Challenged Book Procedure

It is important to have a challenged book procedure in place so that when a situation arises, the library media specialist is able to handle the situation in an organized and effective way.  The procedure could also be helpful for parents and community members.  When someone has a question about why a book is in the library, having  a procedure in place will allow them to understand how books are selected.  Also, if a problem arises, the procedure will be known by the administration and the media center specialist.  A copy of the procedure for selecting books should be available for anyone to see.

Fantasy

According to Vardell, "fantasy speaks to something deep within the human psyche- the wonder and worry about our place in the universe".  Fantasy is timeless and fun.  Fantasy novels can take children, teens, and adults to new worlds and places where anything is possible.  I think this is why fantasy is such a popular genre.  Fantasy allows an escape from the oridinary and real.  It allows adventure and exploration into mythical creatures, magic, and new worlds.  The characters in fantasy often have problems that children can relate to. Winnie the Pooh always wants to help his friends.  Harry Potter wants to find out who he really is. Children can also imagine what their life would be like if they had magical powers or visited other worlds.  I believe fantasy novels spark the imagination of children.

Evaluating Information books and Historical Fiction

According to Rosemary Chance's book Young Adult Literature in Action, "The informational collection in the library relates directly to the school curriculum.  Roughly half of the library book budget and half of the book shelves are devoted to informational books."  Since informational books are such a large part of the library collection, it is important to understand the different types.  There are 10 main classes organized by Melvil Dewey.  These classes are: 
000-Computer Science, Information, and General Works
100-Philosophy, Parapsychology and Occultism, Psychology
200- Religion
300- Social Sciences
400- Language
500- Natural Sciences and Mathematics
600- Technology (Applied Sciences)
700-The Arts, Fine and Decorative Arts
800- Literature (Belles Lettres) and Rhetoric
900- History, Geography, and Auxiliary Disciplines

According to Sylvia M. Vardell's book Children's Literature in Action,  historical fiction may be the most difficult genres to promote.  It is important for the teacher to show the students that historical fiction is fun and exciting to read.  According to children's literature expert Charlotte Huck (2000), historical fiction "dramatizes and humanizes" the past for us.  I love to use historical fiction books with my class.  I teach history and I believe it does make the lessons more real and interesting to the students.  The types of historical fiction are: 
United States History
World History
Historical Fiction
Historical Picture Books
Chance believes that Historical Picture Books can be difficult for six or seven year olds to understand.  I agree.  I use Historical Picture Books often with 6th grade and they really enjoy them.  I tell them that picture books aren't just for younger kids.  Often, younger students will not understand them the way they will because they don't have the history knowledge yet.  The Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction and the Jane Addams book award are awards given to outstanding historical fiction books.

Nonfiction books:
Today there is a good variety of nonfiction books for children to choose from.  The purpose of nonfiction books is to inform, but nonfiction books can also be entertaining.  There are several types of informational books.  The types of informational books are:
Survey Books
Photo Essays
Concept Books
Social Histories
Informational Storybooks
Activity Books
Trivia Books
Series Books and Reference Tools

Biographies are also considered nonfiction books.  There are several types of biographies.  They types of biographies are:
Complete Biographies
Picture Book Biographies
Biography Series
Celebrity Biographies
Collective Biographies
Autobiographies

When evaluating informational books, we want to make sure they contain accurate information.  We should look at reviewers who are knowledgeable on that subject.  The book can be compared to other accurate books on the same subject.  Look at the author's background to see if they have a reputation in the field.  Make sure their are sources cited the the book.

Using Historical Fiction and Information books in teaching History

According to Children's Literature in Action by Sylvia M. Vardell, "Historical novels can supplement the history or social studies curriculum with human stories that bring events to life.  They can help develop an appreciation of our historical heritage and provide the reader with a vicarious experience of the past through lieterature."  I am a 6th grade social studies teacher.  I use historical fiction novels and picture books throughout the year.  Historical fiction novels can help the student learn more about the time period by adding interest.  One combination that could be made in a U.S. History class is to read the historical fiction book Number the Stars by Loius Lowry.  This could be correlated with the reading teacher, so that the students read the book in reading class at the same time they are covering World War II in history.  I did this last year, and the students really enjoyed it.  The history teacher could read the nonfiction book Hitler Youth: Growing up in Hitler's Shadow by Susan Bartolleti Campbell.  This could be read when the Holocaust is discussed.  The history teacher could also read the picture book The Butterfly by Patricia Polocco.  This book is also about the Holocaust. When the students see history in different ways, it helps them to understand it more.

