Quality Children's Literature

Guidelines for Selecting Quality Children’s Literature

 

Selecting quality children’s literature can sometimes be a task that is easier said than done. In order to help make sure that we are on the right track, I would like to share some guidelines that I found in The Joys of Literature.

·        The target audience should be able to identify with the protagonist, who may share similar characteristics such as age.

·        The theme appropriately reflects the emotions and experiences of children today.

·        The language is not convoluted but rather specific and clear.

·        The literary elements consist of a believable plot and characters, an engaging writing style, and a theme that unite into a satisfying whole.

·        The book doesn’t blatantly teach or moralize and tells the truth about the human experience.

·        The book broadens understanding and perspective on the world that open up new possibilities and the capacity for empathy.

·        Books for younger children include engaging pictures, fast-paced action that is presented in a straightforward manner, a single setting, and a satisfying ending.

·        Books for older readers may not include pictures and therefore may include more descriptions to assist readers with visualizing the characters, setting, and dialogue to provide insight into characters’ motives and intentions. The stories convey ideas that are important and meaningful and have a satisfying ending. 

Response Journals

Response Journals

“When we ask children to make connections, comprehend deeply, and think critically, they respond in ways that take them to new mental places.”

Response journals can be a great tool to use in the classroom. These journals give students time to reflect on their stories in a personal way. In order to obtain the greatest benefit from these journals we want students to make thoughtful journal entries.

Characteristics of a Thoughtful Journal Entry:

·        Creates mind pictures/visualizes

Children should tell whether the author can create visuals for them through their writing.

·        Summarizes

Children should recognize what the book is about and the characteristics of the story.

·        Makes Connections

Children should recognize what the story reminds them of and how it relates to other things in their life.

·        Offers Opinion

How do they feel about the book? Children should tell whether they agree, disagree, enjoy, or do not enjoy the book.

·        Critiques

Children should act as a book critic and analyze the books features.

·        Identifies Theme/Main Idea

Children should identify the author’s message and what the story has taught them.

·        Wondering and Making Predictions

Children should ask questions about the text. Not only for parts they do not understand, but also for questions they wonder about what will happen next in the story.

Children's Literature Genres

Genres of Children’s Literature

Traditional Literature

Oral and literary heritage of humankind-no known author.

Fantasy

Imaginative worlds; make-believe story settings, people and creatures, or events that could not happen.

Science Fiction

Stories about what might occur in the future based on extending physical laws and scientific principles.

Realistic Fiction

“What if” stories, illusion of reality; characters seem real; contemporary setting.

Historical Fiction

Set in the past, could have happened, story reconstructs events of past age, things that could have or did occur

Poetry

Condensed language, imagery, expression of imaginative thoughts and perceptions.

Nonfiction Biography

An account of a person’s life or part of a life history. Informational Facts about the real world.

Digital Texts

Narrative or non-narrative information that has been digitized for access by a computer, a PDA, an e-book, or another digital reading device.

Influences on Children's Literature

What Influences Children’s Literature?

“The goodness of a book lies in the eye of the reader”

1.     Their background and experiences:

 “Each reader, in the process of experiencing a literacy work, brings meaning to and takes meaning away from that book.”

Every child has their own unique experience with the books they read. Their reactions with each book are based on their experiences that they have outside of the stories they read. Putting this into perspective shows that children and adults will have different understandings of the text because of their maturity level. With this being said, we should understand that some children’s books are made for adults and some adult books are made for children. Also, just because a story is about children, does not mean that it is a suitable story for kids. Every child goes through a different childhood and way of growing up. They may have similarities, but still view the events differently. This causes the children to view the text in a different way and be influenced differently by the text.

2.     Characteristics of different genres:

Typically, a narrative text will draw more emotion and connections with the characters, themes, and events in the story. If a child does not enjoy the genre they are reading, they may not have the greatest impact from the story.

3.     Assignment or choice?

Did the child choose the story or was it assigned to them? This will affect whether the child is enjoying their reading and how they feel about the book. If a child feels pressured to read a book and have a specific reaction from it then they will focus primarily on finding the answers they need and not on the text as a whole. While assignments are important in teaching children, it is also vital to make sure that they are given the ability to have their choice with other readings.  

Highly Effective Reading Teacher

Recipe to Become a Highly Effective Reading Teacher

In order to become a highly effective reading teacher, you must mix all the main ingredients in a classroom full of young students eager to learn.

Main Ingredients:

·       Supportive Environment

Supportive and nurturing environments promote the development of good readers.

o       Positive attitude: Enthusiasm is contagious and if you have a positive outlook on reading, children will more than likely model the same behavior.

o       Engagement: Children will be more involved and interested in the text if they can make a connection between the story and their life.

o       Motivation: Encouraging students to read and actively engage in a story will lead to children wanting to read.

o       Self-selected Literature: Students will want to engage with a text when they feel they have control over their choice of reading.

o       Authenticity of Texts: Real texts for real purposes.

o       Range of Genre: Reading a variety of genre helps students understand and engage with the different types of literature.

o       Time for Reading: Give the students time to read in the classroom.

o       Decoding: To comprehend the meaning of texts will encourage students to want to read.

o       Vocabulary and Concept Development: Introducing students to know words and meanings allows them to make connections to existing schema and organize knowledge.

o       Writing: Reconstruct their understanding of the story by putting it in their own words through their own perspective.

