YAAC Spring
newsletter of the Young Adult & Children’s Services Section of BCLA
2013
YAACS is Pleased to Present: Storytelling with Anne Anderson!
The Young Adult &Children’s Services Award
ing
Remembering Pamela Fairfield
Gender Diversity: Recommended Reading
DIY Gadget Case Contest Beyond Comic Sans
Bunny Storytime
s c a a y
Reluctant Readers: A BeginnerLibrarian’s Guide
1 Message from the Editors 2
news
YAACS is Pleased to Present: Storytelling with Anne Anderson! 3 The Young Adult & Children’s Services Award 4 Youth and Technology Panel 5 SRC 2013 Update: 2013 BC Summer Reading Club is “Up, Up and Away!” 6
columns
Teens Only Programs That Matter: Thinking Teen Programming Beyond Crafts and Games By Amy Dawley 7 Vintage YAACING Easter, 1985 By April Ens 11 Who’s on the Felt Board? Baa Baa Black Sheep By Joanne Canow 13
contents
Message from the Chair
Spring 2013 Y A A C S ( Y o u n g Adults and Children’s Services) is a section of the British Columbia Library Association. Founded in 1980, our members include librarians, teacher-librarians and other library workers interested in services to youth in British Columbia. Our purpose is to promote the exchange of ideas among library personnel who work with Children and Young Adults.
yaacs
YAACING is 4 times per year.
published
If you are interested in submitting anything for publication, send it to our Editors (April Ens and Alicia Cheng) at YAACING@gmail.com Next Deadline: May 15, 2013
features Remembering Pamela Fairfield By Judith Saltman 19 Gender Diversity: Recommended Reading By Rob Bittner 21 Teen Program Idea: DIY Gadget Case Contest By Darby Love 24 Bunny Storytime
comisc san
By Larissa Image and Monica Spreitzer 26 Beyond Comic Sans: Graphic Design for Libraries By Chelsea DiFrancesco 28 Reluctant Readers: A Beginner-Librarian’s Guide By Mariya Tokhtarova 33 Reviews 37 Call for Submissions 40
message from the chair
As spring
is springing up all around us, and Mother Nature plays the coquette, slipping into her most alluring young greenery, I invite you all to flip back to the front cover of this issue and admire our very own yak’s surprisingly stylish Spring look. Doesn’t that old dear yak of ours look fetching peering out amid those delicate cherry blossoms? And how about that revamped banner and logo for a fresh new look? YAACS owes this delightful change to member Liza Capdecoume, who, besides being an active member of LTAS and busy in her work as a library technician, is also a trained graphic designer. Liza offered up her design services to YAACing along with these fantastic new images, and YAACS has happily said, “Yes, please!” on both counts. One more change that our new in-house design expert has brought with her is a new format for YAACing: this edition will be the first to be simultaneously published on Issuu, a free online publishing platform. You can view the Issuu edition of YAACing at http://issuu.com/yaacing – please go take a look, it’s really quite dazzling! While we are excited by the potential Issuu offers – gosh, but doesn’t it make YAACing look fancy?! – you can rest assured that for you time-crunched library staff, YAACing will still be conveniently available in a simple PDF, as always. A brief mention of some other YAACS news… We had the pleasure of welcoming Mari Martin, Library Consultant at Libraries & Literacy, at our last YAACS meeting, where Mari wowed us all with a
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virtual tour through The Commons. We were impressed by its potential for information sharing among library professionals and across specialties. If you haven’t visited The Commons yet, I really encourage you to do so. Especially as Summer Reading Club 2013 approaches! What better place to share ideas and gain inspiration from your youth services colleagues across the province? YAACS is working on establishing its own little sharing corner in The Commons, but for now, I know you’ll find plenty of good stuff from existing groups like Children’s Services, Summer Reading Club, and School Libraries, to name a few. Go to http:// commons.bclibraries.ca/contact/request-an-account/ to join The Commons straightaway! Of course, it’s almost annual conference time again, and as always YAACS will have a table where you can come say hello, learn more about YAACS, and meet your fellow YAACers. In recent years we’ve been fundraising through silent auctions, but this year we are debating about how we’ll dress up our table… you’ll just have to make sure to pop by and find out what we come up with! Hope to see you in Richmond May 9th-11th. I know that at this time of year all youth services folks’ thoughts begin to turn Up, Up and Away toward SRC, so I’ll leave you all to your creative musings, and wish you happy exploring as you prowl around Issuu and The Commons for the first time! Happy Spring!
Tara Williston
message from the editors
This
is a bittersweet issue for me (April), as it is my first without Pam Fairfield, my co-editor for the last nine editions of YAACING.
Together we built upon a strong foundation established by previous editors to introduce new columns, new voices, and visual consistency to this little publication. Pam cared deeply about participating in the library community, and when she was too ill to work in the public library, she continued to pour her love of children’s librarianship into YAACING. She left us in late January. Her dedication, passion, and optimism are already dearly missed. For more words in her honour, see Judi Saltman’s speech from Pam’s celebration of life, which she has kindly allowed us to reprint here. There is also a website in the works at www.pamfairfield.com. In happier news, I would like to welcome Alicia Cheng to the editorial table. Pam and I were already looking forward to her contributions, as I may reduce my role this year to dedicate time to an imminent new arrival. Please join me in welcoming her, and say hello if you see her at the upcoming BC Library Conference. April Ens & Alicia Cheng
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Anne is actively engaged in the storytelling community. She strongly encourages everyone to explore the fabulous storytelling offerings available in the area, including:
news
Photo by Rachel Yaroshuk
YAACS is Pleased to Present Storytelling with
Anne Anderson!
