Challenged Book Procedure

I think it is important to have a Challenged Book Procedure in place from the beginning. It is always best to plan for issues before they arise. My dad always told me, "Fail to plan and you'll plan to fail." This silly little saying is so true! It's a great idea to know how you will handle a challenged book in your library before you're faced with that issue. By planning for this, you are more likely to be able to put the challenger's mind at rest than if you have no plan at all.

It's important for librarians to be familiar with books that are frequently challenged and why those books are challenged. Being aware of these books, will help librarians avoid issues with challenged books. 

Below is a link to ALA's list of frequently challenged books:

http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/21stcenturychallenged 

Fantasy

I think young adults are drawn to read fantasy books because it offers an escape from reality. Young adults face so much stress and pressures, reading gives them an escape from this. Fantasy novels are typically read for enjoyment, another reason young adults are drawn to this genre. I recently read some fantasy books for young adults. I asked some high school students what their favorite fantasy book were. Below are the most popular responses I received. 

                                           

Cultural Diversity

It is so important for children to be exposed to cultural diversity. One way to comfortably expose children to this is through books! I think culturally diverse books provide children with the knowledge and the mentality to be tolerant of others and to care for others. Teachers can use culturally diverse books to teach almost every character education trait. 

I recently read two culturally diverse books! 

Esperanza Rising and Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. I enjoyed both of them!

Historical Fiction versus Information Text

As I stated in an earlier post, I read a historical fiction book about slavery, Future Slave. I also read several informational books about slavery. The historical fiction book was very close to how the informational books described the times. I think as long as the HF book is accurate, that is an excellent way to connect students' interest to informational text. As I read historical fiction, I often wonder if certain events are true. I find myself looking up this information in informational text. I know if I make this connection, so will some students. As a media specialist it's important to help the students who do not automatically make that connection.

Vardell's Take on Historical Fiction and Informational Text

Vardell states that historical fiction can be one of the hardest genres to promote to young readers. I, personally, have never been a fan of historical fiction. Historical fiction is described as being fiction with a setting that is historical. There is no specific time frame that text is considered to be historical or not. Vardell points out that well-written HF contains: compelling characters, engaging plots, and meaningful themes. HF should give the reader a sense of participation in the past events. There are many types of historical fiction: US History, World History, Historical Series, Historical Picture Books, and Blending Genres.

Vardell gives very important criteria for evaluating historical fiction. The categories are characters, plot, setting, theme, style, and stereotyping. The reader should be able to identify with the protagonist of the story. The characters of the story should be doing realistic things from that time period. The plot should also be accurate to the time period. The setting of historical fiction text should be vividly described, according to Vardell. The theme of the story should reflect the attitudes, values, and morals of the times, but also be relevant to today. Since these often differ so greatly, this is often a challenge. The style of writing should capture the times with the dialect or language pattern of people from that time. Vardell also warns about selecting text with offensive stereotypes. As times change, so do attitudes. What once was okay and a general mindset of people, can now be highly offensive.

Informational text is described as nonfiction text. There are several types of informational books: survey books, photo essays, concept books, social histories, informational storybooks, activity books, trivia books, series books and reference tools, magazines, and more! Vardell suggests the following categories to be taken into consideration when evaluating informational text: accuracy, organization, design, and style. The way the text is organized is important. Since informational books aren't always read entirely, it's important that the text is organized.The design of the book helps make the book more appealing to readers.  The style of the book is what takes if from being just a list of facts to an interesting collection of information.

Historical fiction books and informational books are both important parts of a media collection. Both genres provide an excellent opportunity for teachers to integrate each genre into the classroom!

And Tango Makes Three

And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell

I just finished reading And Tango Makes Three. I thought this book was a cute book. 

The illustrations, by Henry Cole, are absolutely beautiful. 

I can see why this book would be considered controversial. It is the story of a small penguin family at the zoo. Tango, the baby penguin, is the first penguin at the zoo with two daddies.

I can also see the positive side of this book. This would be a good way to explain or introduce a child to homosexuality. Although, our beliefs do not always align with the beliefs of others, we still have to love those individuals. This book could be used as a gateway to teach tolerance and many other character education traits that are important. Many students in our school systems are growing up with two mommies or two daddies. It is now much more common for children to live a life like Tango. So as times change, we have to change with them. 

While this book is controversial, it is often still included in several public and elementary libraries. 

Historical Fiction and Informational Text

Historical fiction and informational text are two important components to teaching history effectively. Using historical fiction often helps students be able to relate to the material easier. The book Future Slave by Pandra Seluvanov  is a fictional book about slavery. Although it is fictional, it is realistic and would provide an opportunity for students to understand slavery from the viewpoint of a teenager. Using informational text is a great way to reinforce reading skills while teaching students history. Informational text can be used in any phase of the lesson. I personally, think it  works great as an extension of the lesson. I love to have a broad topic selected, and allow students to find a nonfiction book under that topic umbrella and venture out to research on their own. 

