School Library Journal

 23 YA and Middle Grade Books to Honor Hispanic Heritage Group

September kicks of National Hispanic Heritage Month, which is a four week celebration of cultures, histories, and people of Spanish, Mexican, Carribean, and Central and South American descent.  This site list titles that explore the ways that Latinx young people navigate family, friendships, school, and public life in North American.  Some titles include:

North of Happy by Adi Alsaid

18 year old Carlos lives a sheltered life in Mexico City.  One day his older brother, Felix, visits and encourages Carlos to follow his dreams of becoming a chef.  Unexpectedly, Felix is shot by a stray bullet and his ghost continues to keep Carlos company.  Carlos must decide whether to move to the U.S. to follow his dreams.  This book is a story of how tragedy can cause us to question whats most important in life.  

Lucky Broken Girl by Ruth Behar

Ruthie's English skills finally got her into the "smart" 5th grade classroom and she is finally promoted to Hopscotch Queen.  Even though she is still struggling from her recent move from Cuba, she has a loving and supportive family.  Tragically a car accident leaves Ruthie in a body cast and she becomes scared, lonely, and angry.  She must spend the next year in bed which becomes a year of growing up, of hard times and good friends, and the new skills and determination of being herself in a new country.  

All the Wind in the World by Samantha Mabry

This book takes place at a "cursed" ranch called The Real Marvelous in Southwest Texas desert.  Sarah Crow and James Holt end up at the strange farm following a dust storm, and Sarah is involved in the death of a maguey foreman.  Therefore they are considered outlaws that must hide their identities and their relationship.  They use James skills at winning card games to help them climb out of poverty, but will they go too far?

Perspectives on Reading

 Finding a Good Book:  What a Real Readers Advisor Does

Readers advisor is a library term for someone who helps readers locate a book they would like to read based on the reader's preference.  It is important to understand that a readers preference is situational and comes with genre or topic biases.  

What Readers Like

In order to get to the heart of what readers enjoy to read, you must identify what appeals to them.  For example; do they like happy endings, a fast or slow paced book, or past or future settings.  Some readers only enjoy fiction or nonfiction.  Many readers enjoy audio, or e-books, while others prefer print.  To meet these diverse needs, RA's have developed techniques to use when interviewing a reader.

Direct Readers Advising Techniques

These techniques include face to face interactions.  This usually begins with asking the reader about a book they enjoyed or disliked and if they want a book that is similar or  not.  Finding out what a reader wants to read is different then conducting a reference interview.  In this type of interaction, the reader takes the lead.  What is similar, is that the librarian needs to know where to find the desired information once they are aware of what the reader is interested in.  These face to group interactions usually involve a presentation about a book to a group and involve organizing, sponsoring, and referring people to reading groups.  RA groups also include author visits where readers can meet favorite authors and learn what they look like and how they live.  

Indirect Readers Advising Techniques

These include websites, displays, and and lists.  Social tagging are also forms of indirect techniques.  Another form of an indirect technique is an online interaction instead of face to face.  This is various forms of social media such as wikis, blogs, and reader reviews.  

National Council of Teachers of English

 The NCTE is an organization that is dedicated to teaching and learning of English across all levels of education.  It's members apply the power of language and literacy to pursue justice and equity for all students and educators.  Their beliefs are aligned to:

Access: NCTE and its members with strengthen or create inclusiv hubs for state of the art practices, research, and resources, providing access for more diverse voices to create, collaborate, and lead, within and beyond the organization.

Power: NCTE and its members will actively engage families, community members, administrators, colleagues, and other stakeholders and continue to and critique policy at the local, state, and national levels.

Agency:  NCTE and its members will be leaders in nationally recognized instruction, research, and assessment practices that support diverse learners in their journeys to becoming critical thinkers, consumers, and creators who advocate for and actively contribute to a better world.

Affiliation: NCTE's member created communities will streghten cross-community connections, information sharing, and organizing to collaborate more powerfully.

Impact: Ultimately, NCTE and its members' efforts will deepen every student's consciousness of worth and widen possibilities for all students' access, power, agency, affiliation, and impact, across a lifetime.

