Ch 11 Realistic Fiction
Realistic fiction consists of stories that are written with a setting of modern times or the contemporary world. The actions of the characters are believable and events seem real. This type of writing is sometimes called Modern Realistic Fiction.
When evaluating this type of writing, a media specialist/librarian should look at consistency with the world in which the reader lives. All elements in the characters life should seem like those that a real person would exhibit, from speech, actions/behavior, setting, to even the types of situations they are confronted with. Ensuring that the text avoids stereotypes and support gender and cultural elements that are relevant for contemporary readers should also be accounted for.
Theme is something that this type of fiction offers, in fact there may be several themes. The theme of this story should develop naturally, and avoid being of obvious teaching a lesson. Going back to the elements, the subject matter of the things that the characters deal with in the story have to be of things that modern readers want to read about. We have to use books as windows and mirrors to our readers lives. A reader may be able to learn how to cope with the newfound knowledge that not everyone has two moms, or may be curious about ways that others deal with loss in their lives. Taboo subjects to previous generations, are now subject matter to modern readers.
Reflection:
Realistic fiction books should be a reader having a conversation with a friend, sharing things and stories that happened to the characters should seem real and set in this world. Authors should avoid stereotypes whenever possible and consider gender and cultural elements. A book that offers a variety of themes will be able to “reach” and make an impact on a larger audience. This type of book lends itself to be read by a variety of readers with different lives and all be impacted by the book in a different way than the previous or next reader. It is also important that we allow readers to use books as mirrors and windows to their worlds. Students should read books that allow them to find ways to cope with tough topics, ways that allow them to learn about sensitive ideas/topics. Students may be able to avoid big issues if they are able to see how characters in books deal with things. I believe that when given the right book, YA readers really enjoy this type of books. They are old enough to know it is a work of fiction, but mature enough to know that the situations and aspects of the book could happen to someone in real life. After reading books such as Lily and Dunkin, I can attest that this title would be considered Realistic Fiction. Lily and Dunkin shows how one character is dealing with coming out to their classmates, and the other character is dealing with being the new kid in town, an absent father (I won’t tell too much), and mental illness.
Ch 12 Nonfiction:
The quote and description from Dr. Small that Dr. Lesesne used is a wonderful one, Dr. Small said “nonfiction is the only kind of book defined by what it is not.” Nonfiction is an umbrella for many other types of books. Variety of books, topics, approaches, and formats is what encompasses nonfiction. Dr. Perry and Dr. Lesesne create a video explaining the things on this chapter. They explain and give excellent examples of how to evaluate Nonfiction books for children using the criteria developed by Carter & Abrahamson.
The criteria is :
What are the qualifications of the author?
Knowing the author's qualifications will also help know how accurate the information may be. While some authors may be known for their nf books, there are new authors coming up. Using the author bio on the book jacket or using the author’s website for information would be helpful. Relying on book reviews may not be a good thing, as the reviewers may not be experts in that field either. Using guides for subjects may be helpful, if a math guide supports an author/book, that author/book is bound to have information that is accurate.
Are the facts accurate?
Again using guides for the subjects would be the best idea to use for when encountering a book by an author that is relatively new or unknown. Having students help with this part is a way to show students how not many people truly are experts. Having students look at several books by the same topic and have them find things are similar and different in regards to facts/content.
What is the purpose and scope of the book?
Knowing the purpose and scope of the book best helps a media specialist/librarian know when to suggest a book. It helps the reader know if the book is the right book for what they are trying to do. Finding and using a book with a scope that is too broad when doing research may be a waste of time. The same book may be just right if the reader is doing a pleasure read.
How does the organization of the book assist readers in locating information?
Authors can do so many things to aid the reader when writing books. A good book should have a combination of any of the following-glossary, photographs, call-out boxes, index, index of illustrations, resources (many include web links now too), author research notes, & a table of contents.
What role do visuals play?
The visuals should be engaging for students. Authors should also reference their sources when including illustrations. Illustrations are a great way for students to make sense of information being taught in the book.
Dr Perry & Dr. Lesesne also include a list of questions created by Carter & Abrahamson that librarians, media specialists, and teachers should use when working with nonfiction books and students.
Reflection:
I really liked the definition Dr. Small gave of nonfiction, I am certain I’ll be using that with my classes from now on. Remembering that nonfiction is an umbrella is a great way to explain this to students, I have a good amount of students that like nonfiction books, but they tend to think that nonfiction is animals books or facts. The umbrella reference will be a great visual for my students.
