5★ for the August 2017 edition of this book.
Gorgeously illustrated story of Harry who hates to read so much that it makes him feel sick and scared to go to school because kids will make fun of him. Not only that, he can't read to his little sister.

The writing in this book IS hard to read, because some of the letters are different sizes and thicknesses and the spacing is all over the place, and well, you get the idea. We're getting a little taste of what reading is like for Harry!

[ My Goodreads review shows an illustration here. ]
"Sometimes the words make me feel all dizzy."

His mother talks to his teacher who talks to the special needs guy who talks to the psychologist and they put all their thoughts together and the result?

"Harry is a very clever boy with a dyslexic profile."

And they explain a bit and tell Harry that Richard Branson and Jamie Oliver and a lot of other famous people are like him. Their brains get the words and letters jumbled up, too.

[ My Goodreads review shows an illustration here. ]
"Sometimes the words look so little I can hardly see them."

Harry decides to use the tips he's learned and tries harder so that now he loves reading to his little sister!

The artwork and inventive lettering will help parents and others get an idea of what it might feel like to have letters jumping around, which is a problem I've heard described by readers.

There is a good illustration of how a transparent green overlay helps Harry too, which calms the print down for him. I know of this working for some kids - and/or coloured glasses (not necessarily green).

Memory is also tricky. I know of one man who had such trouble that he couldn't remember the letters at the beginning of a long word, so coping with a whole sentence was pretty rugged - but he persisted as an adult learner!

Every brain is different, every kid is different. But everyone deserves a chance to enjoy reading!

Thanks to NetGalley and Jessica Kingsley Publishers and the very talented Lisabeth Emlyn Clark for a preview copy. Just delightful!

Judging by the illustrations, I think this must be a newer version of the 2006 edition with the same name. The resources she's recommended on the publisher's page are more recent than that. This edition is due out in August 2017, but I'm reviewing now so teachers and librarians might keep an eye out for the new one.

I Don't Like Reading was very well done. Written from the point of view of a boy in the intended age-range, it talks about why he doesn't like reading. It's accessible and easy to relate too. I can only imagine how many kids out there 'don't like reading' for exactly the reasons mentioned in this book.

The author does the wording in such a way that you really do get a glimpse of what it feels like to be dyslexic. The first page this happened on, I ended up re-reading it because I didn't really understand what I was seeing. The second time, it was clear what she was doing. It is a shock to the system, and makes you feel bad for people who do suffer from dyslexia. The illustrations of the little boy are simple and well done. The primary draw is the words on the page, just as it should be.

I like that she also took a moment in I Don't Like Reading to emphasize that people can be successful even though they have dyslexia. Steve Jobs is an excellent example. I kind of wish she had spent a little bit more time on that, but considering this book is aimed at younger readers, it's understandable.

Overall, I think I Don't Like Reading was very well done. I'm happy she gives positive reinforcement to those suffering from dyslexia to let them know that there is help out there. And also that people want to help them, and won't make fun of them or anything like that.

Thanks to Netgalley and respective publishers.

Highly recommended to all the Mom's.
I was emotional and nostalgic while reading.
Beside, I didn't had dyslexia, but studies was tough for me till teenage.
A perfect book for kids, not only for who possess dyslexia but for all.

Enchanting book, defines how to cope with the extremities in childhood while reading and understanding them.
I loved it.

Harry is a normal boy with a little sister who adores him. She always wants him to read to her but he won't. He proclaims "I don't like reading". Harry talks about the problems he has when he tries to read and how he feels. When his mom talks to his teacher, they start to work with him. With support he develops some skills. When he gets tested, they find out he has dyslexia. With special tools, Harry is able to work hard and enjoy reading. There is progress with great supports in place. This is a good book to read to students who are learning to read and to those who are struggling. It shows that there are things that can help. The illustrations are simple yet show the emotions Harry is going through in the story. The only problem is that we do not want parents all claiming that their children have dyslexia and wanting to have testing done, when that is not the case. A good story for primary and junior classes.

I Don't Like Reading is a short and sweet introduction to dyslexia. The graphics are colorful, which should grab kids' attention and there are some nice tips like using rulers and colored paper for focus although more tips would have been much appreciated. It is a little too simplistic for readers in 4th or 5th grades, not even my 1st grader was that enthralled, but for younger readers this might hit the spot.

Review: This is a great book for children that suffer from dyslexia or for getting others to understand what it is like for people with dyslexia.

I really liked the use of images they explained exactly what the meaning of the words wanted to relay. Lissy Clark also used the words themselves to put across meaning and not only by what they said. She had them all over the page, small, big and colours over the time. These examples gives clear examples of what some people suffer when they have dyslexia.


I suffer from dyslexia myself and only started to receive help as an adult. There are many people out there that also suffer and have gone on to do great things. This is a great book to help children.

I was drawn to this book solely because of the title. It could have been written about my five year old grandson, who loves to be read to but doesn't like it when we ask him if he'd like to do some reading. Imagine not only my joy but my grandsons too when some of the things uncovered in the book turned a light on in his head. From asking for help to green acetate paper. It's refreshing to know that he is not the only person out there that panics at the thought of being asked to read in school and the issues that causes. I'd highly recommend this book as Lisabeth Clarke points you in the correct direction if you think you child or even grandchild has difficulties.

This is a cute book to help explain to your children what dyslexia is!

This book gives a clear explanation of what it is like for a dyslexic reader. I think many pre-service elementary teachers, if not all, should read this book.

Harry likes a lot of things like playing with his best friend Tom, climbing trees, and drawing, but Harry does not like reading. The words can make him feel dizzy or look too big or too small. Reading is really frustrating for Harry, and sometimes he gets really nervous when he thinks about reading at school.

One night, Harry finally tells mom how he feels, and after talking it over with his teacher, Harry works with a few extra adults at school like the special needs coordinator and an educational psychologist. With the team, his mom's help, and his own willingness to try, Harry realizes that he can read. It just might be a little harder for him.

I Don't Like Reading depicts the frustration many kids at school face with reading. Harry is illustrated in a way that leaves his age a bit ambiguous so readers of many ages up through upper elementary will see themselves in Harry's struggles. As Harry goes through the educational testing process, he meets with a special needs coordinator and an educational psychologist which mirrors what children go through when being tested for extra services in school. I Don't like Reading does an excellent job of identifying student frustrations and preparing them for the process they may go through if their parents choose to pursue special education services for extra help.

I would definitely use this book with children who have been diagnosed with Dyslexia, particularly younger children (primary age). I would also be likely to use it with the mainstream class to help them to understand what their peers with Dyslexia might be going through. I think this book would reassure my learners.

This is a helpful book for young students to realize that if they cannot read, it's not the end of the world. Ask for help, get help, become successful! The ideas of working with school staff, finding different fonts/types of texts, and different colored papers are all good interventions for a struggling reader who may have dyslexia. The message that "everything will be okay" is a good one.

I think a lot of kids with dyslexia will identify with the main character’s feelings and struggles. It was well written and the illustrations were nice also.

This simple picture book shows children what it is like to have dyslexia and some of the ways to help people with dyslexia to read.