Yellow and Dog-Eared and the Meaning They Sparked

Reading Lessons: The books we read at school, the conversations they spark and why they matter by Carol Atherton
Penguin Random House UK, April 4, 2024

At a time when AI seems to undermine a need to read thoroughly and reports show that college students struggle to get through full books, Carol Atherton’s celebration of literature in the classroom is a welcome reminder of why reading matters. Her opening chapter is a powerful essay on feminism, and she continues with topics including belonging, social responsibility, and the purpose of education itself. She includes recent trends in the British curriculum, a number of American classics, and a fresh and provocative perspective on Shakespeare, Dickens, and others. Poignant experiences from her own youthful literary discoveries and the provocative challenges posed by students in her classroom bring the works highlighted in each chapter to life and light. Atherton deftly explains why many of us hold on to the yellowed and dog-eared copies of our own high school novels or scribbled notes – not so much for the chance we might read them again but for the memories of the conversations, insights, and meaning they sparked. Atherton’s plea to keep literature relevant is a must read for English teachers and, for all educators, an inspiring example of teaching.