In regards to the criteria for evaluating nonfiction books and the questions to use, i really liked having that, this is a great tool to have when considering buying more books for the library. Students should be allowed to have books that are written by qualified authors and have accurate facts. The purpose and scope of a book are things that I had not thought too much about in the past, the way that Dr. Lesesne and Dr. Perry used the 3 books really made sense to me and allowed me to think about the books in my library a bit more differently. The organization of the books and the things an author can include are a great list. Students should be taught about the different ways that books are organized and the other things things included, as many times they will be able to see if the book is something they can use when working on research. The notes section that authors are including are especially good when teaching students the research method and showing them that authors too must research when writing. I also like that the criteria includes the visuals having a role in the book. So many of our students are visual learners or are learners that get deeper meaning when they have visuals, a nonfiction book that only includes facts or includes visuals that are not appealing to the target age range that it is written for is doing a disservice the the information being shared.
The questions to ask students are great, as we as librarians and media specialists need to be taking our patrons ideas and requests for books, having this list is going to allow me to best support my learners. It will also allow the students to analyze books in a better way than just looking at it. I like the questions that ask them to really think about what they would change, add to the book, and ask them to think about the author. I am thinking of creating these questions on cards and putting them on a ring to help me make sure to use them when reading with students and even have students ask for me after they read their books.
Ch 13 Fantasy & Science Fiction
Science fiction books are categorized as a subgenre of fantasy. While a book may be both fantasy and science fiction, not all fantasy is science fiction. The criteria for evaluating fantasy and science fiction should be used to ensure that the types of books available for readers are of quality.
Criteria:
Do the characters behave consistently and in believable ways?
What rules are in that fantasy world?
Did the author assist readers in the “willing suspension of disbelief?”
Does the theme explore universal truths?
These types of books still contain aspects of fiction books, such as setting, problem, solution, setting, etc. The types of things that a character deals with many of the things that characters in realistic fiction deal with.
There are many types of science fiction books
Apocalyptic & Post-Apocalyptic
A-End of civilization, living with the ramifications of the end of a civilization. PA-years after the catastrophe, does not usually show evidence of the catastrophe, primitive setting.
Steampunk, cyberpunk, biopunk
Super cool tech though it is steam powered, Victorian era.
hacking , pc tech, humans & pc interaction, bleak, dark
Hackers, manipulation of humans or human’s dna, dark bleak
Dystopia
Restricted independent thought, conformity (or lack thereof ) no individuality, resistance, disillusionment
Extra-sensory Perception
Telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition
Robots, androids, cyborgs, and artificial intelligence
Robot machines, automaton, humans aided by mechanical device, AI-artificial intelligence
Space, alien, extra terrestrial
Alien invasion, setting in space, 1st contact, colonization
Time travel & parallel universe
Circular problems bc of time travel
Virtual reality & gaming
Lost in virtual reality worlds or gaming world
Miscellaneous
Zombies in real world, invisibility, brain sharing, cryogenics, mind swaps
The books that may fall under a certain type may also fall under a 2nd or even 3rd type.
Reflection
I like that Dr. Perry kicks off her video saying that she isn’t a fan of all science fiction. If you had asked me in the past, I would have said that I was not a fan of science fiction books at all, after listening to her book talks and descriptions of books, I realize that I do like science fiction books. If I have felt this way for so long, I am certain that I have students in my library that are the same way. It is my goal to help those students know that they really do not dislike science fiction, my “dislike” went on for too long, can't let theirs be that way too. Making sure that I offer the different types of science fiction books in my library is the best way to ensure that I expose my students to the many books available. I believe that reading science fiction allows students to be able to step into a world outside of their reality and maybe even “forget” about any issues they may be dealing with. Science fiction reading is most times used for pleasure reads. Using the list and their characteristics will allow me as a media specialist to ensure that I suggest the type of science fiction that my students may want to read. I also think the list can help suggest books outside of the realm that the student may be used to, assuming they want to read something different. I think that Dr. Perry’s book will be a great addition for me to have in the library as I begin my sci-fi learning and picking books to read on my own and to start sharing books with students. The themes encountered and lessons taught in science fiction can be things that my young adult readers can use in their lives. I also believe that science fiction truly is for young adult readers as they have to be able to differentiate from realistic fiction and science fiction. A media specialist really needs to know their reader/patron to be able to suggest something that is not too mature for them.
Ch 14 Graphic Novels
Graphic novels are books that are written with sequential art. They contain text and illustrations that convey a story, they can be both fiction and nonfiction. They all have a cover and inside pages. The pages are set up with different panels where the story takes place, the panels are separated from each other with gutters, the characters show their thoughts with thought bubbles, and their speech with dialogue balloons. The panels are read from left to right & then top to bottom. The speech and thoughts in the panels are read again, from left to right and then top to bottom within each panel. Graphic novels are not JUST for ells, reluctant readers, kids or independent reading. Graphic novels are written for all readers and not necessarily to be used to have to have a response for. Graphic novels do teach readers how to deal with some issues they may be having and they can teach things to them as they can be non-fiction. Graphic novels can be used like any other book to help teachers meet standards of learning (think TEKS and Common Core Standards). Graphic novels also allow readers to be able to read works that they may not have been able to really read and grasp the concept of, because the graphic novel aspect of the work, now allows the reader to have a visual of what the written work was trying to convey. In short, the illustrations help the reader understand a complex book. Graphic novels also can teach concepts to students in a way that they find entertaining and engaging, such as learning about Olympians, the Gettysburg Address, and even the human body. There are also many authors that include facts throughout their stories, so that blending of fact and fiction is a way to keep students engaged and learning. Ensuring that as a media specialist/librarian you are keeping the right kinds and types of graphic novels on the shelves (if they can stay there long enough) is not a task that can be done without the aid of review lists (national and state), educators’ guides, along with working with your local comic book store clerk to help have a starting point to which graphic novels your readers may be interested in.