·       Provide Clear Explanations and Modeling of Comprehension Strategies

Providing explanations and teaching comprehension strategies make a difference in learner outcomes.

o       A Model for Comprehension Strategy Instruction: Five stage instruction strategy that introduces strategies that can be referred to later during discussions and reading. 

o       Anchor Lessons and Anchor Charts: Helps students understand and remember what they learn.

o       Technology and Reading Comprehension: Expands comprehension and literacy skills.

·       Engage Children in Constructive Conversations

Students should be given the opportunity to discuss with classmates and teachers the meaning of the text.

o       Engage Children in Active Processing during Reading: The reader actively builds meaning while reading and makes connections to the material.

o       Questioning Approaches: Approaches that lead students to building an understanding of the text.

·       Children’s Literature Across the Curriculum

Introducing children to a range of genres.

o       Discovering Genres: Students have an opportunity to find different genres that they were never drawn to, but ended up liking.

o       Moving Beyond Textbooks: Secondary resources can enhance learning.

·       The Classroom Library

Students must always have access to a large number of different books available for them to read.

         

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Kissing Doorknobs

By Terry Spencer Hesser

            A young girl named Tara was growing up as a “normal” girl who just seemed to worry a lot and had an occasional repeating nightmare. However, once she heard the phrase “Step on a crack, break your mother’s back,” everything seemed to change. Her anxiety started to worsen and she began to feel needs to do things even if it caused her harm.

          This unusual behavior started to frighten and worry her parents. They took her to numerous doctors that gave her numerous misdiagnoses. These behaviors and misdiagnoses lead to many stresses on her friendships and family. Finally, Tara meets someone who knows a young gentleman with obsessive compulsive disorder and she starts to get treatment for this disease.

          I enjoyed this story about a young girl with OCD. I found it interesting to see the effects that it can have on someone and their life. This disorder is not commonly known and I feel that people have a hard time understanding the effects. This story not only shows the effects of obsessive compulsive disorder, but it also teaches children not to judge someone by their looks or actions. You never know the struggles people may be going through and we all need to be sensitive when interacting with others. 

Realistic Fiction

Realistic Fiction: The Pros and Cons

“Realistic fiction is realistic n the sense that the setting, characters, and events are plausible-they reflect contemporary places, peoples, and situations. Yet, these stories are fiction because the characters and events did not really happen even though many authors write stories based on their own childhood experiences”

–The Joy of Children’s Literature

Pros

·        Portrays the real world and realities of life to help children understand human problems and relationships.

·        Helps children see the world from an alternative perspective.

·        Children can feel more “normal” in the sense that they learn that other people have the same problems as them.

·        Allows children to experience the events and interactions that the characters encounter.

Cons

·       Authors do not write with a moral or lesson in mind for the book. They allow the readers to think for themselves.

·       In order to reveal a realistic problem, it sometimes portrays bias and stereotyping in the text. 

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

By Jeff Kinney

                This popular book has entertained millions of children.  When I used to help out in a fourth grade classroom I would repeatedly see this book on the student’s desk. I asked the teacher if she had read it because it seemed to be a very popular book. She said it was great and I was missing out if I did not read it. She told me that even her students who hate reading could not stop reading this story!

            With this shocking statement, I decided to choose to read this book for my annotated bibliography assignment. This diary was written in a matter of fact tone telling a realistic story about a young boy growing up in middle school. Greg, the main character, is weaker, smaller, and unpopular. It is amusing to hear the way that his mind works and how he thinks of situations. There were numerous times when I caught myself smiling and giggling to this story, but there were also times when I felt Greg did mean things or made bad decisions.

I enjoyed the way the book was written because it looked like  a real diary and had attractive cartoon illustrations along the way. Even though at times I felt Greg did some not so great things, I would definitely recommend this book to children

“Risky Books"

“Risky Books”: Worth it or not?

            A risky book is any book that is considered controversial. Research shows that teachers are more reluctant to share a multicultural book. However, this is not based on only their beliefs, but rather because they do not have enough time to cover the things that the students will be tested on which does not include multicultural. Another fear comes from the thoughts of parents. Many parents believe that teachers should not bring up a cultural that they are not part of because they will not be able to discuss it accurately.

            No matter the reasons for not sharing a “risky book” educators and parents need to recognize that there are great benefits to allowing children to read these stories. If parents and teachers work together to search for culturally sensitive books, they will only be bettering their children. These books can allow teachers and parents to engage in conversations with their children that promote cross-cultural understanding.

Reasons these books are worth the risk:

·         Promotes critical thinking

The teacher can actively engage in a conversation that explores the topics.

·         Few truly “safe” children books are available

Even some of the “safest” books have underlying themes or power, prejudice, or violence.

