{"product_id":"the-enchanted-hour-the-miraculous-power-of-reading-aloud-in-the-age-of-distraction","title":"The Enchanted Hour: The Miraculous Power of Reading Aloud in the Age of Distraction","description":"\u003ctable align=\"center\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"2\" cellspacing=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"productDetailSmallElements\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eJacket Description\/Back\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eImagine an elixir so strong that a daily dose would make your family smarter, happier, healthier, more successful, and more closely attached. Now imagine that you could have it without spending a dime. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt all starts with a book, a voice, and a place to sit . . .\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom a beloved \u003cem\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/em\u003e columnist comes a book that will transform your understanding of reading aloud. Grounded in the latest brain science and behavioral research, and drawing widely from life and literature, \u003cem\u003eThe Enchanted Hour\u003c\/em\u003e reveals the stunning advantages that await people of every age and background when they partake of this ancient practice. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMeghan Cox Gurdon shows how reading out loud is a fast-working antidote to the fractured attention spans, atomized families, and unfulfilling distractions of the tech era. From a thrilling look at what happens in a toddler's brain when a grown-up reads a story, to the way shared books are keeping far-flung military families connected; from the imaginative transport of classic novels, to the rejuvenating late-life consolations of poetry and prose: the evidence is clear and the benefits are irrefutable. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTaking us into hospitals, homes, bookstores, and schools, Gurdon blends cutting-edge science with funny, touching stories of real families--including her own--in a compelling testament to the power of what Charles Dickens called the \"spoken syllable.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLively and authoritative, with practical tips and reading recommendations, \u003cem\u003eThe Enchanted Hour\u003c\/em\u003e will inspire readers to share this invaluable, life-altering tradition with the people they love most--and perhaps rediscover an enchanted slice of their own childhoods in the process.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Parents and grandparents shouldn't miss \u003cem\u003eThe Enchanted Hour\u003c\/em\u003e, but more important, we all need to heed this delightful book's wise advice: Please read to your kids. It's not the school's job to get our kids reading, it's our job - and it's a wonderful, magical act of love and caring.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJames Patterson, international bestselling author\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"In her heartfelt first book, Gurdon makes an earnest... case for reading aloud.... An inspiring argument for sharing the joys of reading.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"\u003cem\u003eThe Enchanted Hour\u003c\/em\u003e enthralled and inspired me in equal measure.... Meghan Cox Gurdon's book is the most charming, gentle encouragement to step away from your phone, and into the embrace of your family's most vivid imaginations.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSarah Ivens, author of Forest Therapy\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Meghan Gurdon has given today's parents much needed wisdom to raise attentive and curious children in the Age of Distraction. I hope her book finds a huge audience.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eRosemary Wells, author of the Max and Ruby series\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Don't pick up this bewitching book! It's so enchanting you won't be able to put it down.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMem Fox, author of Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes and Reading Magic\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Gurdon convincingly describes the importance and delight of sharing books with loved ones. . . . For anybody interested in reading, especially parents, teachers, caregivers, and librarians, this inspirational work proclaims its joys and rewards.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"This book shines a light on the incredible power of reading aloud for everyone - not just children. . . . A joyous book that'll have you scrambling to the library.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eYours Magazine (UK)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"An inspirational account that will make you want to grab a book and share it with someone you love.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSun (UK)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"This wonderful audiobook is a fully enjoyable listen. . . . [Gurdon's] pacing is excellent, and her ability to maintain listener attention is impressive. . . . An important and engaging audiobook.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eAudioFile Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher Marketing\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Parents and grandparents shouldn't miss The Enchanted Hour.