This breezy, accessible book doesn't have a lot of original thought but summarizes some of the major trends and studies of the past few years into nuggets of interest. Freely flowing from one topic to the next, it comes off like a conversation you might have with a group of parents after a long lunch, lingering over a glass of wine. The book wheels from a serious concern about the lack of efficacy with so-called educational apps to how parents can grow literacy by working with their children. Early on, the authors explore what "media" really means. This becomes one of the few clunkers in the narrative. The authors describe all the things encompassed by the term "media" and then proceed to create a new term for the student graduates of 2030 (today's Kindergarten class). They call it "Readialand". It's too saccharin and arch and brought me back to the idea of a conversation fueled by fermented grape drinks. In any case, the book is clearly designed for skimming with its short stand-alone chapters. Beyond the occasional a-ha moments one could get most of this content by attending a conference seminar and delving deep into the Tap, Click, Read website. Since I was familiar with many of the studies mentioned and had seen Ms. Guernsey speaking recently, I found it somewhat difficult to focus on the narrative and often raced through, hoping to finish a chapter before lunch was up. I didn't feel it was a bad book but it seemed "so-so". I may not be the intended audience, however. The book speaks heavily to parents, trying to determine which materials and practices will best help their children. There is a lengthy list of resources at the end. For someone who is just "curious" I would start with that. One warning -- this book is already a few years old. With the pace of technology there were elements already out-of-date. I suspect it will have a short shelf-life.
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