this could be a lifeline. 4 Stars
4. Mosaic of Thought
Cover image courtesy of PriceGrabber
Wondering why your child's reading textbook is suddenly full of exercises asking kids to relate stories to their own experience? It's probably using the research outlined in this book, which examines strategies used by successful readers. Though meant for teachers, it's accessible to parents and actually pretty enjoyable. 4 Stars