\" -- James Patterson, international bestselling author\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA Wall Street Journal writer's conversation-changing look at how reading aloud makes adults and children smarter, happier, healthier, more successful and more closely attached, even as technology pulls in the other direction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA miraculous alchemy occurs when one person reads to another, transforming the simple stuff of a book, a voice, and a bit of time into complex and powerful fuel for the heart, brain, and imagination. Grounded in the latest neuroscience and behavioral research, and drawing widely from literature, The Enchanted Hour explains the dazzling cognitive and social-emotional benefits of reading aloud that await children, whatever their class, nationality or family background. But it's not just about bedtime stories for little kids: Reading aloud consoles, uplifts and invigorates at every age, deepening the intellectual lives and emotional well-being of teenagers and adults, too.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMeghan Cox Gurdon argues that this ancient practice is a fast-working antidote to screen time and the fractured attention spans, atomized families and unfulfilling ephemera of the tech era, helping to replenish what our devices are leaching away. For everyone, reading aloud engages the mind in complex narratives; for children, it's an irreplaceable gift that builds literacy skills, fosters imagination, and kindles a lifelong appreciation of language, stories and pictures.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBringing together the latest scientific research on child development, practical tips, and reading recommendations, The Enchanted Hour will both charm and galvanize, inspiring readers to share this invaluable, life-altering tradition with the people they love most.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDiscover the research, recommendations, and transformative power of reading aloud: \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eStrengthen Parent-Child Relationships: \u003c\/b\u003e Explore how the simple act of reading together releases a \"bouquet of neurochemicals\" that strengthens emotional bonds and fosters a sense of security at any age.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eOptimal Brain Development: \u003c\/b\u003e Grounded in the latest fMRI studies, learn how sharing picture books stimulates deep brain networks in young children, creating the \"just right\" conditions for cognitive growth that screens can't replicate.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eA Rich Vocabulary: \u003c\/b\u003e Uncover how reading aloud exposes listeners to millions of words they might not otherwise hear, building the linguistic keys they need to unlock the world and gain a cognitive advantage.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eReading Recommendations for Every Age: \u003c\/b\u003e Move beyond bedtime stories with practical tips and curated book lists designed to console, uplift, and invigorate listeners from the nursery to the nursing home.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eContributor Bio:\u003c\/strong\u003eGurdon, Meghan Cox\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMeghan Cox Gurdon\u003c\/strong\u003e is an essayist, book critic, and former foreign correspondent who has been \u003cem\u003eThe Wall Street Journal's\u003c\/em\u003e children's book reviewer since 2005. Her work has appeared widely, in publications such as \u003cem\u003eThe Washington Examiner\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe Daily Telegraph\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe Christian Science Monitor\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe Washington Post\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe San Francisco Chronicle\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eNational Review\u003c\/em\u003e. A graduate of Bowdoin College, she lives in Bethesda, Maryland, with her husband, Hugo Gurdon, and their five children. \u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Gurdon, Meghan Cox\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Harper Paperbacks\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePub Date:\u003c\/b\u003e 2020-01-21\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBISAC:\u003c\/b\u003e Family \u0026amp; Relationships \/ Parenting \/ Co-Parenting|Family \u0026amp; Relationships \/ Activities|Psychology \/ Developmental \/ Child|Education \/ Language Experience Approach|Education \/ Home Schooling|Family \u0026amp; Relationships \/ Siblings|Science \/ Cognitive Science|Science \/ Life Sciences \/ Developmental Biology|Education \/ Parent Participation|Education \/ Teaching \/ Subjects - Reading \u0026amp; Phonics|Family \u0026amp; Relationships \/ Life Stages \/ General|Family \u0026amp; Relationships \/ Parenting \/ Motherhood|Language Arts \u0026amp; Disciplines \/ Literacy|Psychology \/ Cognitive Psychology \u0026amp; Cognition|Self-Help \/ Personal Growth \/ General\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSubjects:\u003c\/b\u003e Psychological aspects|Children|Books and reading|Reading|Parent participation|Oral reading|Social aspects\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.5 lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780062562821\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eASIN:\u003c\/b\u003e -\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSKU:\u003c\/b\u003e SP-9780062562821\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Harper Paperbacks","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52425634939161,"sku":"SP-9780062562821","price":28.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0913\/0380\/5209\/files\/9780062562821_spiral.png?v=1779479966","url":"https:\/\/westbindery.com\/products\/the-enchanted-hour-the-miraculous-power-of-reading-aloud-in-the-age-of-distraction","provider":"West Bindery","version":"1.0","type":"link"}