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[CCBC-Net] Formula Series
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From: Steward, Celeste <csteward>
Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2005 11:50:12 -0800
Robin--I too have made many of these same observations as a children's librarian...What a good teacher you are to know that the series fiction helps sweeten the path to reading (or listening to) children's classics.
I've always believed that if you offer a reasonable balance of series fiction and classics, you just might entice some youngster into reading above and beyond their grade level. It's worth a shot anyway.
And yes, I've seen some kids get "horribly vexed" if they cannot find the next volume in the series, as this may interfere with the little contests they concoct to read the series with their friends or on their own. I too read the Nancy Drew books in order, and recall eagerly looking forward to visiting my local library every Saturday morning to check out the next one. (BTW, Nancy was challenged in a CA library where I worked a few years ago, but that's another story).
Totally agree on the hardbacks issue...they do seem to prefer paper series. The most difficult part of my job is deciding which series to buy for our libraries, as money is always a consideration.
When I'm stressed or just plain fried at the end of the day and I need to zone out, I choose comfort books, which could be considered junk food for the mind...hmmmm...I must have picked up the habit as a kid, LOL.
-----Original Message----- From: ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
[mailto:ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu]On Behalf Of Robin Smith Sent: Wednesday, November 23, 2005 7:17 AM To: CCBC-Net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu Subject: Re: [CCBC-Net] Formula Series
Ah, series fiction-- I fear the tastes of my second grade students sometimes mirror mine: silly and goofy and utterly predictable. Series fiction is an obsession with this aged child. They will read series in order, and become horribly vexed if #4 is missing. They can neither read on nor switch to another series until they exhaust the current one. I think series fiction for this age is comfort reading, and the kind of reading that builds confidence and love of reading, even when it drives their parents crazy! Familiar characters, predictable plot, and comfortable settings all make these books favorites in my classroom library. I never pooh-pooh series fiction--one of the pivotal moments in my childhood was reading all the Nancy Drew books (in order, of course) with a friend. It was the Olympics of reading and I am sure I drove the librarian crazy looking for the next one.
I read aloud some series fiction to my class because I know they many will fall in love with the story and want to read all of them for themselves. (I usually read Rip-Roaring Russell and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Sometimes I read the first Judy Moody and often I read opening chapters of many of the books listed below.)
Here are the series that have caught this class's fancy: The Weird School Series by Dan Gutman http://www.dangutman.com/pages/missdaisy.html
These start with Miss Daisy is Crazy and are definitely for the 6-8 year old reader. Silly titles and even sillier situations have swept through my classroom. The Magic Schoolbus Series by Mary Pope Osborne
Still popular, though the newer titles are being released in hardback, much to my children's dismay. They just don't like the hardcovers. At all. The A to Z Mysteries by Ron Roy http://www.ronroy.com/atoz/books.php Captain Underpants and Ricky Ricotta by Dav Pilkey The Sidekicks series by Dan Banko and Tom Mason http://scoop.diamondgalleries.com/scoop_article.asp?ai=5458&si=124
This book has reduced a few of my stronger second grade readers to tears--of laughter. Just yesterday, a boy was reading with me and he started laughing in that fabulous way that made the rest of my class look up, watch and start giggling along too. They are especially funny for those readers who know a thing or two about superheroes and their sidekicks. They love Pumpkin Man (Boy? can't remember) whose superhero feat is rolling. Fast. Hilarious. Cobblestone Cousins by Cynthia Rylant Russell and Elisa books (The Riverside Kids) by Johanna Hurwitz http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0064421554/002-0951014-5133644?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&v=glance Marvin Redpost by Louis Sachar Judy Moody by Meg MacDonald Scholastic Junior Classics Dragon Slayer's Academy Secrets of Droon My America series from Scholastic
Robin Smith
_______________________________________________ CCBC-Net mailing list CCBC-Net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe... http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
Received on Wed 23 Nov 2005 01:50:12 PM CST
Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2005 11:50:12 -0800
Robin--I too have made many of these same observations as a children's librarian...What a good teacher you are to know that the series fiction helps sweeten the path to reading (or listening to) children's classics.
