This is one of my biggest gripes about AR. In my former life as a
high-school English teacher, I added structure for my students by
requiring them to make at least one selection each quarter from a
specific genre. I honestly knew a few students who went through their
entire high-school AR career reading absolutely nothing but Louis
L'Amour or Lurlene McDaniels. Not that I have anything against either
one -- I especially enjoy a good Western tale, myself. But to allow a
student to go through his or her entire high-school career and read
nothing else is to do that student a disservice. I agree with the
suggestion to try to get the teacher more involved with the selection.
Kim
L. Kim Thomas
Library Media Specialist
Leavenworth High School
Leavenworth, KS 66048
913.684.1550, ext. 106
Kim.Thomas@usd453.org
"Reading is a basic tool in the living of a good life."
Mortimer J.
Adler
-----Original Message-----
From: School Library Media & Network Communications
[mailto:LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU] On Behalf Of Meagan Newberry
Sent: Tuesday, March 03, 2009 9:57 PM
To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: Vent/Target: Teachers "banning" series books
I'm just wondering how others of you handle it when teachers tell
their kids, like one of mine did, for example: You cannot check out
any Magic Tree House or Junie B. Jones books! Find something else! In
my library's case, there is not a huge selection of books in this
reading level range (they are also unhealthily glued to AR reading
levels), so cutting out those two series severely limits my kids. When
I've asked the teachers why, they just say that that's ALL they read
and they want them to branch out. I can understand wanting to expand
their exposure, but what's wrong with an occasional Jack and Annie? Is
it not great if a kid finds something he likes and wants to read all
of it? As an adult, don't I find an author I love and then read
everything he/she has written? It might be harmless and maybe even
helpful to "force" the kids to look elsewhere, but they're already so
frustrated with our slim selection ( I'm trying to grow it...no money
and no luck) that I hate seeing them look longingly at the "Jack and
Annie" books. Advice? Thanks
--
Meagan Newberry, Librarian/English teacher
West Yellowstone School
West Yellowstone, MT
oldberry@gmail.com
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