Reading is primarily a solitary joy, but this book reminds us that it can also be pleasurably shared. The most common sharing is a parent reading aloud to a child, a deeply meaningful ritual for both partners, but there are many other ways in which books are mutually enjoyed--children reading to their parents or to each other, or people looking at a book together. This volume explores these and other forms of this wonderful activity. The Blue Lantern Studio has a very large library of antique children's books, and this book is the first of a series in which an aspect of life is explored through a compilation of images and words from their collection. The words in Sharing the Pleasures of Reading are either reminiscences of those who were read to, or reflections on shared reading.