The Rights of the Reader

"Joyful ode to reading...quirky, playful sketches to complement the author's engaging prose. Passionate and witty." — Booklist

First published in 1992, Daniel Pennac's quirky ode to reading has sold more than a million copies in his native France. Drawing on his experiences as a child, a parent, and an inner-city teacher in Paris, the author reflects on the power of story and reminds us of our right to read anything, anywhere, anytime, so long as we are enjoying ourselves. In this translation with a foreword and illustrations by Quentin Blake, here is a guide to reading unlike any other: fresh, sympathetic, and never didactic, it is a work of literature in its own right.Pennac writes about reading in a way that makes you want to go forth and do so post haste, and his ten ‘Rights of the Reader’…should be posted on classroom and bathroom...walls everywhere.
—The Horn Book (starred review)Daniel Pennac, the author of Eye of the Wolf and Dog, is one of the most translated authors in France, with books for both adults and children appearing in more than thirty languages. He lives in Paris.

Sarah Adams is the award-winning translator of Daniel Pennac's Eye of the Wolf.

Quentin Blake has illustrated some three hundred books, including On Angel Wings by Michael Morpurgo, Michael Rosen's Sad Book, and many titles by Roald Dahl. He lives in London.