Top 10 Challenged Books for 2010

ALA news (4/11/2011). "And Tango Makes Three" waddles its way back to the number one slot as America's most frequently challenged book.  Retrieved June 20, 2011 from: http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/news/ala/and-tango-makes-three-waddles-its-way-back-number-one-slot-america-s-most-frequently-challe

"And Tango Makes Three" has been on the list for the past 5 years and returned to the number 1 spot on the 2010 list.  Those seeking to remove this book describe it as "unsuited for age group", "religious viewpoint", and "homosexuality" as reasons for challenging it.

The 10 books have all been challenged because of either: racism, offensive language, religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group, sexually explicit, violence, insensitivity, homosexuality, drugs, sexism, inaccurate, political viewpoint.  Each book had a combination of these reasons for the challenge of the book. 

The books removed from the 2010 list are: "To Kill a Mockingbird", "Color Purple", "Catcher in the Rye", and "The Chocolate War".  Some new books to the list are: "Brave New World", "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian", "The Hunger Games", and "Twilight".

A challenge is defined as a formal, written complaint filed with a library or school requesting the material be restricted or removed.

Controversial Books

According to the American Library Association, books are often challenged because of a motivation to protect children from "inappropriate" sexual content or "offensive" language.  The top 3 reasons a book is challenged according to the Office of Intellectual Freedom are:
1.  it is considered sexually explicit
2.  offensive language
3. unsuited to any age group
When a book is challenged, the goal is to have the book banned or removed from library shelves.

Young Adult Articles

      The first article I read was from Psychology Today.  The article focused on teen girls and depression.  It said that as many as 1 in 3 teens could suffer from depression.  It gave tips for parents and adults in understanding teenagers.  The article said that to understand teens, you need to read what they read, watch their shows (like MTV), and play their video games. I agree with this article that it is important to be in tune with what teens are doing in order to understand them.
      The second article I read was a great resource to get teens involved in reading and the library.  It came from the website below.  This aticle provided links to free technology librarians can use to get teens interested in reading.  I liked the idea of creating posters to hang in the library of faculty and staff dressed up and reading their favorite book.  A link is provided to help create the posters.  I also liked the idea of a Teen Book Choice Awards.

http://edtechvision.org/?p=861

article "Requirements for Heathly Development of Adolescent Youth"

In 1973, Gisela Konopka and a panel representing different ages and backgrounds came up with guidelines for adolescence.  They described adolescence as a transition period from dependent childhood to self-sufficient adulthood.  Adolescence is considered to be about age 18.  Adolescents feel insecure, vulnerable, and have a need for a peer group.  Konopka says adolescence is the "Age of Commitment".  This is the search for oneself.  Adolescents need the opportunity to participate as citizens, members of a household, as workers in general, and responsible members of society. Some obstacles to normal development are when the adolescent feels that they are disregarded as a significant human being.  This can cause withdrawl and self destruction.  The article says that the correctional system needs to close mass juvenile institutions, create living situations for young people who can't live at home, and provide them with legal aid.  Creating options with the school system would be good for adolescents.  Priority should be given to educating those who work with adolescents about factors that affect them.  Adolescents also need employment opportunities.

Who are Young Adults and what are Their reading Preferences?

According to Rosemary Chance's book Young Adult Literature in Action , the American Library Association defines young adults as ages 12-18.  In my survey of  students, I found that none of the students had the same favorite book.  I interviewed 16 and 17 year old students.  The books were also of several different genres : A Walk to Remember, Harry Potter, Last Song, The Fountain Head, The Color Purple, and Pete Rose.  Two of the students said their favorite book was also the last book they read.  I interviewed 2 boys.  One chose Harry Potter and the other Pete Rose as their favorite books. Both boys had last read for pleasure a book about athletes (Derek Jeter and Hakeem Olajuwon).  None of the girls listed nonfiction books.

Illustrator

I am studying Paul Zelinsky.  He has won several awards for his illustrations.  I found it interesting that he says  the stories tell him what the pictures should look like.  He uses different styles of art in the books he illustrates.  Zelinsky said that he drew all the time as a child, but he didn't realize he wanted to be an illustrator for children's books until he was in college.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Hugo is a boy who lives in the walls of a train station.  He lives alone and spends all of his time trying to fix an automaton.  As the story unfolds, the reader finds out how Hugo came to posess the automaton.  When one mystery is solved, another begins.  I enjoy reading mystery books and thought this was an excellent book!  I have never read a novel with illustrations grouped together like this one.  I think the way Selznick uses the art to help tell the story adds a lot to the book.  I would like to read more of Brian Selznick's books.

April 30, 2011

I am excited about this class.  I am looking forward to our book discussions!