HIT>Connecting Kids to Books

[CAROL CROCE-LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALIST <K12OCCZC@VAXC.HOFSTRA.EDU>]

Thank you all so much for your responses.  This cyberworld is unbelievable.
The suggestions are wonderful.  We (Judy Taylor) will share the information at
the NSLS conference. I'm posting this to expediate the HIT.  There may be more
and I'll post a HIT2/  I"m afraid if I do not do this now, it won't get done in
a timely manner.  Hope this is correct;  it's a first time for me and I"m very
insecure about the process.  Without my collegue,  Rita Kaikow, I would have
From:   IN%"maabrown@tenet.edu"  "Mary Aleva Brown"  4-FEB-1995 04:38:12.25
Subj:   RE: Target->Connecting Kids to Books

   Leisure reading is a problem in my high school too.  (We are busy all
the time with research reading!)   Thank you for agreeing to share your
hits.   I would be most interested in reading about what others are doing.
   Mary Brown
   Bryan Adams High School
   Dallas, TX
   maabrown@tenet.edu

From:   IN%"lmcc@tenet.edu"  "Lynn McCree"  4-FEB-1995 11:15:23.51
Subj:   RE: Target->Connecting Kids to Books

This is my first priority.  Here are some of my methods:  I have compiled
a huge list of award-winning books, marked them with the library logo and
prepared short answer questions on them.  Two English classes come in
and select a book from this group to read.  In three weeks the two
classes trade books so that at the end of six week someone in each class
has read two of the books.  We then have a contest called Book Challenge
between the two class.  The questions are alternated between classes or
teams and a point is given for each correct answer.  It was a lot of
preparation but is a lot of fun.  Reading all the new award-winning books
to make questions and add to the list keeps me up to date.

We also have a book contest based on Lone Star Books and Electronic
Bookshelf.  Students earn raffle tickets for each book read and we have a
drawing for Sony Walkmans (men?) and refreshments.

I now have a teacher and a student who have responded to this list asking
for someone who loves David Eddings and someone who likes magic in his
fantasy.  They are enjoying their book discussions on e-mail so I don't
think technology and reading are an either/or thing--they enhance one
another.

I hope you post your responses.


Lynn McCree, Librarian
Martin Junior High
Austin, Texas
Lmcc@tenet.edu

From:   IN%"hamer@meol.mass.edu"  "Sharon Hamer"  4-FEB-1995 14:32:12.95
Subj:   RE: Target->Connecting Kids to Books

I believe at the beginning of htis sc hool year or the end of last year
there was  a posting in LMNET about ways to get adolescents to read at
home. Perhaps you could  do an archival search.

Good luck.

CSharon Hamer
hamer@meol.mass.edu
Cambridge Rindge and Latin School
459 Broadway
Cambridge, MA 02138
(617-349-6781)

Subj:   Connecting Kids with Books
Many thanks to all of you who replied with enthusiasm and good ideas about
reaching middle schoolers with the joy of books and reading.  A number of
you expressed concern over the effects a shifting emphasis to technology is
having on these students and their reading habits.

Betty Hamilton (bhamilt@tenet.edu) said that, in a recent magazine article
(_Education Digest_?), the author says that writing and reading a computer
screen is not *real* reading -- it's a new kind of communication.  There
are seldom long, ongoing plots and descriptive passages on the computer, so
in a sense, we are probably shortening the attention span even more with
our "quick dips" into conversation.  It is an excellent medium for
developing thinking skills "on your feet", but not for absorbing lots of
information vicariously through sustained reading of a book.

Linda Ellis (laellis@tenet.edu)
**We are the fiddler on the roof, trying to pluck out a tune, while keeping
our balance among our many duties.**
It all boils down to the personality of the librarian.  If we are
enthusiastic, gladly share comments on books, proudly lead browsers to new
arrivals, and ask them to "read this book and tell me if its a good
choice", it is easier for them to see that reading is a pleasurably
activity.

Some suggested "fiddles" for plucking out the reading tune:

Joy Branham (tnl_jbranham@pstcc.cc.tn.us)
*Read to them!  If you can possibly manage it, it is something to try for.
I know they may look like rough tough kids at that age, but they're still
kids, and they respond to a good story if you have built up a rapport with
them.

Priscilla Bennett (pbennett@sun.cc.westga.edu)
*Book talks are always sure fire.
*Book Fairs

Linda Ramsey (lramsey@bigcat.missouri.edu)
*Electronic Bookshelf has stimulated our reading program.  Our Language
Arts teachers all incorporate its use in the curriculum
*There is no substitute for animated discussion about "good books".

