Townsend Press is best known as a publisher of reading and vocabulary skills books. In addition to continuing revision of those books, TP has started the Townsend Library, a collection of high-interest paperbacks sold at the nonprofit price of just $1 each. Today the library consists of almost 70 titles, including the popular Bluford Series, and more are coming.

Why publish nonprofit paperbacks? After 30 years of teaching reading and writing skills, I am convinced that the act of reading itself is the surest way students can develop their language skills—and achieve academic and career success. The challenge, however, is that many students don’t read enough.

Many of my students come to a college skills class without having read a single book from cover to cover in their lives. While a developmental reading class does give them a lot of practice, the reality is that they need to do even more reading—preferably not just a skills textbook, but the kind of everyday books that people read for pleasure. Look at what the research tells us, much of it summarized in Stephen Krashen’s excellent The Power of Reading: Insights from the Research: “Those who do not develop the regular reading habit…will have a very difficult time reading and writing at a level high enough to deal with the demands of today’s world.”

The best way to encourage more reading is to provide compelling human stories that will appeal to readers of all ages. That is what the affordable Townsend Library tries to do. Research shows that the more access students have to appealing paperback books, the more they read. I would urge instructors to ask their students to read one or more paperbacks in addition to other course work. Doing so may enable students to discover the priceless experience of reading for pleasure.

Please note that if your students are using a TP TEN STEPS reading skills book in class, they are entitled to a free Townsend Library paperback. For starters, I recommend Making the Most of Your Life! or  Reading Changed My Life! or Letters My Mother Never Read .  To encourage more reading, TP sponsors reading scholarship contests for developmental college students. To learn how your college can participate in such a contest, click here.  

Today, TP’s mission remains twofold. We will continue to create high-quality, reasonably-priced materials that help students learn the language skills they need to achieve. In addition, we will continue to expand the affordable Townsend Library.

Thank you for your time! I encourage you to explore our website, including the many free offers for educators and students. And click here if you wish to see summarized my strong beliefs about students and reading.

John Langan