Improving my music reading skills?

[djones]

I've had Piano lessons from my 9th till somewhere 15th.
But I never paid attention really to the music reading part.
So my music reading is pretty basic.

I do read the notes and stuff , but what length, rhythm and most other things I really don't have much of a clue about.
And lately I'm trying to pick up my Piano playing a bit.
But I'm strugglin so hard with the reading, that I just simply give up if I bump into something I don't understand.

The problem really is, is that my playing skills are quite a bit better than my reading skills, but I just don't get ahead.
So what I'm looking for is basically a good book about music reading, but it has to be more than just a boring book.
Are there any fun, but no childish books around?

[jancivil]

Bela Bartok: MIKROKOSMOS

[PaulSC]

If reading rhythms specifically is an obstacle, I recommend Anne C. Hall's Studying Rhythm. Not cheap, but perhaps you can borrow from a library or purchase it used for less. Not important to have the latest edition. The exercises are well conceived and logically sequenced; takes some discipline to work through them productively.

But yeah, if you're able to dive right into Mikrokosmos, go for it!

[psenior]

Bela Bartok: MIKROKOSMOS

I don't think this suggestion is realistic unless working closely with a piano teacher on it. At least, that's what my old piano teacher told me.

I am a terrible note reader myself, so I don't have any good recommendations for you. If I seriously wanted to learn how to read, I'd probably start with Carol Kaye's teaching materials. She says it's much harder to read the rhythms correctly than the notes. She has her own forum and is available to answer any questions you might have personally.

[sebastiancaldero]

Lisent to the music and while studying the score.