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[CCBC-Net] Series
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From: sears
Date: Thu, 1 Dec 2005 17:28:03 -0500
I echo a lot of what has already been said about this topic.
Series Books are extremely popular at my library, the paperbacks are on their own spinner by the fiction room to make everyone's lives easier. I truly feel they mix well with less formulaic literature providing a springboard for some kids and for others fun books to read when they are reluctant to read at all.
Especially popular are: Junie B Goosebumps Babysitters Club (they don't care that they're old, we can't keep them on the shelf) A to Z mysteries Deltora Quest etc Bailey School Kids Magic Tree House Zach Files Cheetah Girls Geronimo Stilton(he ruled this summer with the newer Chapter book readers)
Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys are still steadily popular-with a slightly older crowd -although I've found that often the old hardcovers are preferred to the paperbacks. Trixie Belden too. These aren't as popular as some of the newer series but they certainly earn their shelf space.
The TV series spin offs while popular for a while don't have the staying power that traditional series do-when the show wanes so go the readers.
I personally have a deep devotion to series being forced to spend my allowance on the Nancy Drew books because my library wouldn't buy such dribble (I'm still bitter 30 years later). It's funny my mother and I had this conversation at Thanksgiving where she remembered that when she was a child in the 30's everytime a new Nancy Drew book came out she would run to the public library to check it out and beat a neighborhood boy who also was reading them!
I think for many kids especially new "chapter book" readers there's a nice sense of familiarity with series books. Many of my most avid series book readers are these who are beginning to read "chapter books" or are mostly reading readers but with Junie B. Jones they can read the more grown up books. The familiarity of the series books makes it easier for kids to read the slightly harder books, they don't have to spend a chapter or so trying to work out who's who and what they're like, they can get straight to the plot.
I'm like Alison in wanting Babysitters Club reprinted and continued, I've ordered new copies but I think with newer covers they'd be even more popular. I also want mainstream series with more ethnic kids on the covers and in the books-middle class African-Americans especially and more multicultural groups of kids for 8-12.
Amy
Date: Thu, 1 Dec 2005 17:28:03 -0500
I echo a lot of what has already been said about this topic.
Series Books are extremely popular at my library, the paperbacks are on their own spinner by the fiction room to make everyone's lives easier. I truly feel they mix well with less formulaic literature providing a springboard for some kids and for others fun books to read when they are reluctant to read at all.
Especially popular are: Junie B Goosebumps Babysitters Club (they don't care that they're old, we can't keep them on the shelf) A to Z mysteries Deltora Quest etc Bailey School Kids Magic Tree House Zach Files Cheetah Girls Geronimo Stilton(he ruled this summer with the newer Chapter book readers)
Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys are still steadily popular-with a slightly older crowd -although I've found that often the old hardcovers are preferred to the paperbacks. Trixie Belden too. These aren't as popular as some of the newer series but they certainly earn their shelf space.
The TV series spin offs while popular for a while don't have the staying power that traditional series do-when the show wanes so go the readers.
I personally have a deep devotion to series being forced to spend my allowance on the Nancy Drew books because my library wouldn't buy such dribble (I'm still bitter 30 years later). It's funny my mother and I had this conversation at Thanksgiving where she remembered that when she was a child in the 30's everytime a new Nancy Drew book came out she would run to the public library to check it out and beat a neighborhood boy who also was reading them!
I think for many kids especially new "chapter book" readers there's a nice sense of familiarity with series books. Many of my most avid series book readers are these who are beginning to read "chapter books" or are mostly reading readers but with Junie B. Jones they can read the more grown up books. The familiarity of the series books makes it easier for kids to read the slightly harder books, they don't have to spend a chapter or so trying to work out who's who and what they're like, they can get straight to the plot.
I'm like Alison in wanting Babysitters Club reprinted and continued, I've ordered new copies but I think with newer covers they'd be even more popular. I also want mainstream series with more ethnic kids on the covers and in the books-middle class African-Americans especially and more multicultural groups of kids for 8-12.
Amy
-- Amy E Sears Head of Children's Services Teaneck Public Library 840 Teaneck Rd Teaneck, NJ 07666 201-837-4171 x Fax 201-837-0410 sears at bccls.org asears at teaneck.org --Received on Thu 01 Dec 2005 04:28:03 PM CST
