Textbook Reflections
LSSL 5385
Chapter 1: Why do we share Literature with kids?
There are several reasons why we share literature with kids.
Some of those reasons are because literature supports and promotes lifelong
readers, allows kids to develop empathy and imagination, it aids in the
acquisition of language development, it supports aesthetic experiences and it
is simply just for fun. During the process kids are learning about new
cultures, they are questioning and understanding new things about life, and are
able to make connections to characters based on their own experiences. Through
the sharing of literature, language development becomes a natural process
rather than a drill and kids who read 20 minutes daily acquire more vocabulary
than kids who do not. Reading can also help children to find answers to
questions that involve philosophical or spiritual curiosity about growing up,
major life changes, and answers the what would happen if questions.
Reflection:
While I already knew some of the benefits of
sharing literature from a teacher’s perspective, I was able to learn some new
benefits from this chapter. For me reading has always been fun and I agree that
it is probably one of the number one reasons for sharing literature, but now I
also have data to help prove the many other benefits of reading. After reading
this chapter, I decided that I needed to share the benefits with my students’
parents during our conferences to promote reading and attain support. I see the
way I read and the reason I choose my books for class reading being affected
because of how I want to promote it to my students.
Ch. 2 Division of Young People’s Literature
Young people’s Literature is divided into the following
categories:
- Children’s Literature which covers children of ages 0-8 years old using wordless picture books, regular picture books, easy readers, illustrated chapter books, early chapter books, and early novels.
- Middle Grades/Tween Literature which covers children of ages 8-12 years old is often confused with middle school that range from sixth to eight grade, ages 11 to 13 years old. Middle school books involves tougher issues like abusive parents, crushes/relationships, and LGBT characters that aren’t developmentally appropriate for Middle Grade/Tween Readers.
- Young Adult Literature which covers children of ages 13 to 18 years old involves topics of romance, sexual intercourse, and uses language that may not be appropriate for middle schools. These are books that should crossover to middle schools but should do so with a lot of caution because of the topics intended for mature audiences.
- New Adult Literature which covers ages 18 to 30 is a new division on literature intended for those recent graduates who are embarking on adult life. It was started in 2009, with the majority of Young Adult Literature being purchased by adults, to focus on “cutting edge” fiction.
Reflection: As a kid growing up I didn’t put much into
knowing or determining which category the books I enjoyed reading fell into. I
liked what I liked and that was all. I did however enjoy learning about how the
progression of topics from children’s literature matures into new adult
literature for the ages that they are intended for. I also know from visiting
book fairs, school libraries, and other public libraries that unfortunately it
is not always cut and dry as to which book(s) would be better suited for which
age range and how kids sometimes are more advanced in areas that lower level
books may not appeal to them based on their upbringing, society, and family.
Ch. 3 Genres and Formats
Genres and Formats might not be what you think with people
referring to genres when they are subgenres. Genres are focused on Fiction and
Nonfiction and are broken into categories for more specificity such as realism
and fantasy.
Realism:
·
Realistic Modern Contemporary
·
Historical
Fantasy
·
Modern focuses on:
-Hard Science Fiction: science is the main
part of the story
-Soft Science Fiction: science is involved
but character is
-High Fantasy: worlds have been created,
languages have been created
-Low Fantasy: takes place in a world we can
recognize, but still has some of the elements including fairies, warlocks, etc
·
Traditional: folktale, fairytale, fables, ballads,
myths, and legends
Nonfiction uses informational that can be broken down into subgenres
like biography, autobiography, expository nonfiction, and narrative nonfiction.
Subjects and categories are often confused with genres and use wide range of
formats like graphic novels, chicklit, humor, sports fiction, war classics, and
etc. These are also formats that include poetry, drama, short stories, etc.
Reflection:
It took a lot for me to realize I have been teaching incorrectly
all these years and that I also learned incorrectly. I’m glad this chapter
pointed out the difference between the genres, sub genres and categories that
different books can fall under. As a librarian I can now know that I will be
sure to teach the difference among them to students in the library.
Ch. 4 What is YA Literature?
YA Literature is a list of many elements according to Mertz
and England (1983). It is literature that has a young protagonist who is highly
independent, that will face consequences based on the decisions that are made
in the story and will significantly impact the character’s life in some way.
The main character is important to the storyline and shows gradual and
incremental change as well as incomplete growth in the main character and
includes a brief time period with a limited setting and few, fully developed
characters. YA Literature mirrors the concern that adolescents face in today’s
world.
