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Book: Nancy Drew: Green-Eyed Monster by Carolyn Keene (first of the Eco Mystery Trilogy, part of the Nancy Drew series)
Genre(s): Mystery, Series
Publisher: Aladdin
Publication date: 2009
Paperback: 176 pages
Paperback: 176 pages
Other:
Summary: Nancy and her friends Bess and George (both girls) become interested in ways to help save the environment as a result of attending an Eco Fair at their high school, and resolve to become more eco-conscious. But then when Bess wins the Eco-Fair raffle (a trip to Costa Rica), they have the opportunity to learn even more about the topic… Soon all three friends are on their way to Costa Rica to experience the delights of a brand-new eco-resort.To their surprise, not all is as it seems at Casa Verde, and Nancy soon finds herself hot on the tail of a thief who seems to have a larger agenda. Can she find and stop him or her before real damage is done? Read this page-turning mystery to find out!
To whom will this appeal?: This book will appeal to the lover of genre mysteries for kids and tweens, and probably will be more of a draw for girls than for boys, as the action is mostly centered on female characters. Nancy Drew is her usual comforting, intrepid self, and despite the aura of danger, the tone of the book is upbeat and positive. One never doubts that Nancy will be able to get down to the bottom of the mystery, so this book is good for the reader who likes nicely wrapped up endings. (However, this one has one small twist at the very end, which is because this is but Book One of a trilogy, so be prepared for a little hook at the end to make you want to get the next one.)
Book: Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
Genre(s): Realistic Fiction
Publisher: Amulet Books
Publication date: 2007
Hardcover: 224 pages
Other: was made into a film in 2010
Summary: Greg Heffley is an average middle school kid who is not as popular or strong as he’d like to be, and yet he seems to enjoy life. He has his video games, his sweet but odd friend Rowley, and parents who care (perhaps a bit too much for his liking, as it makes it hard to get away with stuff). Told in journal format, with humorous illustrations on each page, we learn about Greg’s life in his own words. As the title implies, Greg is indeed a wimpy kid, in more ways than one. Kids will appreciate that Greg is not a perfect role model and struggles with making decisions when it’s between what he knows is right and what would be more fun.
To whom will this appeal?: This humorous book will appeal to lovers of contemporary humorous realistic fiction, and especially to reluctant readers. The age level intended for this book ranges from the elementary grades through middle school. However, adults have also been observed giggling with recognition as they eagerly leaf through the pages for a relatively painless trip back in time to the awkwardness of junior high.
It’s a quick read and the first of a whole series (with movie tie-ins) and so it’s become somewhat of an institution, which might lead some skeptics to wonder what the hoopla isall about. And yet, mixed in with the humor and the easy-to-digest prose is a brilliantly sketched exposure of what life is like for contemporary middle school boys. Readers of all ages will appreciate both the humor and the pain — and the brilliant and minimalist illustrations round out the reading experience by adding sly details which will make the avid reader want to flip back again and again.
Caveat: While some of Greg’s less-than-noble actions get him a deserved comeuppance, there is no overt moralizing in this book. The good are not always rewarded, nor are the guilty always brought to justice. This quality is often simultaneously perceived as refreshing by tweens and troublesome by some adult readers.
Book: When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
Genre(s): Very difficult to categorize, but here goes: Mystery, Science Fiction, Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction (in some ways)
Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books
Publication date: 2009
Hardcover: 208 pages
Other: Newbery Award Winner, 2010
Summary: Sixth-grader Miranda is having, well, a sort of weird time lately. Her best friend Sal has suddenly stopped talking to her, and won’t say why. There’s a bum who’s recently taken up residence on the corner near her apartment building (located in 1970s Upper West Side Manhattan), and who creeps her out with his sudden laughing episodes. And then there are the cryptic notes that start appearing in odd places where no one could have access.
What does it all mean? Figuring out what is going on is half the fun of this literary sci fi realistic mystery. (Yes, this book does indeed defy categorization!)
To whom will this appeal?: When You Reach Me is a literary novel written for the “middle grades” (and as such has extremely well-observed and realistic middle grade characters) but will appeal to a number of different “constituencies.” Fans of Madeline L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time (which, incidentally, won the Newbery Award in 1963) will appreciate the literary (and timeless) quality of Stead’s writing. Stead herself is a fan of A Wrinkle in Time, as evidenced by the ubiquitous AWIT references in WYRM. In fact, one could go so far as to say that reading (or re-reading) A Wrinkle in Time is a necessary prerequisite to properly enjoying When You Reach Me.