We Need Diverse Books

 We Need Diverse Books strives to create a world where all children can see themselves in the pages of a book.  To help reach this goal, they have developed programs to celebrate diverse books, mentor diverse writers and illustrators, to support diverse publishers, and to provide books to classrooms nationwide.  

http://bit.ly/32GCoWV

 What children read shape their thoughts of themselves, others, and the world.  Therefore books need to include diversity.  Penn GSE expert on children's literature, Ebony Thomas, believes all kids need all stories about all kinds of people.  She was recently interviewed by Vulture.  She was asked how should the writer draw the line between referencing one's own race and still be relatively raceless. Ebony believes that you can't escape race, but we can do better representing each other humanely in our stories.  When asked how do fingerprints in children's literature influence children's thought process of race, she replied that right now we only have anecdotal evidence.  For example, the doll test.  Many Black children preferred a White doll over a Black doll.  This may be the same for books.  Many protagonists are white.  When asked what teachers can do to help children get away from the fatigue of the history of pain, Ebony responded that kids need a balance of stories.  Mainstream audiences should have alternatives.

Peck's Questions

 According to Richard Peck (1978) there are ten questions to ask when regarding a novel.

l. What would the story be like if the main character were of the opposite sex?

2. Why is the story set where it is? (Not where is the story set?)

3. If you were to film the story, would you use black and white or color and WHY?

4. If you could not use all of the characters, which would you eliminate and WHY?

5. How is the main character different from you?

6. Would this story make a good TV series? Why/not?

7. What one thing in the story has happened to you?

8. Reread the first paragraph of Chapter 1. What is in it to make you read on? If

nothing, why did you continue to read?

9. If you had to design a new cover for the book, what would it look like?

10. What does the title tell you about the book? Does it tell the truth?

Graphic Novels

 Like poetry, graphic novels are a form of literature.  Graphic novels can be fiction or nonfiction.  They are attracted by a wide span of all aged readers, ranging from elementary to adulthood.  Graphic novels can promote literacy because they provide motivation and they are great for teaching mood and theme.  They are also beneficial for students with special needs, such as dyslexic or EL students.  They also contain all elements of literature.

Fantasy/Science Fiction

 Science fiction is a subgenre of fantasy, however not all fantasy in science fiction.  There are important criteria to follow when evaluating fantasy and science fiction books.  First, characters must behave in consistent and believable ways.  Also, there must be rules of the fantasy world and the author must assist the readers in the willing suspense of disbelief.  Lastly, it is important to evaluate the theme.  The theme should explore universal truths.

Nonfiction

 Nonfiction literature can be compared to an umbrella for the reason there are many subgenres that fall under it.  They include narrative and expository, as well as biography, autobiography, and memoirs.  When evaluating nonfiction you should ask what qualifications does the author have, are the facts accurate, and the purpose of the text.  In addition, evaluate the organization of the book and how it helps the reader navigate through the book.  Finally, evaluate the role that the visuals play.

When a reader is reading nonfiction, there are a variety of questions or prompts you can ask the reader in order for them to apply critical thinking skills.  For example, have them tell about how the book would be different if it had been written fifty years earlier or later.  Another example is to have  the reader describe facts, theories, or incidences that they found interesting and explain why.

Historical Fiction

 Historical fiction is a type of literature that has taken place in the past.  Because students' sense of history can differ, historical fiction may be more of a challenge to read.  However, historical fiction allows the reader to live vicariously through the character’s experiences.  When evaluating historical fiction, you should think if the book tells a good story that effortlessly blends history.  It is also important to make sure the facts of the period are accurate.  Next, ask yourself if the values of the time are brought to life and if everything is consistent with the social milieu, such as clothing, architecture, or music.  Lastly, evaluate if the theme of the story relates to readers, or that it is universal in nature.

