Textbook Reflections (LSSL 5385)

Textbook Reflections
T. Lesesne
LSSL 5385- Summer 2018

Textbook Reflection I-V

Chapter I- Why do we share literature with children?

Summary

K. Perry and T. Lesesne (K&T) discuss the top five reasons why they believe we, as librarians, teachers, parents, and human beings, should share literature with children. The following are the top five:

1. For fun!
2. Aids life long language acquisition and development
3. Helps children develop empathy
4. Promotes life long readers
5. Develops imagination
6. Transmits culture

FUN! When reading becomes less of a task and more of a fun activity, the child is more apartment to engage. K&T mention it goes for grade level K-12, but also includes big children AKA adults. When K&T receive new books, they like to sort through them, look at the awards they received, and talk about the covers. All of these are important aspects in creating a fun way of learning because it involves the student to participate and explore a book without even opening it (which is normally half the struggle).

AIDING! There is a distinct difference between children who read and children who do not. A child who reads for twenty minutes a day learns over a million words in a year and is ranked in the 90th percentile. On the other hand, a child that reads for only one minute a day learns around eight thousand words a year and is ranked in the 20th percentile. These numbers tend to be put on a self recording basis. In other words, a child could say they read for one minute, when in reality they did not read at all, which is why their percentile scores can be so low. The largest accumulation of vocabulary growth occurs between birth and to the age of five years old, all before students enter a classroom. Reading must occur outside of the classroom and at a young age for students to be successful.

EMAPTHY! Not to be mixed with sympathy. Empathy is stronger than sympathy and allows kids to bond with each other as well as books. Empathy helps kids use prior knowledge to develop a sense of relation and connection towards one another.

LIFE LONG! Many key points were hit in this section including the idea of unconscious delight in series versus serial readers, living through vicarious experiences, speculation of philosophical thoughts, and aesthetic reasons.  The unconscious delight is what a student chooses to check out from a library. There are the "series readers" who go through any and every book published by one author, simply because they enjoy their work. An example given was Judy Bloom and how kids graduate from her children's books to adult books. Another example was the Among The Hidden series and how kids can create bonds with characters that they follow over a period of time. "Serial readers" are kids who come into the library and choose a book just to choose one. There is no method to their choice and they are often the children who do not truly enjoy reading because they are not taking the time to find a book they may actually enjoy. Vicarious experiences can occur through books rather than children experimenting in "edgy" ways and facing the consequences. Speculations over philosophical debates can occur from reading novels too. Kids are "heavy thinkers" and need to form their own opinions on ethical, religious, etc. viewpoints and pictures to develop their own feelings. This is where kids begin to ask themselves vital questions: "who am I?" or "what is my place in the world?" and even "why is the world the way it is?". The last reason is for the pure joy and pleasure of reading, the aesthetic means of reading. Effort is not needed as much and joy can replace that.

IMAGINATION! Imagination is aided by reading. During the space race, Russia took away books for pleasure and replaced them with books necessary in aiding the race. After some time, the level of inventions decreased because of the lack of interest sparked in books that allowed people to access their imagination. The window versus mirror idea comes to play here. A child can show books of themselves or ideas to others or they can look through a window and understand others. Imagination is a key part in learning and understanding.

CULTURE! Last but not least, reading and sharing literature allows children to transmit different cultures, ethnicities, traditions, norms, or something as simple as sports knowledge. A diversity of books must be provided to allow all cultures to be celebrated and honored. We tend to celebrate a specific culture during a specific time frame when, in reality, all cultures should be shared all the time, not just African American culture in February.

Reflection

When K&T started talking about the fun aspect of sharing literature, I had to pause the recording because I laughed so hard on the exercise snippet. But, I very much agree with that tidbit. I hate to exercise as much as the next couch potato, but when a trainer makes it fun, I am more inclined to want to participate.

Say It looks like a book I may need to purchase. It was interesting hearing the story exchange between K&T of the granddaughter who added silly words to her vocabulary because of how much they read the book.

I loved the Scholastic wheel at the book fair idea. I am a very visual individual and I know that would have really encouraged me to step up my game, if needed, at a younger age.

I did not disagree with a single thing talked about by K&T. All of the reasons shared with us seemed to hit the head of the nail with reasons and evidence why we should read to kids, ours or not, starting from day one.

Other Thoughts

We are introduced to K. Perry and T. Lesesne in a room overflowing with books. Both teachers seem to be having a discussion at a casual lunch rather than a lecture in a classroom. I prefer this style of teaching over the monotonous classroom setting. I have a feeling I will enjoy this class!