It is a pity that many libraries will only carry this in their children’s section, as this book has an appeal for all ages, especially the teen or adult who enjoys the challenge of solving a tantalizing esoteric mystery that is zillions of miles away from (and more sophisticated than) the average juvenile mystery. Any child/teen/adult who has enjoyed the books of E. L. Konigsburg (especially From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and The View from Saturday) will be very likely enjoy WYRM.
Another audience to whom the book will appeal is adults who may have grown up in, or relish the description of, 1970s New York. The description of late 70s era NYC — the freedom the kids had, the vague feeling of danger and yet innocence, the falling-apart-ness of buildings, the ethos of the time — is extremely well-done. While tweens or teens may also appreciate this description, I suspect that the draw of this type of historical detail is especially strong for those who have lived through the era and in the place. (Having myself lived in 1979 NYC, this observation may well be colored by my personal experience!)
Book: Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary
Genre: Contemporary (historical?) Realistic Fiction
Publisher: HarperTrophy
Publication date: 1983 (reprint 2000)
Paperback: 134 pages
Other: Newbery Award Winner, 1984
Summary: Leigh Botts really, really likes the book Ways to Amuse a Dog by his favorite author Boyd Henshaw. So much so that he writes to Mr. Henshaw as part of a school book report project, but then continues to write to him long after the project is done. Through his letters, we follow his growth from second to sixth grade, as he describes to Mr. Henshaw how lonely it is to be a new kid in school whose lunch is always getting stolen and who “no one knows.” On top of it all, his mom and dad are separated and he misses life the way it used to be. When Mr. Henshaw finally writes a letter back, Leigh gets inspired to write, and soon he’s on his way to a new way of looking at the world.
To whom will it appeal? Dear Mr. Henshaw will appeal to children and tweens who like a slower paced book, divided evenly between humor and the more serious themes of divorce, loneliness and moving away from one’s home to a new unknown area.
Fifth grade and middle school kids who are bookish, and aspire to be writers will especially be drawn to this book, as it provides excellent writing advice and even models how to become a writer. It should be noted that, as the book was written in 1983, there are certain elements which will strike the tweens of today as being ‘historical’ and/or ‘old-fashioned.’ For example, there is a sense of isolation when Leigh yearns to be in better touch with his father, who is a trucker constantly on the move, and cannot be expected to call from the road. The lack of ubiquitous cell phones and internet will be a tipoff to kids that this book is set in a different era. While it may turn off the kids who are looking to see their lives reflected in their reading material, the themes of loneliness and learning how to make friends are universal and will appeal to the tween who is willing to explore a more thoughtful approach to solving problems.
Vardell explains why this chapter is entitled “informational books” rather than “nonfiction books as follows: Many in the field of children’s literature prefer not to use the term “nonfiction” as it “suggests a negative association, a definition by non-example.” She does point out that “informational” is not entirely accurate either, as even fiction books do contain information, and then explains that she chooses to use the two terms interchangeably, depending on the intended audience.
I like the fact that she is more intent on good practices than on splitting hairs, as evidenced by the following:
“The key is understanding the genre and recognizing its purpose, seeing the wealth of information available on a wide range of subjects and the variety off approaches and formats that can engage readers of all ages.
The thing to keep in mind is this: usually the purpose of a nonfiction book is to inform. The purpose of fiction is to entertain or provide escape… Don’t worry about memorizing literary genre definitions as much as about making sure children have a steady diet of informational books. not only will you find that children enjoy them immensely, but this provides excellent preparation for the vast amount of information they’ll be processing for the rest of their reading lives.” (Vardell, p. 236)
Vardell quotes critic Jo Carr’s statement that there are two categories for nonfiction:
- nonfiction chock full of facts “as if children were vases to be filled”
- nonfiction to ignite the imagination – “as if children were indeed fires to be lit” (Vardell, p. 234, Carr, 1982)
But then Vardell goes on to explain that over the past thirty years the genre has become robust, full of a greater variety of topics and even formats.
Here are some types/categories of informational literature as set out by Vardell:
- Survey books
- Photo Essays
- Concept books
- Social Histories
- Informational Storybooks
- Activity Books
- Trivia Books
- Series Books and Reference Tools
- Magazines
One subgenre that she does not include above, because she dwells on it in a longer, dedicated section is that of Biographies.