Reflection:
YA Literature is a favorite of mine because like
the video says it applies to some individuals into adulthood. When I read YA
literature I am able to explore things that I went through or be open to experiences
that my peers may have. I feel that there is something that will appeal to everyone.
Ch. 5 How do adolescents develop?
In order to match kids with books correctly it is important
to know how they grow and develop. Growing up everyone develops at their own
pace and own time, so nobody is ever “normal” during this time of change. When
dealing with adolescents, they can be given books that focus on the physical
changes they will be undergoing to learn from and answer the questions they
have. The intellectual change they go through is based on the transition from
concrete thinking to abstract thinking and how educators’ can focus on the
questions that can be asked to help kids arrive to the abstract thinking.
Havighurst addresses the developmental stages that provide a better
understanding of how adolescents develop. The stages focus on relationships
with peers, individuals of the opposite sex, how relationships change with
parents and peers, learning about themselves and what they are good at. The
chapter also looks at Kohlberg's theory in the development of morals and how
they are addressed in three stages: pre-conventional, conventional, and
post-conventional. In the pre-conventional stage, morals are based on a reward
and punishment perspective that most individuals still function at. As we grow
we move into the conventional level where the rules set out by society or
religion are followed and aren’t questioned. The highest level is
post-conventional, where we recognize the rules/ laws but we break them for the
good of mankind. The chapter also discusses Maslow's needs hierarchy for food,
shelter, clothing, safety, love, esteem, and self-actualization. The chapter
also includes an overview of how we develop as readers through experiences.
Reflection:
My takeaway from this chapter is that as librarians/educators
it is important to look for books that help and encourage kids to enjoy
reading. In order to develop lifelong readers, we consider their level of
development when suggesting books to continue to advance their development as
readers. In order to truly make a difference on how to address the needs of
students it is important to understand the different theories.
Ch. 6 Literary Elements
In this chapter, we learn that literary elements are
substantial components to YA literature.
Literary Elements:
- · Antagonist: the bad guy or girl
- · Character: the person or animal who takes part in the action of the story
- · Conflict: involves a struggle or disagreement between opposing sides
- · Mood and Tone: the feel of the story (lighthearted, sad, dark, bright)
- · Plot: the challenge within the story/storyline
- · Protagonist: the good guy or girl; central character
- · Setting: the when and where the events take place
- · Themes: the universal idea or message of the story
Literary Devices:
- · Allegory: symbolism
- · Allusion: the figure of speech used to create an idea or concept
- · Archetype: a typical character, an action or a situation that seems to represent such universal patterns of human nature
- · Deus ex machine: when a writer fails to give a valid conclusion/resolution to the conflict in the story; the character is introduced into a storyline for the purpose of resolving its conflict in a superficial way
- · Hyperbole: an exaggeration of ideas
- · Imagery: words or ideas the paint a picture or create a visual image in the readers mind
- · Metaphor: a comparison made by two things that are unrelated but share a common characteristic
- · Motif: common concepts in literature
- · Point of View: the perspective of the person telling the story
- · Simile: a comparison made by two things using the words “like” or “as”
- · Symbolism: to use an object/person to represent something else
Reflection: As a teacher, most of
what I teach is the use of these literary elements and devices and I know how
they can help young readers expand their knowledge and comprehension of books.
It is clear that readers need to be exposed to both in order to identify
specific techniques and understand clear, interesting, and memorable works.
Ch. 7 Awards
Printz
Michael L. Printz Award is an award for a book that
exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature.
YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction
YALSA's Award for Excellence in Nonfiction honors the best
nonfiction book published for young adults (ages 12-18) during a Nov. 1 – Oct.
31 publishing year. The winner is announced annually at the ALA Youth Media
Awards, with a shortlist of up to five titles named the first week of December.
Great Graphic Novels for Teens
Great Graphic Novels for Teens is a list of recommended
graphic novels and illustrated nonfiction for those ages 12-18, prepared yearly
by YALSA.
Best Fiction for Young Adults
YALSA’s Best Fiction for Young Adults Committee presents
fiction titles published for young adults in the past 16 months that are
recommended reading for ages 12 to 18. The purpose of the annual list it to
provide librarians and library workers with a resource to use for collection
development and reader’s advisory purposes.
Margaret A. Edwards Award
The Margaret A. Edwards Award, established in 1988, honors
an author, as well as a specific body of his or her work, for significant and
lasting contribution to young adult literature. It recognizes an author's work
in helping adolescents become aware of themselves and addressing questions
about their role and importance in relationships, society, and in the world.