·         Promotes the value of diversity and difference

Reading the books helps silenced voices be recognized and heard which allows students to recognize different perspectives.

·         Encourages cross-curricular connections

Allows and exploration of topics within different subjects.

Traveling on a Journey with Ann Brashares

 

“I don’t really write with the idea of trying to teach any lessons. I want to tell a story as truthfully and engagingly as I can, and then let the chips fall where they may.”

-Ann Brashares

          I chose Ann Brashares to do my author study because she was able to capture my attention and make me want to read again. When I was younger, I had mixed feelings about reading because I felt like I was being forced to read books. One of the stories that my mom used to spark my interest again was The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.  I think her stories all have a similar theme of friendship and sisterhood. Being a young girl, these stories are very easy to relate to because everyone has close friends and they are going through the same situations that these girls face.

Ann Brashares was born in Alexandria, Virginia. She studied philosophy at Barnard College and graduated in 1989. After she graduated, she decided to take a break and save up money. She worked for a children’s book editor in New York City. She ended up loving her job and never went back. Instead she made a transition from editor to writer with the introduction of her first novel, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.

  Brashares states that girls in her stories were not based on her own friends, but rather they are a combination of people she knows. If she had to pick a character that she would most relate with, it would be the Carmen who is Catholic and has divorced parents. Also, she never visited the places she wrote about, but instead researched online and used her imagination.

I think this author sends a great message throughout her books to young girls. Many girls go through family struggles and changes. As if that is not hard enough, sometimes friendships tend to fall apart easier than staying together. Her stories capture the true meaning and value of friendship that is such a great role model for young adult readers.

Read Aloud and Be Proud!

"Before long children begin to understand the look of the print and the way words work in sentences and how the world works-why this happens and that happens-and how it all comes together to mean something. In other words, they learn to read." - Mem Fox

In one of my classes this semester, I read Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever by Mem Fox. This book goes over the positive impacts that reading aloud to your children can have on their literacy skills. Reading aloud can benefit your children in so many ways. I found this to be a very inspiring and beneficial book. I am someone who grew up without an importance placed on books so it is interesting to see how it could impact a child's life. 


Reading aloud to you children often can actually help your child learn to read without being taught.When reading a book to a child, they are hearing how language works and understanding the importance of print. However, in order to make a reading aloud experience beneficial for both the parent and the child, you must keep some important things in mind. The point in this experience is to create a positive relationship with books. However, it is also a great time for the parent and child to bond. Two critical things to keep in mind in order to make sure they can have the best experience is to be certain that you are reading with enthusiasm and picking the right book. 


In order to create a great bonding experience between the parent and child as well as the family and books, it is important to read with enthusiasm. To be very passionate and enthusiastic about the story helps engage the child and keep them interested in the story. Also, children do not need a whole shelf of books. They can easily get by with one stimulating book that they can read over and over again. You can buy books at local book stores, but you can also rent them at local libraries. One thing to keep in mind is also to possibly become friends with librarians and local bookstore owners. These people have seen many children's books and often know the best sellers. If you pick something that is not interesting, children may feel a negative experience and not want to read. 


Reading aloud can be very beneficial because it helps children learn how a story is told. It is highly recommended that we instill the importance in children when they are young and keep this in mind until they are older. 

Just Me

I am currently in my third year at Florida Gulf Coast University. My major is Elementary Education and my anticipated graduation date is in the fall of 2013. I was born in Sarasota, Florida. I have lived in Port Charlotte, North Port, and Venice. My father has always lived in North Port and my mother currently lives in Venice. I refer to Venice as my hometown because I lived there from sixth grade until I graduated high school.

My parents divorced when I was one years old so I have mainly lived with my mother and visited my father on the weekends. My father is in his second marriage while my mother is on her third. I have a full blooded sister, a step-brother, step-sister, and half sister. I mainly grew up with my full blooded sister and we are very close.

 My mother works as an assistant manager at an Arby’s fast food restaurant. My step-father was a project manager for a construction company until the economy took a down slide. He is now a maintenance worker on a golf course. My step-mother has always been in the payroll department for hospitals. My father was a mechanic when I was younger, but since I have been in middle school he is a firefighter for the city of Venice. On his days off he delivers sheds for a company and helps with mechanical work for a company.

I took after my parents work ethics and started working a week before my 15th birthday. I worked at Burger King for a year and a half. Then Arby’s for a few months. I switch to Pier 1 Imports for three years at two different locations. I also am currently working at Bass Pro Shops on occasional weekends and a part time job in an office. Most of the time during my job experience, I have had two jobs at once. My accomplishments at these jobs include, being sales associate of the quarter twice at Pier 1 Imports, being promoted to Sales Leader at Pier 1 Imports, being star associate of the month, and associate of the month at Bass Pro Shops. 

Overall, I am a very independent, hardworking, and determined person. I have provided for myself since I was in high school and moved out as soon as I graduated. I currently live in Bonita Springs, Florida and enjoy the journey of pursuing my dream.