Vardell states that in the past, (similar to other informational books), biographies written for children were limited in scope (both of the type of lives covered – “dead white men” – as well as the type of information provided about the lives (information to glorify rather than give a well-rounded sense of the person’s life). However, now the trend to have biographies available “on all kinds of people–women, people of color, ordinary citizens, even villains (such as Adolf Hitler. In addition, biographies now include a more well-rounded portrait of the subject that shares the flaws as well as the successes of the person.” (p. 244)
The types of Biographies, according to Vardell:
- Complete bios – a way of introducing kids to famous historical figures. One book that Vardell singles out as a stellar example of this type of bio is Russell Freedman’s Lincoln, A Photobiography
- Picture Book bios – this format makes it easier to entice reluctant readers of nonfiction to read biographies. Vardell points out that as the illustrations are key to the book, they must be as carefully researched as the actual writing.
- Series – these tend to be used as supplementary-to-curriculum materials by schools
- Celebrity bios – self-explanatory. Vardell mentions that this type of bio is a more recent trend in publishing. I notice that these biographies are quite popular, especially with the tween crowd, at my library. While many a librarian might bemoan the latest bio about 16 year old Justin Bieber, it’s important to keep in mind what Vardell astutely points out:
These may not be the most in-depth or well-balanced types of biography writing at its best, but they are often very popular with children and may lure them into reading and discussing the genre of biography when no other subject will. In fact, this is a good example of how biography reading can become pleasure reading, and not just reading about famous people for an assignment.” (p. 246)
- Collective bios- as the name suggests, these are compediums of several short biographies, organized around a theme. One example that Vardell puts forth is Extraordinary Women: Rulers, Rebels (And What the Neighbors Thought), illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt
- Autobiographies- Vardell recommends the autobiography series “Meet the Author collection”
I appreciate the advice provided on how to evaluate biographies. It is key is to “hold them to the to the same rigorous criteria we apply to all nonfiction: accuracy, organization, design, and style.” She goes further to discuss the idea of “documentable dialogue.” She warns that if a biography contains dialogue, it should be documented in a primary source such as a journal, and that if it is not verifiable, then the biography runs the danger of turning into historical fiction. While I understand her point here, that especially for children and tweens, it is important that informational books be well-researched and painstakingly accurate, I find myself wondering. Is there room for the genre of “creative non-fiction” in youth literature? And where do memoirs fall? Can they be considered biography? These issues are tricky enough in adult literature, but they are compounded when it comes to kids, probably because we hold ourselves to a higher standard of accuracy, as there is the implicit belief that kids and teens are susceptible to believing as truth anything that is considered “nonfiction” and are less likely to critically evaluate the authenticity and accuracy of the research for themselves.
Vardell says that contemporary realistic fiction is appropriate for and popular with “intermediate grade readers who want stories that seem true to life and characters with whom they can identify.” (p. 139)
I found it interesting that Vardell echoes what many experienced librarians have insisted time and again: that for tweens age is a major factor in their involvement in the story. This is to say that they typically prefer to read about protagonists who are about one to two years older than they are. I can see how this is true for many tweens, but I must say that it is my experience that some tweens actually prefer books with younger protagonists– these are usually the kids who are reluctant readers (and who may struggle with more difficult language in books for older kids) or kids who are less emotionally and physically mature than others their age, who take a certain comfort in reading the books of their “childhood” rather than looking forward. Some of these, (usually girls), may also be nostalgic for “the days of their youth” (in this case youth being back in grade two or three). However, I can see that what Vardell asserts is probably true for the majority of tweens, who are, as she says, ostensibly looking for “a glimpse of the growing up years ahead.” (p. 140)
Vardell mentions that studies of tween preferences show that that they have a preference for realistic fiction in the following categories (see below). Below each bulleted category I have listed some of the authors and titles she highlights as well worth reading and popular draws for kids and tweens.