YAACS is thrilled to be offering a storytelling course with Tigge Anne Anderson. Anne, a former children’s librarian, fell passionately for the art of traditional oral storytelling. Her natural gift and her years of experience have led her to run numerous courses and workshops on the storytelling tradition. She believes that each individual develops a unique storytelling style, and her courses are purposefully designed to foster students’ development and skill. Anne’s course is spread over ten weeks; one week devoted to each of the identified folktale types. The current class is looking at cumulative tales, pourquoi tales, beast tales, noodle stories, wonder tales, hero tales, myths, and tall tales. Each week we prepare a story that fits the selected theme. After sharing the story, both Anne and classmates offer feedback, highlighting elements they enjoyed and offering suggestions on how to enhance both the story and our individual presentation of our chosen story. Anne has a great ability to create
Yaacing Spring 2013
a supportive group environment, while still challenging us to build our storytelling skills. Her classes are set up to foster close relations with classmates. As a relatively inexperienced storyteller, after only two weeks, I already feel comfortable sharing stories with the other students in this course. I am most looking forward to our final class, where we will share our stories publicly to friends and family. This
She believes that each individual develops a unique storytelling style... class offers valuable perspectives and approaches to storytelling which I am thoroughly enjoying! Does this sound good? If so, let us know! YAACS is considering offering this program again, if enough people are interested. Y Please email caroline.johnson@shaw.ca for more information.
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NORTHSHORE CRIC? CRAC! At the Silk Purse Art Centre, 1570 Argyle St., West Vancouver Share traditional and contemporary stories the first Sunday (October – June). The program runs from 7 - 9 pm. Tickets are $5.00 per person. Further information contact: Anne Anderson at 604-988-4227 or tiganne@ telus.net VANCOUVER CRIC? CRAC! At St. Mark’s (downstairs), 1805 Larch St., Vancouver Share stories the third Sunday of every month (September - May). The program runs from 7 - 9 pm. Tickets are $5.00 -6.00 per person. Further information contact: Mary Gavan at 604-683-1575 or marygavan@telus.net STORY CAFE at ALEGRIA CAFE At 12151 First Avenue Steveston Village, Richmond Share stories the second Thursday of the month. Doors open at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $5.00 per person. Further information contact: Anne Anderson at 604-9884227 or tiganne@telus.net Further information on the storytelling events: see the Vancouver Society of Storytelling website at www.vancouverstorytelling. org/
Rachel Yaroshuk YAACS Continuing Education Coordinator Lower Mainland (with Caroline Johnson)
news
The Young Adult & Children’s
Services Award
nizes exceptional service in The Young Adult & Children’s Services (YAACS) Award recog bia. the area of children’s or teen librarianship in British Colum s depends on dedication Outstanding library service to children, teens, and communitie of librarians, library techfrom all levels of an organization. YAACS invites nominations or teams, demonstrated nicians, teacher-librarians and others who have, as individuals exceptional dedication in such areas as: and supporting organizations Commitment to quality service to children, teens, caregivers Collaboration and partnerships with their community Promotion of family literacy e Innovation and creativity applied to the benefit of young peopl YAACSaward@gmail.com, Nominations may be sent to the YAACS Award Committee at award will be presented at and will be accepted until Friday, March 15, 2013. This year’s the BCLA conference in Richmond. Please include the following • Name and contact information of nominator • Nominee: • Name(s) • Contact information • Title(s) and place of employment • Reasons for nomination ation) are required to be
Individual nominees or institutions (in the case of a team nomin BCLA members.
The 2013 YAACS Award Committee
r & Janet Mumford
Alicia Cheng, Joy Huebert, Julie Iannacone, Darby Love, Phil Menge
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news Youth and Technology
Panel
YAACS @ SLAIS hosted a Youth and Technology Panel on Wednesday, January 16th at UBC. The topics discussed ranged from book applications for children, recent trends in teen programming and library initiatives for supporting digital literacy skills in young adults. Shannon Ozirny, Head of Youth Services at West Vancouver Memorial Library, kicked things off by talking about some exciting technology initiatives in her community like School District 45’s Blog-a-thon Monthly Challenge. The West Vancouver Memorial Library is keeping pace by being the first library to lend Kindles loaded up with teen fiction and creating a technology petting zoo for test-driving apps. Some exciting programs taking place at West Vancouver include Teen Technology Volunteers and Lego Robotics. Finally, the new teen space will be opening soon at the West Vancouver Memorial Library and is set to include an Apple computer, a multifunctional monitor to emphasize teen created content and computers equipped with Photoshop and other programs. Next up Cara Pryor, Head of Programs, Services and Community Development and Kate Longley, Teen Services Librarian both at North Vancouver City Library shared their experiences with programming for teens including lending videogames and gaming practices and tournaments organized by their Teen Advisory Council. Kate Longley is developing new ideas for programs like Victoria’s Hack Jam, creating a media space and developing digital editing workshops. For
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more information on hacking for teens check out Hackasaurus, Popcorn and Thimble. Cynthia Nugent spoke next. Cynthia is an author/illustrator and now creator of book applications for children and shared her experiences creating, evaluating and sharing book applications with young audiences. Her site Rascal Media provides links to her favourite creators like Nosy Crow, Toca Boca, Loud Crow’s Sandra Boynton apps plus articles, review sources and of course links to her own work. Finally, Francesca de Freitas, Children’s Librarian at Vancouver Public Library was unable to attend the panel but suggested some great apps like Toca Tea Party, Sqiggles and The Singing Alphabet. Her favourite spots for storytime ideas include Mel’s Desk and Flannel Friday on Pinterest. Francesca recommends Evernote for planning and recording storytimes, Little eLit for information on using technology during storytime and School Library Journal’s Battle of the Kids’ Books for some fun readers’ advisory.
