LM_NET: Library Media Networking
Part I (of 2) --Children=92s books in a HS Media Center
This is a long overdue HIT for a question I posed to LMNET 3-4 weeks
ago. Thank you to the many, many people who took the time to respond to
my question about having children=92s books in a high school media center=
=2E
The responses were unanimously positive, although I hope it wasn=92t
because of the biased way that I phrased the question. As you can see
from these responses, children=92s books *are* being used at the HS level=
,
and there are a variety of rationales for doing so. Read on for
opinions, testimonials and experiences.
Keith Johnson, Media
Hopkins High School
Hopkins, MN 55305
keith_johnson@hopkins.k12.mn.us
+++++++++++
Absolutely you need some picture books. I have a two-volume title,
USING PICTURE STORY BOOKS TO TEACH LITERARY DEVICES by Hall which any hs
literature/writing teacher would appreciate. Even social studies
teachers may find books like Polacco's Pink and Say useful as quick
access to tough periods, read-aloud opportunities. I work in a K-8
library, and keep some picture books in the middle school section.
++++++++++
In addition to all of the reasons you mentioned. Picture books can
serve many purposes for the older/more able reader too. Many of Dr.
Seuss's books are parodies on WW II and are invaluable in units dealing
with WWII. Don't miss his "Butter-battle Book" when discussing the cold
war and the arms race. Other books can serve to show literary devices
such as foreshadowing, point of view (I just discovered Voices in the
Park by Anthony Browne which does this masterfully), nature of a sequel
(Adv. of Peter Rabbit and Adv of Benjamin Bunny), and on and on. In
addition, they can be used as part of a language arts unit to introduce
writing of children's books to aspiring writers -- we've had several succ=
essful
units based on wide reading in this area. We've used them for reader's
theater, written scripts for puppet plays, and written parodies. I
could go on and on but you get the idea.
Don't be disheartened -- there are those in our profession who disavow
the value of YA literature too -- insisting that the only "real" reading
teens should be doing is in the classics.
When children's books are interfused in the high school collection,
however, I think that one should reflect the "high school use" with
appropriate subject headings which might suggest the use in the HS
curriculum. That not only legitimatizes the inclusion in the HS collecti=
on
but allows instructors and students to access the books for those
purposes as well. If one is uncomfortable adding non-standard subject
headings to the catalog consider adding a line in the annotation saying
something like "Parody on World War II." Or "Example of Literary
device: Foreshadowing." In these cases a keyword search would identify
this title. Once staff and students were privvy to the annotation key
they would be able to find and
use these books to the greatest advantage.
++++++++++++++++
I absolutely think there is cause to have children's books in the
library. Not only for
those constituencies you mentioned, but also for art students looking
for examples of
different mediums, those (unfortunately, they exist) teen parents, the
kid who wants to be
popular as a babysitter, to teach selection of appropriate materials for
reading to
children--when they have them. To refresh their memories on the
significance of reading
when they were younger (we hope!) by enabling them to find books they
treasured as a child and re-reading them.
+++++++++++
=
I had books that I used for story time with our child development
classes when they ran a
day care for two weeks in the spring. The high school students enjoyed
the story time as
much (if not more) than the preschoolers. (Who knows how long it had
been since they were last read to!) Even those kids who had come to my
room from study halls were frequent listeners when I hosted story times.
++++++++++++
I have been considering purchasing picture books for use in English
classes to help teach literary devices. English teachers recently
identified the literary devices they are harder to get across, and I
will be matching them to books from "Using Picture Storybooks to Teach
Literary Devices" by Susan Hall (Oryx Press. Teachers also mentioned
that they could be used in art and child care classes as well as,by
creative writing students who write their own picture books. I think
the above uses justify starting a small, select collection. I would be
interested in what kind of responses you receive from HS's where the
books already exist. =
+++++++++++
I've always had a small collection such as this at my senior high. Like
you say, besides READING them, they're used for other activities. We've
had kids doing skits come in and get them, like if they need to "read to
a little kid," and the art classes use them quite a bit. It's hard to
beat children's books for beautiful illustrations. Our foreign exchange
students have also found them useful. I don't make any apologies for
having them...they're used by all kinds of people for all kinds of
reasons, and I think if anyone has trouble seeing that, well, that's
THEIR problem!
+++++++++++
I have just such books in my collection! The students love them -- Jon
Scieska is another author I have. He wrote the True Story of the Three
Little Pigs (shows parts of a book in a humorous way) and Math Curse. The=
students love them all.
++++++++++
I always kept some "young" YA lit on the shelves, such as Rylant and othe=
r
authors whom I personally love. After recently attending a mini-workshop =
and
reading an English Journal article on using picture books in the high
school, I ordered about a dozen such books for teachers to use as writing=
prompts, introductions to various units, etc., and for students to use or=
"re-appreciate" (I hope). Already, two biology teachers have raved about
success with "There's a Hair in mY Dirt" and a social studies teachers re=
ad
"Who Came Down that Road" as an intro to World Civ. Please do post a hit.=
++++++++++++
We have a pretty extensive children's collection in our high school
library and the books get used often by the special ed dept, teachers of
small children, big sisters, the art dept., the English dept., and
babysitters. WE also have an education academy where students go out in
the field and work in schools and they use them pretty regularly. I
started my teaching career in an elementary classroom and love
children's books---Couldn't live without them!
++++++++++++
We have a small collection of easy reading books in our library. They
may =
be used in any way---- for special day, special ed, ESL students, for an =
introduction of literary terms and themes, for kids to check out to read
to =
little brothers and sisters, etc. They haven't been checked out a lot =
because we are a school that is focused on high standards and everyone =
strives for entrance into an ivy league school, but we just got them in =
September and I plan to buy a few more.
++++++++++++++++++
i think that you should have in your library whatever supports the
curriculum. if those students are being taught at that level and are
requested to read books at home just like other students then the
library should have the appropriately accessible materials for them at
their levels.
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