The Enchanted Hour: The Miraculous Power of Reading Aloud in the Age of Distraction

Summary (from the publisher): A 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.

A 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 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.

Meghan Cox Gurdon argues that this ancient practice is a fast-working antidote to 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 vocabulary, fosters imagination, and kindles a lifelong appreciation of language, stories and pictures.

Bringing together the latest scientific research, 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.

Review: I received an uncorrected proof copy of this book from HarperCollins. 

"Listening to stories while looking at pictures stimulates children's deep brain networks, fostering their optimal cognitive development. Further, the companionable experience of shared reading cultivates empathy, dramatically accelerates young children's language acquisition, and vaults them ahead of their peers when they get to school. The rewards of early reading are astonishingly meaningful: toddlers who have lots of stories read to them turn into children who are more likely to enjoy strong relationships, sharper focus, and greater emotional resilience and self-mastery. The evidence has become so overwhelming that social scientists now consider read-aloud time one of the most important indicators of a child's prospects in life" (xvi). 

Pulling on scientific research, practical tips, and the author's personal experiences, this work of non-fiction illustrates the significance and importance of reading aloud. While most of the book focuses on reading aloud to young children, it also discusses the benefits for all ages as a way to not only learn but to create order and connection between reader and listener. I found the chapter detailing the history of reading aloud particularly fascinating. Stories were once only an auditory experience to the point where at one time in history, silently reading a text was considered "outlandish:" Plutarch writes of the way that Alexander the Great perplexed his soldiers, around 330 BC, by reading without utterance a letter he had received from his mother. The men's confusion hints at the rarity of the spectacle" (25). While I could see that readers without young children in their lives might find this book less personally applicable, it resonated deeply with me as both a parent, someone who was read to daily as a child, and as an adult who still loves to read. 

Going into this text, I assumed it would be something that, as a parent of a young child, I would be glad that I had read but wouldn't necessarily enjoy. However, that couldn't have been further from the truth. Gurdon's text was a fascinating combination of science, personal anecdotes, and historical references. While reading aloud to my daughter already felt like a critical component of our daily routine, this book affirmed its importance and made me want to race home and read longer every night. In a world that is increasingly dominated by screens and technology, this book is a powerful reminder of how important face time is and of the many benefits of simple activities like reading. It also gives practical tips for how to incorporate reading into busy schedules, such as reading during meals or bath time, as well as tips on how to make the time together even more beneficial, such as interacting with the text through questions and games in order to engage children more and help build their vocabulary and understanding. A wonderful, wonderful text that I'm so pleased I was able to read. 

Stars: 4.5