On Being Literate

May 21, 2025 2:47 AM

Author:Margaret Meek (Diston Spencer)

On Being Literate

Literacy is at the heart of all social concerns. Not only in childhood, in education, in Britain, but everywhere in the modern world of signs, print and information, literacy is linked to changes, especially in all forms of communication.

So what are children to learn about reading and writing? What counts as literacy now, and what will it be like in the lives of those who leave school in the next century?

In this book Margaret Meek shows how young learners become strong, confident readers if they discover early what reading and writing are good for, as powerful ways of learning and 'being in the know.' Literacy will change, but it is still the entitlement of everyone.

Reviews

A masterly piece of storytelling

—— Jan Mark , Carousel

Not for the faint-hearted, opening with a sickening scene of incest forcing a 16-year-old boy to leave home and gathering momentum with gritty, though never gratuitous, scenes of painful childbirth, pigeon neck-ringing and exploding pheasants. But it works

—— Eileen Armstrong , The School Librarian

Exceptional and so heartbreakingly real

—— Booklist

Paulsen's coming-of-age memoir is nearly Steinbeckian in its unadorned but effective prose, and the events of the author's young life have a universality that will draw in readers heading for their own rites of passage

—— Bulletin

Is a challenging story of friendship set against difficult and topical subject matter

—— The Sunday Times

This is a brave and successful attempt to help readers understand a complex, topical situation in our real world

—— The Bookseller

Thought-provoking book with sensitivity, wit and warmth . . . Its admirable message comes wrapped in a fast-paced and exciting adventure story populated with well-rounded characters

—— Irish Times

'Thought-provoking ... strong second novel'

—— Bert Wright , Business Post

'A poignant, delicately composed novel that doesn't stint on the wreckage of violence.'

—— Irish Daily Mail

McKeon ... is a writer to watch. He conveys how people who cause harm can sometimes be victims, in their own way, and that takes skill. If you enjoy Colum Mcann's work, this novel is for you.'

—— Martina Devlin , Irish Independent

'... beautifully written, placed in those grey shadows between right and wrong and profound, terrible loss.'

—— Anne Cunningham , Sunday Independent

A beautifully crafted story about the legacy of trauma

—— Sarah Gilmartin , The Irish Times

A supreme storyteller

—— Robert Collins , The Sunday Times Ireland

Previous Article：Early Learning: 123 Next Article：My Favourite Bedtime Rhymes

Comments

Welcome to zzdbook comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.