Chapter II- Divisions of Young People's Literature

Summary

K. Perry introduces us to young people's literature and the four major divisions associated with it.

1. Children's Literature
2. Middle Grade/Tween
3. Young Adult
4. New Adult

Children's literature covers the ages of zero to eight, middle grade/tween covers eight to twelve years, young adult covers thirteen to eighteen, and new adult covers eighteen to thirty years of age. Each category can flow into one another, but one must be careful to examine each book for more mature issues. For example, children's literature for eight year olds can be very different than that of the eight year old middle grade/tween books.

Children's literature (ages 0-8) includes the following types of books:

1. Easy readers such as The Princess Black
2. Picture Books
3. Wordless Picture Books
4. Illustrated Chapter Books
5. Early Chapter Books such as "Ramona Quinby" or books consisting of mostly text

Middle grade/tween (ages 8-12) books are not to be confused with middle school books. Middle school books are not considered a type or division of literature. Middle school books cater to students from the age group of eleven to thirteen years. Middle school books can contain edgier topics such as romance, coming of age, and other deeper or tougher issues. Middle grade books and middle school books can be extremely different and parents/teachers/librarians need to make sure the ideas in the book match the age group. You would not want an eight year old diving into a book about romance and transgenders if they are not ready for those topics yet. "Roller Girl" is a prime example of how tween books can flow over into middle school books.

Young adult (13-18) literature is geared towards a slightly older crowd, the later middle school to high schoolers. Most of the books in this division are not considered appropriate for middle school children. For example, "Grasshopper Jungle" has foul language in it, "First" has a focus on sex and intimacy, and "Nimona", a graphic novel, has tougher topics such as violence, foster care issues, and gambling. Librarians need to take special care in choosing books from this division to add to their library. Surprisingly enough, most young adult novels are purchased by adults.

The new adult (18-adult) division was not established until 2009 because of a writing contest held by St. Martin's Press. St. Martin's Press wanted a protagonist that was older than the young adult protagonists and one that could appeal to an adult audience. The issues in these books are far more edgy and complex than of any of the divisions mentioned above. Sex, intimacy for the first time, leaving for college, living away from a parent or guardian, and starting a new career are all ideas that could be mentioned in this division. The majority of these books are focused on and read by the mid twenty something group and are dealing with adult issues without the adult present. Books in this genre could be stand alone, series, or companion books where different characters are introduced in each book but within the same world. "Sweet Home" and "This is Falling" are both examples of companion books.

Reflection

I have always considered myself to be a bit more mature than my age group, and, because of that, my mother never really shielded me from books that I wanted to read. I remember going to Barnes and Noble and finding "A Child Called It" and immediately fell in love. I was ten at the time, a baby in middle school. I explained the book to my mom in great detail and interest, and she saw that I understood the themes and ideas in the book so she allowed me to get the rest of the series. A student of mine asked me about the book in December. I told her I had read it when I was about her age, and she mentioned how her older sister had read it awhile ago. She asked if I had the book, which I did, and pleaded to borrow it. I had no problem bringing it up, but I had her mom fill out a paper and sign it before allowing her to read it. She brought the paper back to me and, with a slight laugh, said her mom didn't care because her sister had already read it. I was not only proud of her for wanting to read something so adult, but I was extremely proud of the mother and how she knew exactly what her daughter was reading and who supplied the book.

I think parents need to be more involved with what their children are reading. If a parent researches a book or reads it before their child, it could be an excellent talking piece to ease into tougher topics like puberty, sex and intimacy, and other hard to bring up subjects. I remember before having "the talk" with my mom about periods and puberty, but before it occurred mom bought me a tween book over it. I read and reread every page in that book over and over again, and I was ready to speak to my mom about it without being as embarrassed. I was informed and able to articulate real questions as opposed to silly, girly questions while giggling. 

Other Thoughts

I now have a HUGE list of books I want to read from this video. Thanks Karin, now I have twenty-five plus some! 😼

Chapter III- Anatomy of a Book

The Book Itself

1. Endpapers: the two blank sheets of paper at the beginning and end of a book. Some have a fun design or pattern on them to intrigue the reader.
2. Casewrap: the underneath portion of a hardback book. These can be basic or laminated to add patterns, colors, or images for appeal.
3. Book Block: the main text or body of the book after all the signatures have been united.
4. Gutter: blank space that separates the binding from the area that is printed on.
5. Headband: the small textile bit at the top and bottom of the casebound book (not the hardcover jacket) to fill the gap.
6. Backbone: more known as the spine of the book, it connects the front and back cover of a book.

