Chapter 1: Why do we share literature with children?
Summary:
Sharing Literature with kids is first about having fun. Reading books aloud to captivate your audience with voice fluctuation, and even puppets can introduce students to a love of books. Another way to captivate a child's interest is to get them interested in things they can easily relate to school, holidays, animals, families, princesses, dinosaurs, etc. Books develop both early language acquisition skills as well as language development. Reading to children from birth through age five is the most significant vocabulary development time for our students. Building language development is enormous, especially in the United States. The United States is one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world. Though the US has no official language, English is the most common language spoken. It is vital for all students, native and non-native speakers, to be exposed to language daily.
Reading for as little as 20 minutes a day, the equivalent of reading 1-2 picture books before bed or during bath time, is proven to have a massive impact on vocabulary and language development. Students who read for 20 minutes per day also outscore others on standardized tests. Sharing literature also develops empathy. Empathy is hard to teach; you must learn this by experiencing it. Students can easily relate to emotions because they have experienced that emotion before in their life. However, to have empathy, students must be able to make connections to characters and genuinely feel what they are feeling in that situation beyond the outward emotion. Having feelings allows the student to be able to make connections to friends' real-life experiences, "I know what you are going through." Supporting life long readers. Helping students find books they will love, whether it is a particular genre, book series, or serial reader, one who reads specific authors or subjects that pique their interest. It is essential to be able to match a student with their interest to help motivate the child to continue with their reading. Supporting a reader can also mean providing a "mirror" or "window." Autobiographies are a "mirror," reading about people like us so we can see ourselves in a book. Vicarious experiences are the "window," reading about people different than us so we can see what life is like for them. Philosophical reading helps students to gather facts from various points of view to develop their own opinions on topics such as religion, laws, and rules. One of the most important things we can't forget is to read for aesthetic experience. Reading for the pure joy of reading. Students may want to read down levels when they pick a book or read a book that is more challenging because they enjoy the topic. Allowing free choice of a book will also support and promote a love of Literature.
Reflection:
My love of Literature was one of my main reasons for taking the next steps to become a Librarian. As a teacher, my students excel in their knowledge of Literature because of my love and support of reading. I have a vast classroom library full of various adventures the students could embark on at any time. I would make sure to read the books before I would place them in my classroom library. I love seeing what books the students gravitate to, and I would add more books to my library based on their interest. I have learned that if you make reading fun, the students will enjoy it and not feel obligated to read. My goal is to have a classroom full of aesthetic readers.
Chapter 2: Divisions of Young People's Literature
Summary:
Young People's Literature is divided into four different categories.
Category 1: Children's Literature, these books are generally for ages zero to eight. This category includes picture books, easy readers, illustrated chapter books, early chapter books, and novels. While the age guidelines are general, I like the idea of using picture books with older students. Easy readers are an excellent resource for students who do not speak English.
Category 2: " Middle Grade.", these books are generally for ages eight to twelve and include graphic novels and novels. Middle grade is not the same as in middle school. These books may consist of romance and other issues students in this age bracket may be facing.
Category 3: "Young Adult." The books in this category are generally for ages thirteen to eighteen. Novel plots usually involve tougher issues and bad language. Graphic novels are a popular type of young adult books. These books tend to deal with gender identity, rap, sex, intimacy, and many other issues teenagers may be facing.
Category 4:" New Adult." This division category was created in 2009. These books are generally for ages eighteen to thirty. The novels in this category deal with characters who are older than those in Young Adult books. The issues in these books are more complex and may include starting a career, college, sexual relationships, and more adult matters without parental supervision.
Reflection:
It is essential to know which books fit into each of the four different categories and which types of books appeal to young people. The age levels are approximate, so there may be some overlap. As a librarian, it is essential to know your students and their reading ability. This can be done through building relationships and listening to the students talk about other books they have read. Guiding students to a book that interest then and is within their readability is important.
