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Printz Award discussion
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From: Brenda Lemon <blemon_at_473mail.net>
Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2012 10:14:06 -0500
I would like to answer Charles with my own personal observations concerning the decline in award books getting much attention.
I have seen the emphasize on reading an award book decline for a variety of reasons. One issue is that there is not the focus on Newbery, Caldecott, King and Printz award books being discussed in classroom instruction due primarily to lack of time and the focus on other areas. Librarians are being cut from schools all over the United States as school budget cuts keep coming. The classroom teachers are not trained in providing the same type of instruction that a certified librarian. Added to the mix is the narrow focus on only covering "what is on the test" whether it be State Assessments or the Common Core Standards.
The other reason I see a decline is with the type of books that are often chosen for the awards. Often times, the books chosen have great appeal to adults but not that much of an appeal to the students. Many of the recently chosen books just sit on the shelf while other titles such as Hunger Games and City of Bones continue to circulate strongly. Why? In my opinion, it is because teens like to read books that their friends are reading. And after a long day of intensive school assignments, assigned classical reading, and other extra-curricular activities - students want a book that is simply fun to read.
This discussion also reminds me of an article I read in Entertainment Weekly talking about how the number of people watching the Movie Award Shows such as the Oscars was declining. One of the primary reasons given was in the movies that are selected. That most of the block-buster movies are never selected for any of the big titles even if they are exceptionally made. So in turn, the movies that do get the top awards are movies with limited appeal to the mass audience as a whole. There is no vested interest in who wins when the majority of people have never seen the movies that are nominated - nor are they likely to watch them after the awards show.
I feel the same way with the top award books. The teenagers don't have a vested interest in the books so they don't really care who wins. Nor are they likely to check out a book simply because it has won an award. No matter how much it is promoted.
Brenda Lemon District Librarian Chapman School District Chapman Kansas 67431 blemon_at_473mail.net
type="text/html";
Received on Mon 20 Aug 2012 10:14:06 AM CDT
Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2012 10:14:06 -0500
I would like to answer Charles with my own personal observations concerning the decline in award books getting much attention.
I have seen the emphasize on reading an award book decline for a variety of reasons. One issue is that there is not the focus on Newbery, Caldecott, King and Printz award books being discussed in classroom instruction due primarily to lack of time and the focus on other areas. Librarians are being cut from schools all over the United States as school budget cuts keep coming. The classroom teachers are not trained in providing the same type of instruction that a certified librarian. Added to the mix is the narrow focus on only covering "what is on the test" whether it be State Assessments or the Common Core Standards.
The other reason I see a decline is with the type of books that are often chosen for the awards. Often times, the books chosen have great appeal to adults but not that much of an appeal to the students. Many of the recently chosen books just sit on the shelf while other titles such as Hunger Games and City of Bones continue to circulate strongly. Why? In my opinion, it is because teens like to read books that their friends are reading. And after a long day of intensive school assignments, assigned classical reading, and other extra-curricular activities - students want a book that is simply fun to read.
This discussion also reminds me of an article I read in Entertainment Weekly talking about how the number of people watching the Movie Award Shows such as the Oscars was declining. One of the primary reasons given was in the movies that are selected. That most of the block-buster movies are never selected for any of the big titles even if they are exceptionally made. So in turn, the movies that do get the top awards are movies with limited appeal to the mass audience as a whole. There is no vested interest in who wins when the majority of people have never seen the movies that are nominated - nor are they likely to watch them after the awards show.
I feel the same way with the top award books. The teenagers don't have a vested interest in the books so they don't really care who wins. Nor are they likely to check out a book simply because it has won an award. No matter how much it is promoted.
Brenda Lemon District Librarian Chapman School District Chapman Kansas 67431 blemon_at_473mail.net
type="text/html";
Received on Mon 20 Aug 2012 10:14:06 AM CDT
