A companion to "The Reading Environment," this book is concerned with getting groups of children to talk openly and confidently about their readings of particular books. Using a generous selection of transcripts of classroom discussions, the book shows how children can be encouraged to share their enthusiasms and difficulties and the connections they have discovered within and beyond the text, and thereby arrive at understandings which none of them could have managed on their own. The book explains the processes and outlines the rules of the "Tell Me" approach and provides a framework for the children's talk session. Chapters in the book are: (1) Introduction; (2) "Tell Me" Beginnings; (3) The Three Sharings; (4) Four Kinds of Saying; (5) Are Children Critics?; (6) Children Being Critics; (7) Honourably Reportable; (8) Why "Tell Me"?; (9) Meaning...?; (10) How Do You Know That?; (11) Selecting the Text; (12) Reading the Text; (13) Highlighting; (14) The Framework of "Tell Me" Questions; (15) Scenes from "Tell Me" in Action; and (16) "Tell Me" Games. (RS)