Additional Useful Vocabulary

1. Mock-up: earliest, fake version of the book that is made in-house; partially printed and do not always have every page, but offer good visuals for the finished product while it is being finalized in the production phase.
2. Format: for readers to interact with the product; examples include: guided journals, games, pencils, paper dolls, temporary tattoos, or anything to get the reader excited about the product.
3. Proof: press sheets printed before the binding to check if everything looks clear and accurate.
4. Saddle stitch: binding method to fasten books with stitches through the middle of the folded sheets of paper.
5. F&G: fold & gather; the unbound copy of the book; typically sent to illustrators for children's books.

Reflection

I was pretty surprised with how many of the vocabulary words I had already known. On the other hand, the additional vocabulary was the one that stumped me. I really liked the visuals on the website because I am a very visual learner. We had an author, Crystal Allen, visit our school this past year and she spoke to a few of the additional vocabulary words but in a more kid friendly way. I had a faint idea of the meanings, but being able to hear the dictionary version and the kid friendly version definitely made it easier.

Chapter IV- Genres and Formats

They Might Not Be What You Think

Summary

K. Perry introduces us to the idea that genres are not always mentioned properly and thrown around, but could be considered sub-genres, formats, or not genres at all.

Genres consist of two majors: fiction and nonfiction. Everything else is considered a sub-genre.

Fiction branches off into realism and fantasy. On the realism side, there is modern and contemporary realistic fiction and historical. Realism is realistic or historical. When you venture into fantasy, you are given many sub-genres that fall under the traditional division including, but not limited to, folktales, ballads, fables, legends, myths, and fairy tales (398.2). When the other side of fantasy is examined, you have the modern aspect. Examples include, but are not limited to, hard science fiction, soft science fiction, high fantasy, and low fantasy. Hard sci-fi is the type where science is the main aspect of the story, yet it still has a fictional aspect with scientific purposes. On the other hand, soft science fiction has science involved but the biggest aspect is the character. High fantasy is when worlds and languages have been created such as Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones. Low fantasy stories are more "down to Earth" and are recognized in a world we are familiar with, but still with impossible aspects such as talking animals and faeries such as Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The book by J.K. Rowling is located in the real world but includes very fantasy-like beings and ideas.

Nonfiction has informational books which include biographies, autobiographies, memoirs, narratives, and expositors. The difference between autobiographies and memoirs is the timeline it includes. Autobiographies are an entire life and memoirs are a portion of the timeline. Narratives are written in a way that is more story-like rather than straight facts being told like expository texts.

Subjects and categories such as chick lit, mystery, horror, sports fiction, action, war, classics, and so on are not considered genres. When a librarian is "genrefying" their library, they must be careful not to call them genres. Circulation has gone up in some libraries, but there are some major speculations as to why it is not beneficial.

There are a large amount of formats including poetry, drama, novels, chapter books, short stories, chapter books, graphic novels, and picture books. Some of these formats are listed as genres in a genrefied library, but these are formats not genres, and kids need to know the difference of the two.

Reflection

Something I have been doing incorrectly in my classroom is gentrifying my genres! I mention the fiction and nonfiction basics and important facts about each, but I also have been called other subgenres, such as fantasy and historical fiction, as a genre. I purchased some great, pre-laminted genre and subgenre posters that I now need to make into more of a flow chart than a full out wall spread. In the future, I need to be more careful on mentioning the difference between genres and subgenres. Once I call them what they are, I believe that they will better identify books in the library and find a category that they enjoy more so than another. Maybe they will become series readers from that new revelation. 

Chapter V- What is YA literature?

Summary

Young adult, YA, literature involves ten major aspects (as mentioned by Mertz & England in 1983).

1. Some form of a youthful protagonist.
1. Too old of a protagonist would bump the YA literature up to a new adult (NA) literature.
2. The point of view (POV) is shown through an adolescent's eyes.
1. Both their view and interpretation is used in the POV.
3. Both the exposition (setting, time, place, introduction of characters) and the direct confrontation (conflict: internal or external) are mentioned directly.
4. The main character/s, protagonist/s, is dynamic and a significant change occurs within them.
5. The protagonist is considered to be highly independent.
6. The protagonist/s show gradual and incremental change and a lack of complete growth.
7. Contemporary issues are concerns.
1. Contemporary issues can include drug use, drinking, coming of age, dating, beauty, and finding one's identity as a few examples.
8. All actions and decisions have consequences and the main character/s reaps them.
9. The time period is brief, the setting is limited, there are few fully developed characters.
1. The structural conventions are considered vague compared to NA literature.
10. Adolescent development has a large part of the novel.

Reflection

While I agree with most of the points above, I do believe the short list is a bit dated. The list was written by Mertz & England in 1983, well over my birth year. YA then and YA now are very different. The world has evolved and issues that were next to none in 1983 are considered commonplace in some areas. For example, drug use can be a tough thing to read and talk about in some areas, while in others, kids could have been surrounded by it their whole lives. So, to me, number seven (contemporary issues), is a bit dated and could be reworded a bit.

