This is a really fun and clever little book for people who hate books and reading! YES - they exist!
Cleverly introducing itself with the idea of being full of tricks to avoid reading and information for fellow book-haters and reluctant readers, it needs to be read to be appreciated (the irony, eh?).
Bright, bold and colourful, it plays with language, letters and text layout as the reader (whether reluctant or not!) is engaged and drawn to read on, to turn the page and to find out more, having lots of fun along the way.
A brilliantly novel idea, and very cleverly and attractively presented, it deserves a spot on the shelves of readers who disagree with the title as much as those who buy it in sympathy with the title's proclamation. You never know - they find themselves subtly surprised that they change their opinion of reading after reading this!
Everybody needs to start somewhere, and if this clever little book is the trick that catches a reluctant reader and draws them in, making them feel they have successfully completed a book and maybe even enjoyed it, then that is to be loudly applauded in my opinion!
Another lovely, colourful and quality hardback from Pushkin Press (https://pushkinpress.com/books/i-hate-reading/ and @PushkinPress) by author (and mum of two kids who'd rather not read, apparently!) Beth Bacon (https://bethbaconauthor.com/ and @EbooksAndKids ).
Thank you to Poppy at Pushkin Press for the review copy of this title.
Review by Rich Simpson (@richreadalot on Twitter and Instagram) November 2020