If you were unable to attend, but don’t want to miss a beat check out the YAACS Youtube channel to watch Part 1 and Part 2 of the Youth and Technology Panel. Y Dana Horrocks YAACS @ SLAIS Coordinator (with Elizabeth Bell)
news
Up What do a luchador and a thaumatrope have in common? Well, other than expanding my vocabulary (masked wrestler and optical toy, fyi) both inhabit the wonderful, whacky world of the 2013 Summer Reading Club. Up, Up and Away! is a fantastical place where whales fly, Superkids soar, and a game board is only a Reading Record away! Eliska Liska, our 2013 illustrator, has done a fabulous job of creating a poster that is as fantastical as it is fun. Check out the mouse piloting the toast – Toaster Mouse! And if you look carefully, you’ll find the aforementioned luchador performing his high-flying manoeuvres! The Reading Record is filled with interactive options: a snakesand-ladders-style board game, a thaumatrope that turns a kid into a superhero, and stickers that fill the galaxy with space aliens. You can find all the art, as well as links to the themes, Yaacing Spring 2013
! ! y Awa
and
Up
booklists, activities (including four amazing colouring sheets!) and other SRC Manual content, at the Librarians’ Website (kidssrc.bclibrary. ca.) Eliska Liska, this year’s artist, is potentially available to do presentations at libraries
be able to order posters, Reading Records, and other SRC Materials? The order forms should be up by the end of March, with materials shipping out in early May. For the latest updates, join the YAACS listserv; I’ll be sending out announcements when the order forms are available and when the materials are shipping out. BC SRC Survey
Image from http://kidssrc.bclibrary.ca/
during the month of July. She can be reached at pampeliny@ yahoo.com. Be sure to check out the interview with Eliska on the SRC Group over at The Commons (commons. bclibraries.ca). Find out what inspires this talented artist, how she creates, what she liked to read as a child growing up in the Czech Republic (the answer may surprise you!) Wondering
when
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you’ll
In our recent survey (many thanks to those of you who responded!) a couple of people suggested that it would be useful if there was some way, throughout the summer, for SRC staff to share: ideas, successes, challenges, possibilities for collaboration. Great idea! Thanks to Mari Martin and the team at L&L — we now have a place to do just that: the SRC Group over at The Commons (commons. bclibraries.ca). Y Cynthia Ford 2013 SRC Coordinator bcsrc@bclibrary.ca
column Teens Only
Programs That Matter: Thinking Teen Programming
Beyond Crafts & Games By Amy Dawley
Photo from http://www.morguefile.com/
Let me begin by stating that I love my job. I
program that I’ve worked really hard on. And
am passionate about what I do. I know that
on those days it’s hard not to feel like a glori-
what I do makes a difference in the lives of
fied teen library party planner. We’ve all had
the teens I work with. But sometimes there are those days—whether you are a children’s prodays when I feel rather low, perhaps on the grammer or a youth programmer—where we days that only a couple of teens show up to a
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wonder if what we do matters. ► ► ►
As much as I love programs for teens that are silly and fun and offer teens opportunities to learn new things and meet new people, these programs need balance. I’ve found that an effective way to combat those negative “does what I do matter?” feelings is to make a real effort to balance them with programs that are more overtly focused on skills development or are supportive in nature. The following is a brief list of programs that have had a solid, demonstrable impact on the teens I work with and have had the added bonus of giving me warm fuzzy librarian feelings, because I know that these programs matter.
1
Your first job
This was a 4-part program that happened every Wednesday evening for four weeks in the spring. The goal of this session was to equip teens with the hands on knowledge and skills they needed to feel confident in searching for their first job. The first session was a general, catchall kind of program for people who were unable to attend for all four weeks—the presenters each had 20 minutes to speak on their topics in this introduc-
tory session. The following three sessions gave the presenters the opportunity to really delve into
Teens are stressed. A lot. Giving them the opportunity to let it out with active, fun, zany events like these two-made doubly cool by the fact that it’s being held in a “traditionally quiet” place like a library—has a real impact on them. their subject matter and teens had plenty of opportunities to ask questions and get one-onone feedback. This program was offered with the help of two presenters from the community: one was a human resources professional who spoke about resumes, cover letters, and interview techniques. The other was from WorkSafe BC who spoke about the rights of workers, how to say no to unsafe work, and safety in the work place. I hosted the fourth and final session myself, which was learning how to search the internet for job ads and giving teens hands-on help finding jobs that they could apply for righ away. Why it mattered: I know teens learn this stuff in school, but I was hearing again and again from them that they didn’t take it seriously
because it was “just homework.” Many teens only had bare bones resumes, and attending this workshop gave them something to list as experience which gave them a confidence boost to take the next step.
2
Final exam stress busters: Life-sized Angry Birds and Library Nerf Tag
I am a big believer in stress buster events for teens and have offered a few of them over the years. I’ve written previously about the Life-Sized Angry Birds program so I won’t go into great detail about it, other than to say it was a huge success. The most recent stress busters event I offered was an after-hours Nerf tag lock-in event that took place at the end of January’s exam week. 3+ hours of capture the flag, human vs. zombie, and last team standing was a fantastic way for teens to blow off some steam and relieve the stress that had built up during the week. Why it mattered: Teens are stressed. A lot. Giving them the opportunity to let it out with active, fun, zany events like these two—made doubly cool by the fact that it’s being held in a “traditionally quiet” place like a library—has a real impact on
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them. It shows teens that they matter, that the library cares about what’s going on in their lives, and that we’re here to support them and to help make things better.
3
Exam cram
Photo from http://www.morguefile.com/
Exam cram sessions were 1-day afternoon programs where I set up our multipurpose room like
a huge study session. It was a place where teens could go in the library with their friends to study, to work out problems they were having with their subjects, and to spread out with books and food and whatever else they needed to prepare for exams without feeling like they were bothering anyone. To make things even better, I partnered with our local teaching program to have teaching students available to help tutor teens on their subjects if anyone needed extra help. I provided white boards, high lighters, and more study equipment, including LOTS of food to keep them
going throughout the afternoon. Why it mattered: Teens were so thankful for having a space that was their own to study in, especially with the added help of the tutors. There were many “light bulb” moments where teens finally understood what they were having trouble with throughout the semester. After the program ended, I had a ton of positive feedback by both teens and their parents who felt that the study session really made a difference in their preparedness for exams.
