What Stories Do I Enjoy Reading?

In Chap. 3 , I narrate the details of five lessons focused on finding fabulous fiction. Throughout these lessons, students are immersed in enjoyable experiences of book browsing, picking, reading and sharing. The language of carefully considered reading preferences is conveyed and advanced. Ideas of reading identity are explored. The educative value of aesthetic appreciation is explained with reference to Dewey’s (1934) ideas on the articulation of beliefs and opinions. The students’ judgement of book covers—their first impressions—is described as a significant point of teaching and learning. The lessons are cumulative in developing a specific metalanguage related to perceptions of fiction structure and form. Feelings of fulfilment are discussed in terms of anticipations attained, predictions proven and the thrill of unforeseen surprises. The essence of book blether is elucidated—its amplification and modification of attitudes as well as its bond-building ability.