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More Use of Trade Books
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From: Gardow, Pamela <pgardow_at_ecasd.k12.wi.us>
Date: Mon, 09 Jun 2014 10:54:15 -0500
One of the ways we use to increase opportunities for students to read trade nonfiction is through book talks. For the past 12 years, the reading specialist and I have been encouraging teachers across the curriculum to incorporate "student choice" in an assignment where the students select their own book to read. After years of talking about the value of choice, almost all our English teachers schedule a book talk each semester. Sometimes they specify only nonfiction or only fiction, but often they ask for a mix of fiction and nonfiction. In addition we have had luck book talking a mix of fiction and nonfiction for various history classes, using themes or time periods in history, for psychology classes using themes of study, etc.
All freshman English classes have one book talk that is completely nonfiction, and I am always looking for high interest and niche interest nonfiction books that will appeal to "selective" readers. (Thanks! I, too, love that term. It takes the stigma away from readers who have very focused interests.) When the library provides a great variety of books that teens find interesting and stimulating, it takes the financial and selection onus from the classroom teacher, and also serves the need to differentiate reading and maturity levels as well as interest levels. I expect the focus on great nonfiction reads to expand as teachers work to incorporate common core. I hope the role of the school library continues to increase as well.
Offering great nonfiction reads through enthusiastic book talks helps all readers find books that suit their interests. I am grateful to all the YALSA book awards and book lists that make me aware of high caliber and teen friendly nonfiction. I also love the Alex Awards and am so happy they recognize nonfiction books that specifically appeal to teens. In addition, though, I scour reviews and best seller lists of adult nonfiction for addition of books like The Humor Code: a global search for what makes things funny by Peter McGraw and Joel Warner, and The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown and Zero: the biography of a dangerous idea by Charles Seife. (Happy to have a math book in the mix!)
One other category that I seek out is graphic novel nonfiction. Great graphic novels like Stitches by David Small, My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf, March by John Lewis, and Relish: my life in the kitchen by Lucy Kingsley fill another interest/reading preference area. I hope graphic novels that fill certain curricular areas but which are also very appealing to teens (Science: a discovery in comics by Margreet de Heer, and Uncle Sam presents the great American documents by Ruth Ashby) will flourish and inspire others.
We regularly encourage parents to check out books from the school library, since seeing their parents read is a powerful message to teens. Perhaps this will also help generate crossover readers for YA nonfiction as we've seen with Steve Sheinkin's Bomb. All of these factors, hopefully, will convince the publishing world to take more opportunities to fill school, library, and popular interest for nonfiction.
Pam
Pamela A. Gardow, Librarian Memorial High School Teen Literacy Initiative Authors in the Schools Chippewa Valley Book Festival 2225 Keith St. Eau Claire, WI 54701 715-852-6309
From: Lionel Bender [mailto:lionheart.brw_at_btinternet.com]
Why teachers don't use the trade books could be because those books are expensive and trade publishers might not give discounts to schools and libraries in the same way that educational publishers do. And possibly because those book require more input from the teacher to bring out their qualities to a typical classroom of kids. But I agree, those great trade nonfiction books should be used by more teachers and purchased for more kids. And if parents and grandparents still buy books for youngsters, or kids buy books for one another, those great trade nonfiction books make great gifts.
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Received on Mon 09 Jun 2014 10:54:53 AM CDT
Date: Mon, 09 Jun 2014 10:54:15 -0500
One of the ways we use to increase opportunities for students to read trade nonfiction is through book talks. For the past 12 years, the reading specialist and I have been encouraging teachers across the curriculum to incorporate "student choice" in an assignment where the students select their own book to read. After years of talking about the value of choice, almost all our English teachers schedule a book talk each semester. Sometimes they specify only nonfiction or only fiction, but often they ask for a mix of fiction and nonfiction. In addition we have had luck book talking a mix of fiction and nonfiction for various history classes, using themes or time periods in history, for psychology classes using themes of study, etc.
All freshman English classes have one book talk that is completely nonfiction, and I am always looking for high interest and niche interest nonfiction books that will appeal to "selective" readers. (Thanks! I, too, love that term. It takes the stigma away from readers who have very focused interests.) When the library provides a great variety of books that teens find interesting and stimulating, it takes the financial and selection onus from the classroom teacher, and also serves the need to differentiate reading and maturity levels as well as interest levels. I expect the focus on great nonfiction reads to expand as teachers work to incorporate common core. I hope the role of the school library continues to increase as well.
Offering great nonfiction reads through enthusiastic book talks helps all readers find books that suit their interests. I am grateful to all the YALSA book awards and book lists that make me aware of high caliber and teen friendly nonfiction. I also love the Alex Awards and am so happy they recognize nonfiction books that specifically appeal to teens. In addition, though, I scour reviews and best seller lists of adult nonfiction for addition of books like The Humor Code: a global search for what makes things funny by Peter McGraw and Joel Warner, and The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown and Zero: the biography of a dangerous idea by Charles Seife. (Happy to have a math book in the mix!)
One other category that I seek out is graphic novel nonfiction. Great graphic novels like Stitches by David Small, My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf, March by John Lewis, and Relish: my life in the kitchen by Lucy Kingsley fill another interest/reading preference area. I hope graphic novels that fill certain curricular areas but which are also very appealing to teens (Science: a discovery in comics by Margreet de Heer, and Uncle Sam presents the great American documents by Ruth Ashby) will flourish and inspire others.
We regularly encourage parents to check out books from the school library, since seeing their parents read is a powerful message to teens. Perhaps this will also help generate crossover readers for YA nonfiction as we've seen with Steve Sheinkin's Bomb. All of these factors, hopefully, will convince the publishing world to take more opportunities to fill school, library, and popular interest for nonfiction.
Pam
Pamela A. Gardow, Librarian Memorial High School Teen Literacy Initiative Authors in the Schools Chippewa Valley Book Festival 2225 Keith St. Eau Claire, WI 54701 715-852-6309
From: Lionel Bender [mailto:lionheart.brw_at_btinternet.com]
Why teachers don't use the trade books could be because those books are expensive and trade publishers might not give discounts to schools and libraries in the same way that educational publishers do. And possibly because those book require more input from the teacher to bring out their qualities to a typical classroom of kids. But I agree, those great trade nonfiction books should be used by more teachers and purchased for more kids. And if parents and grandparents still buy books for youngsters, or kids buy books for one another, those great trade nonfiction books make great gifts.
****************************************************************************** This email was scanned for viruses at the gateway of the Eau Claire Area School District (ECASD). ECASD is in no way responsible for the content of this email or possible damage to your computer or network as a result of opening it or any attachments associated with it. (PM2)
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Received on Mon 09 Jun 2014 10:54:53 AM CDT