4
Teen tech tutors
5
Post secondary fear buster
Teen Tech Tutors are teen volunteers who work one on one with adults and seniors who are seeking help with technology—be it iphone, ipad, ereader, laptop, digital camera... whatever they bring in, the teens help! This program is offered weekly after school and on Saturdays and has been steadily growing since we first offered it last summer. Why it matters: Not all teens want to work with children and the majority of library volunteer opportunities involve helping out with children’s events or being reading buddies. I was motivated to offer this program for teens to gain volunteer and job skills without having to be uncomfortable or nervous around children. As an added bonus, the relationships that the teen tech tutors are building with people who could be their grandparents are fantastic. We have a few adults and seniors who routinely ask for specific tutors because they’ve made that connection.
This program was offered in partnership with our local university as a way to bridge the gap between intimidated teens and post-secondary in-
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Photo from http://www.morguefile.com/
stitutions. I am friends with one of the academ- allies. The Library GSA is designed as a city-wide ic librarians and we were talking one day about group that is open to all teens in Prince George. how not all teens have the ability to “scope out” As of writing this article, the first meeting of the post-secondary institutions before deciding to go. Library GSA hasn’t happened yet (February 26th!) We decided to use the public library as a bridge but I am excited for it to get up and running. Why to connect these youth to the academic library, it matters: Out of all the programs I’ve offered for which then acts as an information source about teens over the years, I think this one has the pohow post-secondary schools work, what programs tential to have the most dramatic impact on the and services teens can access, and what teens can lives of teens that I work with. I pitched this idea expect if they decide to go. Why it matters: What to my Youth Advisory Board, and their response happens to teens who don’t come from post-sec- was so overwhelmingly awesome that I knew I had to make this ondary eduhappen as cated famiOut of all the programs I’ve offered soon as poslies? Or those for teens over the years, I think this one has the sible. We have who don’t many GSAs in have teachers potential to have the most dramatic impact our area high who arrange on the lives of teens that I work with. schools, but field trips? some of them Or those who don’t know anyone who have ever gone to school only have a smattering of teens who attend. Givafter high school? The thought of postsecondary ing queer youth the opportunity to come togetheducation can be so alien and so daunting that er with others from all over Prince George in a some students don’t know where to start. Using non-school space after school hours is so importour connections to bridge the gap for teens makes ant. I’m thrilled to be able to offer this program it just a little easier for them to tackle something to teens and can’t wait to let you all know how it goes. What programs have you offered teens so huge. that had a lasting impact? I’d love to hear about them. And I’d like to send a huge thank you to those who have responded to my articles—I’m so Gay straight alliance pleased to hear what other teen services folks are gay-straight alliance (GSA) is a safe space for up to in BC. Drop me a line any time at adawley@ lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, two-spir- lib.pg.bc.ca or 250-563-9251 ext. 158. Y it, queer, questioning and/or straight teens and teens with LGBTQ families Amy Dawley is the Teen Librarian at the Prince George to hang out and have fun with their friends and Public Library.
6 A
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We’re going way back to the second-ever
column VINTAGE yaacing
Easter 1985
Yaacing Spring 2013
issue of YAACING to bring you this charming Easter themed storytime. While created in 1985, the rhymes, fingerplays, and action games are still fresh enough to dust off and use in any rabbity storytimes you’re planning this year.
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As a testament to the longevity of a good picturebook, all three books are still circulating in my own library’s collection, and I suspect in many of your own as well. Happy Easter!
Originally Published in Yaacing Volume 1 Issue 2 Feb 1985 | Pages 6-7
April Ens is a Children’s Librarian at the Vancouver Public Library.
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column Who’s on the Felt Board
Originally Adapted by Kathryn Feeney Felt Pictured by Joanne Canow
Ba a
B
aa
S k c a l heep B
In VPL circles, this delightful felt story is credited to Kathryn Feeney, a children’s librarian who shared it with her colleagues before she retired a few years ago. A variation on the traditional Baa Baa Black sheep rhyme, it is extremely popular with toddlers and preschoolers learning language, colours, and concepts. It can also be used in babytime programs with older babies. This story is particularly useful as a vocabulary and rhyme teaching tool for new immigrant or non- English speaking children (of all ages, including preschoolers and low elementary level students) and their family members. In asking the children (and parents) to repeat, out loud, the divergent colours and patterns of the sheep, the felt story challenges children to use new vocabulary and delights parents who realize they need to pay attention during story-
Yaacing Spring 2013
time at the library. Feel free to change up any of the colours or patterns (with simplification or complication) to suitably meet the literacy needs and parameters of storytime group members. Joanne Canow is an Early Years Community Librarian with the Vancouver Public Library.
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feature
Remembering
Pamela Fairfield By Judith Saltman
Judi Saltman has kindly provided YAACING with the words she spoke in honour of our dearly missed colleague and YAACING Editor, Pam Fairfield at the recent celebration of her life. I am speaking today for all the librarians here – those who knew her as a fellow student, as a co-worker at the Vancouver Public Library, or who taught her. We were all deeply touched by Pam in our lives. Pam came into my life at UBC’s School of Library, Archival & Information Studies, where she was my student in several courses in children’s literature and library services for kids. She was a spark of life, coming in to classes out of the rain, laughing. I remember her clothes which she wore with flair -- soft textures and colours, her passion for everything visual, for the magic of children’s books and storytelling which she had discovered and to which she committed her professional life. She was always deeply engaged in her studies, her profession, and her life. While still a student and while living with her illness, she took delight in all the workshops and children’s literature events she could attend. She created wonderful children’s library programs as a student full of warmth and tenderness. She wrote beautiful essays using her exquisite artist’s eye to see what many of us could not in the way art and story work together in picturebooks. One essay was published in an online journal
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of children’s literature criticism and she presented
doesn’t really have an afterlife. Instead, it believes
a paper at a graduate student conference at UBC
that we live on after death in the memories of those
on children’s literature. I remember her standing
we have touched – in our words and actions. My
at the front of the room, dressed in majestic black
daughter didn’t agree. Adamantly, she said – “it
lace and electric with energy and excitement.
isn’t like that at all. Nope. It’s like a shooting star – you know, with that tail of fire – is that our soul?”