Textbook Reflections VI-X

Chapter VI- How do adolescents develop?

Summary

There is a few ways to learn and understand the importance of how children grow and develop. YA literature encompasses a few major aspects:

1. Intellectual
2. Moral
3. Developmental
4. Physical

The first aspect is the physical development and aspects. The big "p" word... puberty. The question that is often asked is, "am I normal?" Adolescents are physically developing, bodies are changing, and hormones are on the brink of explosion. There are tons of books to choose from to help YA learn about their transition from child to YA and assure them that they will survive and that they are normal.

Intellectual aspects are huge in the change during adolescents. John Piaget's research explained how kids progress from a sensory motor stage to a concrete operational stage and, finally, to a more formal operational stage. From concrete to abstract stages, the average age of change occurs at age ten on average. Students at a concrete stage can find it difficult to understand abstract ideas, making it hard for them to understand the themes and ideas of the book as a whole. Be sure to think about the questions you will ask the kids about the books to provide them to come to the conclusion of the themes and other abstract concepts. We need to think about where they are on the educational ladder to make sure their needs are met.

Havighurt is another researcher who focused on the developmental aspect. Development stages include, but are not limited to, learning to get along with peers, relationships with the opposite sex, working for payment, the change in relationships with their parents, finding a vacation, developing their own morals and set of values, adapting to their physical bodies as they change, and defining appropriate sex roles.

Peers shift in the adolescent stage due to age, gender, and location of the origin of their friendship. Peers then become friends who share mutual interests with. A loss of friends can occur when a child does not develop as quickly as others in their age group. Kids become aware of the differences between boys and girls, and they are able to differentiate the difference between a "girlfriend" and a "girl friend". Adolescents begin to ask what tasks they can complete for pay such as babysitting or mowing the lawn. A changing of relationship with their parents coincide with students learning to accept their new morals and values. A vacation is considered more of a calling in life whether it be a ballerina, basketball player, or artist, not a place to visit, but more of a place to get away and make a child happy and content. She jokingly compared her family member to a puppy and how they run into things and find it hard to adapt to their quickly growing bodies. Name calling and bullying can start to occur when a child does not fit into an appropriate sex role because of expectations shown and accepted in society. None of these happen over night and there is no order or means to it, it is a constant change.

Kohlberg, the next researcher, focused on three stages: pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional. He addresses how we see our morals and values as adolescents.

Pre-conventional stages are operated at as kids. Decisions are made from reward and punishment. Adults can work at this level too. For example, posted speed limits are rules, but some consider them guides until a cop is around. This is considered a reward.

Conventional is when one follows the rules.

We recognize the laws, but also that humanity is more important than the law under the post-conventional stage. A human life is more important than what we are supposed to do. Some people call this civil disobedience and it was seen during the Civil Rights Era when blacks and whites saw that what was occurring, though the law, was not right. Most people will step up to these moral obligations when the time occurs, but other people who do this can be considered saints or role models.  Kids seem to be less aware and understanding of this stage in their life.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs are shown in a pyramid. The pyramid shape is used because one can not go from the bottom to the top if each section is not met accordingly. You can progress up the triangle ladder until the previous section has been met. Many schools, including mine, have a free and reduced breakfast and lunch option for kids who cannot afford or obtain food for themselves at home. Without food, the most basic of all on the hierarchy, a student cannot climb the triangle ladder. 

We are introduced again to unconscious delight, developing empathy, finding mirrors versus windows, and the other topics mentioned in chapter one. Students are introduced to topics that fall under philosophical aspects such as The Giver and have to look at it through a window more so than in a mirror. All of the "cake" pieces are there to create life long readers. 

Reflection

Rosa Parks and the back of the bus movement example really hit me because my class read the novel The Watsons Go to Birmingham this past year. Before reading the book, I showed a mini lesson on the Civil Rights Era because most students at that age have not been formally introduced to the issues during that time frame. A student in every single class asked the question mentioned in the example. All I heard was why someone didn't do something. That post-conventual stage came into play. A few of my students could express how someone who stuck up for someone could be jailed or killed, while some of my other students could not comprehend the idea no matter how many times we went over it.

