Title: Choosing Quality Children
1Choosing Quality Childrens Trade Books
2Time for a little thinking
- Think of one of your favorite books from Grades
3-6. - What makes a quality piece of childrens
literature? - What kinds of books are in a high-quality
classroom library in Grades 3-6? - Think/pair/share with your group.
3What Constitutes Childrens Literature?
- A child protagonist and an issue that concerns
children - A straightforward story line, with a linear and
limited time sequence in a confined setting - Language that is concrete and vivid and not
overly complex - Temple, C., Martinez, M., Yokota, J., Naylor,
A. (1998). Childrens books in childrens
hands. Boston Allyn and Bacon
4How Do We Recognize Quality Childrens
literature?
- Good books
- expand awareness
- provide an enjoyable read that doesnt overly
teach or moralize - tell the truth
- embody quality
- have integrity
- show originality
5Expand Awareness
- Good books
- Give children names for things in the world and
for their own experiences - Take children inside other characters
perspectives - Broaden childrens understanding of the world and
their capacity for empathy
6Provide an Enjoyable Read
- Good books provide a lesson in a way that is not
overly contrived or moralistic - Good books show the lesson rather than tell it
7Tell the Truth
- Good books
- Usually deal with significant truths about the
human experience - Characters are true to life
- Insights the books imply are accurate, and,
perhaps, wise
8Embody Quality
- In good books
- The words are precisely chosen, often poetic in
their sound and imagery - The plot is convincing
- The characters are believable
- The descriptions are rich and telling
9Have Integrity
- In the sense of both
- Wholeness or completeness
- Genre, plot, language, characters, style, theme,
illustrations (if any) come together to create a
satisfying whole - Soundness of moral character
10Show Originality
- Excellent books
- Introduce children to unique characters or
situations or show them the world from a unique
viewpoint - Stretch childrens minds, giving them new ways to
think about the world and new possibilities to
think about
11How Can We Judge Quality?
- Originality
- Importance of ideas
- Imaginative use of language
- Beauty of literary and artistic style that enable
book to remain fresh, interesting, and meaningful
for years
12Get to know childrens literature
- Read and enjoy childrens books.
- Read childrens books with a sense of
involvement. - Read a variety of book types.
- Read books for a wide variety of ability
levels. - Share with your colleagues how your students
respond to particular books. - Start by reading several books considered to
be of good quality. - Talk with children about books.
13Childrens Literature Awards
14For the Book
- John Newbery Award
- The book judged to be the most distinguished
contribution to childrens literature published
in the U.S. during the previous year. - Sarah, Plain and Tall, by Patricia MacLachlan
- The Whipping Boy, by Sid Fleischman
- Holes, by Louis Sachar
- Boston Globe-Horn Book Award
- One outstanding example of Fiction and Nonfiction
- Fiction Poppy, by Avi Missing May, by Cynthia
Rylant - Non-Fiction Sojourner Truth Aint I a Woman,
by Patricia Fredrick McKissack
15For the Illustrations
- Randolph Caldecott Award
- Awarded to the illustrator of the most
distinguished childrens book published the
previous year - Officer Buckle and Gloria, by Peggy Rathman
- Owl Moon, by Jane Yolen
- Boston Globe-Horn Book Award
- One outstanding example of illustration
- Grandfathers Journey, by Alan Say
- Mufaros Beautiful Daughters, by John Steptoe
16For New Talent in Childrens Writing
- International Reading Association Childrens Book
Award - One author who writes for older readers
- Letters from Rifka, by Karen Hesse
- One author who writes for younger readers
- Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt, by Deborah
Hopkinson, Illustrated by James Ransome - One author who writes informational books
- Brooklyn Bridge, by Elizabeth Mann
- Ezra Jack Keats New Writers Award
- Promising new writer who has had six or fewer
childrens books published - Tar Beach, by Faith Ringgold
17African American Authors/Illustrators
- Coretta Scott King Award
- For books that encourage understanding and
appreciation of people of all cultures and the
pursuit of the American Dream - The Friendship, by Mildred Taylor
- The Young Landlords, by Walter Dean Myers
18To Author/Illustrator for Entire Body of Work
- Hans Christian Andersen Award
- One author and one illustrator in recognition of
an entire body of work - Authors Paula Fox, Virginia Hamilton, Scott
ODell - Illustrators Mitsumasa Anno, Lisbeth Zwerger
- Laura Ingalls Wilder Award
- Author or illustrator whose works have made a
substantial and lasting contribution to
childrens literature over a period of years - Dr. Seuss, Virginia Hamilton, E. B. White
19Creating a Classroom Library
20A Well-Rounded, Interesting Classroom Library
- modern, realistic literature as well as
more traditional literature - books with different types of themes
- books of varying difficulty
- a variety of genres
- informational books
- books whose characters realistically depict
various cultural groups and life circumstances - books that meet students reading interests
21Genres
- Traditional Literature
- Myths and religious stories
- Fables (proverbs explicitly stated at the end)
- Folktales (word of mouth, unknown origins)
- Pourquoi Tales (explain phenomena)
- Tall Tales and Legends (greatly exaggerated
accounts of heros and legends) - Cumulative tales (repeating and adding lines)
- Fairy tales (folktales that involve magic)
- Apprenticeship/Hero tales (character rises from
a lowly to high estate, or from ignored/
threatened to recognized/rewarded for good
qualities
22Genres
- Realistic fiction
- Historical fiction
- Fantasy and science fiction
- Biography (depending on structure)
- Drama
- Diaries
- Personal narrative
23Different types of texts require different ways
of understanding and recalling the most important
ideasNarrative?Expository?
24What is a narrative text?
- Tells a story
- Based on life experiences
- Person-oriented using dialogue and familiar
language (written in first, second, or third
person) - Purpose(s)
- To entertain
- To tell a story
- To provide an aesthetic experience
- Organization
- Uses story grammar
25Story Grammar/Story Structure
- Characters
- Setting
- Problem
- Events
- Resolution
- Theme
26Less Complex Story Grammar
- Beginning (characters, setting, problem)
- Middle (events)
- End (resolution)
27More Complex Story Grammar
- Beginning
- characters (antagonist/protagonist), setting,
problem (conflict), initiating event - Middle
- turning points, crisis, rising action, climax,
subplot, parallel episodes - End
- resolution, falling action, ending
28What is an expository text?
- Non-fiction
- Informational books
- Biographies
- Photographic essays
- Purpose(s)
- To convey information about the natural and
social world - Uses facts, details, opinions, and examples to
inform or persuade - Organization
- Has varied text patterns (e.g., time order,
enumeration, compare/contrast, cause/effect,
problem/solution)
29But across both types of texts, good readers use
at least five metacognitive comprehension
strategiesYour homework is to find out what
these are (Chapter 1). And come prepared with 2
questions predicting what Thursdays readings
will be about (preview Chapter 2).