- self, family, friends
- Sharon Creech, Replay
- Jeanne Birdsall, The Penderwicks
- Nikki Grimes, The Road to Paris
- Grace Lin, The Year of the Dog
- mysteries (in my opinion this section was someone dated in terms of authors and titles mentioned, and bears some more research)
- Nancy Drew series
- Hardy Boys series
- Ellen Raskin
- Zilpha Keatley Snyder
- Avi
- adventure and survival stories
- Gary Paulsen
- Carl Hiaasen
- animal stories
- Kate DiCamillo, Because of Winn-Dixie
- Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Shiloh
- sports stories
- Matt Christopher
- Mike Lupica
- John H. Ritter
- Gary Soto
- Dan Gutman
- humorous writing
- Beverly Cleary
- Judy Blume
- Betsy Bryars
- Sara Pennypacker
- Lisa Yee
- Lauren Child
- Jack Gantos
- Andrew Clements
On page 143, there is a section written by international school librarian Mia Steinkamp, in which she discusses an intriguing idea for developing more connections between youth and literature at the library. This idea is the “Readers Theater Club.” Steinkamp says that scripts for well-known and loved works of contemporary realistic fiction are freely found on the Internet, and can be used as a basis for a Readers Theatre Club. Here is how Steinkamp organizes her club:
- pass out scripts to all participants and have them highlight their own part
- give them time to read the script silently to get to know the story and get used to the language (also an opportunity to sound out difficult words)
- divide them into groups who will present together and give them time to practice with their group
- they then present their story to the rest of the club – and perhaps even to a larger audience!
The beauty of this type of program is that it yields a high level of active participation and engagement with a minimal input of energy and preparation. No actual “acting” is necessary, so there is no need for a stage, so this can be done even in a library (like mine) that has limited space. Simultaneously, it seems to me that the amount of potential satisfaction and excitement that this activity can create is incredibly high, as long as care is taken to choose the right stories and scripts for the children and tweens.
While Steinkamp says that the majority of children participating in her Readers’ Theatre club are in second through fourth grade, I think this would be a great activity for my Creative Writers group (consisting of 5th graders and middle school students) to try, as they are a verbally active bunch, and would love the opportunity to try telling a story in this manner. This could also be a bridge activity to a future writing activity.
One point made by Vardell that will stay with me as I read and evaluate various works of realistic fiction for children and tweens is that contemporary realistic fiction needs to reflect “society and the child’s place in it.” (Vardell quoting Tunnell and Jacobs’ 2008 work, Children’s Literature, Briefly.) Vardell goes on to say,”Child readers, in particular, want a book that is realistic, and will often discard novels that are overtly didactic or moralistic, in favor of stories with strong character, exciting plots, and subtle themes.” (p. 158)
In this blog entry, I continue to discuss Children’s Literature in Action, an invaluable text by Sophia Vardell. The chapter on poetry is particularly rich in ideas for practical use by librarians who work closely with children and tweens. Here are some ideas for activities and displays gleaned from the Poetry Chapter:
- Celebrate birthdays of poets (I can see doing this with both famous and less well-known poets) by sharing a sample poem or book by the “birthday poet” on that day.
- Organize poet visits to one’s library.
- Choose a variety of poets to highlight on a rotating basis in a display.
- On page 135, she explores an idea for promoting poetry, entitled “Living Anthology,” in which one takes ones favorite poems from the collection and places them around the entire building. This idea, given by poet Georgia Head, can be used effectively by both school and public libraries that serve elementary and middle school children and tweens. In fact this is an activity idea I plan to put into practice during National Poetry Month this coming April.
- At my library, I have a group of tweens (mostly sixth and seventh graders) who participate in a weekly Creative Writing workshop. In the first week of April, I will ask the creative writing tweens to explore and find their favorite poems from our existing collection. After having a couple of weeks to explore poetry and time to pick out some of their favorite poems, we will create poetry “posters” to place around the library, complete with a cover of the book that the poem was taken from, and an invitation to other kids, teens and perhaps even adults to submit their most loved poems for a similar display as well!
In addition to these simple and yet ingenious ideas for drawing attention to the poetry collection, this chapter’s “Authors in Action” section (written by poet Kristine George, p. 120) discusses various ways of celebrating children’s poetry in the virtual world. On her website, Ms. George has created a space where librarians and educators can discuss various ways they incorporate and enjoy poetry in their libraries and classrooms. In conjunction with the publication of her book Swimming Upstream: Middle School Poems, and as a way of involving middle grade children in discussions about middle school life, Ms. George instituted a forum entitled Middle School Musings. Originally she expected just a few students, but thousands of tweens have weighed in on their experiences and have also participated in writing and photography challenges as well.
In this chapter author Sylvia Vardell also takes time to explore and explain the different poetic elements (rhythm, rhyme, sound, language, imagery, and emotion). She uses this discussion to elucidate how to evaluate poems and poetry books for children. She also discusses strategies for sharing poems with kids, including reading aloud, highlighting various forms of reading aloud. Below I have highlighted several of these strategies:
- Chorus reading – An adult reads, and children echo a reoccurring line or word.