Chapter VII- Literary Elements

Summary

Literary Elements:

1. Antagonist: a character or group of characters that try to go against the protagonist; often referred to as the "bad guy", that is not always the case, especially if it is an inner conflict.
2. Character: an individual in a story; can be described directly or indirectly by the author; takes into account their inner and outer actions, thoughts, and dialogue.
3. Conflict: whether internal or external, the conflict is what is working against the protagonist.
4. Mood & Tone: mood is effected by the feelings a writer has towards their work, while the tone is effected by the attitude an author has towards a piece of the work.
5. Plot: the events that take course through a story; plots contain vital information to the story's development and focus on the outcome of the story in reference to the conflict.
6. Protagonist: considered the main character because he/she/it plays the central role in the work and is most involved with the conflict and its effects on the story.
7. Setting: the time, place, and mood of a story is established to help readers better understand how and why a story is taking place.
8. Theme: the overall subject of the piece that can occur throughout the work or mentioned briefly depending on the level of the theme's purpose; the theme is an idea or motif that provides insight into a work.

Literary Devices:

1. Allegory: a form of symbolism that has a meaning more abstract than the concept originally given.
2. Allusion: when an author refers to a subject as something other than itself; places, events, or in reference to another form of literary work can be mentioned in the text; the reader is required to make the connection mentioned.
3. Archetype: a reference to a concept, idea, person, or object that are used repetitively; these references are easily recognized and are used commonplace.
4. Deus ex machina: not recommended by most; when a new character or idea is introduced into a story to help reduce the conflict and to have the story end on a high note. 
5. Hyperbole: words or statements that over exaggerate what is actually being said; the point is to over stress the idea to make it seem larger than it really is.
6. Imagery: when an author evokes the reader's five senses to help them visualize the details taking place in the story; known to be one of the strongest of the literary devices.
7. Metaphor: a comparison, not using like or as, to convey meaning from one subject well known subject to another lesser known subject.
8. Motif: continues throughout a story to help reiterate the theme; it should not be something that has to be searched for, rather it should be easy to spot and understand.
9. Point of view: who the story teller is and how they decide to tell the story; point of view can change the way a reader feels about another character or idea; first person POV is told by the narrator; third person POV is told in a way that the narrator does not have any say in the events occurring in the story and no use of proper pronouns are used in first person.
10. Simile: using like or as to compare two things that are not related or similar; you can compare people, things, places, and even concepts; similes evoke special meanings to the comparison and elicit more feeling than it being simply stated.
11. Symbolism: hard to decipher at first, but becomes easier and easier as the story progresses; represents a place, person, idea, or concept by changing the aspect it is normally seen in

Reflection

While none of the above literary elements or devices were new to me, it was a good refresher to read the actual definition and put it into my own words. I feel like, as a teacher, we focus more on helping the student find the example instead of explaining the definition properly and letting them take the lead to find an example.

Chapter VIII- Awards

Summary

In the document provided, there are 27 awards and lists for literature listed. I will give a brief description of each award and any pertinent information that goes along with it.

List of awards include:

Printz Award: Information

Referring to Michael L. Printz, is an award for books that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature. The award is sponsored by an ALA publication, Booklist, and was originally named after a long-time school librarian in Kansas.

YALSA's Award for Excellence in Nonfiction: Information

An annual award given to honor the best nonfiction books published for the age group of twelve to eighteen years old.

Margaret A. Edwards Award: Information

An annual award given to an author whose specific portion of his/her work has a lasting and significant contribution to young adult literature. The award had its 25th anniversary in 2013.

ALEX Award: Information

The award is sponsored by the Margaret A. Edwards Trust and is given to ten books annually that were written the year prior. The award list also has a list of official nominees available.

Odyssey Award: Information

An annual award given to the best audiobook produced for children or young adults. The award winner must have produced it in English and in the United States. The award is given out as a partnership between the ALSC, YALSA, ALA, and is sponsored by Booklist.

Morris Award: Information

Referring to William C. Morris, the award was established in 2009 to honor books with impressive new voices in young adult literature. Winners are announced at the ALA Youth Media Awards and finalists are available to view as well.

Edgar Award of Mystery: Information

The award is given annually in the spring and are considered to be one of the most prestigious awards of its genre. With numerous categories to choose from, only the best of the best make it to the top of each one.

As for the lists of books, you can compare them to a subgenre of an overall genre. Each list is pretty straight forward and allows readers to choose from a large list or narrow it down to the top ten of each year. I do not feel the need to explain each subgenre, but I will list them and any information that may not be as obvious as it may seem.

Lists of books include:

Great Graphic Novels for Teens: Information

Graphic noels and illustrated nonfiction fall under this category and are geared toward the ages of 12-18.

Best Fiction for Young Adults

Outstanding Books For the College Bound: Information

The list is revisited and revised every five years to make sure students are properly prepared for college.

Popular Paperbacks

Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers

Reader's Choice

Teen's Top Ten

Amazing Audiobooks

YA Choices

Lone Star Reading List:
We have this award, along with the Bluebonnet List, at our middle school and I have been able to read a few from the list. Very well put together and I enjoyed every book I have read from it so far.

