Since the publication of the first edition in 1978, this book has become a standard work for all those interested in reading. The book is about the process of reading, the perceptual and language skills involved, and the nature of the task facing anyone learning to read. At the heart of Frank Smith's analysis is the seemingly simple truth that it is only through reading that children learn to read and, in this edition, the author introduces the notion of the 'literacy club' which children need to join if they are to become successful readers.