"One of the most powerful educational tools available to students and teachers lies hidden in plain sight, in every classroom--conversation," writes Susan Engel. The conversational exchanges that happen naturally between parents and young children are full of questions that can lead to learning. Within the context of these casual exchanges, children ask about an impressively wide range of topics--human behavior, the natural world, the customs of their communities, the inner lives of people they love, and the mysteries of social protocol. Engel provides detailed examples of exchanges between both children and parents and children and teachers. She notes that informal, educational conversations are too uncommon in classrooms, and encourages teachers to recognize the enormous educational potential of such conversations and to include them in the school day.