Literature for Young Adults: Chapters 15-20

Chapter 15: Peck's Questions

Summary: Richard Peck wrote ten questions to ask about a novel. The first question is: What would the story be like if the main character were of the opposite sex? This question helps diffuse sexual polarizations and stereotyping. The second question is: Why is the story set where it is? This question points out setting as an author's device. The third question is: If you were to film the story, would you use black and white or color and WHY? This questions sets the tone of the story. The fourth question is: If you could not use all of the characters, which would you eliminate and WHY? The questions helps choose between characters which add texture vs. simplification for media translation. The fifth question is: How is the main character different from you? The reader can identify with the character without being like the main character. The sixth question is: Would this story make a good TV series? Why/not? Will the book have an ending focus and sequential nature of chapters. The seventh question is: What one thing in the story has happened to you? Does the book have an anecdotal response of recognition. The eighth question is: Reread the first paragraph of Chapter 1. What is in it to make you read on? If nothing, why did you continue to read? The beginning of the book needs to hook reader and awareness of author's intent in writing. The ninth question is: If you had to design a new cover for the book, what would it look like? The tenth question is: What does the title tell you about the book? Does it tell the truth? The titles as narrative books vs. symbolic titles.

Reflection: These ten questions are very useful when selecting a novel. When selecting a novel I never thought about it much but now the questions make sense. The questions help choose a novel that the students will like. The question I liked the most was the eighth question that says that if the first paragraph doesn't seem interesting why keep reading it. That is the way I have always looked at a book. I will read the first paragraph of a book and if it doesn't grab my attention I will not continue reading it. To me this question is important because I have seen many of my students look at books the same way. They read the first paragraph of the book and if they don't like it they return it to the library. The students need to be able to visualize the story from the beginning till the end. The setting, character, and tone of the book need to be at the interest of the child.

Chapter 16: Q and A with Ebony Elizabeth Thomas: Why children need more diverse books

Summary: What children read shapes what they think of themselves, the world, and others. The world we live in is diverse, but children's literature doesn't always truly reflect that. Ebony Elizabeth said that some stereotypical representation of race and ethnicity in contemporary fantasy can be traced back to canon literature. She was interviewed and asked a few questions. In the first question she was asked how should a writer draw the line between referencing one’s own race/ethnicity and still be relatively “raceless?” She replied by saying that all people have different perspectives for every object in the world because we sit in different positionalities. She also mentioned that it's not just about protagonists but it's also about secondary characters. One of the other questions what about characters that are not human? How do the authors’ fingerprints affect those characters? She responded by saying that they are affected. The not human characters will absolutely be influenced by the ways in which we see ourselves, not only as part of race or culture, but also the ways in which we see ourselves as human. One of the other questions asked was what can teachers do to help children of color to get away from the fatigue around the history of pain? She said that kids need a variety of stories like they need stories for kids of color and kids who are marginalized in other ways, such as kids with disabilities, and LGBTQ and trans kids, who unfortunately have an astronomical suicide rate.

Reflection: The questions that were asked to Ebony Thomas all made me realize that as educators we need to select books that reflect all the children in our classroom. As teacher we usually select materials that we like and what we think the students will like but all our students are different and we need to have variety of stories that they can relate to as well. In the classroom and as well in the library we will have a diversity of students and we need to make sure that every students can find a book the like and that they can relate to. A lot of people think that the main character is the only one that matters but in reality the secondary characters can also be important to a child because they relate more to the secondary character than the main character. When a student can relate to the characters even if they are animals they will enjoy and appreciate the story.

Chapter 17: We Need Diverse Books

Summary: We Need Diverse Books™ is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization of children’s book lovers that advocates essential changes in the publishing industry. Their aim is to help produce and promote literature that reflects and honors the lives of all young people. Their mission is to put more books in the hands of all children that feature diverse characters. The vision of this organization is a world in which all children can see themselves in the pages of a book. The WNDB organization defines diversity as recognizing all diverse experiences including (but not limited to) LGBTQIA, Native, people of color, gender diversity, people with disabilities, and ethnic, cultural, and religious minorities.

Reflection: I had never heard of this organization but now that I know what their mission is I like it what their mission is. Children should be able to see themselves in a book no matter what their diversity is. Every child should have the right to walk into a library or even classroom and find a book that they can relate to because one of the characters is experiencing the same thing as the and because they are the same diverse background as they are. If we want children to read and love reading we need to encourage them in finding books that they will like reflect their lives.

