Book excerpt: The importance of being able to read for meaning should never be underestimated. The ability to decode text is not enough. It is vital that children understand what they are reading. More importantly, it is fundamental that they enjoy what they are reading, so that they grow up to become lifelong readers. The passages in the Brilliant Activities for Reading Comprehension series are designed to do just that. They provide children with a variety of engaging, enjoyable texts that will grab their attention, and indeed their teacher's attention as well. The types of comprehension passages range from newspaper articles and dialogues, to plays, stories and poems. They gradually increase in difficulty as you progress though the book, and through the series, encouraging children to develop their ability to read for meaning and use a range of strategies to engage with the text. Tasks range from simple factual recall and vocabulary work to more open -ended questions enabling the reader to provide a more personal response. The cross-curricular activities provide a wealth of ideas for extending the passages further and are ideal for fast-finishers.