A personal reflection on how a slim book of letters offers warmth, focus, and meaning on days when time is short and life ...

“We do one book after state testing, and we did ‘The Great Gatsby.’ … A lot of kids had not read a novel in class before.” — Laura Henry, 10th-grade English teacher near Houston “My son in 9th grade ...

Ten works of fiction and nonfiction that stood out among those our reviewers read this year, selected by the Journal’s books editors.

Re “Students Are Getting a Reader’s Digest of Books” (front page, Dec. 15): Kudos for calling attention to a troubling trend. Acknowledging the problem is the first step toward addressing it. The ...

This is an edition of The Wonder Reader, a newsletter in which our editors recommend a set of stories to spark your curiosity and fill you with delight. Sign up here to get it every Saturday morning.

As 2026 unfolds, the literary world is already alive with fresh ideas, powerful narratives, and voices that demand attention.