Who Can We Count On?

The author discusses the announcement by Great Britain Education Secretary Michael Gove that British students from upper-elementary through high-school should read fifty books per year. The author expresses concern that while politicians in Great Britain and the U.S. have long advocated for more reading, they have often been unwilling to fund reading programs. While the author questions the wisdom of setting the quota at fifty books, he favors any program that encourages engaged reading.