ALEX Award
The awards is given to ten books written for adults that appeal
to young adult readers, ages 12 to 18. The winning titles are selected from the
previous year's publishing. It began in 1998 and became an official ALA award
in 2002.
Odyssey Award
An annual award that is given to the producer of the best
audiobook produced for children and/or young adults, available in English in
the United States.
Morris Award
The William C. Morris YA Debut Award, first awarded in 2009,
honors a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens and
celebrating impressive new voices in young adult literature. The award's namesake is William C. Morris, an
influential innovator in the publishing world and an advocate for marketing
books for children and young adults.
Outstanding Books for the College Bound
The books on this list offer opportunity to discover new
ideas, and provide an introduction to the fascinating variety of subjects
within an academic discipline. Readers will gain an understanding of our
diverse world and build a foundation to deepen their response to that world.
This list is developed every five years.
Popular Paperbacks
Each year, the Popular Paperbacks committee creates lists of
books to encourage young adults to read for pleasure. The lists of titles are
widely available in paperback and represent a vast variety of accessible themes
and genres.
Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers
The Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers list
identifies titles aimed at encouraging reading among teens who dislike reading.
The list selects both fiction and nonfiction.
Readers' Choice
YALSA’s Readers’ Choice list seeks to engage a wide audience
of librarians, educators, teens and young adult literature enthusiasts in
choosing the most popular teen titles in a given year, as organized by broad
genres. The list provides librarians
with a timely means of identifying popular teen titles on an ongoing
basis. Nominations are posted monthly,
with a final vote taking place each November.
Teen Top Ten
The Teens' Top Ten is a "teen choice" list, where
teens nominate and choose their favorite books of the previous year! Nominators
are members of teen book groups in fifteen school and public libraries around
the country. Nominations are posted on the Thursday of National Library Week,
and teens across the country vote on their favorite titles each year. Readers
ages twelve to eighteen will vote online between August 15 and Teen Read Week™
(October 9-15, 2016) here on the Teens' Top Ten site. The winners will be
announced the week after Teen Read Week.
Amazing Audiobooks
YALSA's Amazing Audiobooks committee
selects and annotates an annual list of notable audio recordings significant to
young adults from those released in the past two years.
YA Choices
Young Adults' Choices project has developed an annual list
of new books that will encourage adolescents to read. The books are selected by
the readers themselves, so they are bound to be popular with middle and
secondary school students. The reading list is a trusted source of book
recommendations, used by adolescents, their parents, teachers, and librarians.
Lone Star Reading List
The Texas Lone Star list is a recommended reading list
developed by public and school librarians from the Young Adult Round Table. The
purpose of the list is to encourage students in grades 6, 7, or 8 to explore a
variety of current books. The Lone Star list is intended for recreational
reading, not to support a specific curriculum. Due to the diversity of this age
range, Texas librarians should purchase titles on this list according to their
individual collection policies.
TAYSHAS Reading List
The Tayshas Reading List is the high school reading list
comprised and developed to motivate young adults, grades 9-12, to become
lifelong readers in the state of Texas.
Maverick Reading List
The Maverick Reading List was created and approved in 2009 to
encourage young adult readers, grades 6-12, to explore a variety of current
books in graphic novel format
Edgar Award for Mystery
An award presented by the Mystery Writers of America, to the
best and brightest in crime fiction, non-fiction and television.
NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children
The award established
to honor a living American poet for his or her aggregate work for children ages
3–13.
Orbis Pictus
Promotes and recognizes the excellence in the writing of
nonfiction for children.
Batchelder Award
The Batchelder Award is given to the most
outstanding children’s book originally published in a language other than
English in a country other than the United States, and subsequently translated
into English for publication in the United States.
Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction
In 1982, Scott O'Dell established The Scott O'Dell Award for
Historical Fiction. The annual award of $5,000 goes to an author for a
meritorious book published in the previous year for children or young
adults. Scott O'Dell established this
award to encourage other writers--particularly new authors--to focus on
historical fiction. He hoped in this way to increase the interest of young
readers in the historical background that has helped to shape their country and
their world.
Pura Belpre Award
The award is named after Pura Belpré, the first Latina
librarian at the New York Public Library. The Pura Belpré Award, established in
1996, is presented annually to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work
best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an
outstanding work of literature for children and youth. It is co-sponsored by
the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the
American Library Association (ALA), and REFORMA, the National Association to
Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking,
an ALA affiliate.
Schneider Family Award
The Schneider Family Book Awards honor an author or
illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability
experience for child and adolescent audiences.
