Blank Space

When teacher Miss Gonzalez asks her class to write about their favorite part of any book, one student answers honestly: the blank space! This story, written in concrete poetry, conveys the experience of many striving readers. The elegant design, lyrical language, and abundant blank space offer striving readers lots of time to co-create the story. Blank Space by Beth Bacon is a simple yet powerful exploration of the act of reading. Where exactly does reading happen? It must happen somewhere between the words on the page and the reader’s heart and mind. The themes in this easy-to-read story can aid teachers, reading specialists, and librarians and spark discussions on reading strategies. Children who are reluctant to read will see themselves in this hi-lo book for intermediate readers. Like Beth Bacon’s other books, I Hate Reading, The Book No One Wants To Read, and The Worst Book Ever, this book validates the experience of today’s striving readers.