“Parents and grandparents shouldn’t miss The Enchanted Hour.” — James Patterson, international bestselling author

A Wall Street Journal writer’s conversation-changing look at how reading aloud makes adults and children smarter, happier, healthier, more successful and more closely attached, even as technology pulls in the other direction.

A miraculous alchemy occurs when one person reads to another, transforming the simple stuff of a book, a voice, and a bit of time into complex and powerful fuel for the heart, brain, and imagination. Grounded in the latest neuroscience and behavioral research, and drawing widely from literature, The Enchanted Hour explains the dazzling cognitive and social-emotional benefits of reading aloud that await children, whatever their class, nationality or family background. But it’s not just about bedtime stories for little kids: Reading aloud consoles, uplifts and invigorates at every age, deepening the intellectual lives and emotional well-being of teenagers and adults, too.

Meghan Cox Gurdon argues that this ancient practice is a fast-working antidote to screen time and the fractured attention spans, atomized families and unfulfilling ephemera of the tech era, helping to replenish what our devices are leaching away. For everyone, reading aloud engages the mind in complex narratives; for children, it’s an irreplaceable gift that builds literacy skills, fosters imagination, and kindles a lifelong appreciation of language, stories and pictures.

Bringing together the latest scientific research on child development, practical tips, and reading recommendations, The Enchanted Hour will both charm and galvanize, inspiring readers to share this invaluable, life-altering tradition with the people they love most.

Discover the research, recommendations, and transformative power of reading aloud:

• Strengthen Parent-Child Relationships: Explore how the simple act of reading together releases a “bouquet of neurochemicals” that strengthens emotional bonds and fosters a sense of security at any age.
• Optimal Brain Development: Grounded in the latest fMRI studies, learn how sharing picture books stimulates deep brain networks in young children, creating the “just right” conditions for cognitive growth that screens can’t replicate.
• A Rich Vocabulary: Uncover how reading aloud exposes listeners to millions of words they might not otherwise hear, building the linguistic keys they need to unlock the world and gain a cognitive advantage.
• Reading Recommendations for Every Age: Move beyond bedtime stories with practical tips and curated book lists designed to console, uplift, and invigorate listeners from the nursery to the nursing home.

Imagine an elixir so strong that a daily dose would make your family smarter, happier, healthier, more successful, and more closely attached. Now imagine that you could have it without spending a dime.

It all starts with a book, a voice, and a place to sit . . .

From a beloved Wall Street Journal columnist comes a book that will transform your understanding of reading aloud. Grounded in the latest brain science and behavioral research, and drawing widely from life and literature, The Enchanted Hour reveals the stunning advantages that await people of every age and background when they partake of this ancient practice.

Meghan Cox Gurdon shows how reading out loud is a fast-working antidote to the fractured attention spans, atomized families, and unfulfilling distractions of the tech era. From a thrilling look at what happens in a toddler’s brain when a grown-up reads a story, to the way shared books are keeping far-flung military families connected; from the imaginative transport of classic novels, to the rejuvenating late-life consolations of poetry and prose: the evidence is clear and the benefits are irrefutable.

Taking us into hospitals, homes, bookstores, and schools, Gurdon blends cutting-edge science with funny, touching stories of real families—including her own—in a compelling testament to the power of what Charles Dickens called the “spoken syllable.”

Lively and authoritative, with practical tips and reading recommendations, The Enchanted Hour will inspire readers to share this invaluable, life-altering tradition with the people they love most—and perhaps rediscover an enchanted slice of their own childhoods in the process.

“In her heartfelt first book, Gurdon makes an earnest... case for reading aloud.... An inspiring argument for sharing the joys of reading.”