In Forged by Reading, Beers and Probst reflect on the role of reading in a democratic society. It is a book that helps us to understand why creating independent readers and writers is critical to the health of our world. Beers and Probst argue that reading and writing are the tools of literacy. This is critical because the history of literacy has largely been about the suppression of that power and privilege. Written in 2020 against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, the death of George Floyd and the ensuing emergence of the anti-racism protests, this is a book about literacy and the opportunity for change it offers to our society. This book examines the inequalities of our world through the lens of literacy. Rachel Clarke, Independent Reading Consultant