Introduction

Well,maybenotonthewayhomefromthehospital.Maybewhenthebabyissixweeksold,orwhenshe
beginssmiling.Thatmightbeagoodtimetopullherintoyourlap,orpropherupbetweenyouandyour
spouseorpartner.Turningthroughpages,youreadaloudapicturebook.Shewontrememberthewordsor
pictures,butanimpressionofbeingheldandreadtowillremainafamiliaritywiththeexperience,an
emotionalreminderofpleasure,especiallywhenitsrepeatedhundredsoftimes.Secondpartofthedeal:
youtalktoyourbabyconstantly,frombirth,tellingstories,pointingoutthethingsoftheworld,defining
words,askingquestions,andgentlydemandinganswerswhenshesoldenoughtogivethem.Likeachild
inafairytale,shewillpossessanunknownpower,which,soonerorlater,willburstforth.Thereadingego,
andthespeakingego,needthousandsoflittlevictoriesbeforetheyassertthemselveswithoutfear,andshe
willbeready.Achildheld,readtoandtalkedto,undergoesaninitiationintoausefullife;shemayalso
undergoaninitiationintohappiness.
Everyoneagreesthatestablishingreadingpleasureearlyinachildslifeisamonumentalachievement(and
youdoit,thepediatricianssay,withbooks,notwithscreens);andeveryonealsoagreesthatthegap
betweenthosechildrenwhogrowuplovingbooksandactiveconversationandthosewhodontwith
troubledschoolperformanceandrestrictedcareeropportunitieslikelyforthosewhodontisagapthat
getssetearlyandmaybehardtoclose.Hard,butofcoursenotimpossible.Itcanbedoneingradeschool
andmiddleschool.Butwhatabouthighschool?Howdoyouestablishreadingpleasureinbusy,screen
lovingteenagersandinparticular,pleasureinreadingseriouswork?Isitstillpossibletoraiseteenagers
whocantlivewithoutreadingsomethinggood?Oristhatideaabsurd?Andcouldthestruggletocreate
suchhungerhaveanyeffectonthecharacterofboysandgirls?
Afewyearsago,Iwasthinkingabouttheseissues,thinkinginanonproductive,desultoryway,and
wondering,too,abouthighschoolreadinglists(DoesanyonereadTheCatcherintheRyeanymore?Is
Hawthornegone?Didanyonecare?),whenastrangercameuptomeonthestreet.Thissoundslikean
UpperWestSidejoke:Guycomesuptoyouonthestreet...andstartstalkingaboutaschool.The
strangerwasateacher,SamuelAbrams,adarkeyed,wellknitmaninhismiddlefortieswithanintense
wayabouthim.Foryears,hehadtaughthistoryandeconomicsatapublicschoolheloved,theBeacon
School,onWest61stStreetinManhattan.Hewasonleavein2011(and,asitturnsout,wouldnotgo
back);hewaswritingabookontheeconomicsofeducation.(Hisbookisnowfinished:Educationandthe
CommercialMindset,bySamuelE.Abrams,directoroftheNationalCenterfortheStudyofPrivatization
inEducationatColumbiasTeachersCollege.)Samtoldmeabouttheschool,acramped,ridiculously
overcrowdedplacewithagymsointimatethatajumpshotlaunchedfromfifteenfeetwouldscrapethe
ceiling.Beaconinhabitedacruddyoldbuildingneverintendedasaschool.Yettheplacehadspirit,Sam
said.Ithadinterestingstudents,ambitiousteachers,adecentlibrary,dozensofcomputers.Itwasa
progressiveschoolbuthardlyaslack,feelgoodplace.Thestudentsworkedhard.
Yes,buthowmuchwerethestudentsreadinginschool,andontheirown?Andhowmuchofitwas
qualityofonesortoranother?Generalinformationonsuchissuesisnoteasytocomeby.APewResearch
readingsurvey,conductedbytelephonein2014,reportedthat46percentofteenssixteenandseventeen
saidtheyreadabook,includingbooksforschool,everydayoralmosteveryday.Sincealmostallthe
respondentsatthatagearestudents,46percentisnotanimpressivenumber.Arecentsummaryofstudies
citedbyCommonSenseMediaindicatesthatAmericanteenagersarelesslikelytoreadforfunat
seventeenthanatthirteen.Thecategoryofreadingforfunisitselfalittledepressing,sinceitdivides
readingintoduty(forschool)andgratification(sittingonacouch,beachtowel),asifthetwowere
necessarilyopposed.Thecategoryreinforcestheideathatanassignedbookliterature,usuallycantbe
fun.