Ginny McKee (ginnyme@dsl.rhilinet.gov)
*Invite the children's librarian from your public library to come in and
book-talk some good titles.  This introduces her to your students and gives
another view of reading.
*Solicit ideas from older students who were good readers...what would they
recommend...have the students at the end of this year put together a list
for next year's class...

(JackM28077@aol.com)
*I use author of the month.  I am always doing informal book talks.  All
kinds of displays are helpful, based on all themes.  I also order a lot of
books from Bound to Stay Bound -- they send the extra covers for bul.
boards and displays.  When a teacher assigns a book report on a certain
topic, I booktalk and pull boks on that subject for the students.

Linda Ramsey
*We also have some awesome upbeat posters from ALA, and I actually think
they make an impact.  When the students see some of their hero/heroines
under the word READ, we can hope that the message gets through.

Connie Williams (cowilli@eis.calstate.edu)
*Middle School is definitely the last chance we often have to "grab"
lifelong readers.  Luckily at our school, we have a class, one semester,
for ALL seventh grade students called Young Adult Literature: reading,
developing projects for the books they read, giving book talks. We have
found that including free choice reading without having to write reports
can help.
*We have silent reading also.
*Author visits help a lot; and book talks in English & History classes.
*Reading circles or book clubs generate some interest.

Catie Somers (somersc@aol.com)
*We have tried Caught Reading awards every month.  We have silent sustained
reading for 20 minutes a day.  Calvin and Hobbes awards were created.  We
gave six ticket to every teacher of the reading period to give out during
the month.  These are turned into the library for prizes.  We draw out
about 20 kids a month this way.  The students like it.

(kwilliam@edcen.ehhs.cmich.edu)
*I recently finished a "Book-A-Month Club" incentive.  Each month the
student must read at least one book and then fill out a provided form.  I
post their names and a check for each book read under the corresponding
month.  At the end of the semester all the kids who read at least one book
per month are invited to a pizza party.  It's been very successful and has
allowed me to see what the students are reading and help make book
selections to "upgrade" their reading.

Russell Smith (rssmith@tenet.edu)
I service 143 campuses and one of the most successful reading incentives I
see in use is the Accelerated Reader program.

Kathleen Ellis (kellis@llwnet.ll.pbs.org)
*I have instituted a program called Bookland.  It has been in progress for
the last 5 years (we have grades 5-12).  Students in grades 5 read a book a
month from various genres.  Since students are free to pick, it gives them
some latitude.  I work closely with the classroom teachers so that there is
accountability.  We keep track in a "passport" the teachers create,
complete with picture of the bearer.  Each month's reading is acknowledged
with a special stamp depending on the kind of book read.  The teachers now
do most of the preparation.  My assistant and I meet with the students in
small groups weekly to simply share their books.  Often, we begin our
sessions with a ten minute quiet reading or journal writing.  The kids love
this.

Lawanda Dale (dalelj@dover.afsc.k12.ar.us)
*Maybe we need to focus on ways we can help those interested parents, to
reinforce them, in finding ways they can encourage reading at home.
With my two sons, when they were in middle school, we came up with a unique
plan: for every "worthy" book they read they were allowed to watch a video.
We did something similar with piano practicing vs Nintendo.  Today my sons
are 19 and 22 and love to read.  It took time on my part to document books
read, etc., but God never promised us life would be a bed of roses when we
chose to become parents.

Pat Turner (pturner@mail.public.lib.ga.us)
*I also get discouraged about kids only wanting to read R.L.Stein.  Then, I
tell myself at least they are reading.

*A final good suggestion is to highlight and be involved in selection of
the book to win your state's child-selected book or author award.  We read
book from the consideration list aloud to classes and encourage other
teachers to do likewise, students read them, and a final program features
student book reviewers (sometimes in costume) telling all classes about
each of the books.  We vote our choice, and wait with interest for results
of the state-wide tally.   Katharine Bruner
(brunerk@ten-nash.ten.k12.tn.us)

Subj:   MORE for CONNECTING KIDS WITH BOOKS.