2018 Reads

• Piecing Me Together is on my list for the twenty-five required reads
• Refugee- 5/5 stars; daring, eye-opening, and heartbreakingly beautiful
• Scythe is on my list to read 
• The Van Gogh Deception is on my list to read simply because I love that artist

2017 Reads

• Hour of the Bees- 5/5 stars
• The Girl I Used to Be: 4/5 stars
• Love and Gelato is on my list to read
• Mayday is on my list to read

TAYSHAS Reading List: Information

Consists of the Tayshas High School Reading List Committee; designed for grade 9-12

Maverick Reading List

Reflection

I was surprised at the lack of mentioning the more popular and well-known awards such as the Newberry, Coretta Scott King, and Caldecott Award. Then again, that could have been the purpose for introducing all of these awards in the first place.

I was very familiar with all of the list since I had completed some extensive research on each to determine what books I wanted to read to make up my list of twenty-five. I was happy to finally see something I was familiar with and be able to comprehend it so quickly. The four lists I chose to select books from for my seven additional are Great Graphic Novels for Teens, Best Fiction for YA,  Printz Award winners, and Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults.

Chapter IX- Poetry

Summary

Poetry is not considered a genre, but it is a form that literature can take. Poetry and verse can be found in numerous genres. Poetry and verse are not identical, but they do take the a similar format. 

T&K take the screen over again for a YouTube video of information. In part one, they begin by discussing the criteria for poetry with some examples. They consider poetry to be the most neglected form out there. It can be difficult to read, hard to evaluate, there are debates on if it is good or not, and kids can find it dreadful to have to read one for enjoyment instead of picking it apart.

There is a difference of poetry choices in what kids want to write and what they want to read. Ann Terry, in 1974, conducted research dealing with children and poetry. It's been over 25 years since the research has been done and could possibly need an update. 

The first point mentioned is that kids prefer narrative over any other form. Kids are used to receiving stories, so a narrative poem is natural to them. A well-known poet who partakes in writing narratives is Shel Silverstein. The two types of poetry they disliked was free verse and haiku. This research was conducted on elementary students and they tend to want rhyme in poetry, making haikus difficult. The preferences of students was rhyme, rhythm, and sound devices (alliteration, onomatopoeia, etc.). Children also love funny books, animal topics (fiction or nonfiction), and familiar poems (Mommy overslept so Daddy made breakfast). Additional criteria mentioned is a "vision" should occur via imagery, poetry doesn't need to be silly to bring it down to a child' level, kids should be able to interact with the poems, and repeated readings should be fun and not monotonous. 

Part two of poetry, a text document, mentions six reasons to share poetry with children as by Jean Le Pere:

1. Enjoyment
2. Provides knowledge of concepts
3. Increases vocabulary
4. Helps children identify with people and situations
5. Helps children understand their feelings
6. Grants insights to their feelings and universal emotions

Through the grade levels, each group prefers a different form of poetry as studied by Margaret Natarella:

• Grades 1-3 prefer narrative poems, limericks, ideas of strange and fantastic events, traditional poems, rhyme schemes, and when sound devices are used.
• Grades 4-6 prefer excitement aspects to decline and find that contemporary poems are better, they prefer poems with familiar and enjoyable experiences, when a story is told with humorous aspects, it can include rhyme or not, and has no heavy imagery or implied emotions.
• Grade 7-9 prefer rhyme, humours narratives, and familiar experiences.

It seems that each grade group seems to flow into the next. Funny enough, grades 7-9 seem to be more aligned with what grades 1-3 enjoy, leaving grades 4-6 wanting deeper ideas. This makes sense to me because that is a critical time in a child's life where they are learning about the world and each other in a new way.

Elements of poetry include:

• rhythm
• rhyme
• alliteration
• assonance
• onomatopeia
• repetition
• imagery
• shape

Forms of poetry include:

• lyrics
• narratives
• ballads
• limericks
• concrete
• haiku

Poems and Poets of note:

• nonsense and humor: Mother Goose; spontaneous  poems; rhyme included; strange or no meaning to them
• Edward Lear
• Lewis Carroll: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
• Laura E. Richards
• Shel Silverstein: the ever popular children's poet who uses rhyme, silliness, and familiar aspects in his work
• Jack Prelutsky
• William Jay Smith
• John Ciardi
• N. M. Bodecker
• John Frost, Alleen Fisher, Byrd Baylor, and Paul Fleischmann: nature poets focusing on its beauty
• Myra Cohn Livingston, Valerie Worth, and David McDord: familiar aspects in poetry that allow the child to relate to the situations and experiences
• Langston Hughes and Cynthia Rylant: evoke mood and feelings
• Alleen Fisher and William Blake: animal focused poems

But, how can we actually involve a child in reading and interacting with poetry? Try to read it aloud before reading to an audience, read it at a pace that feels natural to you whether it be fast or slow, learn where to make pauses and take breaths, and read it like you are interested in it. When you do this, children might feel the urge to move around or dance. Have fun with poetry, the same way you want your students to!