Realistic Fiction

 Realistic fiction is a believable story that takes place in contemporary or modern time.  It is consistent with the real world and has characters, a setting, and real events.  When evaluating realistic fiction, it is important to ask yourself if everything is consistent with the real world.  It is also important that the theme emerges naturally from the story.  Lastly, think about how the topic of the book relates to modern readers.  Is the topic something they can connect with?

Poetry

 Poetry is a form of literature that can take place in different genres.  Poetry tends to be neglected because people may have had bad experiences with it or may find it difficult.  Research shows that children favor narrative poetry, but dislike haiku and free verse.  Rhyme, rhythm, and sound devices were strong preferences.  Also, humorous and animal poems were found to be favorable, as well as poetry that allows the reader to create an image in their mind and to interact with the poem.  

There are six reasons to share poetry with children.  To begin, for enjoyment and because poetry provides knowledge of concepts.  Poetry also increases vocabulary.  Next it helps children to identify with people and situations, as well as understand their feelings and universal emotions.  When evaluating poetry, think about if the subject of the poem is something children will be familiar with.  Also, evaluate if the poem uses imagery and if it rhymes.  In addition, think about how the rhythm is used and what role the sound plays.  

Literary Elements

 allusion - is a reference to something else.  It’s when a writer mentions some other work, or refers to an earlier part of current work.

allegory - suggests a hidden meaning using metaphoric examples

archetype - a reference to a concept a person or an object that has served as a prototype of its kind and its original idea that has come to be used over and over again

deus ex machine - refers to the incidence where an implausible concept or character is brought into the story in order to make the conflict in the story resolve and to bring about a pleasing situation

hyperbole - the author uses specific words and phrases that exaggerate and overemphasize

imagery - the author uses words and phrases to create “mental images” for the reader

metaphor - when a comparison is drawn to show similarities and traits between two things

motif - any element, subject, idea, or concept that is constantly present through the entire body of language

point of view - the manner in which a story is narrated and who it is that tells the story

simile - draw comparisons between two unrelated things, people, beings, places, and concepts

symbolism - using an object or action that means something more than its literal meaning

Literary Elements:

antagonist - opposite of the main character, usually the villain of some kind

character - a person, animal, being, creature, or thing in a story

conflict - the problem the character faces

mood and tone - the “feel” of a piece of writing

plot - the sequence of events that make up a story

protagonist - the main character

setting - the time and place of the story

theme - the central idea, topic, or point; what the character learns through solving a problem

Awards

 As a librarian, it is important to be knowledgeable of awards that books receive.  The American Library Association is responsible for many awards.  Some awards include the Newbery Medal.  The Newbery Medal honors the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.  The Caldecott Medal honors the artist of a picture book.  The Batchelder Award is given to an American publisher for a children’s book considered to be the most outstanding of these books originally published in a language other than English in a country other than the U.S.  There are also awards in which children and educators have a hand in selecting the winner.  For example, the Children’s Choice Award and the Teacher’s Choice Award.  The Texas Library Association also provides awards.  An example is the Texas Bluebonnet Award where Texas students in grades 3-6 are encouraged to read a list of books and are able to vote for their favorite.

How Do Adolescents Develop?

 When discussing how adolescents develop, its first important to look at physical development.  This is puberty.  Adolescents ask if they are normal and question their physical bodies.  Its an uneasy time of change which is important to remember when dealing with adolescents.  There are many books that deal with this issue, and our job as educators is to look for books that will help to ensure them they will get through it.

Adolescents also develop intellectualy.  Piaget discusses how we transition between a sensory motor stage to a concrete stage to a more formal operational stage.  In the past it was said kids begin the transition from concrete to abstract around age ten.  That has since changed to fourteen.  This should drive the kinds of questions that we ask kids.  Scaffolding may be needed.  Also think about the books that will be offered.  It is important to think where the kids are in terms of intellectual development. 

Adolescents also develop how they look at their morals.  Kolberg's theory says kids operate as a preconventional moral development where they work off rewards and punishments.  Convential is where we follow the rules.  Post-conventional is where we recognize the laws, but the humanity of an individual may be more important.  For example, the Civil Rights era.  This information should be used when looking for books that are developmentally appropriate for the students.  