AmorerecentPewsurvey,issuedonApril9,2015,reportedthataidedbytheconvenienceandconstant
accessprovidedbymobiledevices,especiallysmartphones,92%ofteensreportgoingonlinedaily

including24%whosaytheygoonlinealmostconstantly.Apartfromstatisticalstudies,thetestimonyof
teachersandparentsisoverwhelming;theevidenceofoneseyesisoverwhelming.IngeneralAmerican
teenagersmaybereadingmoresheerwordsthanever,buttheyarereadingmostlyonscreens;they
certainlyarentreadingmanyseriousbooks.Mostofthemareincrediblybusy.School,homework,sports,
jobs,parents,brothers,sisters,halfbrothers,halfsisters,friendships,loveaffairs,hangingout,music,and,
mostofall,screens(TV,Internet,socialnetworking,games,texting)comparedtoallofthat,readingisa
weak,petulantclaimantontheirtime.Bookssmelllikeoldpeople,IheardastudentsayinNewHaven.
Whentheywereveryyoung,teensmayhavereadHarryPotter,andlatertheymayreaddystopianand
sciencefictionnovels,vampireromance,graphicnovels(someverygood),youngadultfiction(ditto),
convulsivelyexcitingstreetlit.Bythetimetheyarefifteenorsixteen,however,readinganythingmore
demandingandtimeconsumingthreatenstocutofftheirsmartphonesenseofbeingintouchwitheveryone
andeverythingatonce.Suddenly,theyarenoteverywhere,theyarethere,onthatpage,inthattime,
moored,limited,andmanyareglumaboutit.Talktothem,andyouwillfindout:beingunconnected
makesthemanxious.
Astheygetolder,manydontseewhyreadingseriouslyshouldbeimportantatall.Everyoneknowshow
toreadandwrite.Whydoweneedawholeclassforit?Thatsjuststupid,afifteenyearoldsaidtohis
teacherinMamaroneck,NewYork.HewasreferringtoEnglishclass.Ifstudentsarethinkingofcollege,
theymayhavebeentoldbytheireldersthataliberalartseducationandthehumanitiesinparticulararea
wasteoftime.Inaneconomydemandingskillsetsdefinednarrowlyastechnicalandbusinessskills
thatstuffwontgetyouanywhere.Butthisisactualnonsense.Weareproducingmorecollegegraduates
skilledinscience,technology,engineering,andmathematics(theSTEMsubjects)thantheeconomycan
absorb.Atthesametime,employershaverepeatedlysaidthattheywanttohirepeoplewithagoodliberal
artseducation,peoplewhocanthink,judge,andexpressthemselves;theywantpeoplewhocanfollow
complicatedinstructions,talkinameeting,understandfellowworkers.Theycanalwaysbuyrobots.
Thedemandforbettereducatedworkersisonlyonepartandmaybethelesserpartoftheissue.
Sometimes,asOrwellsaid,therestatementoftheobviousisaduty.Sotheobvious,then:theliberalartsin
general,andespeciallyreadingseriously,offeranopeningtoawiderlife,thepowersofactivecitizenship
(includingthewillingnesstovote);readingstrengthensperception,judgment,andcharacter;itcreates
understandingofotherpeopleandoneself,maybekindlinessandwit,andcertainlytheabilitytoendure
solitude,bothinthecommonsenseofemptyroomlonelinessandthecosmicsenseofemptyuniverse
loneliness.Readingfictioncarriesyoufurtherintoimaginationandinventionthanyouwouldbecapableof
onyourown,takesyouintootherpeopleslives,andoften,byreflection,deeperintoyourown.Iwill
indulgearesoundingtautology:everygreatcivilization,includingours,hashadagreatliteratureandgreat
readers.Ifliteraturematterslesstoyoungpeoplethanitoncedid,weareallintrouble.Speakingfor
myself,mylifewouldbeapoorer,weaker,dullerthingwithoutJaneAusten,WaltWhitman,RalphEllison,
SaulBellow,RaymondChandler,JohnLeCarr,ZadieSmith,ElenaFerrante;withoutJohnGrishamand
StephenKing,too.Togetherandalone,weneedliteratureastheCaliforniavalleysneedrain.