Here's the link to Future Slave by Pandra Seluvanov

At this time, it is only available as a Kindle edition.

(http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Pandra%20Selivanov&search-alias=digital-text&sort=relevancerank)

Man of Steel v. The Giver

If you have not read The Giver and plan to- stop reading now.

If you have not seen Man of Steel and plan to- stop reading now. 

I watched the new Superman movie tonight... and as I was watching it, I thought of The Giver. Now, it's been a while since I read The Giver, and I'm not a huge Superman guru- so be patient. 

Without going into too much detail...

In the movie, Kal is given a choice to save his "people" or save Earth. The planet Kal was born on, Krypton, reminds me of the world described in The Giver. On Krypton, babies are born with a predetermined destiny, or purpose for their planet. Just as Jonas was chosen to be the Receiver of Memory. In the book, Jonas is given a choice- to change the world. In the movie, Kal is given the same choice. 

I just found it interesting that two seemingly unrelated pieces could be so similar. 

A year ago, none of this would have crossed my mind- I guess some of this Library Media stuff is sinking in after all! :) 

Challenged Books

According to ALA:

A challenge is defined as a formal, written complaint, filed with a library or school requesting that materials be removed because of content or appropriateness. The number of challenges reflects only incidents reported. We estimate that for every reported challenge, four or five remain unreported. Therefore, we do not claim comprehensiveness in recording challenges.

A book can be challenged, but not banned. Challenging a book is just attempting to remove the book from the collection.

Here's the Top Ten of 2012 List:

Out of 464 challenges as reported by the Office for Intellectual Freedom

1. Captain Underpants (series), by Dav Pilkey.
   Reasons: Offensive language, unsuited for age group
2. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie.
   Reasons: Offensive language, racism, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group
3. Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher.
   Reasons: Drugs/alcohol/smoking, sexually explicit, suicide, unsuited for age group
4. Fifty Shades of Grey, by E. L. James.
   Reasons: Offensive language, sexually explicit
5. And Tango Makes Three, by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson.
   Reasons: Homosexuality, unsuited for age group
6. The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini.
   Reasons: Homosexuality, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit
7. Looking for Alaska, by John Green.
   Reasons: Offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group
8. Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz
   Reasons: Unsuited for age group, violence
9. The Glass Castle, by Jeanette Walls
   Reasons: Offensive language, sexually explicit
10. Beloved, by Toni Morrison
    Reasons: Sexually explicit, religious viewpoint, violence

Some of the books on this list, in my opinion, should be challenged. When Fifty Shades of Grey was published, I must admit, I began reading it. It seemed like everywhere I went the book was being promoted in some form. I began reading this book, and had to stop. I attend a very relaxed Baptist church, yet my preacher still felt so strongly about this book that he preached an entire sermon about it. I heard several ladies talking about buying a Kindle- just to read this book. They were too ashamed for anyone to see them physically holding the book. As a general rule of thumb- if you're too ashamed to hold the book, you probably shouldn't be reading it! I think this book offers women an escape, and that is why it is so appealing to them.

Other books, such as the Captain Underpants series, seem okay to me. There comes a point in a child's life, that they have to know right from wrong. It is the job of parents and other adults, to instill values in the children. All of my life, I knew right from wrong, and I never let a book influence my choices in a negative way.

I think it is SO IMPORTANT that parents or guardians be involved in their child's reading interests. As a parent, if you do not feel comfortable with your child reading a book, you need to do what you feel is right. On the other hand, at some point, that child will have to make decisions for themselves.

Again, all of this is a matter of opinion. Each family's values and beliefs will influence they way they feel about this topic.

Edwards Award Winning Author- S.E. Hinton

I chose S.E. Hinton from the list of Edwards Award Winning Authors because I love her work! I love the realistic approach that she takes. I think she provides students with literature that they can relate to and love. I also found it exciting that she was the first recipient of the award! 

Directly from www.ala.org: 

Susan Eloise Hinton is the first recipient of the YASD/ SLJ Author Achievement Award. This award was created to honor an author whose work has been taken to heart by young adults over a period of years, providing an "authentic voice that continues to illuminate their experiences and emotions, giving insight into their lives." S.E. Hinton's books have shown, over the past twenty-one years, the "lasting ability to speak to the young adult experience, to help reader to become more aware of themselves and of the world around them."

In presenting this award to S.E. Hinton for The Outsiders; That Was Then This Is Now; Rumble Fish and Tex, the Young Adult Services Division recognizes that these books provide a window through which young adults can view their world. In them a young adult may explore the need for independence and simultaneously the need for loyalty and belonging, the need to care for others, and the need to be cared for by them.

In recognition of her outstanding contribution to literature for young adults, we present the first Young Adult Services Division/School Library Journal Author Achievement Award to S.E. Hinton.