Reflection

After teaching for two years, I can directly relate to students not liking or understanding poetry because we want them to pick it apart instead of enjoy it. When we read poems for fun, they enjoyed the poems so much more. They enjoyed poetry the best when we read it stanza by stanza and discussed the literal and figurative meaning. When they understood it, whether in their point of reference or a classmate's, they were able to answer the questions with a deeper thought and closer connection.

I do like the idea of reading a poem over and over again. The only time I have done that in the classroom is when we are working on a poetry unit. Sadly, our poetry units are very short in sixth grade, so we don't have much time for students to review different types and find one they truly enjoy.

Books to add to my "to read list":

• The Declaration by Gemma Malley
• Tumble and Fall
• Eve trilogy by Anna Carey
• Bumped by Megan McCafferty
• Hidden Talents by David Lubar

Chapter X- Historical Fiction

Summary

Put into simplest terms, it is set in the past and has been known to be difficult for kids because they cannot always distinguish what is considered history and what is considered last week's news. With that being said, there are many options for what can be labeled as "historical" because it all depends on what age group you fall under.

Charlotte Huck wrote a guide to evaluate historical fiction with. The novel needs to blend history and the story harmoniously, the facts need to be historically accurate for the most part and one should be able to research that information, if the values of that time period are present, does the social milieu match the time period, and the theme of the story needs to relate to the readers of the current time period.

Reflection

It was funny how she mentioned The Watsons Go to Birmingham, 1963 as her choice of historical fiction because that was the second novel of choice that we read in my classroom. My mother was born in 1962, so the book to her isn't history at all, but growing up. To me, it is historical, and, to my students, it is ancient. It really put into perspective what we consider history. I have visited the concentration camp of Auschwitz and Birkenau and have had the privilege to speak with many Holocaust survivors. While it is history, it doesn't seem as far away to me as other time periods because I have been so active in the history of it. When you can come face to face with someone or something, it seems less far away on our timelines.

Textbook Reflections XI-XIV

Chapter XI- Realistic Fiction

Summary

Realistic fiction has also been called CRF, contemporary realistic fiction, or MRF, modern realistic fiction, all of which with a modern setting where stories are believable. Realistic fiction is different than historical fiction and science fiction because characters, settings, and events are real, or could be considered real, and do not have a historical, futuristic, or fantasy aspect.

To evaluate realistic fiction, you need to follow a few specific details:

• Does the "real world" in the book match with the actual real world? Are the words used, behaviors made, and other elements match what a child would do in the real world? At the same time, no stereotypes should come into play.
• The theme needs to come about naturally, not forced, preached, or thrown at them. Good realistic fiction should have more than one pertinent theme.
• The book and subject matter within the book need to relate to modern readers. Realistic fiction is realistic, so some of the ideas that are introduced can be a bit sensitive at times. Sensitive material could be death, loss, sexuality, sexual orientation, divorce, and more.

Reflection

One of my favorite genres to read with young adults is realistic fiction for the sole reason of how so many kids can relate or find a way to relate with the book. Realistic fiction is a great way to get kids to interact with each other and find out things they may have never known about their peers. Kids can use other books, movies, and songs to relate to the themes of realistic fiction as well.

Chapter XII- Nonfiction

Summary

Nonfiction is hard to pinpoint a specific definition for because the term itself is an umbrella of other terms. Terms associated with nonfiction include narratives, expository writing, biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs. While there is no one template for writing a nonfiction, there is criteria that needs to be met.

One way to make sure the author is credible, you need to check the qualifications that they have. To check these qualifications, you can check their website, read their notes and research on accuracy, and do our own research to validate facts. As a reader, it is the author's job to be credible on their facts from their own research. Depending on the type of nonfiction you choose for your library, the information and scope of the books can be broad or narrow. The more accurate, the better a child will learn from it. Another idea to consider is the chronological order of the set up of the book. The set up of the book could include a table of contents, a glossary, an index, and even a timeline. All of the criteria listed above is to help the student find information easier and understand it in a start to finish way.

Reflection

I really enjoyed the sentence stem questions that Carter and Abrahamson came up with. Sometimes it can be difficult to explain nonfiction aspects to younger adults, but these give a great insight as to what to say and to be able to have kids answer in a complete way.

