The Bookmark

Chapter 14: Graphic Novels Graphic novels are for EVERYONE! By that, I mean that since they cover every type of literature, there is a graphic novel out there for every person’s preferences. They are a great, and variable, combinations of text and illustration that tell a story at various levels of complexity for readers of all capabilities. There are some that are simple enough for my 3 year old to figure out the storyline for and then there is “ No Fear Shakespeare: Macbeth.”                 Because of their illustrations that back up text, graphic novels can be really great tools to help readers understand more of what they are reading. Also, many readers are more likely to read if there are “pictures” to break of the monotony of words, (blasphemy, I know).  The joy of graphic novels is that they can convey more that mere words to the reader! If the vocabulary is a little elevated, there are images to reinforce meaning! The graphics and text reinforce each other constantly

Chapter 13: Fantasy & Science Fiction                 Fantasy is my wheelhouse; science fiction is not as much but I still enjoy it immensely. Basically, fantasy (this includes sci-fi) is literature that contains aspects that seem impossible, at least very improbable. Floating sky-islands, faeries, robo-pirates and magic are some examples of what one might find in a fantasy novel. This type of literature requires very good descriptive skills and a certain level of believability so that the reader can achieve suspension of disbelief, or get lost in the plot enough to buy it.                 There are certain aspects of fantasy that have to be reliable, however. As a reader, we have to know what the boundaries of the make-believe world are; what is possible and impossible there. These rules cannot change constantly or the reader can become frustrated. I have put down many a book because I was having too much trouble keeping up with that particular version of reality.  We als

Chapter 12: Non-Fiction                 Non-fiction is a hard thing to describe. It seems to be anything that is about factual events; anything that is not fake.  It can be confused with historical fiction and realistic fiction but those are just fake events in a real world. Non-fiction is characterized by real events in a real world.                 When reading or recommending non-fiction there are a few things we have to be sure of: who wrote it and if they are qualified, and what kind of bais the text/author might have. A Holocaust survivor might write a book about his life during Hitler’s regime, but there would be bias as he was very negatively affected by this time. In the same way, an ancestor of a Nazi soldier might have a skewed viewpoint when writing a great grandfather’s biography.                 Writing style is still just as, if not more, important in non-fiction as it is in fiction. If the text is not interestingly composed, then not many readers will pe

Chapter 11- Realistic Fiction                 Realistic fiction is just fiction that is plausible. The characters could be real people and their problems could be real-people problems. Often, they teach some sort of lesson, or provide experiences for readers to learn from. For them to be really effective, they readers should be able to immerse themselves in the world and vicariously live through the protagonist.                 I’ve found, through years of experience with books, that readers learn best when they don’t feel like they’re being taught! If the learning experience is an authentic, not forced, one then the process will be much easier on the reader/learner. Sometimes the reader will not learn the lesson of the protagonist, and that’s ok! Reading for the pure joy of the experience will still teach vocabulary, if nothing else. Oscar Wilde had it mostly right when he said “Every (reading) experience is of value” for one reason or another! image borrowed from: htt

                 I avoided historical fiction for a long time. Some part of me felt that it would be dry or boring and I was very reluctant to give it a chance. One day I stole a book of my mothers that had a beautiful woman in a white dress on the cover and I assumed she would be a princess. She was a land baron’s daughter in a very rough early America and she was being used to gain a hefty ransom. I loved every page of it before I realized that it was historical fiction! I learned things from it! It had so much more value than just the events in the story because it gave me a glimpse into life in that time period. It turns out, I really enjoy historical fiction!                 Before teachers begin a new unit, we are encouraged to “activate background knowledge” but sometimes kids are seriously lacking in knowledge about historical topics. Taking notes, watching a dry documentary and building a diorama is all well and good, but adventure in the specific time period being st

                Kids love poetry when it doesn’t feel like poetry! It seems very odd, but if you consider how much analysis adolescents are asked to do, sometimes before they are intellectually ready, it makes sense that would have negative associations with it. When they do like a poem, they prefer it to fit the “standard” poetic structure that they recognize. Rhyme scheme, rhythm, various song-like qualities that students can easily recognize. When given poems that are less formatted, they don’t feel like they are poems and are therefore confused by them!                 The best part about poems, especially for little ones, is that they lend themselves to shared storytelling. Many tend to be repetitive and have a sing-song rhythm to them that makes them very fun to hear and repeat! This can help littles learn to read as well. The use of figurative language often aids that musical quality in poetry,                 Elizabeth Barret Browning is not for everyone. Shell Silve

                There are many awards a book can receive and they all have different criteria that are considered by the panels who choose the honored books and winners. Each award is meant to honor its namesake in some way.                             The Pura Belpre award, for example, is meant to highlight a Latin writer or illustrator who celebrates the Latino culture and experience. The writer, text and images are all taken into consideration when winners like La Princesa and the Pea , written by Juana Martinez-Neal and illustrated by Susan Middleton Elya, are chosen.                 Many of the criteria and panels are listen on the YALSA website for the public to peruse at their leisure, but it is the librarians job to know the awards and understand, simply by award, what major characteristics a novel embraces so that we may recommend books we may not have read yet to the right audiences. image borrowed from: https://ascplcl.wordpress.com/booklists/book-awards/

A brief refresher of the bits and pieces that make up literature! Literary Elements ·          Antagonist- person in the main character’s way ·          Character- a person/entity in literature ·          Conflict- the problem ·          Mood And Tone- the atmosphere or “feel” of a text and the attitude the narrator has about the text ·          Plot- what’s going on! ·          Protagonist- main character ·          Setting- when and where a story takes place ·          Themes- the universal ideas that are being expressed by literature Literary Devices Allegory- where people represent ideas (Young Goodman Brown’s wife Faith) Allusion- reference to ANY person, song, text etc outside of the text you’re reading Archetype- a character, event or symbol repeated regularly enough to appear in many texts Deus ex machine- the gods or God interfering in the lives of mortals Hyperbole- exaggeration Imagery- language that p

Being a teenager is hard! Young people get a bad reputation for being dramatic and awkward and rebellious but is it entirely their fault? They are moving through a physical, emotional and psychological development that is dizzying to even think about! They are uncomfortable, confused and sometimes starting to smell funny and they don’t always know why. It helps them to read things at their developmental level, not too mature or abstract if they are not ready.                 Something we often take for granted when talking to and teaching children is that they all have the same resources and opportunities in their lives. Where I work, low socioeconomic status is the norm and not the exception. Some children don’t have the fundamental things that humans require for success. How can I expect this child to do homework when they don’t have a permanent home? Sometimes instead of asking why a child didn’t write the essay, ask why the child wears the same shirt 4 days a week. Knowing

Donorschoose.org is a website that helps fund projects for teachers and their students. My students and I have started a project to help build a better classroom library to promote literacy in reticent readers! Please check it out and consider donating to the cause! If you cannot donate right now, never fear! Share our project with those you know and love and that can be just as effective! “Help Us Help You: Reading for America’s Future”