Schools and teachers act to a limited degree in "loco parentis", thus assuming the role of parents, especially in the health and safety of minors in attendance at public school, but also in setting educational standards. Public schools have been delegated this role and implement policies, programs, and procedures that sometimes, unintentionally, do not support the freedom to read or to make free choices regarding reading, and may contribute to students becoming non-readers. All of these actions are done in the name of building readers who will be able to recall, retell, and comprehend, and, in the end, pass the mandated tests. Nowhere in this process is the joy of reading the overarching theme, although this joy is always a hoped-for byproduct. While it is true reading must be taught and reading leveled books helps students be more successful, the lockstep approach requiring that students have access only to books they can read results in their viewing reading as just another chore. To promote and/or preserve the innate, personal joy of reading, the author stresses that children should have the freedom of access all day to a wide variety of books. They ought to be able to self-select, self-check out, and then have in their possession the tangible expression of beautiful words and/or pictures they can read on their own or with adults.