Author Study

I have spent several hours studying three exceptional authors! Below are some of the most popular books by these authors! Eric Carle typically writes and illustrates children's picture books. Kate DiCamillo writes children's fictional literature, usually easy chapter books or novels. Both of their books often focus around animals, a love of most children. S.E. Hinton is a different type of writer. Although she writes books geared for young adults, some of her books have been banned from school. She writes from a realistic point of view and that is sometimes frowned upon. Her books do not always end with a "happy ending."
I have read books by all of these authors and find them all three to be phenomenal!

Eric Carle

Kate DiCamillo

S.E. Hinton

The Power of Books

Storyline Online

I came across this really cool website and wanted to share!
It's called Storyline Online and it streams videos featuring famous people reading children's books aloud.
Click HERE! to go to the website! 

“Requirements for Healthy Development of Adolescent Youth”

I just finished reading "Requirements for Healthy Development of Adolescent Youth." I felt like this article repeated itself over and over. The article states, "Two approaches to recommendations were considered: (1) giving attention individually to each system in which adolescents live and move--educational, family, work, discretionary time, correctional, and governmental; (2) looking at the total picture and thinking in terms of remedial or rectifying programs and research efforts. The second approach was agreed upon, chiefly because each system is so closely related to other systems that any program, to be effective, necessarily would have to involve more than one system." From what I gather, the article is focusing on the facts that we need to focus our attention that we give students where it is needed most, otherwise the students are less likely to develop into well rounded individuals. 

Champion Booktalker

I've met a person whom I consider to be a champion booktalker. I would consider my high school librarian to be a champion booktalker. She knows me very well and is very familiar with my reading preferences. She is very familiar with most of the books in her library and has a gift of recommending them for certain individuals. 

The First Part Last

I just finished reading The First Part Last by Angela Johnson. I really enjoyed this book. It's the story of a young couple, Nia and Bobby, and the birth of their baby girl, Feather. The story describes the hardships that the family faces. Working with young adults on a daily basis made this book touch my heart. I think The First Part Last makes it easy for young adults to relate their lives to the story. Self to text connections often make the story that much sweeter! Johnson does an excellent job of portraying the truth that so many young adults live. 

Technology Tools of the Future

What's coming, technologically speaking, to the library world? Well, personally, I believe we're already on our way to having only cyberlibraries. I think with the advancement of technology and the speed that it's advancing, we'll be there quicker than we think! 
There are many technology tools coming to the library! This is scary and exciting, at the same time! We are starting to see more automated check out stations, more online resources, and definitely more e-books! At any given time, I have at least one type of technology with me. I always have access to my e-books! I absolutely love how easy it is now to have all of the reading material I need with me at all times! 

Young Adults Reading Preferences

After interviewing young adults about their reading preferences, I realized that their preferences are really ALL over the place! That shows me that as a librarian it is really important to have all types of books and resources. I did find repeat answers of Nicholas Sparks as a favorite author and some of Sparks's books as their favorite titles. Typically, the boys seemed to be more interested in informational text verses the girls having a heart for novels. 

My Favorite Illustrators

I've recently been exploring more children's book illustrators. I think illustrations can really make a story. Even through my exploration of new illustrators, Eric Carle is still my all time favorite! I love that Carle's work is simple enough for children to recreate their own rendition. I have personally use several of Carle's techniques with my class and they loved it! I think it allows students to believe that they could be as successful as Carle. 

I am also extremely impressed by Robert Sabuda's pop-up books! What an excellent way to get children excited about reading! The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland are two of my favorite books by Sabuda. If you have a young reader in your life, I would definitely suggest exposing them to Sabuda's artwork. Even as an adult, I love to soak up the details of Sabuda's work!

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

I just finished reading The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick! What a great book! I really enjoyed reading it! I could definitely see my students enjoying and loving this book. At first glance, it looks very overwhelming- it is a verrrrry thick book! While skimming through the book, I quickly realized it had several beautiful black and white illustrations, making it not quite so intimidating. I think it is absolutely brilliant that there isn't any color throughout the book. 
My dad's parents were both gone by the time he was 12 years old. So, this story hit home with me in a way. My dad has told me stories about adventures he had as a young boy, without parents around to lasso him. While I was reading Hugo's story, I couldn't help but imagine my dad as a young man. I think this book will allow various types of readers to make a personal connection. I love the surprise ending that Selznick presents! Without spoiling any of the surprises along the way, I'll say that this book is a must-read! 

Sneaky Semester!

Here we go! It's the start of a new semester!!! I have been so busy writing IEPs, testing, and preparing for cheer competition in June, this semester doesn't seem like it should be here yet! I have downloaded some new books to my kindle, and I am really excited to start reading them!

I'm currently updating my Shelfari and trying to get more familiar with how to use it! I am committed to keeping my blog and Shelfari up to date this semester!