Competency 4, Tagging

Image Source:  LibraryThing.com

Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes

1950s(2) Age Group 9-12(2) american(4) animal(3) animals(19) birds(3) chapter book(4) children(10) children's(33) children's books(4) children's fiction(10) Children's Literature(9) Classic(3) dogs(39) Eleanor Estes(2) f(4) family(12) family life(3) fiction(65) historical fiction(4) Illustrated(3) juvenile(5) juvenile fiction(9) Kids(7) lost(2) mf(3) Newbery(35) Newbery Challenge(3) newbery medal(33) novel(3) own(4) pets(2) puffin(2) read(3) realistic fiction(3) school(2) school room(2) siblings(3) Sonlight(6) Sonlight 2(5) Sonlight Core 2(4) ya(5) young adult(3)

Librarything Link:  http://www.librarything.com/work/book/32549373

The book I chose for my tagging competency is Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes.  This book was written in 1951 and won a Newberry Award Medal.  It is a beloved story about the adventures of a little dog named Ginger Pye, and the family who has brought him into their lives.  It takes place at a time when life seemed so innocent and genuine.  I first read this book several years ago to my second grade class.  Now it has become a tradition.  I still have students who continue to come and tell me it is their favorite book.  They bring me pictures and comic strips of favorite scenes from the story.  When I become an elementary school librarian, this will be the first book I read with my library club.  Ginger Pye has had amazing results with some of my reluctant readers.

Estes, Eleanor.  Ginger Pye.  New York:  Scholastic, Inc., 1951.

The ISBN number for Ginger Pye is:  0-590-45126-X 

Competency 3, RSS

The RSS feed I selected is from the School Library Journal website.  This site provides a long list of RSS feeds on a variety of topics that are related to library and school issues.  I chose Graphic Novel News since studies have shown that graphic novels encourage reluctant readers.  The reviews posted to the left give information on numerous graphic novels appropriate for elementary level children.    

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/learnRSS

Search Engine:  www.google.com

  

Competency 2, Podcast

I located a podcast on reluctant readers by David LaMorte of Teaching for the Future (TftF). His podcast is listed on podcastdirectory.com.  This website is full of different podcasts that educates teachers, librarians, and parents about the use of technology and media in education.  

http://www.podcastdirectory.com/podshows/2791005

http://s5.video.blip.tv/1710003214147/Teachingforthefuture-TftF90ReachingReluctantReadersPart2645.mp3  

In the podcast titled, TftF 90:  Reaching the Reluctant Reader (part2), he discusses in length how using audio books and graphic novels is a wonderful way to get kids reading.  He included how Jon Scieszka, author of The Stinky Cheese Man, reaches out to the reluctant reader.  You first give kids the freedom to read what they want.  Don't force them to read what you think they should read.  Expand their literature with graphic novels, audio books, magazines, and comic books.  Then start focusing on the positive aspects of reading, rather than discouraging other types of media like the internet. LaMorte discussed how difficult it is for parents to choose reading that is appropriate for their child.  Many parents think kids are maturing faster because of what they are exposed to in life.  Therefore, parents choose books that are either too hard or too easy.

Image source:  Corbett, Sue (2008, March, 22).  "Picture this:  Teachers are using comics, now called graphic novels, to captivate reluctant readers."  MiamiHerald.com, 

Retrieved 2008, March, 25 

LaMorte spoke of Roberta Kaiser, a media specialist at a middle school in Miami Beach, who fills her library shelves with graphic novels to entice her students into reading.  A graphic novel is actually a comic book.  Some of the best books come in a graphic novel form.  She has even had to limit her students to checking out one novel at a time because kids love them so much! This is something that is definitely reaching the reluctant reader.

"Children will learn if there's something in it for them and if it's pleasurable," says Francoise Mouly, co-editor of Raw magazine.  I look forward to including graphic novels into my future elementary school library.

Search engine:  www.google.com

Competency 1, Web Link

The information that I found while researching reluctant readers reassured me what I have been telling my parents throughout my teaching career.  I have come across all types of reluctant readers.  Many people think that reluctant readers are only students who have difficulty reading. The truth is that reluctant readers come in all shapes and sizes.  They can be your brightest students, or those that struggle with reading fluency.  Pamela LaBorde, a Seattle children's librarian says, "Most kids are reluctant readers because their reading time has become unpleasant or they are feeling insecure about their abilities."  Finding interesting books is the key to getting kids hooked on reading.

Image source:  Chen, Diane.  "Not Scary, Scare Me!"  School Library Journal.  (July 11, 2007)

I found a blog by Diane Chen that offered a remedy for this situation.  Her blog is titled, "Not Scary, Scare Me!"  In her article she asks Stone Arch Books representatives to provide a list of appropriate books for young readers.  The link for this site is:

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/830000283/post/1530011753.html. 

Stone Arch Books staff Joan Berge, Maryellen Gregoire, & Michael Dahl answered questions on a conference call today focusing on this topic. As they noted there are two universal themes kids recommend to each other: books that make them laugh and books that scare them. They want the thrill to be scared out of their wits and know in the end they survived. Stone Arch is rising to meet this need with new fiction sets of books for the striving (struggling and reluctant) reader. 

Of course, I am selective as to what scary books I put on my bookshelves. But I will tell you that the most "dog-eared" books are those that are comical and spooky in nature.   

My search engine:  www.blogsearch.google.com            

Welcome

The purpose of this blog is to fulfill the requirements for my LS 5013.20 Information Storage and Retrieval class at Texas Woman's University.  My focus for this assignment will be researching reluctant readers in the elementary school setting.  I am looking forward to this new adventure of blogging.  My goal is to become a librarian in an elementary school.  I look forward to learning new and different ways to get kids excited about reading.

"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend.  Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."

-Groucho Marx