Chapter 18: A Call to Action: What We Know About Adolescent Literacy Instruction

Summary: The purpose of this document is to provide a research-based resource for media, policymakers, and teachers that acknowledges the complexities of reading as an ongoing, developmental process and addresses the needs of secondary readers and their teachers. Reading is defined as a complex, purposeful, social, and cognitive process in which readers simultaneously use their knowledge of spoken and written language. Reading is not acquired in a primary grade but rather a developmental process that develops through their life time. In dimensions of adolescent literacy there are four key actions to consider in adolescent reading: 1. Incorporation of Disciplinary Literacy Instruction, 2. Integration of Multiple and Social Literacies, 3. Orchestration of Engagement and Motivation, 4. Appreciation of Multicultural Perspectives and Cultures. Implications for the teaching of reading is when effective teachers model how students access specific texts. The conversations need to be students initiated and must be authentic. These conversation should lead to diverse interpretations supported by evidence of a text that deepen the conversation. What adolescent readers need to practice thinking critically about how they engage with texts to include recognition of bias and high-quality sources. They also nee critical examination of texts that helps them to question and investigate various social, political, and historical context. Readers need assessments that help them to focus on preparation for assessment (from ongoing classroom measures to high-stakes tests) that should focus on the critical components of multicultural perspectives, motivation, multiple and social literacies, and shifting literacy demands. What teachers of adolescent readers need is : continued support and professional development that assist them to help all children and create environments and provide time to allow students to engage in critical examinations of texts as they dissect, deconstruct, and reconstruct in an effort to engage in meaning making and comprehension processes.

Reflection: The instruction of literacy for adolescent is vey crucial because at their age the students need to be having more in depth intellectual conversations about the story they are reading. It is true when it states that the children won't learn how to read in the primary grades only, as educators we need to continue showing the students that reading is important so they can continue building their reading skills through their life process. There is many actions that need to take place to help adolescent children love reading. From what we teach to how we teach our lessons we need to keep in mind the students and what is needed from them. There is call of change that needs to be made with how we teach and what action are we taking to change our instruction to help adolescent literacy.

Chapter 19: Finding a “good book”: What a real readers advisor does

Summary: Readers advisor is a library term for somebody who can help a reader find a book that person would like to read. Readers don't want to read the same book all the time. They will have a preference of a book depending where they are going. What readers like depends on the person themselves and what appeals to them. Some people like romance novels, or contemporary books, and books that have a future setting. Readers also look into who is the main character, is it male or female and they also look to see in the book is violent or non violent. Readers are also sensitive to how things are published. Example would be audiobooks, some readers might like the book but won't get it because of who is narrating the story. Some readers might prefer online books than print or vise versa. Direct readers advising techniques include face-to-face and face-to-groups interactions. Readers advisors asks an individual reader to tell them about something they’re read and liked or disliked and help them find something similar to what they like. Indirect readers advising techniques includes displays, lists, websites all kinds of services where the reader encounters the advice without the person giving it. Readers advising summed up is when good readers advisors base activities on knowledge of how readers select books for themselves, letting clues from readers guide them.

Reflection: I never knew that there was such a thing as a Readers Advisor. This helps students have an option that if they don't know what books to read they can find help. This is an awesome option that I wished I had when I was younger because it would have helped me find a book that would spark my interest. It is true that readers have a preference when it comes to books. My preference has always been books about murder mysteries and romance. When I would go to the library I would be overwhelmed with many books and I never knew where to find books or what to do. Readers advisors are very important to students who don't know what they want to read because they will be the help those students find a book they will want to read and come back to select the same books.

Chapter 20: 23 YA and Middle Grade Books To Honor Hispanic Heritage Month

Summary: This chapter mentions 23 books for young adults and middle grade books to honor for Hispanic Heritage Month. Fiction Books: 1. North of Happy, 2. Lucky Broken Girl, 3. The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora, 4. The Go-Between, 5. Us, in Progress: Short Stories About Young Latinos, 6. The Only Road, 7. Forest World, 8. Maximilian and the Lucha Libre Club/Maximiliano y el club de lucha libre, 9. All the Wind in the World, 10. The Radius of Us, 11. Wild Beauty, 12. Shadowhouse Fall, 13. The First Rule of Punk, 14. Miles Morales: Spider-Man, 15. The Education of Margot Sanchez, 16. I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, 17. They Both Die at the End, 18. Disappeared. Nonfiction Books: 19. Bravo!: Poems About Amazing Hispanics, 20. Martí’s Song for Freedom/Martí y sus versos por la libertad, 21. The Champions’ Game 22. Danza!: Amalia Hernández and El Ballet Folklórico de México, 23. Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library.

Reflection: There is a lot of books that students can choose from for Hispanic heritage month. When I was younger we were never given an option to read a book that we wanted. Usually had to read books that were given to us and most of the time they weren't part diverse books. Knowing that there information like this available is very excellent. This chapter showed me a few books that I can use for my students in the classroom. I can use this books all year round and not only in September but all year round especially because in my classroom I have students who are all of the same diversity.