Book excerpt: Missing the Meaning investigates recent evidence that school text materials are more problematic than previously imagined. Difficulties with language, illustrations, design and cultural mismatch are highlighted, and ways in which young students 'read' books and electronic materials in classrooms are compared through contributions from researchers across five continents. The book suggests new ways to develop and use text so that the materials are better matched to the diverse needs of teachers and students. The implications of this collection are wide, applying not only to teachers, but to teacher educators, educational publishers, software developers and policy makers.