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Picture Books for Older Readers
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From: Megan Schliesman <Schliesman>
Date: Thu, 13 Nov 1997 11:46:11 -0600
One of the recurring themes in your many wonderful messages about picture books that you are sharing with older readers is that, regardless of their age, children and young adults appreciate a good story, whether it is humorous or highly dramatic. Anne Oelke commented that she thinks sharing stories originally intended for younger children with young adults helps young adults realize that it is still ok to enjoy "childish" things. I would agree, and go a step further by saying it can even challenge their perceptions of what is "childish." A good story is, after all, a good story, and it's great that so many teachers and librarians are not only sharing these stories, but role modeling the fact that there is no such thing as being "too old" for a good book.
A second thread that has emerged is the fact that there we are also seeing more picture books which seem intentionally designed for older children--with text and illustrations that more complex and challenging.
They are still picture books--short, illustrated stories (and sometimes wordless!), but clearly not for young children. These are exciting developments in books for the young--and they are challenging all of us who work with children and books to expand our defintions and understanding of what a picture book is and who a picture book is for, to understand that a book's audience is not limited simply because it is
"aimed" at younger children, and that it should not be assumed that because a book is illustrated it is necessarily appropriate for them.
(Your comments on how you adress this challenge in your libraries when you are working with parents and others who do not necessarily realize that just because a book looks like a picture book it is not always suitable for their 3 or 6 year old are also an important part of this discussion.)
Paula Cairo has asked how we might define a "picture book" for older readers? Does it include photo essays, or illustrated chapter books like Scooter where the illustrations are such an important part the story? Much of the discussion this month has focused on "traditional" picture books-2 or 40 page illustrated stories. Scooter is clearly a chapter book on the one hand, and often photo-essays are non-fiction books, about people, or places, or other topics of interest to young readers. I think an important part of Paula's question is the fact that this discussion is as much about the way we think about books and children as it is about definitions--and the way teachers and librarians are thinking is opening doors for older readers, allowing them to have a wonderful literary experience that we once might have said they had outgrown simply because of a book's format. (But am I wrong? I bet many of you out there have been sharing picture books with older readers for years...)
Please continue sharing your ideas on picture books for older readers and your experiences in doing so, whether it is a book traditionally seen as being for younger children, or a book that is aimed at older children to begin with.
Megan Schliesman Cooperative Children's Book Center School of Education UW-Madison schliesman at mail.soemadison.wisc.edu
Received on Thu 13 Nov 1997 11:46:11 AM CST
Date: Thu, 13 Nov 1997 11:46:11 -0600
One of the recurring themes in your many wonderful messages about picture books that you are sharing with older readers is that, regardless of their age, children and young adults appreciate a good story, whether it is humorous or highly dramatic. Anne Oelke commented that she thinks sharing stories originally intended for younger children with young adults helps young adults realize that it is still ok to enjoy "childish" things. I would agree, and go a step further by saying it can even challenge their perceptions of what is "childish." A good story is, after all, a good story, and it's great that so many teachers and librarians are not only sharing these stories, but role modeling the fact that there is no such thing as being "too old" for a good book.
A second thread that has emerged is the fact that there we are also seeing more picture books which seem intentionally designed for older children--with text and illustrations that more complex and challenging.
They are still picture books--short, illustrated stories (and sometimes wordless!), but clearly not for young children. These are exciting developments in books for the young--and they are challenging all of us who work with children and books to expand our defintions and understanding of what a picture book is and who a picture book is for, to understand that a book's audience is not limited simply because it is
"aimed" at younger children, and that it should not be assumed that because a book is illustrated it is necessarily appropriate for them.
(Your comments on how you adress this challenge in your libraries when you are working with parents and others who do not necessarily realize that just because a book looks like a picture book it is not always suitable for their 3 or 6 year old are also an important part of this discussion.)
Paula Cairo has asked how we might define a "picture book" for older readers? Does it include photo essays, or illustrated chapter books like Scooter where the illustrations are such an important part the story? Much of the discussion this month has focused on "traditional" picture books-2 or 40 page illustrated stories. Scooter is clearly a chapter book on the one hand, and often photo-essays are non-fiction books, about people, or places, or other topics of interest to young readers. I think an important part of Paula's question is the fact that this discussion is as much about the way we think about books and children as it is about definitions--and the way teachers and librarians are thinking is opening doors for older readers, allowing them to have a wonderful literary experience that we once might have said they had outgrown simply because of a book's format. (But am I wrong? I bet many of you out there have been sharing picture books with older readers for years...)
Please continue sharing your ideas on picture books for older readers and your experiences in doing so, whether it is a book traditionally seen as being for younger children, or a book that is aimed at older children to begin with.
Megan Schliesman Cooperative Children's Book Center School of Education UW-Madison schliesman at mail.soemadison.wisc.edu
Received on Thu 13 Nov 1997 11:46:11 AM CST