Pam
The
rabbi
graciously
was committed to chil-
replied, well, we don’t
dren’s library services
really know for certain,
and worked passion-
so, yes, you could be
ately as a children’s
right.
librarian at the Vancouver
Public
Library
and, throughout her illness, as the co-editor of YAACING, the newsletter of the BCLA Young adult
and
Children’s
Services division. I think Pam, with her delight in children and fascination with their ways of understanding the world,
I loved my friend He went away from me There’s nothing more to say The poem ends, Soft as it beganI loved my friend.
would appreciate this story. When my daugh-
by Langston Hughes
ter was about seven, we talked to a rabbi after a family funeral. She asked him what happened to a person after they
Pam seems a shooting star to me – leaving traces of light and fire in the sky and in our hearts. For those of us left here today missing her, I would like to read the poem by Langston Hughes. “Poem” I loved my friend He went away from me There’s nothing more to say The poem ends, Soft as it beganI loved my friend. Y
died. And he answered in a very rabbinical way, trying to explain to a seven-year-old how Judaism Judith Saltman is a Professor at the School of Library, Archival & Information Studies, and Chair of the Master of Arts in Children’s Literature Program at the University of British Columbia. Yaacing Spring 2013
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R
R B feature
Rob Bittner presented on LGBTTIQQ2AAGU (AKA non-hetero) Fiction last September. Cohosted by YAACS and the Intellectual Freedom Committee (IFC), Bittner shared his perspective on what he terms queer literature, marking historical progressions of YA literature and dappling into some gender identity books for younger children.
Rob was kind enough to share a list of recommended titles:
Resources for Libraries and Librarians: BCLA Salon
G ender
D iversity
Recommended R e a d i n g By Rob Bittner
Lesbian Characters and Pairings
Gravel Queen by Tea Benduhn The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth The Dark Wife by Sarah Diemer Down to the Bone by Mayra Dole Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden Good Moon Rising Nancy Garden The Difference Between You and Me by Madeleine George
Hello, Groin by Beth Goobie Sister Mischief by Laura Goode Perfect by Ellen Hopkins A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend by Emily Horner The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson Torn by Amber Lehman Gravity by Leanne Lieberman Ash by Malinda Lo Huntress by Malinda Lo My Tiki Girl by Jennifer McMahon Crush by Carrie Mac Kissing Kate by Lauren Myracle Tripping to Somewhere
by Kris Reisz The End by Nora Olsen Between Mom and Jo by Julie Anne Peters Far From Xanandu by Julie Anne Peters It’s Our Prom (So Deal With It) by Julie Anne Peters Keeping You A Secret by Julie Anne Peters Rage by Julie Anne Peters She Loves You, She Loves You Not by Julie Anne Peters Luna by Julie Anne Peters The Will of the Empress by Tamora Pierce Scars by Cheryl Rainfield
Empress of the World by Sarah Ryan The Rules for Hearts by Sarah Ryan Inferno by Robin Stevenson The Sweep Series by Cate Tiernan Please Don’t Kill The Freshmen by Zoe Trope Pink by Lili Wilkson Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger Love & Lies by Ellen Wittlinger Orphea Proud by Sharon Dennis Wyeth If You Could Be Mind by Sara Farizan
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Gay Characters and Pairings Vintage: A Ghost Story by Steve Berman Tithe by Holly Black Baby Be-Bop by Francesca Lia Block The Value of X by Poppy Z. Brite The Vast Fields of Ordinary by Nick Burd Someday This Pain Will Be Useful To You by Peter Cameron How Beautiful the Ordinary edited by Michael Cart Dance on My Grave by Aidan Chambers With or Without You by Brian Farrey The Screwed-up Life of Charlie the Second by Drew Ferguson My Heartbeat by Garrett FreymanmWeyr The Man Who Folded Himself by David Gerrold Jumping off the Planet and sequels by David Gerrold Two Parties, One Tux, and A Very Short Film About the Grapes of Wrath by
Steven Goldman Mariposa Club by Rigoberto Gonzalez Nothing Pink by Mark Hardy Last Exit to Normal by Michael B. Harmon Geography Club my Brent Hartinger The Order of the Poison Oak by Brent Hartinger Tilt, Ellen Hopkins Totally Joe by James Howe Freaks and Revelations by Davida Wills Hurwin Freak Show by James St. James Another Kind of Cowboy by Susan Juby Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher My Most Excellent Year: A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins, and Fenway Park by Steve Kluger Out of the Pocket by Bill Konigsberg The Last Herald Mage trilogy by Mercedes Lackey Absolutely Positively Not by David LaRochelle Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Leviathan Boy Meets Boy by David
Leviathan Wide Awake by David Leviathan Love is the Higher Law by David Leviathan Absolute Brightness by James Lecesne Dramarama by E. Lockhart The Year of Ice by Brian Malloy Twelve Long Months by Brian Malloy The Wicked Lovely Series by Melissa Marr The Straight Road to Kylie by Nico Medina Hero by Perry Moore Gone, Gone, Gone by Hannah Moskowitz Shine by Lauren Myracle Exiled to Iowa. Send Help. And Couture. by Chris O’Guinn Sprout by Dale Peck Do You Know That I Love You by Mark A. Roeder In Mike We Trust by P.E. Ryan Saints of Augustine by P. E. Ryan Way to Go by Tom Ryan Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Saenz The God Box by Alex
Sanchez The Rainbow Boys Trilogy by Alex Sanchez So Hard To Say by Alex Sanchez Swimming in the Monsoon Sea by Shyam Selvadurai A Really Nice Prom Mess by Brian Sloan Stick by Andrew Smith The Blue Lawn by William Taylor Drama by Raina Telgemeier Please Don’t Kill The Freshmen by Zoe Trope My Heartbeat by Garret Freymann-Weyr A vigil for Joe Rose by Michael Whatling Bad Boys by Diana J. Wieler Teenage Rewrite by Brandon Williams What They Always Tell Us by Martin Wilson Putting Makeup on the Fat Boy by Bil Wright Money Boy by Paul Yee Hushed by Kelly York Winger by Andrew Smith Openly Straight by Bill Konigsburg Rapture Practice by Aaron Hartzler
