Using Historical Fiction and Informational Books Together

Reading informational books are great.  We must have them to learn about things.  However, if there is not anything to connect the facts to, then we forget them in a short period of time.  That is when the historical fiction books come into play.  Children and adults needs characters and events in stories to connect the facts to in order to remember them for a longer period of time.  It's that text-to-self, text-to-world, and text-to-text connections that they need in order to comprehend for life-long learning.  Learners need to be able to feel like they are a part of the story.  In return, the person learns about history while they are engaging in the experience.

Top Ten Challenged Books

“Not every book is right for each reader, but we should have the right to think for ourselves and allow others to do the same."      
                                     - ALA President Roberta Stevens

Roberta Stevens gives a broad statement which is true.  There are many factors to be concluded from this statement. The maturity level of the reader being one of them and another would be the parents’ way of bringing up their child. I believe that young adults should have the right to choose books of interest with guidance from a counselor, parent, and librarian.  However, ultimately, the decision should be up to the young adult.  I have read “What My Mother Doesn’t Know.”  In my opinion, the book would help a teenager’s struggles with teen sexuality, peer pressure, and boyfriends.  I have also read “Twilight” which I enjoyed the fantasy and romance parts of the book.

This is the OIF’s Top Ten List of Frequently Challenged Books for 2010:

1. And Tango Makes Three –– Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson.
2. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian –– Sherman Alexie.
3. Brave New World –– Aldous Huxley.
4. Crank –– Ellen Hopkins.
5. The Hunger Games –– Suzanne Collins.
6. Lush –– Natasha Friend.
7. What My Mother Doesn’t Know –– Sonya Sones.
8. Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America –– Barbara Ehrenreich.
9. Revolutionary Voices –– edited by Amy Sonnie.
10. Twilight –– Stephenie Meyer.

American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF). (2011). Top Ten Challenged Books of 2010. Retrieved on July 10, 2011 from http://atyourlibrary.org/top-ten-challenged-books-2010

What makes a book controversial?

A book is controversial when the content includes sexual issues, religious or anti-religious, graphic illustration and descriptions, inappropriate language, and other issues that go against one's beliefs and morals.  A school librarian must be prepared and have in place policies and procedures that will prevent censorship and address Intellectual Freedom for Children.

Young Adult Articles

Article 1

Teen Depression – Boys. (2003). Retrieved on May 30, 2011 from

           http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200308/teen-depression-boys

The first article that I read was on teen depression focusing on the male gender.  The article stated that adolescent boys may look like they have it all together, but in reality they are the population at highest risk today for all kinds of serious problems.

To start a discussion, I’m asking the question: Do you agree with this statement? State your reason why or why not.

I believe that any understandings and solutions that we can obtain about adolescent boys can help us help them and decrease at-risk teen boys.

Article 2

Moss, B. (1991). Promoting reading and writing in the middle-grade

          Content area. Retrieved on May 29, 2011 from http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/9705075567/promoting-reading-writing-middle-grade-content

In this article, the NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) states that only 11 percent of thirteen-year-old boy and girls are able to comprehend complicated written information (Mullis and Jenkins 1988) and one eighth grader in five is able to write an adequate essay (Applebee, Langer, and Mullis 1986).

Please comment on why middle-school aged boys and girls have such poorly developed reading and writing skills?

 Any strategies that we share need to be implemented as soon as possible.  These boys and girls are our future leaders.

Online Article: "Requirements for Healthy Development of Adolescent Youth"

The article said that adolescence is defined as the span of a young person's life: 12 to 15 years as early adolescence , 15 to 18 years as middle adolescence, and 18 to 22 years as late adolescence.  The last span surprised me, but I do realize that it is true, especially with boys.

With each age span brings on more mature social and psychological decisions and responsiblities. Experiences are essential to tests the capabilities of the youth to make good decisions. Then if wrong decisions are made, they must live with the consequences of their actions.

There are stages of developmental maturity, and this article explains those stages during adolescence before becoming a mature adult.

The section about the Key Concepts of Adolescence: Experience of physical sexual maturity, Experience of withdrawal of and from adult benevolent protection, Consciousness of self in interaction, Re-evaluation of values, and Experimentation doesn't just fit one group or person, circumstances, timing, and individualization factor in as well.

After reading this article, I understand many of the things that my own teenage son went through that really drove me nuts!  I even recognized myself being described, as well.

Jerry Pinkney

I didn't know anything about Jerry Pinkney until I started researching him for the illustrator's project.  He is very talented.  He won a full scholarship to art school. He says that he doesn't see things until he draws them. Then it has to feel right or he erases it.
His official website is http://www.jerrypinkneystudio.com/

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

When I looked at the cover of this book, it didn't interest me at all.  However, when I started reading it I couldn't put it down. Brian Selznick did an awesome job of pulling you in the story with his drawings and the mysterious events.