Electronicutopianssay,Calmdown,nothinghasbeenlost.Ifanything,theopportunitiesforreadinghave
becomemuchgreater.Plentyofbooksarebeingsold,andevenifbooksasphysicalobjectsaredoomed,
readingwillsurvive,evenexpand.Afterall,youcangetanything.Intheliteralsense,thisistrue.Youcan
findalmostanybookyouwantsomewhere.Thosewhoknowwhattheyarelookingforcanfinditona
computer,aKindle,Nook,iPad,tablet,orsmartphone;theelectroniclibrarygoesonforever,andthe
volumeswillnotgetmoldy.Whattechnologicalutopiansdontandcantexplain,however,isthis:How
doestheappetiteforseriousreadinggetcreatedinthefirstplace?Ababyheldinhappyattentiontobooks
andstorieshasagoodchanceoflovingreadingasanadult.Whatabouttheothers?

Schoolwastheplacetofindout.Andstudentsintenthgrade,Ithought,weretherightkidstolookat.
Recentworkbyneuroscientistshasestablishedthatadolescence,aswellasearlychildhood,isaperiodof
tremendousneuroplasticity.Atthatage,thebrainstillhasagenuinecapacitytochange.Fifteenisa
dangerspotandasweetspot.Tenthgradersaregoingthroughaperiodofadolescentturmoilbeforethey
begintograpplethenextyearwithcollegeadmissions,themilitary,orajob.Manyarefiguringoutwho
theyareandwhattheywanttobe,sexually,professionally,andinalltheotherwaysthatmatter.Theycan
bereached.Theirmoraleducationaswellastheirliteraryeducationisatstake;thetwomaybeinseparable.
Theymayevenlearntoreadgoodworkforfun.
Towriteanationspanningreport,oranykindoflarge,wellresearchedstudywasoutofthequestionfor
me.Evenaregionalstudy,acityorschooldistrictreportwasimpossible.Iwasntqualifiedtodoit.Icould
onlymakeanarbitraryselectionofteachersandreaders,andthenobserveanddescribeandjudge,using
everyelementofmysubjectivityaswellasmysenseofhowtheworldworksandhowlifewasgoingand
wouldgointhefutureforthestudentsIfollowed.Bycommonstandards,aclassroomishardlya
dramaticsubject,butthedramaisclearenoughifyoulistentothepatterns,therevelations,thespurtsof
engagement,andthepallofboredom.Itsallthereinthefumbledorlucidremarks,thecrosstalk,the
momentsofsilenceandenthusiasm.
Afterconsideringotherschools,inNewJerseyandPennsylvania,IcamebacktoSamAbramssschoolin
Manhattan.HemadeBeaconsoundinteresting,andhewasright.Iscoutedtheplaceinthespringof2011,
and,inthefollowingacademicyear(201112),IsettledinwithasingletenthgradeEnglishteacher,a
dynamonamedSeanLeon.IwantedtoseeaswellwheresomeBeaconstudentsmightwindupayearlater
intheirhighschoolcareers,soIpaidperiodicvisitstotwoeleventhgradeclasses,taughtbyMary
WhittemoreandDanielGuralnick.Askidsbangedoffoneanotherinthehallways,Iscannedposters,
collages,computerprojects,andeverythingelseonthewalls.Iwalkedupanddownthesinglenarrow
stairwayasstudents,hurryingtotheirnextclassrushedpastme(Sorry,sorry!).Inadrearygreenwalled
lunchroom,IsatdownwithsomeofMr.Leonstenthgradersandtriedtotalktothemabovethedin.