Sibert Award
The Sibert Award is awarded annually to the author(s) and
illustrator(s) of the most distinguished informational book published in the
United States in English during the preceding year.
Stonewall Award
The Stonewall Award is the first and most enduring award for
GLBT books is the Stonewall Book Awards, sponsored by the American Library
Association's Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Round Table.
Reflection:
It is important for a librarian to know about the different
awards for literature as it can be a useful tool when deciding on which books
to purchase to be part of the school’s collection. Also knowing which awards
that were awarded and why can also help with knowing how to introduce the books
to students or how it can help teachers use for class lessons.
Ch. 8 Poetry
- · Poetry is not considered to be a genre, but a form that literature can take.
- · Poetry can be found in different genres like fantasy, historical fiction, realistic fiction, and traditional literature.
- · Children tend to enjoy narrative poetry over free verse and haikus because they like poems that tell a story, rhyme, and makes sense.
- · Poems that tell about an enjoyable or memorable experience tend to be enjoyed more.
- · Poetry that plays with poetical elements such as alliteration, onomatopoeia, or sound devices that make it sound like a tongue twister is enjoyable.
- · The best poems for kids incorporate visual images and words that allow a child’s imagination to expand and allow them to interact like reader’s theater.
- · There are major awards for poems but they are sometimes overlooked.
- · Some of the more popular authors for poetry are: Judy Viorst, Kalli Dakos, Susan Pearson, John Grandits to name a few
Reflection:
Poetry begins to lose its appeal and is neglected because of
the way it is traditionally taught in schools. It was important to learn in
this chapter what type of poetry appeals to students and why. With this
knowledge, I can better help other teachers and myself teach poetry to students
in a way that they will enjoy it the most.
Ch. 9 Historical Fiction
Historical Fiction refers to a story that is set in the past.
It is most often occurring during a significant time period. Historical Fiction
may include fictional characters, well-known historical figures, or a mixture
of the two. When evaluating historical fiction, we can use the criteria
developed by Charlotte Huck to do so. One thing that historical fiction should
do is tell a good story and blend the history realistically. The facts in the
story should be accurate, which is why great historical writers must do a lot
of research about the time period they are writing in. A good story should
include the values and the social environment that is important to that time
period being focused on. The writing should relate to contemporary readers and
allow them to vicariously live through the eyes of the characters in the story.
There are challenges to getting students to read and enjoy historical like they
don’t have a true understanding to what is history or they simply can’t relate.
Reflection:
It is important to understand how children view history and
understand how they relate to it to better be aware how to present historical
fiction. When children read historical fiction they could be misinterpreting
information, so it is important that as librarians and educators we explain
what history is and how they can learn so much through the story. In order to
make sure students are engaged and “buy in” the right book should be found for
readers, so that they do not think it is boring and dry.
Ch. 10 Realistic Fiction
Realistic fiction for children is sometimes known as
contemporary fiction or modern realistic fiction as it set in contemporary or
modern times. It is a writing that readers find completely believable because
the story has real kids with real problems similar to what they have
experienced or can relate to. The problem in the story is solved by characters in
a realistic manner in a real world setting. Characters are engaging and
consistent with their real world speech, actions, behavior, etc. The story’s theme or themes tend to be
developed or shown throughout the story based upon how a character behaves or
changes rather than the author preaching it to the reader. Realistic Fiction
covers topics that are real world or may be sensitive to readers such as death,
racism, or suicide.
Reflection:
Realistic Fiction has always been a favorite
because as a child I feel that is has continued to help me to grow and learn
when I read them. Sometimes it is difficult for children to ask questions or
turn to others for help and realistic fiction can often times help encourage
those children who are struggling with something or may be too shy to reach out
to other an adult or a peer. It can help children to better understand
themselves and grow.
Ch. 11 Nonfiction
Nonfiction is the umbrella of some terms and includes a wide
array of books written in different styles, formats and genres.
- The criteria used to evaluate nonfiction is based on:
- · The author’s qualifications: check the author’s website, their notes
- · The facts being accurate: use resources to validate the facts
- · The identified purpose and scope of the book: do you want to know broad or narrow information?
- · The organization of the book: Does it have a table of contents? Glossary? Captions? Index?
- · The role visuals play in assisting the reader with understanding: Real life photographs? Charts? Maps?
Reflection:
The school library should have a balancing collection that
includes all types of nonfiction for all students to learn about. Using
nonfiction books is a great way for students to conduct research and compare
similar topics and facts.
