Chapter 11
Dr. Small once said that nonfiction tends to be defined by what is not. Nonfiction encompasses the narratives, expository, biography, autobiography, and memoirs. The video "Evaluating Nonfiction" mentions the importance of looking at the qualifications of authors. Ways to accomplish this is to check their website, read the author's notes and research for accuracy. The next criteria is to check for accuracy of the information. We can utilize The National Science Teacher Association to validate the facts. We want to make sure to add books to our collection that are most accurate. The third criteria is to look at the purpose and scope and decide if you want broad or narrow information. The fourth criteria is to consider the organization of the book. Does it contain the following: table of contents, glossary, index, does it help children find information? Lastly, check what roles the visuals play. Visuals should elaborate on the text and they should also break up the text into chunks. This helps students not to feel overwhelmed with the text. Adding real life photographs, charts and maps is something that should be included as well.
In this chapter, I was able to understand that children learn by taking in pieces of information and categorizing them. Children take this information, sort it, and think critically with it. They keep what they know, problem solve or create new ideas. It's important that we have libraries with a balanced collection to service all students. Having a balanced collection includes having nonfiction books that serve as mirrors and windows.
Chapter 12
Fantasy fiction is a genre that does not follow the laws of physical reality. Science fiction is a subgenre of fantasy. Important criteria to follow when evaluating Science Fiction include: the characters must be believable and the fantasy world must have rules; the author must assist the readers to believe and understand the story; and universal truth must be explored in the themes.
Dr. Perry's video gives us understanding that there is science fiction books out there for everyone. Dr. Perry spoke about Apocalyptic and Post Apocalyptic books. She discussed Steampunk, Cyberpunk, and Bio Punk. Dystopia was also discussed and an example would be The Hunger Games. Another type discussed was Extra-Sensory Perception. These books may contain telepathy, clairvoyance and precognition. Artificial intelligence, aliens, robots and cyborgs are classified as well under science fiction.
Wow, this was surprising to me as I didn't know how many types of categories there are of fantasy/science fiction. It is true what Dr. Perry says about there being something for every type of reader. Understanding all these different types of categories is necessary for librarians because they are able to recommend books in a better way. For those students that don't like this genre, librarians can help them understand and explore all that is under this umbrella.
Chapter 13
Graphic novels have become more popular over the last 20 years. They are becoming an important component of classrooms and libraries. Graphic novels are not a genre but instead a format. Under the umbrella of graphic novels you have: history, fantasy, nonfiction, and all other subgenres. Many times these novels are misunderstood and overlooked. There are teachers who still don't value this format. Even though they are a helpful teaching tool because of all the literary elements provided in traditional stories can be found in these novels. These type of novels have proven to show they help student with special needs. Recently these novels have received awards in literature.
We need to be open minded about the wealth that graphic novels offers. They can be fun and offer lots of information to the reader. They are good to help transition students from picture books to chapter books.
Chapter 14
Important questions to ask yourself when evaluating a novel include: What if the character was the opposite sex? Which character(s) would you get rid of? How did the first paragraph hook you in? Reflect on the title of the book. Etc.
These questions will help you understand why you did or didn't enjoy the novel. They do really help you get a deeper understanding of the characters. I asked my self these questions as I read some of my books and as silly as it may seem, I realize the difference in how I felt about the novel and how I thought I felt at the beginning of the book.
Chapter 15
Middle School grades 5-8 survey responses from July 2016 were included. These students were asked
about their favorite YA author. Results of the survey included Alexander Kwame, Sharon Draper, Gary Paulsen, Rick Riordan, and Jacqueline Woodson.
This is a great way to see what's popular amongst YA readers. As a future librarian doing something similar to this will help me decide what authors and books to add to my collection that will be flying off the shelf. I'm definitely sharing this idea with my current librarian.
Reference:
Lesene, T.S. & Karin Perry. (2016).YA literature textbook.
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