Ihaddonesomethinglikethisbefore.Intheeightiesandearlynineties,manypeopleteachinghumanities
intheuniversitiesweredebatingsuchquestionsas,ShouldtheWesterncanonbeimposedonkids
descendedfromLatinAmericanorAfricanfamilies?WasthehegemonicdiscourseoftheWest
empoweringwhiteelitesanddisempoweringeveryoneelse?Andsoon.Therewasmuchelseinthe
curriculumwars,butIdorememberwondering,backinthelateeighties,howanyonecouldbehurtby
readingagoodbook.Curioustofindout,Iworkedonaheftytomethatwaseventuallytitled(withgreat
invention)GreatBooks.Forafullacademicyear(199192),IsatwithstudentsandteachersatColumbia,
myalmamater,andreadtheCollegesrequiredselectionofWesternclassicsprettymuchthesamebooks
Ihadreadasafreshmanthirtyyearsearlier.
GreatBooks,whichcameoutin1996,wasamixtureofelementsmyownfeverishlyhappyreading;
teachersatworkonHomer,St.Augustine,Rousseau,andVirginiaWoolf;studentsstrugglingwiththe
books,sometimesreadingthembrilliantly,sometimesnot.GreatBookswassomethingelseaswella
physicallyplacid,middleagedadventurestory.Luckyandgenerallycontentasamoviecritic,Iwas
neverthelessjangledbytoomanymediaimagesrattlingaroundinmybrain.Iwantedmyheadtorattle
withotherthingsaswell.Ineededtogobacktoschool.Theceremonyofteachingandlearningcharmed
andfascinatedmeagreatdeal.
Someofthesamethingsaretrueforthisbook,which,intheevent,hasturnedintoakindofprequel.
Again,Iwantedneededtoseestudentsandteachers;Ineededtoreadandmakeareportonmyreading.
Iwouldsit,listen,keepmymouthshut,talkingtostudentsandteachersoutsideofclasswhenIcould.And
Iwouldtrytobefaithfultomyimpressionsandreflections,wherevertheyled.Thebillionairesthrowing

moneyatsucheducationfixesassmallerschoolsorcharterschoolshave,manyofthem,spentlittletimein
classrooms.Iamnotateacher,butIhavebeentaught,andIhavehadsomesuccesswatchingteachersand
reportingonwhattheyweredoing.Asbefore,Iwantedtoworkfromthebottomup,withteachersand
students,notfromthetopdown.
Theearlierbook,inpart,becameasearchformyself,amoviecriticwhowasfeelinglostinawelterof
mediaimagesandneededtoreadandthinkseriouslyagain.Itwassomethingofareclamationjob.Butthe
pointofviewofthisbookisfranklyparental.Iwantedtoseewhatthestudentswerelikeandhowthey
weredoingintellectually.Idecidednottosuppressmyfeelingsaboutthem.Iwoulddescribethem
physically(orelsetheywouldnevercomealiveonthepage)andcommitthesinofjudging,always
bearinginmindthattheywereveryyoung.Fifteenyearolds,throughanacademicyear,developstemsand
roots,theircellsdivide.Inparticular,Iwantedtoseeifreaderscouldbebornwhathappenswhena
nonreaderbecomesareader?whichmeantnecessarilyrecordingthestudentsmistakesandawkward
momentsaswellastheirinsightsandbreakthroughsastheystruggledintolife.Iftheystruggledintolife.
Beaconisthesettingformuchofthebook,butnotitssubject.Readingisthesubject,andIreadallthe
books,stories,andessaysassignedtothestudents.AsIsatinclasses,Icontinuedatmyregularjob
reviewingmoviesfortheNewYorkersothatsomethinglikeanormalworkinglifewouldflowinandout
ofwhatIreadandsaw.Sittingdowntowrite,IresolvednottoquoteBacon,Montaigne,Emerson,de
Tocqueville,orevenJohnDewey.Then,andlater,Ireadsuchwellresearchedandpowerfulrecentstudies
asTheKnowledgeDeficit(2006)byE.D.HirschJr.;ProustandtheSquid(2007)byMaryanneWolf;
AloneTogether(2011)bySherryTurkle;PresentShock(2013)byDouglasRushkoff;BookLovebyPenny
Kittle,andotherworksabouttheintersectionoftechnology,education,andreading.Mydebttothese
authorsandmanyothers(Ihavelistedtheminthebibliography)isconsiderable,butintheendIrelied
principallyonmyeyesandearsasalimitedbutstillusefulsetoftools.