- Call and response – The group is divided into two, each take turns reading lines in a kind of ‘back and forth’
- Line-around – individual kids volunteer (they should not be forced) to read a single line… Ideally, the whole poem gets read line by line in this way.
This chapter not only leaves one dizzy with possibilities for connecting kids and tweens to poetry, but also makes clear the pivotal role poetry plays not only in “required reading” but in reading that children and tweens choose for pleasure, and encourages librarians to re-connect to the elemental power of poetry to draw one through sound and rhythm as well as emotion to reawaken us to how important this genre is in the formative years, and how crucial it is for children to encounter poetry in a positive, enjoyable way, rather than as more literary drudgery foisted upon them through school.
On page 73 of Children’s Literature in Action, Vardell challenges readers to take a “First Lines Quiz” online, on Kaye Vandergrift’s website at Rutgers University (http://comminfo.rutgers.edu/professional-development/childlit/firstlinesindex.html)
The idea is to read the first lines of many children’s books, and then to guess the book title. I approached the quiz confidently, sure that I would know many if not most of the books. However, I was astonished to find that I remembered (or had read) only a few of these books. Books I remembered well included Anne of Green Gables, Charlotte’s Web, The View from Saturday, The Hobbit, and The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs, among others. But there were many I had never read. One that I did remember well (and fondly) was the first line from A Little Princess, which I like so much that I have quoted it below:
Once on a dark winter’s day, when the yellow fog hung so thick and heavy in the streets of London that the lamps were lighted and the shop windows blazed with gas as they do at night, an odd-looking little girl sat in a cab with her father and was driven rather slowly through the big thoroughfares.
There were several parts to this first-line quiz, comprising in total of five different pages. I will challenge myself now to read at least one “new to me” book from each of these five pages and discuss them on this blog.
Each chapter of Children’s Literature in Action by Sylvia Vardell has a section called Authors in Action, in which a children’s writer of that particular genre is introduced, and then there is a short essay by that author. On page 51, in the Picture Books chapter, Janet Wong has written an essay entitled “Dumpster Diver Spirit in the Library” in which she discusses how one of her books was inspired by an artist who made a beautiful chair from old wooden skis. After discussing her book, The Dumpster Diver, which is a picture book with an environmental theme about reusing old objects, Ms. Wong goes on to recommend librarians to catch “the Dumpster Diver spirit” by delving into their own collections “to keep the widest possible variety of books ‘alive.’” She has a unique idea, wherein one could divide up a hundred gold stars between several librarians. She instructs us,
“Wander through your library, putting stars on the spines of your favorite old and overlooked books–especially the ‘ugly’ ones. Encourage kids to find these ‘Golden Treasures’ on the shelves, to check them out, and read them… While searching for Golden Treasures, your young patrons might just catch some Dumpster Diver spirit. They’ll find themselves browsing through bookshelves, walking up and down the stacks, looking for something that catches their eyes. When they stuble across something old, and find new value in it, you can both feel very proud.”
This idea, corny though it may sound, really struck my fancy. Currently, at the library where I work, we must weed so many books as a result of lack of use and lack of space. True there are times we must also weed for condition, and that is unavoidable, but wouldn’t it be great to able to extend the shelf-life of some worthy books, by employing the ‘gold-starring’ method? Better yet, it would be great to do it as a program with teens, wherein teens can star their own favorites from childhood. This would have double the impact — not only would we be engaging the teens in a meaningful and fun (and possibly nostalgic) activity, but their “work” would also be helpful to the next generation of children, in finding potential ‘book gold.’ Also, as children tend to trust the taste of older children more than they do the taste of adults, this might build more buy-in and trust from the children as far as the quality and desirability of the gold star books.
I am definitely going to try this out in my library!
An installment of the Library and Information Science Text Series, Children’s Literature in Action by Sylvia Vardell is an exhaustive mine of riches for the youth librarian or library student. Vardell starts with an introduction to children’s literature that includes a tour of areas as diverse as literacy, SSR (Sustained Silent Reading), Children’s Lit Awards, and a section on Readers’ Advisory for children that very briefly covers various RA resources that librarians may find useful in helping children find books, without going into the details of appeal factors or exactly how to go about providing RA services to children. Perhaps RA is given this quick rather than in-depth overview, as the rest of the book considers various genres in extensive detail.
It is impossible to discuss the whole book in one go, so my approach to this book will be to respond to particularly interesting ideas that are brought up by the author… a sort of reader response “journal” if you will, in the next few blog entries.
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