Based on research that shows that parents play a vital role in raising a reader, Books as Bridges offers an effective and efficient way to use touchstone texts, including children's picture books, to help create a common reading experience for the class that can be extended to the home. This practical book introduces four guiding principles--predictable structures, non­fiction, comprehension, and imagination and language play--describing each principle in terms of a series of strategies, which are highlighted by their use with specific touchstone books, and supported by lists of related books to consider.