Ch. 12 Fantasy/ Science Fiction
While reading
this chapter, we learn that Fantasy is a genre that does not follow the laws of
physical reality and science fiction is considered to be a sub genre of
fantasy. There are categories of Science Fiction that are referred to
as soft science fiction and hard science fiction. Science fiction and Fantasy evaluating criterias are
based on that characters must behave in believable ways and that the fantasy
world must have rules. In the story, the author is responsible for
assisting readers to believe and understand the story. Themes of the story
should be explored as universal truths. The video talked about some of the
different types of science fiction books and their examples:
- · Apocalyptic/Post apocalyptic books: refers to end of civilization, or years after; a character has to learn how to survive ex: Ashfall, The Testing, Monument 14
- · Steam Punk: refers to the technology and its power over real life, ex: Killer of Enemies, Dearly Departed
- · CyberPunk: refers to hacking, high tech, and sinister ex: Little Brother
- · Bio Punk: refers to hackers, corporations, but they manipulate human dna, ex: BZRK
- · Dystopia: uses propaganda, a figure head being worshipped, citizens being watched, creates an illusion of a perfect world ex. Hunger Games, Gulliver’s Travels, Eve
- · Extra Sensory Perception(ESP): refers to characters having telepathy or clairvoyance ex: The Diviners, Soulless
- · Robots, Androids, Cyborgs, Artificial Intelligence: very complex, Cinder, Eve & Adam, Beta
- · Space/Aliens: ex. Black Hole Sun, Rules
- · Time Travel/Parallel Lines: ex: Waterfall
Reflection:
Dystopian books became very popular with me in highschool
and I loved the story The Giver and could read it over and over. I never took
myself for a Science Fiction reader, but after listening to the video, I find
myself wanting to go and read some of the books mentioned. By understanding all
of the different categories that fall under Fantasy/Science Fiction a librarian
can better assist students who are wanting to check out a book or need help
with finding a book that interests them. After listening and reading this
chapter I find it more appealing now and also reading When You Reach Me has opened my eyes.
Ch. 13 Graphic Novels
As a librarian it is important to know that Graphic Novels
are not a genre but rather a format of writing. They have gained popularity
over the last 20 years and are continuing to grow. The targeted audience can
span from child to adulthood, which shows they can be used with all kids. They
can be used to read for sheer enjoyment and used to support college and career
readiness. Graphic novels are written in a way that combines text and
illustration to tell a fictional story or provide nonfiction information. There
are still some teachers who overlook graphic novels and feel they is no value.
However, they can be a tool to teach literary elements in literature and can be
beneficial to students with special needs. While the design of graphic novels
varies, they are consistent with a cover, pages, gutter, thought balloons,
captions, and sound effects. They are
also read from left to right
Reflection:
Graphic novels are simply fun reads. It can transport an
adult back to their childhood or provide information to children in a creative
way. The structure when reading a graphic novel isn’t as serious as reading a
piece of literature to some students so they feel more comfortable picking up a
graphic novel rather than a chapter book. A few years ago I introduced the Lunch Lady series to my students and
they couldn’t put it down. Neither could I!
Ch. 14 Peck’s Questions
This chapter focused on the ten questions you should ask
yourself when reading a novel. It is a useful resource in order to enhance the
reading development of young readers. The questions help draw the readers
attention to the characters ex: What would the story be like if the main
character were of the opposite sex? Or If you could not use all of the
characters, which would you eliminate and WHY? It also helps the reader focus
on the story and setting in the book. Ex: Would this story make a good TV
series? Why/not? Or Why is the story set where it is?
(Not where is the story set?)
Reflection:
Peck’s questions allow kids to
explore and go deeper into the text and not just read on the surface level. As
a teacher, I immediately wanted to use these questions to help focus my
discussion with my students with the novel study we have in class. As a
librarian I find this useful to share with other educators and also see it as a
great way to explore new genres of books with kids when they come into the
library.
Ch. 15 Crowdsourced List of Middle School Authors
I would assume that this was a list of generated middle
school authors and their responses. The grades ranged from 5th to 8th
and seems to be a surveyed list of the more popular authors the students found
appealing from July 17 to July 21, 2016. The list includes some popular authors
by Kwame Alexander, Tom Angelberger, Katherine Applegate, Meg Cabot,
Christopher Paul Curtis, Sharon Draper, and many more.
Reflection:
This is an awesome tool! I would love to use something like
this to get a good system and checklist into some of the more favorite authors
kids like and how many time a book has been checked out and actually enj
Lesesne, T.S. & Perry, K. (2016). YA literature textbook.
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