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Trans, Poly and Queer Pairings And Characters I Am J by Chris Beam Above by Leah Bobet Beauty Queens by
Libba Bray Mariposa Club by Rigoberto Gonzalez Jumpstart the World by Catherine Ryan Hyde F2M: The Boy Within by Hazel Edwards and Ryan Kennedy Almost Perfect by Brian
Anthologies and Non-Fiction For Teens Queer: The Ultimate LGBT Guide for Teens edited by Kathy Belge and Marke Bieschke So Fey: Queer Fairy Fiction edited by Steve Berman
Katcher Adaptation by Malinda Lo Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr The End by Nora Olsen Luna by Julie Anne Peters Blood Hound by Tamora Pierce
Boyfriends with Girlfriends by Alex Sanchez First Spring Grass Fire by Rae Spoon Parrotfish by Ellen Wittlinger The Summer Prince by Alaya Johnson
Speaking Out edited by Steve Berman How Beautiful the Ordinary edited by Michael Cart Awake by Kathe Koja The Letter Q edited by Sarah Moon Grl2Grl by Julie Anne Peters
Professional Resources Interrupting Hate: Homophobia in Schools and What Literacy Can Do About It (2012) by Mollie Blackburn The Heart Has Its Reasons: Young Adult Literature with Gay/Lesbian/Queer Content, 1969-2004 (2006) by Michael Cart and Christine Jenkins Over the Rainbow: Queer Children’s and Young Adult Literature (2011) by Michelle Ann Abate and Kenneth Kidd Serving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Teens: A How-to-do-it Manual for Librarians (2007) by Hillias Martin and James Murdock Rainbow Family Collections: Selecting and Using Children’s Books with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Content (2012) by Jamie C. Naidoo Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning Teen Literature: A Guide to Reading Interests (2010) by Carlisle Webber
Websites about Queer Literature for Young People Gay-Themed Picture Books for Children (http://booksforkidsingayfamilies.blogspot.com) I’m Here, I’m Queer, What the Hell Do I Read? (www.leewind.org/) QueerYA: Reviews of Fiction of Interest to LGBTQ Teens (http://daisyporter.org/queerya/) Gay YA (www.gayya.org)
Rob Bittner is currently pursuing his PhD with Simon Fraser University’s Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies. For more information on his talk in September, check out the full article in BCLA’s Browser http://bclabrowser.ca/index.php/browser/article/viewFile/458/559 .
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feature
case DIY gadget
Teen Program Idea
C
best Featur e
s
o
n
t
e
s
t
by Darby Love
Does your library have crafty, tech savvy teens? Have a DIY gadget case contest! Or DIY gadget protection competition, or whatever else you want to call it!
This project is one I’d love to do with teens but haven’t had an opportunity to do yet. It was inspired by my own DIY iPad case. When I got my iPad I was unimpressed with the commercial options (expensive, not the functionality I wanted, and SO ugly) so I made one using things I already had around the house. I sewed fabric to create my sleeve which is given shape by plastic sheets, as well as healthy amounts of glue to get things where I wanted them, then topped it off with a monogram. Tadah! ►►► Yaacing Spring 2013
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Hold a crafting session for teens to create their own iPod sleeve, eReader case, laptop bag, etc. Your teens can be super crafters or DIY beginners. Sleeves are super easy to make and there are lots of ideas online if you’re stumped for in-
Cool cases I’ve seen in the wild
One of my Girl Guides knitted a lit• tle iPod sleeve for her Secret Santa
spiration.
gift - the recipient was thrilled!
Award prizes for features such as Most Waterproof, Best Evening Wear Accessory, Most Monstrous, Best Features, etc.
Y
ou might want to have the contest close a week or so af-
ter your craft session to let teens
A colleague’s son sneakily camou• flages his MacBook in a hearty corrugated cardboard sleeve made with duct tape
Hollowed out old books to hold iP• ads and eReaders nestled in the
Best Evening Wear Accessory
glued together pages (a more wholesome take on the whiskey
bottle in a Bible)
finish up their projects. Projects created outside of the session can
Things you might bring
be included in the contest as well. Entrants should send you a pic of their creation and a description of how it works and what awesome features it has. Take submissions via social media, by email, or in person. Make a Facebook album with photos of the sleeves/cases and get people to like them to vote for their favourites! Display as many of the cases as you can in the library. And, of course, enjoy your one of a kind custom case! Y Darby Love is a temporary Research Analyst at Vancouver Island University and On-call with Burnaby Public Library and North Vancouver City Library
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• assorted duct tape • scissors • random flat flexible plastic items, like the zippered packaging that bedding comes in • fabric and felt pieces • old books with cool covers in assorted sizes • corrugated cardboard • buttons, fasteners, elastic • fabric glue, glue gun, other low-fume glues • needles and thread (or better yet, a sewing machine!) • knitting supplies: needles, wool • anything decorative, sparkly, or interesting • ask your teens to bring some of their own supplies!
Bunny Storytime!
feature
nuB
Created by Larissa Image & Monica Spreitzer on October 25th 2012
by Larissa Image and Monica Spreitzer
for Judi Saltman’s LIBR 527: Services for Children class.
taerC
Welcoming Song:
iduJ rof t seog tibbaR a tuo skcehc diD .sevlow evah sevlow o hctaw tuB t’nod sevlow !segap eht
“Clap and Sing Hello!” :gnoS gnimocleW (Tune: Farmer in the Dell) ”!olleH gniS dna palC“
We clap )land leD esing ht ni rhello, emraF :enuT( We clap and ,ollehsing gnishello, dna palc eW lleh gnisatdnstorytime, a palc eW With our ,ofriends mityrand ots tsing a sdnhello! eirf ruo htiW We ,eclap !olleh gnis dna palc eW
We wave and sing hello... ...olleh gnis dna evaw eW We stomp and sing hello...
Rabbit goes to the library and checks out a book about wolves. Did you know wolves have 42 teeth? But watch out, Rabbit. Those wolves don’t want to stay on the pages!
