Home Run Books and Reading Enjoyment

Joanne Ujiie and Stephen Krashen Knowledge Quest 31(1): 36-37, 2002

Trelease (2001) introduced the concept of a "home run" book, a reading experience that readers claim stimulated their initial interest in reading. The idea of a home run book comes from an observation made by Clifton Fadiman: "One's first book, kiss, home run, is always the best" (Trelease, 2001, p. 136). A large percentage of elementary school children report having had a home run book experience. Von Sprecken, Kim, and Krashen (2000) reported that 53% of the fourth graders they queried reported a home run experience and Kim and Krashen (2000) reported that 75% of the sixth graders in their sample had had a home run experience.

In this study we examine whether fourth and fifth graders who report having had a home run experience report enjoying reading. In other words, is one positive experience with a book enough to create a lasting reading habit? We also attempted to examine the kinds of books that caused home run experiences: Are early positive reading experiences the result of reading "quality" literature?

Subjects were 266 fourth and fifth grade students. All attended a school in which 74% were considered low income and received free or reduced price lunch. All were native speakers of English or considered fluent in English.

As part of a larger study, students were asked the following question on a written questionnaire, which was administered in class:

1.	Was there one book or experience that first interested you in reading?
	yes (title of the book or tell about the experience), no
2.	Which sentence best describes you?
	-I like to read. -I read only when I have nothing else to do. ("indifferent" in table 2 below) -I do not like to read.

To determine book quality, the following sources were consulted:

1.	A list of the 100 most frequently challenged books (American Library Association; www.ala.org/alaorg/oif/top100bannedbooks.html)
2.	Winners of the Newbury, Caldecott and Bluebonnet (Texas) Awards.