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Raising Readers by Megan Daley: what it covers, and which edition to get
A practical book for parents and teachers on helping children love reading, from an award-winning Queensland teacher librarian. It was first published in 2019 and fully revised in 2025.
The Listening ShelfUpdated 3 October 20262 min read
This page once held an earlier review by a different writer. This is a new page: a plain guide to the book, written from the book itself and its publisher's record, not a personal verdict.
The short answer
Raising Readers (University of Queensland Press) is teacher librarian Megan Daley's guide to nurturing a child's love of books, at home and at school. The 2025 revised edition, with a foreword by children's author Sally Rippin, adds the science of reading, a chapter on inclusivity and representation, and updated reading lists. If you are buying new, get the revised edition.
What it covers
Daley distils twenty years in school libraries into a personable, practical guide: how to read aloud, how to build a reading culture at home, what to do with a reluctant reader, how to choose books, and how school libraries and teachers fit in. It includes first-hand contributions from well-known Australian children's authors and educators, and recommended reading lists.
The 2025 revision, according to UQP, adds the latest on the science of reading, a new chapter on inclusivity and representation, and new and updated reading lists.
Who wrote it
Megan Daley is a teacher librarian, early childhood educator, author and podcaster. She has been named ASLA Australian Teacher Librarian of the Year and Queensland Teacher Librarian of the Year, and received the national Dromkeen Librarian's Award. She co-hosts the Your Kid's Next Read podcast and is artistic director of Somerset Storyfest.
Who it is for
- Parents of babies to early teens, especially of a child who has gone off reading.
- Teachers, school librarians and childcare educators.
- Grandparents and anyone buying books for children who wants better ideas than the bestseller table.
How to hear or borrow it
Helena Plazzer reads the audiobook, about seven and a half hours; check which edition it is before you buy, since the 2025 revision is newer than the recording on Audible Australia. Brisbane City Council Libraries' Libby catalogue held an audio edition when we checked.
Common questions
Who wrote Raising Readers?
Megan Daley, an award-winning Australian teacher librarian and co-host of the Your Kid's Next Read podcast.
What is new in the revised edition of Raising Readers?
UQP's 2025 revision adds the science of reading, a chapter on inclusivity and representation, updated reading lists and a foreword by Sally Rippin.