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From: steven engelfried <stevene>
Date: Thu, 4 Nov 1999 17:51:05 -0800
One thing I love about the Harrys is how cool kids think they are. I didn't mind when "Goosebumps" and "Animorphs" reached the level of coolness among kids. It meant that they thought getting excited about a book was okay, and even had some status to it. So when I went into a class to booktalk "The Book of Three" or "Ella Enchanted" I had an easier time selling them on the very idea of reading, because they'd done pleasure reading already. The trick was convincing to try stuff that was different. Now the jump from the coolest books, Harry Potter, to the books I choose to recommend in a classroom, is minimal. Millions of readers are enjoying the Harrys, but their popularity also gives us librarian types a new and pretty powerful angle to expose them to all the other good stuff. My best reader's advisory weapon for now and the near future at least is: "If you liked Harry Potter, you might like..."
- Steven Engelfried, Children's Librarian
Deschutes Public Library System, Bend Branch
601 NW Wall Street Bend, OR 97701
ph: 541a7p72 fax: 541a7p73
e-mail: stevene at dpls.lib.or.us
Received on Thu 04 Nov 1999 07:51:05 PM CST
Date: Thu, 4 Nov 1999 17:51:05 -0800
One thing I love about the Harrys is how cool kids think they are. I didn't mind when "Goosebumps" and "Animorphs" reached the level of coolness among kids. It meant that they thought getting excited about a book was okay, and even had some status to it. So when I went into a class to booktalk "The Book of Three" or "Ella Enchanted" I had an easier time selling them on the very idea of reading, because they'd done pleasure reading already. The trick was convincing to try stuff that was different. Now the jump from the coolest books, Harry Potter, to the books I choose to recommend in a classroom, is minimal. Millions of readers are enjoying the Harrys, but their popularity also gives us librarian types a new and pretty powerful angle to expose them to all the other good stuff. My best reader's advisory weapon for now and the near future at least is: "If you liked Harry Potter, you might like..."
- Steven Engelfried, Children's Librarian
Deschutes Public Library System, Bend Branch
601 NW Wall Street Bend, OR 97701
ph: 541a7p72 fax: 541a7p73
e-mail: stevene at dpls.lib.or.us
Received on Thu 04 Nov 1999 07:51:05 PM CST