I've always believed that if you offer a reasonable balance of series fiction and classics, you just might entice some youngster into reading above and beyond their grade level. It's worth a shot anyway.
And yes, I've seen some kids get "horribly vexed" if they cannot find the next volume in the series, as this may interfere with the little contests they concoct to read the series with their friends or on their own. I too read the Nancy Drew books in order, and recall eagerly looking forward to visiting my local library every Saturday morning to check out the next one. (BTW, Nancy was challenged in a CA library where I worked a few years ago, but that's another story).
Totally agree on the hardbacks issue...they do seem to prefer paper series. The most difficult part of my job is deciding which series to buy for our libraries, as money is always a consideration.
When I'm stressed or just plain fried at the end of the day and I need to zone out, I choose comfort books, which could be considered junk food for the mind...hmmmm...I must have picked up the habit as a kid, LOL.
-----Original Message----- From: ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
[mailto:ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu]On Behalf Of Robin Smith Sent: Wednesday, November 23, 2005 7:17 AM To: CCBC-Net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu Subject: Re: [CCBC-Net] Formula Series
Ah, series fiction-- I fear the tastes of my second grade students sometimes mirror mine: silly and goofy and utterly predictable. Series fiction is an obsession with this aged child. They will read series in order, and become horribly vexed if #4 is missing. They can neither read on nor switch to another series until they exhaust the current one. I think series fiction for this age is comfort reading, and the kind of reading that builds confidence and love of reading, even when it drives their parents crazy! Familiar characters, predictable plot, and comfortable settings all make these books favorites in my classroom library. I never pooh-pooh series fiction--one of the pivotal moments in my childhood was reading all the Nancy Drew books (in order, of course) with a friend. It was the Olympics of reading and I am sure I drove the librarian crazy looking for the next one.
I read aloud some series fiction to my class because I know they many will fall in love with the story and want to read all of them for themselves. (I usually read Rip-Roaring Russell and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Sometimes I read the first Judy Moody and often I read opening chapters of many of the books listed below.)
Here are the series that have caught this class's fancy: The Weird School Series by Dan Gutman http://www.dangutman.com/pages/missdaisy.html
These start with Miss Daisy is Crazy and are definitely for the 6-8 year old reader. Silly titles and even sillier situations have swept through my classroom. The Magic Schoolbus Series by Mary Pope Osborne
Still popular, though the newer titles are being released in hardback, much to my children's dismay. They just don't like the hardcovers. At all. The A to Z Mysteries by Ron Roy http://www.ronroy.com/atoz/books.php Captain Underpants and Ricky Ricotta by Dav Pilkey The Sidekicks series by Dan Banko and Tom Mason http://scoop.diamondgalleries.com/scoop_article.asp?ai=5458&si=124
This book has reduced a few of my stronger second grade readers to tears--of laughter. Just yesterday, a boy was reading with me and he started laughing in that fabulous way that made the rest of my class look up, watch and start giggling along too. They are especially funny for those readers who know a thing or two about superheroes and their sidekicks. They love Pumpkin Man (Boy? can't remember) whose superhero feat is rolling. Fast. Hilarious. Cobblestone Cousins by Cynthia Rylant Russell and Elisa books (The Riverside Kids) by Johanna Hurwitz http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0064421554/002-0951014-5133644?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&v=glance Marvin Redpost by Louis Sachar Judy Moody by Meg MacDonald Scholastic Junior Classics Dragon Slayer's Academy Secrets of Droon My America series from Scholastic
Robin Smith
_______________________________________________ CCBC-Net mailing list CCBC-Net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe... http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
Received on Wed 23 Nov 2005 01:50:12 PM CST
