We are on the cusp of a reading revolution. Increasingly, research is uncovering an intimate connection between reading and wellbeing. The seemingly simple act of being read to brings remarkable health and happiness benefits. It stimulates thought and memory, encourages the sharing of ideas and feelings, hopes and fears. It enriches our lives and minds. This unique book offers a selection of prose and poetry especially suitable for reading aloud - to your husband or wife, a sick parent or child, an elderly relative. With short introductions and discussion topics for each piece there's something here for everyone - from Shakespeare and Black Beauty to Elizabeth Jennings and Bruce Chatwin. All royalties in full will go to The Reader Organisation, the leading UK charity for reading and health.

"Raised Up Down Yonder" attempts to shift focus away from why black youth are "problematic" to explore what their daily lives actually entail. Howell travels to the small community of Hamilton, Alabama, to investigate what it is like for a young black person to grow up in the contemporary rural South.

What she finds is that the young people of Hamilton are neither idly passing their time in a stereotypically languid setting, nor are they being corrupted by hip hop culture and the perils of the urban North, as many pundits suggest. Rather, they are dynamic and diverse young people making their way through the structures that define the twenty-first-century South. Told through the poignant stories of several high school students, "Raised Up Down Yonder" reveals a group that is often rendered invisible in society. Blended families, football sagas, crunk music, expanding social networks, and a nearby segregated prom are just a few of the fascinating juxtapositions.

Howell uses personal biography, historical accounts, sociolinguistic analysis, and community narratives to illustrate persistent racism, class divisions, and resistance in a new context. She addresses contemporary issues, such as moral panics regarding the future of youth in America and educational policies that may be well meaning but are ultimately misguided.

Raised Up Down Yonder attempts to shift focus away from why black youth are ""problematic"" to explore what their daily lives actually entail. Howell travels to the small community of Hamilton, Alabama, to investigate what it is like for a young black person to grow up in the contemporary rural South. What she finds is that the young people of Hamilton are neither idly passing their time in a stereotypically languid setting nor are they being corrupted by hip-hop culture and the perils of the urban North, as many pundits suggest. Rather, they are dynamic and diverse young people making their way through the structures that define the twenty-first-century South. Told through the poignant stories of several high school students, Raised Up Down Yonder reveals a group that is often rendered invisible in society. Blended families, football sagas, crunk music, expanding social networks, and a nearby segregated prom are just a few of the fascinating juxtapositions.

Research shows that the seemingly simple act of being read to brings remarkable health and happiness benefits. It stimulates thought and memory, encourages the sharing of ideas and feelings, hopes and fears. It enriches our lives and minds. This unique book offers a selection of prose and poetry especially suitable for reading aloud to children. It includes extracts ranging from modern day favourites (David Almond, Frank Cottrell Boyce, Neil Gaiman) to old classics (Kipling, Dickens, E. Nesbit), and features a foreword from Michael Morpurgo. Each piece has been chosen by the Reader Organisation, whose team has unique experience in the effect and benefits of books that immediately capture children's interest and imagination. All royalties in full will go to The Reader Organisation, the leading UK charity for reading and health.

'O tell me the truth about love.' W.H. Auden Many of the most popular works in the English language celebrate love in all its forms: that heady first flush, the agony of heartbreak, joyful reunions, the love of a parent for a child... And what better way to share these beautiful pieces than to read them aloud, to someone you love? Research has shown that being read to makes us healthier and happier, it enriches our hearts and minds. Bring real pleasure with poetry and prose, favourites and new discoveries, especially chosen to be shared. Read 'Our places by the fire place' to a parent, 'My love is come to me' to a partner, 'Most near, most dear' to a child or 'A need to reach out sometimes' to a friend. Discover Haruki Murakami's quirky take on love at first sight and, alongside it, enjoy the immortal wisdom of Walt Whitman. 'Reading aloud is pleasure. Pure pleasure.' Stephen Fry 'Reading aloud is an activity that everyone can take part in. It sharpens the intellect, invigorates the imagination and enlarges the scope of human sympathy. If we all read aloud every day, the world would be a better place.' Philip Pullman The publisher is donating all royalties from this book to The Reader, the leading UK agency for reading and health.