AsIwroteupmyyearinschool,friendsexpressedsomedoubts.WasntBeaconaspecialschoolwitha
specialNewYorkpopulation?Howwellwoulditscale?Thatis,howmuchofwhatIfoundcouldbe
used(ifanyonewantedtouseit)byotherpublicschoolsinotherpartsofthecountryschoolswith
differentvalues,differentstudents?Myinitialresponsewasthattherewerentanytypicalhighschoolsin
America.Whatwouldtheybesuburbanschools,countryschools,innercityschools?Theyareall
different.AnygeneralizationyoucouldmakeaboutAmericaneducation,evenoneheavilybackedwith
statistics,couldberefutedbyacontrarygeneralization,acontraryexample.AmericaisntFinland;itsa
bigcountry,enormouslydiverse,andyoucouldtieyourselfinknotstryingtotypifyandgeneralizewhile
notlearningmuchofanythingthatmattered.ThereforeIwoulddobettertoobserveasingleplacewhere
literaryeducationseemedtobeworking.
Myresistancetotheideaofscalewastied,Irealized,tomydistastefortheincreasinglydominant
Americannotionthatonlythosethingsthatcouldbequantifiedmatteredinnationallife.Assertionsthat
cannotbebackedwithstatisticsandprobabilitiesmetricized,intechworldjargoncreateatbest
shruggingindifference,atworstdisgustandridicule.Thedemandforquantifiableresultshascreateda
desperateobsessionwithtestscores.IntheviewofopponentslikeeducationhistorianDianeRavitch,the
obsessionwithscoreshasdenaturededucationsfunctionasculturalenrichment,ascitizenmaking,assoul
making.Letsputitthisway:youdonthavetobeJohnKeatstorealizethatthesoulandwhatusedtobe
calledsensibilityacombinationofknowledge,taste,judgment,wildness,respectcanneverbe
quantified.
AsIgotintothewriting,however,Idiscoveredthatmyfriendshadapoint.BeaconsSeanLeonhadan
unusualreadinglistexistentialclassics,includingHuxley,Orwell,Hesse,Vonnegut,Dostoevsky,
Beckett,butnotTwain,Dickens,JaneAusten,ToniMorrison,orevenShakespeare.Hegrabbedhis

studentsbythethroatsandshookthemintolife.Hechallengedthemconstantly,askingthemtodefine
themselvesandtakeholdoftheirlives.Hewasclearlytryingtoshapecharacterwiththebookshe
assigned,thediscussionsheled.Otherteacherscouldperhapslearnfrompartsofwhathedid,perhapsuse
partsofit,buttheycouldntreplicatetheentireexperience.Theycouldntbehim.Andcertainlynoone
couldsaythathiswastheonlywaytotalktoteenagers.Thereis,ofcourse,noidealreadinglist,noperfect
syllabus,noperfectclassroommanner,butonlystrategiesthatworkordontwork.Inareadingcrisis,we
arepragmatistsaswellasidealists.
SoIcamearound.Typicalityandcomprehensivenessremainedimpossibletoachieve,butvarietywasnot.
Idelayedfinishingthebook,and,intheacademicyear201314,IvisitedtenthgradeEnglishclassesin
twootherpublichighschoolsshuttlingupmanytimesduringtheyeartotheJamesHillhouseHigh
School,aninnercityschoolinNewHavenwithalargelypoorAfricanAmericanpopulation;andfive
timesinthespringtoaschoolinawealthyNewYorksuburbMamaroneck,abedroomtowninthe
languageofthefifties,wherepeoplesenttheirkidstogoodschools(andpaidasmuchas$30,000annually
intaxestodoso).Hillhousehadmultipletroubles,includingmanytransients,dropouts,lowperforming
kids.Atthebeginningoftheyear,thetenthgradestudentsrefusedtoreadtheassignedtextsathome;they
werentopenlyrebellious,buttheyseemedpuzzledbytheassignments.Whatwasthepoint?Ataschool
likeHillhouse,onlythemostdedicated,passionate,andinventiveteacherscanhelpstudentssurgeforward,
andIthinkIfoundone.ButMamaroneckHighSchoolwasworried,too.Theadministrationandthe
EnglishDepartmentwerealarmedtodiscoverthatsomeoftheirkidswerenotreadingtheassignedbooks.