It is important to look at the needs for kids.  Maslow's Needs Hierarchy shows that each need from the bottom of the pyramid needs to be met before reaching the needs at the top.  For example, we must take care of kids physiological and safety needs before we are able to meeet self actualization needs.  After safety needs, we must take care of the love and belonging needs, then the self esteem needs.  

When developing as readers, we may look at reading for unconscience delight or reading autobiographically.  Our classrooms or library should reflect diversity to meet the needs of all developing readers.  

What is YA Literature?

 YA literature includes a young and highly independent protagonist which uses a point of view of a young adolescent's interpretation of events.  It involves a gradual, yet big change in the protagonist's life.  YA literature deals with contempary issues and has a main character that faces consequences of life choices.  The book draws upon how everyday adolescents develop.

Genres and Formats

 With the trending of genrefying libraries, the term genre can be used loosely.  Some genres are not being correctly used as genres, they may be subgenres or formats.  When identifying genres, you have fiction and nonfiction, everything else is a sub-genre.  

The fiction side can be branched off into realism and fantasy.  Under realism, you will find realistic and historical.  Under fantasy, you will find modern and traditional.  Traditional can breakdown into smaller parts such as folktale, ballard, myth, fairytales, and legends. The modern side of fantasy can break down into hard and soft science fiction and high and low fantasy.  

Nonfiction breaks down into informational, which can break down into biography, autobiography, and memoir.  Informational can also break down into narrative nonfiction and expository nonfiction.  

Other popular categories, that libraries may be organized by may include chick lit, sports fiction, adventure, horror, mystery, war, and dystopia.  These are not genres, they are subjects, or categories.  

Formats include poetry, drama, short stories, novels, chapter books, picture books, and graphic novels.  Many times you will find these incorrectly labeled as a genre in a library.  However, it is a format and kids should know this.  For example, Meet the Dullards is a low fantasy book in a picture book format.  

It is important to categorize a library with a girl and a boy section.  Boys should be comfortable checking out a book that  a girl may like and vice versa.  Genrefying a library sets students up to browse.  However, it relies on the librarian and the students thinking the same way when categorizing the books.  It is defintely a preference and something to think about.

Anatomy of a Book

 Every book is unique, however they should follow a structural pattern.  A book is is typically divided into three parts: the front matter, the body matter, and the end matter.  

The front matter includes the book cover.  This includes the title page, the author, and the publisher.  The copyright/verso page is also included in the front matter.  This includes the date of publication, the publisher, and copyright information.  This part of a book may include a dedication, acknowledgements, table of contents, foreward, testimonials, or a preface which can be optional.  

The second part of a book is the body matter.  This is the content of the book.  It includes the parts, chapters, and body copy.  Some elements of the body may include an introduction, prologue, epigraph, half-title page, the main text, and/or an epilogue.

The last part of a book is the end matter.  In this part of a book the reader may find an appendix, a glossary, bibliography, index, colophon, the back cover, and the spine.  

Divisions of Young People's Reading

 Children's literature includes ages 0-8.  This may include picture books, wordless books, easy readers, illustrated chapter books, and early chapter books.  Middle grade literature includes ages 8-12.  Then we get into middle school which is ages 11-13.  Many times middle grade and middle school is confused.  Middle school books typically deal with tougher issues and romance.  You want to be careful giving a middle grade student a middle school book.  Young adult is ages 13-18 years old.  It is important to look at the topic and the language of the book.  

Why Do We Share Literature With Children?

 First, we share literature with children because it is FUN.  Reading for enjoyment is critical for children.  They should be provided time to read so that they can experience other worlds and use their imaginations.  Creating a lifelong reader is begins with a love for reading.  We also share literature with children because it aids in the aquisition of language and language development.  Just by reading twenty minutes everyday, students will be exposed to 1,800,00 words per year and will result in scoring in the 90th percentile on standardized tests.  By reading books, children alse develop empathy.  Stories can educate feelings and offer children a lesson in human behavior.  Sharing literature with children supports lifelong readers, develops the imagination, and transmits culture.