When I read a nonfiction book, the first thing I do is check what "extras" are put into it, such as the glossary, timelines, and indexes, to make sure it is easier to understand. I am a very visual person and like to have the extras in there or I tend to wander around in the dictionary or online for a map.

Chapter XIII- Fantasy/Science Fiction

Summary

Science Fiction is introduced and the different types of each We learn that science fiction is a subgenre of fantasy and not its own genre. All sci-fi is fantasy, but not all fantasy is sci-fi.

• Post-apocalyptic/ Apocalyptic: there is a difference between the two; post is dealing with the end of of apocalypse and how they are dealing with their new world because years have past, while apocalyptic is dealing with the catastrophe at the time of the event and can have a primitive setting (The 5th Wave, The Testing, Hunger Games, Divergent, Tumble and Fall)
• BioPunk: a spin off of cyber punk; includes hackers, corporations, darker side of genetic engineering; dark atmospheres are prominent; many different types of "punk" (Killers of Enemies, Little Brother, Bzrk series)
• Dystopia: really exploded in the 2000's when The Hunger Games came into play; propaganda, information being hidden from society, citizens under surveillance, resistant to the government; main character often joins the revolution to bring down the government; post-apocalyptic flows over to this type very often (Eve trilogy *also post- apocalyptic, The Declaration, Bumped)
• Extra sensory perceptions: "second sight" has been around for a long time and the term esp came into play when a book was titled that; associated with books with telepathy, clairvoyance, and premonitions (The Odyssey, The Diviners, Soulless)
• Robots/androids/cyborgs/artificial intelligence
• Time travel/parallel universe

Reflection

This was an easy one for me because sci-fi is my favorite subgenre of them all. I loved being able to hear about the different subsets of the sci-fi subgenre, and I am exited to read a few of them!

Chapter XIV- Graphic Novels

Summary

Graphic novels are not a genre or subgenre, but rather a form or format, so a graphic novel can fall under any subgenre we want it to. Graphic novels are what the title expresses, a novel completely made up of graphics, and these books can span from young children all the way to adults. The term graphic novel is used to describe books that resemble a novel in length and the development but in a comic format. While it can look like a picture book, graphic novels still convey  story, give information, and develop characters like a regular novel.

Random House Kids, RHK, had an an extremely long list of books to pick for the perfect age group you want to cater to. Research (by Edwards and Summons and O'Briant in 2009) has shown that more and more people prefer graphic novels, even though a survey conducted (by Lesesne and Perry in 2016) suggested that an average of 67% of teachers do not read them.

Graphic novels are to be read left to right, just like any old regular book. Dialog balloons are read left to right or top to bottom, just like how you would read the panels. Graphic novels can include any or all of the following on a page:

• panels: squares or rectangles that contain a single scene
• gutters: the space between the panels
• dialog balloons: contains communication between or among characters
• thought balloons: contains a character's thoughts
• captions: contains information about a scene or character
• sound effects: visual sound clues

Reflection

I have never been a big fan of graphic novels, so it was nice to be able to see it more in depth and from an outsider's learning view as opposed to trying to sit and read one. Graphic novels can be fun to read and help motivate kids to don't normally like typical novels. Many teachers don't see the value of reading a graphic novel, but after learning a bit more about it, I would like to try to add more to my collection in the classroom. Special needs children have benefitted from graphic novels, and many graphic novels, over the past twenty years, have received prestigious awards.

Chapter XV- Peck's Questions

Summary

Consisting of ten questions to ask yourself before considering choosing a novel.

1. To help diffuse sexual polarization's and stereotyping ask yourself: what would happen if the protagonist was of the opposite sex?
2. To point out the setting as a device ask yourself: why is the story set where it is, instead of where is the story taken place.
3. To consider tone ask yourself: would the story as a movie be in black and white or color?
4. To address characters for media translations ask yourself: which characters could be eliminated from the text and why?
5. To compare yourself to the protagonist ask yourself: how is the main character different from you?
6. To end focus and sequential nature of chapters ask yourself: would this story make a good TV series or no? Why or why not?
7. To respond to recognition ask yourself: what one thing in the story actually happened to you?
8. To make sure you hooked the reader ask yourself: when I reread chapter one, what makes me want to read on? What might make me want to stop?
9. To decide on what will intrigue the reader on the cover page ask yourself: if you had to design it yourself then what would it look like?
10. To decide on a title ask yourself: what does the title tell you about the book? Does the title tell the truth?

Reflection

An author should consider much more than they realize when creating a book. Every little detail needs to correspond to what the author truly wants understood in his/her book. The title and cover page can grab the reader's attention, but if the first chapter is weak, one may not want to continue reading. Authors need to have characters that people can relate to, settings that are real or interesting, and tones that match their themes and focus.