ThenonreadersandgrudgingreadersconsultedtheonlinestudyaidSparkNotesandthrewbackwhatit
hadtosayaboutTheGreatGatsbyandMacbeth;theylistenedinclass,pickedupwhattheycould,and
brazeneditout.Actingonitsdisappointments,Mamaroneckwasattemptingsomethingnewwithpartsof
itsEnglishcurriculum.Pleasureinreadingwasthekeyissueforthem.Theyneededtocreateit.
Peoplereadforallsortsofreasons,andatalllevelsofdifficultyandart.(Onlyprigsreaddemandingbooks
allthetime.)Aminority,perhaps,readnotonlytoenjoythemselvesbuttounderstandtheworld,and,
ultimately,toknowhowtoliveanddieinit.Thatkindofreadingisaspecialgood.Ifsayingsoamountsto
anelitistassumption,Iacceptthechargeaslongasitsunderstoodthatthisisaneliteanyonecanjoin.
Thosewhoassumethatseriousrecreationalreadingisboundsolelybyclass(theuppermiddleclassand
thosewhowouldjoinit)maybeovervaluingtheirownpessimism.Theentrancewayisnotasnarrowas
that.ThefirstpremiseofAmericanpubliceducationisthatthedooriswideopen.Thequestionalwaysis
howmanywillwalkthroughorgetpushedthrough.Thatentrancewayiswhereteachersmattermorethan
therestofus.
Toarguethatreadingisgoodseemsassillyasarguingthatsex,nature,andmusicaregood.Whocould
disagree?Yet,implicitly,manyteenagersdodisagree.Thisbook,Ihope,willprovidesomethingbetter
thananargument;itwillperhapsofferasmalldemonstrationnotaproof,certainly,butasmall
demonstrationofwhyliteratureshouldbecentraltothemoral,spiritual,andpleasurablelifeofyoung
people.
ANoteonTeachersandStudents
Theteachersappearundertheirownnames.Thestudentsarerealpeople,andIhavetakendowntheir
wordsfaithfully.Teenagers,however,shouldnotbetaggedbyanoutsideratavulnerabletimeintheir
lives,andIhavemadeupnamesforthem.Ihavecalledthemboysandgirls.Theywerefifteengoing
onsixteen.
ANoteonChronology
AsIearliernoted,IvisitedBeacononeyear,HillhouseandMamaroneckinanother.Mostofthebookwas
writtenafterthereportingwasdone,andIrealized,asIwrote,thatthepracticesofoneschool,orone

Englishclass,challenged,contradicted,playedonthepracticesofanother.SoIhaveraisedtheseissuesin
whatIwrote,attheendofmyexperience,regardlessofwhentheclassestookplaceintime.
ANoteonPronouns
Imnotcrazyaboutwritinghisorhertodescribeagroupmixedbygender.Thoselocutionskillthe
rhythmofnearlyeverysentencetheyappearin.Atleasttheykillmysentencesotherwritersmaybe
shrewderingettingaroundtheproblem.ThereforeIhaveused,asageneralizingpronoun,sheinsome
casesandheinothers,hersinsomecasesandhisinothers.Nothingshouldbeinferredfromtheuse
ofonepronounoranother.Itsjustacompositionalstrategytoavoidbadprose.
ANoteonUnions
Iwentlookingforgoodpublicschoolteachers.ItwasonlyafterIfoundafewthatIrealizedtheywereall
membersofteacherunions.
ANoteontheSubtitle
Thenumbertwentyfourreferstothebooks,stories,andplaysdiscussedinthetext.Thecompletereading
listsfortheclassesIvisitedcanbefoundinappendix1.
Copyright2016byDavidDenby