Reflection:
I believe that once a student understands how graphic novels are set up, they will continue to read them. Using graphic novels in and out of the classroom is a great way to keep students engaged in their learning and showing them that not all books are listed as text only. The population of my readers/patrons include a lot of ELLs and graphic novels do support them in their journey to learn a second language, but we also have to remember, we are ALL English language learners. I am truly appreciative of the authors that have come with adaptations and novelizations of written works to be done as graphic novels. I believe that they make the reading of a well known written work to not seem so daunting. I liked the idea that Dr. Lesesne shared of teaching students that may not know them about the different fairy tales via graphic novels. I also think that using graphic novels to expose students to topics or concepts they may show interest, is a great way for them to learn about the said topic, and really even push them to read more about it in a non-graphic novel way.
I have enjoyed reading graphic novels and truly have been working with students who love them. I am lucky enough to have a small amount of graphic novels that are nonfiction and have enjoyed sharing those with teachers and students. I also have parents and teachers that do not believe that reading graphic novels is considered reading. I have been saving a lot of the information that I have learned to share with them and continue to support students reading graphic novels. I hope to be able to get more graphic novels into readers' hands.
Ch 15 Richard Peck Questions for Novels
Richard Peck has come up with ten questions to ask when reading novels. The questions help focus of different parts or aspects of the novel. The questions are not to ask about the book or story itself, but to really have reader THINK about the author and their craft. Students SHOULD think about stereotyping, identifying with the characters, looking at the way that the author hooked them into reading the story, thinking about the titles, thinking of the tone of the book.
Reflection:
If this set of questions isn't already printed out in your library, hop to it. I think having these questions and their reasoning for them really allows readers think even deeper into the text. These questions can also be helpful for teachers when working in the classroom, not just for media specialists/librarians. We should be helping students think beyond the text. Thinking about what the author was thinking as they wrote and ways that the author got them to keep reading are great for all students. One of the last skills that “comes” to students learning a second language is the writing of the new language, helping students “see” what the author was thinking is a great way to use a novel as a mentor text in writing.
Ch 16 Crowd-sourced List of Middle School Authors
This list of middle school authors that was crowd-sourced allows us to see the difference in authors that have written books for middle school/middle grade. The list may be “complete” in the sense that all participants have answered, but new authors are always emerging and some cross over from adult books to ya, and same for authors of children’s books writing ya titles.
Reflection:
Like mentioned above, this list will never be complete. Authors of ya books are changing in numbers. As a media specialist/librarian, we need to know which authors are writing books for our patrons. We need to encourage students to not only read books with characters like them (mirrors), but also books written by authors like them. Student should see that they too can write books and share the things that they know with others. The same way that books are promoted to share vicarious experiences, media specialists/librarians should share authors to students. On a different chapter of this textbook, it was noted that typically students that read serially grow to be avid readers; allowing readers to read all of the works by a certain author is a great way to allow that. Also, students that have authors they like, allows media specialists/librarians to suggest other authors (alike or different than those) to them when they are ready.
Ch 17 We Need Diverse Books Site
This site uses the hook of “Imagine a world in which all children can see themselves in the page of a book,” and it is such a way to describe the goal of this site. This 501c3 organization has a mission statement of “Putting more books featuring diverse characters into the hands of all children.” and uses the diversity of characters and books to help accomplish this. This organization read books and then creates lists that others can use to suggest the books to the readers. The work at making sure that the books have more positive things to them than they do problems; though they do note that no 100% problem free book exists. This site offers suggestions for books, read alouds, learning about where to find diverse books, and even a booktalking kit for those interested in sharing books with others.
Reflection:
This website is a great source when media specialists/librarians are looking to order books, suggest books to students, creating material lists. The book/award lists created by this organization are great at ensuring that students have books that are mirrors and windows to their lives. Students deserve books in which they are able to learn about themselves, along with learning about topics that may be hard to talk to others or that they are curious about. Students deserve access to books that are just as diverse as the community and world they live in. A child may be able to gain insight about their next door neighbor that just immigrated to the united states by reading a book. We have to continue to remember that books many times are safe places for students to be able to experience this diverse world we live in, & we need to allow them access to those books.
