How to Read Literature Like a Professor: For Kids

The go-to bestselling guide to help young people navigate from a middle school book report to English Comp 101

In How to Read Literature Like a Professor: For Kids, New York Times bestselling author and professor Thomas C. Foster gives tweens the tools they need to become thoughtful readers.

With funny insights and a conversational style, he explains the way writers use symbol, metaphor, characterization, setting, plot, and other key techniques to make a story come to life.

From that very first middle school book report to that first college course, kids need to be able to understand the layers of meaning in literature. Foster makes learning this important skill fun and exciting by using examples from How the Grinch Stole Christmas to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, from short stories and poems to movie scripts.

This go-to guide unlocks all the hidden secrets to reading, making it entertaining and satisfying.

This fun and accessible guide teaches young readers how to spot the clues great writers leave behind:

Key Literary Devices: Learn the secrets behind quests, symbols, and even vampires, using examples from The Lord of the Rings to Twilight. Connecting to the Classics: Discover how modern stories, from Harry Potter to your favorite movies, borrow ideas from Shakespeare, Greek myths, and the Bible. Reading Between the Lines: Uncover the hidden meanings in weather, geography, and even a character’s illness to see how writers build a deeper story. Developing Critical Thinking: Move beyond the basic book report with professor-level insights that make reading more rewarding—and way more fun.