...olleh gnis dna pmots eW
Bunny-Pokey: irf tseb owT
Two best friends—Rabbit
—gorF dna
and Frog—have lots of
gniyalp nuf
fun playing together, eating
na ,rehtegot
together, and fighting
ot sretsnom
monsters together.
ht nehw tuB f a evah dna
But when they don’t share
?od yeht
and have a fight…what do they do?
You put your bunny ears in, You take your bunny ears out, You put your bunny ears in, And you shake them all about. You do the Bunny-Pokey, And you hop yourself around That's what it's all about! You put your bunny paws in… You put your bunny tail in…
:pU s’tibbaR ynnuB ,pu s’tibbaR ynnuB ,nwod s’tibbaR ynnuB gnippoh s’tibbaR ynnuB !nwot eht dnuora llA
Bunny Rabbit’s Up: Bunny Rabbit’s up, Bunny Rabbit’s down, Bunny Rabbit’s hopping All around the town!
Hop her on your shoulders, Hop her on your head, Hop her on your knees, And tuck her into bed!
,sredluohs ruoy no reh poH Yaacing Spring 2013
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►►►
Head and shoulders, knees and toes Knees and toes, knees and toes Head and shoulders, knees and toes Eyes, ears, mouth, and nose! 3x progressively faster
Monkey and Rabbit are fed up with each other’s annoying habits. They challenge one another to a contest. Who will win?
Is it a duck or a rabbit? In a hilarious argument, two voices off-page discuss what animal it is they see in the distance. What do you think?
Closing Song: Tickle the clouds. Tickle your toes. Turn around, And tickle your nose.
Reach down low. And reach up high. Storytime’s over – So wave goodbye!
Reach down low.
Did You Ever See a Rabbit?: (tune: Did You Ever See a Lassie?) Did you ever see a rabbit, a rabbit, a rabbit? Did you ever see a rabbit hopping so fast? Hops this way and that way, And this way and that way. Did you ever see a rabbit hopping so fast? … hopping so slow? … hopping on one foot?
You put your bunny paws in…
Books And reach up high. You 2006. put your bunny tail in… Ghoting, S.N. & P. Martin-Diaz. Early Literacy Storytimes @ Your Library. Chicago: ALA, Storytime’s over – Gravett, E. Wolves. London: Macmillan, 2005. SoM.R. wave goodbye! MacDonald, ‘How to Break a Bad Habit’. In Twenty Tellable Tales (p. 75-77). U.S.: H.W. Wilson, 1986. Tandem storytelling version taught in workshop by M.R. MacDonald on October 2nd 2012. Rosenthal, A.K. & T. Lichtenheld. Duck! Rabbit! San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2009. Ryan, C. & M. Lowery. Ribbit Rabbit. New York: Walker, 2011. Songs and Rhymes Opening Song: http://storytimekatie.com/songs-rhymes/openingclosing-songs/ Bunny-Pokey: https://www.tsl.state.tx.us/read-to-your-bunny.html Did You Ever See a Rabbit?: http://rovingfiddlehead.com/kidlit/rabbits-storytime/ Closing Song: http://ysostorytime.pbworks.com
Images: Microsoft Clipart
Head and Shoulders:
Microsoft Clipart. Spreitzer | Puppet: Borrowed Judi Saltman—thank you, LarissaImages: Image and Monica are MLISfrom students at the School of Judi! Library Archival and Information Studies at the University of British Columbia. This program was developed for the class LIBR 527: Services for Children. Yaacing Spring 2013
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beyond comic sans: graphic design for libraries feature
By Chelsea DiFrancesco
Children’s librarians are often required to wear more than one hat while on the job: story teller, collection manager, singer, craft guru, researcher, puppeteer and very often, graphic designer. However, for many librarians “design and visual work do not come naturally…and are very time-consuming” aspects of the job. Fortunately, there are many resources available to children’s and young adult librarians who have been thrown into the proverbial “fire” of graphic design work. Using the following guidelines and tips, even inexperienced designers can create appealing and useful design materials for their library. ►►► Yaacing Spring 2013
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follow basic design principles
use your library’s resources
Use white space. Contrary to its name, white space doesn’t have to be white. In its simplest form, white space is space on the page that is empty of text or images. It is also one of the most important design elements. Without proper white space, the design can seem overwhelming and cluttered. White space can be used to divide elements on the page or draw attention to a specific item.
Remember that you work in a library. Leveraging your institution’s design resources can be a great way to get started on the design process. Perusing design books and software manuals can give librarians the knowledge, skills, confidence and inspiration to tackle their own designs. Other libraries, websites, blog posts and YouTube tutorials can all be great sources of information as well.
Lose the clichés. There are classics in the design world, but beware of tired and outdated design motifs. Comic sans may seem like an ideal font choice because of its childlike appearance; however, it has become so commonly hated that several campaigns to get the font banished from the design world have cropped up. Instead, find a nonstandard free font to add a unique aspect to your design. Other telltale signs of amateur designers include using too many typefaces, uniformly centered text and standard clipart. Use the “Z” page layout. English speakers read from left to right in a “Z” formation. Place important design elements in the top left, center right, bottom left and bottom right positions on the page. Pay attention to size. As simple as it sounds, size does matter. Generally, the larger the element is on the page, the more important it is. However, you can also use a small element (text or an image) surrounded by white space to create emphasis as well. Pay attention to the scale and context of every element on the page in relation to the design as a whole.
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don’t lose your message It doesn’t matter how pretty your design is if your audience can’t figure out what you’re trying to say. Unusual fonts, poor contrast, irrelevant graphics and cluttered design can all obscure your meaning. Always keep in mind that communicating your message is the most important aspect of your design. Don’t ever give that up because you like the way something looks.
go beyond clipart Instead of using the included clipart from Microsoft Word, opt for distinct images and fonts. Free, creative commons licensed graphics and fonts are available from a host of online providers. A simple search can yield hundreds of choices that are distinct. Vector images are particularly useful because they can be scaled to any size without losing quality.
leverage local talent Colleges and high schools often teach design classes that incorporate service learning. It may be worth your while to check if there are any students or teachers that would like to do a realworld design project for the library as part of the course.
