Book excerpt: In a time of pressures, challenges, and threats to public education, teacher preparation, and funding for educational research, the fifth volume of the Handbook of Reading Research takes a hard look at why we undertake reading research, how school structures, contexts and policies shape students’ learning, and, most importantly, how we can realize greater impact from the research conducted. A comprehensive volume, with a "gaps and game changers" frame, this handbook not only synthesizes current reading research literature, but also informs promising directions for research, pushing readers to address problems and challenges in research design or method. Bringing the field authoritatively and comprehensively up-to-date since the publication of the Handbook of Reading Research, Volume IV, this volume presents multiple perspectives that will facilitate new research development, tackling topics including: Diverse student populations and sociocultural perspectives on reading development Digital innovation, literacies, and platforms Conceptions of teachers, reading, readers, and texts, and the role of affect, cognition, and social-emotional learning in the reading process New methods for researching reading instruction, with attention to equity, inclusion, and education policies Language development and reading comprehension Instructional practices to promote reading development and comprehension for diverse groups of readers Each volume of this handbook has come to define the field for the period of time it covers, and this volume is no exception, providing a definitive compilation of current reading research. This is a must-have resource for all students, teachers, reading specialists, and researchers focused on and interested in reading and literacy research, and improving both instruction and programs to cultivate strong readers and teachers.