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Chapter Book survey
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From: Wendie C. Old <wendieold_at_me.com>
Date: Thu, 02 May 2013 06:43:33 -0700
(warning – long post) I am a retired children’s librarian and a writer of children’s books who is currently working on an MFA. For my thesis project, I am interested in writing about the history of “chapter books.”
I first discovered children (and parents) coming into the library and requesting this type of book around the turn of the century – 2000 and beyond. The term “Chapter book” confused me because all novels at a certain reading level have chapters. (and so do lots of nonfiction.) What the heck?
Considering they were first or second graders, at first I offered them any of the beginner books that contained chapters, like Frog and Toad. (nope, too easy) I eventually discovered that this was a new term in education (and publishing?) for what we in the library had been calling, ‘transitional books.”
I’d like pick your brains to track down the exact dates when these terms began being used and what they were called at the time and when did YOU first hear them being used?
1. When were ‘transitional books’ first published to help children move from learning the alphabet to actually reading books, and what they were called at the time? (Were such things being printed for children in the 1800s? earlier? I am aware of them being available in the mid to late 1900s, but what did children use in the early 1900s?)
2. When did the term ‘Chapter books’ begin being used by publishers and educators? Which group used it first?
3. Do you know of any print sources I could use to study this aspect of publishing/ education terminology?
Also, you please define what you think Chapter Books are they are aimed at
did you first notice kids were specifically asking for "chapter books?" (earlier they had been asking for "longer books" or "second/ third grade books," but now they ask for "chapter books.")
-- For many years in my life as a children’s librarian it was third graders who were struggling to move into longer books and were asking for “skinny books.” When did they change from being third grade books to first grade books? (My granddaughter read Junie B. Jones at the end of kindergarten in 2006.)
are they different from middle grade novels? else you've noticed about chapter books as a certain "type" of book.
Please also include permission to quote you in my paper. To avoid clogging up the email list, feel free to reply to wendieold_at_me.com
Much, much thanks. Wendie Old http://blog.wendieold.com
Received on Thu 02 May 2013 06:43:33 AM CDT
Date: Thu, 02 May 2013 06:43:33 -0700
(warning – long post) I am a retired children’s librarian and a writer of children’s books who is currently working on an MFA. For my thesis project, I am interested in writing about the history of “chapter books.”
I first discovered children (and parents) coming into the library and requesting this type of book around the turn of the century – 2000 and beyond. The term “Chapter book” confused me because all novels at a certain reading level have chapters. (and so do lots of nonfiction.) What the heck?
Considering they were first or second graders, at first I offered them any of the beginner books that contained chapters, like Frog and Toad. (nope, too easy) I eventually discovered that this was a new term in education (and publishing?) for what we in the library had been calling, ‘transitional books.”
I’d like pick your brains to track down the exact dates when these terms began being used and what they were called at the time and when did YOU first hear them being used?
1. When were ‘transitional books’ first published to help children move from learning the alphabet to actually reading books, and what they were called at the time? (Were such things being printed for children in the 1800s? earlier? I am aware of them being available in the mid to late 1900s, but what did children use in the early 1900s?)
2. When did the term ‘Chapter books’ begin being used by publishers and educators? Which group used it first?
3. Do you know of any print sources I could use to study this aspect of publishing/ education terminology?
Also, you please define what you think Chapter Books are they are aimed at
did you first notice kids were specifically asking for "chapter books?" (earlier they had been asking for "longer books" or "second/ third grade books," but now they ask for "chapter books.")
-- For many years in my life as a children’s librarian it was third graders who were struggling to move into longer books and were asking for “skinny books.” When did they change from being third grade books to first grade books? (My granddaughter read Junie B. Jones at the end of kindergarten in 2006.)
are they different from middle grade novels? else you've noticed about chapter books as a certain "type" of book.
Please also include permission to quote you in my paper. To avoid clogging up the email list, feel free to reply to wendieold_at_me.com
Much, much thanks. Wendie Old http://blog.wendieold.com
Received on Thu 02 May 2013 06:43:33 AM CDT