Thank you to all of the people who responded to my question of where can
I find a listserv or chat group of teenagers talking about YAlit. Most of
them were like myself and wanted to find out what I found out.
One suggestion was that I could try a group like Prodigy.  But the price
 might keep many young adults off it.
     When it looked like I wasn't going to get what I wanted, I decided to
go another route.  We have a local network sponsored by the Hillsborough
Co. School system and I tried that.  There are many students on it but
none were talking about books.  I formed my own chat group called Joy
Book Club and had my first meeting Monday.  It went pretty well.  I think
when more students hear about it, it will get better.  My suggestion is
try a local freenet and create your own place where teen are talking
about books.

Matt Penn
Tampa Fl.
mpenn@luna.cas.usf.edu
From:   IN%"BRUNERK@TEN-NASH.TEN.K12.TN.US"  "Katharine Bruner"  4-FEB-1995 20:2
 4:
 55.73
Subj:   RE: Target->Connecting Kids to Books


Carol, I posted a hit this past Wednesday on reaching Mid. Sch. Readers.  I
can't recall at this moment just exactly what the wording was, but it did
include Readers, Mid. Sch.

You should be able to find it in the archives.  I believe you gopher to
ericic@suvm.syr. and follow the menu, but tonight I'm not even exactly sure
about that.

Some of the suggestions were: Book Talks and more book talks, Read to
them!, Book Fairs, either _Accelerated Reader_ or _Electronic Bookshelf_
computer test programs, various librarian-designed programs like
Book-A-Month, Reader of the Month, Sustained Silent Reading across the
school, Invite a public librarian in to book talk, Plan Group book
discussions, Involve students in helping to select winner of your state's
young people's book/author contest, and enabling parents to help their
children read more.

Hope this helps.  If you can't find the archives, let me know, and I'll
scrounge up the information for you.

Katharine Bruner                        Brown Middle School
brunerk@ten-nash.ten.k12.tn.us          Harrison TN


From:   IN%"LYNNJA@TEN-NASH.TEN.K12.TN.US"  "Jo Ann Ayers Lynn"  5-FEB-1995 14:5
 5:
 30.54
Subj:   RE: Target->Connecting Kids to Books


Carol--I have oldies but goodies week for my fifth graders every National
 Library Week.  They each interview a parent, grandparent, or other adult
important to them about that adult's childhood reading interests and ask
him or her to recommend a book he/she remembers reading at about 10 years
of age.  The student then checks out that book or one by the same author
 and reads it. (If no rec. is made or the book isn't available, I help the
student locate a book published in the general time period that the adualt
was 10.)  The students then do a report or project of some sort on the
experience.  Some have brought parents in to be in a skit about the book,
or have video-taped their presedntation at home using family members.
Included in the interview are questions about the child's early experiences
with books and reading.  The students especially enjoyed hearing about
their favorite books when they were toddlers and some of the early
experiences that their parents related.

Jo Ann Lynn
St. Agnes/St. Dominic
Memphis, Tenn.
From:   IN%"valmetro@wln.com"  "Valyn Metropoulos"  5-FEB-1995 16:40:53.74
Subj:   RE: Target->Connecting Kids to Books


Carol-
 These are not new ideas but successful-  Author visit. Does not have to
be most famous or expensive.  We had excellent response from our students
(grades5-8) to Lynne Reid Banks, Bill Wallace, Caroline Cooney and  even
local authors (Peter Fromm writes about wilderness experiences). As long
as they relate their enthusiasm to the kids it seems to work.  Reading
out loud to students sparks their interest in other books by that author
but usually requires help from teachers in form of time or actually doing
the reading.
Val Metropoulos
ET MS
Corvallis, MT
valmetro@wln.com
From:   IN%"PFLUGER@ADMIN.ACES.K12.CT.US"  "Knag-Pfluger"  7-FEB-1995 09:57:09.5
 To
 :      IN%"k12ocCZC@vaxc.hofstra.edu"
Subj:   kids and reading


Hi, Carol!
I'll send you, snail mail, a copy of a bibliography I got at AASL in
Indianapolis on great books for high school kids.  I booktalked a few of them
to one of my freshman classes and it went over quite well. Good Luck! Anita
Pfluger, STratford High, Stratford CT
From:   IN%"bbvschlib@shrsys.hslc.org"  7-FEB-1995 12:14:22.7To:        IN%"k12o
 cczc@vaxc
 .hofstra.edu"
Subj:   Book Hooks


Our school is involved in a reading competition.  The kids really like
it and actually read the book.  It involves many schools in the area.
Our last competition had over 1300 kids competing!  It is wonderful to
see the common interest in discussions as books.  I love it.  If you
would like additional information, I can give you names and numbers.

Janet Johns
Berlin High School
Berlin, Pa.
bbvschlib@hslc.org