Toni and all-
This trend of "dummying down" book content is not the exclusive problem of
high school books. We see it in the upper elementary grades as well. Each
year I attend the Follett Book Look where primarily non-fiction books are
displayed for librarians to get an idea of what's new. I am always shocked
at the new non-fiction books that we find aimed at upper elementary kids.
Some have lots of pictures, a small format and facts written in larger
print. Few top 100 pages but they usually have tables of contents, indexes
and glossaries.
When we do purchase such books, our teachers complain and often require
harder books for their average students.
When we complain to the Follett vendors and others we meet, they tell us
that this is all the publishers are putting out. To refuse to buy them would
be defeating the purpose of having books available for student research.
Jo
******************************************************
Josephine G. Dervan. Library Media Specialist
Strathmore Elementary School
Aberdeen, NJ 07747
rderva at infionline.net
He who has a garden and a library, wants for nothing- Cicero
----- Original Message -----
From: "Toni Koontz" <akoontz@CDEDUCATION.ORG>
To: <LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>
Sent: Tuesday, August 29, 2006 3:30 PM
Subject: Re: [LM_NET] Does YA NonFiction Cheat Our Students?
>I work at a college prep high school and I, too, have noticed that more
>publishers are bringing out these very colorful, but low on text books.
>While all the graphs, etc. may be useful, my students need more in-depth
>discussion. I have had salesmen come in with samples and try to tell me
>that other high schools are really excited about them -but I really
>question that.
>
> It is a concern that a lot of publishers label books as being for high
> school and the reading level and graphics would be better suited for
> middle or elementary.
>
> I have to tell all salesmen to only bring college level or adult level
> books or they shouldn't even bother coming.
> Toni Koontz
> Librarian
> St.Charles Preparatory School
> Columbus,Ohio
> akoontz@cdeducation.org
> Carpe Diem
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "debwaugh.lm_net@frontiernet.net" <debwaugh.lm_net@FRONTIERNET.NET>
> To: <LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>
> Sent: Tuesday, August 29, 2006 3:01 PM
> Subject: Does YA NonFiction Cheat Our Students?
>
>
>> Hi, All--
>>
>> I received my usual boxes of books for preview this week, and I continue
>> to wonder about the value of the large majority of titles.
>>
>> Just as a "for instance" I'm looking at one called Keeping Peace in the
>> World. 48 pages long and it costs $21.95 from this particular vendor. On
>> the plus side, a book like this is filled with colorful pictures and
>> informative charts, graphs and sidebars of additional info. So there is a
>> better chance of the book appealing to the "multimedia generation." But
>> the reading level and amount of text seem very low to me.
>>
>> I have received a few books that are at a higher level, such as the
>> Scientific American Critical Anthologies series, but 90% of the books in
>> the preview boxes could probably be easily read by a 4th grader.
>>
>> Has this move to graphics versus text bothered anyone else or do you
>> think it's just the way of the future?
>>
>> Deb Waugh
>> Librarian
>> Graham High School
>> 210 Valleydale Street
>> Bluefield, Virginia
>> debwaugh.lm_net@frontiernet.net
>>
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