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Literary culture has become a form of popular culture over the last fifteen years thanks to the success of televised book clubs, film adaptations, big-box book stores, online bookselling, and face-to-face and online book groups. This volume offers the first critical analysis of mass reading events and the contemporary meanings of reading in the UK, USA, and Canada based on original interviews and surveys with readers and event organizers. The resurgence of book groups has inspired new cultural formations of what the authors call \"shared reading.\" They interrogate the enduring attraction of an old technology for readers, community organizers, and government agencies, exploring the social practices inspired by the sharing of books in public spaces and revealing the complex ideological investments made by readers, cultural workers, institutions, and the mass media in the meanings of reading.

Discusses the power of the story and how we learn to read.

[Purpose/Significance] Establishing reading promotion standards and evaluation systems has become the key to the quality development of reading promotion. Whether from the perspective of achieving social justice or moving reading promotion into mainstream services, the implementation of reading promotion standards and evaluation is imperative. This article combines the content of the first academic seminar on standards and evaluation in reading promotion with current research in this area. It provides direction for the development of reading promotion standards and evaluation work, moving towards an era of high standards and high quality in reading promotion. [Method/Process] This article summarizes the key issues of current reading promotion work, including the necessity, feasibility and specific implementation methods of implementing reading promotion standards and evaluation work, as well as research on building a shared database and communication platform for reading promotion, answering the questions about basic issues of reading promotion such as the feasibility of implementing standards and evaluation work and how to practise them. In addition, this study takes the best practice cases of six libraries as examples and analyzes the reading promotion standards and evaluation work of these libraries from three perspectives: public library standardization, university library standardization, and the evaluation of reading promotion activities. [Results/Conclusions] The development direction of reading promotion standards and evaluation work includes establishing a standardized evaluation system, building an exchange platform, developing a reading promotion standard toolkit, carrying out full-process standardization and multi-dimensional effectiveness evaluation, constructing an evaluation model and providing professional reading promotion training for librarians. The standard and evaluation work of reading promotion in China is still in its infancy. Although the article clarifies the importance, urgency and difficulty of the current reading promotion standardization and evaluation work, it also reveals the consensus building that exists in the initial exploration of the related work. Due to the inadequacy, low planning implementation rate, single type of participating institutions and other problems, the academic community is still in a state of confusion regarding various basic issues of reading promotion standards and evaluation, and further research and practice are urgently needed. This article is not only a summary of the current reading promotion standards and evaluation practices, but also an outlook on the development direction of the future reading promotion standards and evaluation. It is hoped that the reading promotion work will continue to move towards standardization, specialization and high-quality development in the future.

[Purpose/Significance] This study aims to explore the reading difficulties experienced by children in intergenerational caregiving situations in rural China, analyze the causes of these difficulties, and propose targeted solutions. The research is motivated by the growing concerns about educational disparities and developmental challenges experienced by this vulnerable group, especially within the context of China's rural revitalization strategy. Unlike previous studies, which have primarily focused on the broader category of rural left-behind children, this paper focuses on a specific subgroup－rural children raised by their grandparents - to offer a more nuanced understanding of the unique obstacles these children face in relation to reading. This study contributes to both academic discourse on rural education and efforts aimed at promoting equitable development by identifying the structural and cultural factors that contribute to low reading literacy among these children. By integrating theories of family sociology, educational inequality, and digital divide, it fills a critical gap in existing literature and offers new insights into how intergenerational caregiving intersects with literacy development. [Method/Process] The research was conducted in a rural county located in Guangdong Province. A mixed-methods approach was adopted that combined in-depth interviews with caregivers and teachers, a textual analysis of local education policies, and online surveys of rural schools and community centers. A grounded theory approach was employed as the analytical framework, and a three-stage coding process was used to develop a measurement model for assessing individual reading barriers. This methodological rigor ensured that the findings were grounded in empirical data, yet still allowed for theoretical generalization. [Results/Conclusions] The findings reveal that rural children under intergenerational care face multiple reading challenges, including limited access to books, inadequate reading environments, and a lack of awareness about the importance of reading. These issues stem from complex sociostructural factors, including fragmented family structures, limited educational opportunities for grandparents, and imbalanced use of digital technologies. To address these challenges, the study proposes a multi-pronged intervention framework. This framework includes strengthening policy support for rural reading programs, mobilizing volunteers as reading mentors, guiding the appropriate use of digital tools to enhance literacy, and encouraging intergenerational reading activities within families. While this study provides valuable insights, further longitudinal and comparative research across diverse rural regions is needed to validate and expand upon these findings. Future studies could also examine the long-term impact of reading interventions on children's academic achievement and psychosocial development.

[Purpose/Significance] The National Reading Campaign has become a national strategy. With the deepening of reading promotion, many new methods, new tools and new perspectives have appeared in the research and practice of reading promotion. In order to effectively improve the standardization and professional level of reading promotion, we should systematically sort out, summarize and explore the significance, best practice, future goals and implementation ways of standardization construction and scientific evaluation of reading promotion. [Method/Process] In order to continuously promote the work of nationwide reading with high quality, we have conducted research combining the contents of the second Symposium on Standards and Evaluation in Reading Promotion and Evaluation. Based on the current needs and status of nationwide reading, we have summarized the issues in reading promotion work, including standardization and normalization of reading promotion, as well as the systematization of nationwide reading stan

[Purpose/Significance] The social application of technologies, such as generative artificial intelligence (AI), presents challenges for adolescents when it comes to deep reading. In response, China has promoted the Youth Reading Initiative and issued the \"Notice on Further Implementing the National Youth Student Reading Action\", which outlines five key projects and provides a clear roadmap for action. To thoroughly implement and effectively achieve the goals, tt is essential to clarify the specific path choices and their inherent rationality. vMethod/Process] This paper reviews China's decade-long initiatives to develop a youth reading ecosystem. It demonstrates that the nation has established a robust foundation to support \"holistic reading\" initiatives and prioritizes creating such environments as its strategic focus. The \"Notice on Further Implementing the National Youth Student Reading Initiative\" first mentioned both the concepts of \"holistic reading\" and \"deep reading\" simultaneously. Thus, in this pape

Some kids refuse to read, others won't stop – not even at the dinner table! Either way, many parents question the best way to support their child's literacy journey. When can you start reading to your child? How do you find that special book to inspire a reluctant reader? What can you do to keep your tween reading into their adolescent years? Award-winning teacher librarian Megan Daley, the passionate voice behind the Children's Books Daily blog, has the answers to all these questions and more. She unpacks her twenty years of experience into this personable and accessible guide, enhanced with up-to-date research and firsthand accounts from well-known Australian children's authors. It also contains practical tips, such as suggested reading lists and instructions on how to run book-themed activities. Raising Readers is a must-have resource for parents and educators to help the children in their lives fall in love with books.