Book excerpt: The Reading for Real Handbook was very well received by both teachers and literacy specialists when it was published in 1992. Since its first publication there have been significant changes in the field of 'reading', not least of which has been governmental demands for higher standards in reading and the resultant National Literacy Strategy (NLS). As well as providing invaluable help for teachers struggling with the National Literacy Strategy and the Literacy Hour, several other new topics of interest are also addressed, including teaching fiction/non-fiction inside and outside the Literacy Hour, integrating reading, writing and spelling work, involving parents, assessment and working with slower readers.