Chapter 3: Anatomy of a book
Summary:
A book goes beyond the cover. There are many layers to a book. The endpapers are the first two sheets of paper at the beginning and end of the books. They often offer colorful or a design insight into the preview of the book. Hardcover books with jackets usually have a unique cover called a casewrap underneath the book jacket. These can offer a curious reader a glimpse further into the story. For the most part, books have white edges, called book block, but they can be specially designed with colors and patterns to draw in readers. These books would be best displayed in a way to showcase these book blocks, to show off their silver mirror like image, or colorful patterns. The gutter, the blank space on the inner margins that separates the binding from the printing area, is also followed by the headband which provides decorative textile to fill the gap between the cover and the spine. The backbone of a book connects the front and back cover, also known as the spine. Many publishers create mock-ups to help promote new books or even new covers. Sometimes these mock-ups are used to help provide pictures of the book covers to pre-sell copies of books or also help companies such as Follett and Scholastic produce their school flyers for upcoming books to their bookfair. Books made in large circulation or that are marketed to libraries use saddle stitch. This is a method in which books are bound together in booklets with the stitching done through the middle of the folded sheets. F & G, fold and gather, is a book that has remained unbounded. This is often done to allow illustrators to work freely on their artistic creations.
Reflection:
This chapter helped me understand the books in my school library. My school library has only been opened for two years, but some books have been read many times. The books come back with spines broken, and pages ripped out. Even though I go over taking care of books all the time our school is a Primary campus which teaches three-five years old children. Many books on our campus are not " library bound" books and are not made for large circulation. This is something I need to keep in mind when I get my library and have to purchase books. I need to make sure I purchase books that are made for large circulation.
Chapter 4: Genres and Formats
Summary:
Books fall into two genres: Fiction and Non-Fiction. Everything else is a sub-genre. From these specific genres, there are different subcategories or subjects that books can be categorized into Fiction has two sub-genres Realism and Fantasy. Realism includes historical and realistic: Modern contemporary. Fantasy breaks down into traditional, then folktale, fairy tale, myth, legend, fable, and ballad. On the other side of fantasy, you have the modern side: hard science fiction, high fantasy, soft science fiction, and low fantasy. Non-fiction has its subcategory: Information which has its subcategories and subjects. Information consists of biography, narrative non-fiction, and expository non-fiction. Expository non-fiction is your facts and information written down often with pictures to help with comprehension — narrative non-fiction, which is still informational but written in a story format. Learning facts and information takes place within the eyes of the character and plot of the story. Biography is broken up into two topics: autobiography which is a story of a person throughout the span of their lifetime and memoir which is a focus on a particular person and a portion of time of their life. Then we have subjects such as chick-lit, mystery, guy reads, sports fiction, horror, paranormal, war, action, adventure, and humor. These are extras because they are not considered genres.
Reflection:
This chapter had a lot of valuable information in it that I did not know. Learning that there are only two genres, fiction, and non-fiction, and the rest, are subcategories of the genre was mind-blowing. Being able to see the visuals helped me understand the divisions much better. If I had a choice on which way I would arrange my library, I would want it to be fiction and non-fiction because it is easier to star with students barely learning the basics of finding books. To me, genre-fying books mean many categories to create and how do you know what category it should go with. This chapter was very informative.
Chapter 5: What is YA literature?
Summary:
Mertz and England did a study in 1983. They state that Young Adult Literature has ten defining characteristics. These include:
1: The protagonist is a young adult.
2. The story is told through the perspective of a young adult, and therefore subject to adolescent interpretation of the events of the plot.
3. The story has direct expository sections and direct confrontation.
4. The protagonist and other main characters change significantly.
5. The protagonist is not a stereotype but thinks and acts independently.
6. The growth or change in the protagonist is gradual and reveals itself through the plot.
7. Contemporary issues are explored in the novel.
8. Whatever consequences happen as a result of the protagonist's choices, he or she has to deal with those consequences.
9. The story is usually set in a particular time and place, but the characters are fully developed.
10. Most importantly, the novel mirrors how adolescents develop, both physically and emotionally.
Reflection:
I find myself being drawn into YA literature. I could easily relate to the characters, either as myself or through classmates who I felt resemble that particular character. I enjoy getting lost in a book and the feeling of being apart of their life. I learned many lessons through the characters' decisions, actions, and consequences. I was always looking for the next book to open up and read. I would have to say without these ten defining characteristics; books would not be so exciting.
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