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let your pint-sized patrons be the designers Incorporating your young patrons’ artwork is an easy way to produce great designs while involving the kids in your library. Consider hosting a design contest for library poster art or bookmarks. You can also have your patrons design library merchandise to be sold in the shop, similar to the @ YourLibrary’s Design a Totebag Contest.
keep it simple Remember that when it comes to design, usually less is more. Libraries are often perpetrators of creating very cluttered spaces both visually and physically. Just as you should strive to keep clutter your of your library design, you should aim for simplicity in your graphic designs as well.
if it works for the project, break the rules There are no unbreakable rules when it comes to graphic design. Sometimes breaking the rules can create wonderful designs. Y Yaacing Spring 2013
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Resources Fonts. The following sites provide a host of free fonts that can be filtered by style. You can also preview what your text will look like.
Library Blogs. Use these blogs to get library-specific design ideas and resources. Teen Librarian Toolbox: www.teenlibrariantoolbox. com
Dafont: www.dafont.com 1001 Free Fonts: www.1001freefonts.com
Library Graphic Design: http://librarygraphicdesign. blogspot.ca
Font Squirrel: www.fontsquirrel.com Images. These sites provide free, creative commons licensed, high quality vector images, icons and backgrounds. Vector images can be scaled to any size without losing resolution quality or appearing pixelated.
Design Blogs. These are just a few of the countless design blogs out there. Use these sites to get inspiration and information about new tools. Many also offer tutorials on popular design software like Photoshop.
Vecteezy: http://www.vecteezy.com/
Outlaw Design Blog: http://outlawdesignblog.com/ Designer Daily: http://www.designer-daily.com/
Vector Art: http://vectorart.org/ Vector Open Stock: http://www.vectoropenstock. com/
Smashing Magazine: http://www. smashingmagazine.com/
References At your library. (n.d.). Design a Tote Bag Contest. @ Your Library. Retrieved December 4, 2012, from http://www. atyourlibrary.org/design-contest Ban Comic Sans. (n.d.). Ban Comic Sans. Retrieved from http://bancomicsans.com/main/ French, M. (n.d.). Using white space to divide and conquer. Newsdesigns.com. Blog. Retrieved from http://www. newsdesigns.com/newspaper-design/trends-newspaper-design/using-white-space-to-divide-and-conquer/ Graphic design for teen librarians (or any other non designer). (2011, November 21). Teen Librarian Toolbox. Blog. Retrieved from http://www.teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2011/11/graphic-design-for-teen-librarians-or.html In the absence of a graphic designer on staff‌. (n.d.). Library Outreach. Retrieved December 5, 2012, from http:// libraryoutreach.wordpress.com/2012/02/03/in-the-absence-of-a-graphic-designer-on-staff/ Lupton, E., & Phillips, J. C. (2008). Graphic Design: The New Basics. New York, NY, USA: Princeton Architectural Press. Retrieved from http://site.ebrary.com/lib/ubc/docDetail.action Reining In the Clutter of Library Signage | Backtalk. (n.d.). Retrieved December 5, 2012, from http://lj.libraryjournal. com/2012/07/opinion/backtalk/reining-in-the-clutter-of-library-signage-backtalk/ Vasile, C. (2011, October 21). Graphic design basics part 3: Composition. 1st Web Designer. Blog. Retrieved from http://www.1stwebdesigner.com/design/graphic-design-basics-part-3-composition/
Chelsea DiFrancesco is an MLIS student at the School of Library Archival and Information Studies at the University of British Columbia. This article was originally written for the class LIBR 527: Services for Children.
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feature Reluctant Readers
A Beginner-Librarian’s Guide By Mariya Tokhtarova
Purpose: This paper intends to provide a beginner-librarian with a brief overview of the key concepts and ‘must-know’ information on reluctant readers. Reluctant Readers: Basic Things to Know
Types of reluctant readers In the book, Reluctant Readers: Connecting Students and Books for Successful Reading Experiences, Ron Jobe and Mary Dayton-Sakari recognize four main categories of reluctant readers:
• “I can’t” (passive Who are the reluctant readers? avoiding reading, he term ‘reluctant reader’ is usually applied improve) to a child or a young adult who has very little interest in reading. According to the American • “I don’t know Library Association (ALA), a reluctant reader is a child or a teen “who, for whatever reason, does not Students who avoid reading have like to read”. Synonymous a greater chance of dropping out terms of ‘reluctant of high school and tend to run into reader’ are: “disengaged”, “resistant”, or “passive” problems with the law. reader.
T
Why do we care about the reluctant readers? There are statistics and research on literacy that unanimously point to the fact that there is a direct link between reading proficiency and success in life. Students who avoid reading have a greater chance of dropping out of high school and tend to run into problems with the law. Among adults belonging to the “lowest level of literacy proficiency” category, “43% live in poverty”. On the contrary, only 4% of “adults with strong literacy skills” find themselves impoverished. In short, we (librarians, teachers, and parents) care about the issue of ‘reluctant reading’ because it creates problems for our children and stands in their way to success.
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readers, really good at not willing to try to how” (susceptible to frustration, want to be guided, avoiding responsibility, not always good with understanding the instructions)
• “I’d rather” (interested in specific, factual information about the world, enjoy creating things – arts & crafts)
“I don’t care” (usually older students who completely lack interest in reading and they do not feel bad about it) Jobe and Dayton-Sakari mention two other groups of readers, ESL (English as a Second Language) students and children with physical/ mental disabilities, who also experience reading problems, but who are not considered to be “true” reluctant readers.
►►►
Strategies: How to Help a Reluctant Reader
novels, Comics). Reluctant readers appreciate books that ‘show the story’. These books help reluctant readers to better understand what is happening in a story; images supply information that is otherwise missed or overlooked by a reluctant reader in a strictly textual book scenario.
Book design n appealing book cover, medium size font and effective line spacing of text, short paragraphs and short chapters, presence of visuals are all crucial elements when it comes to catching the attention of a reluctant reader.
A
Types of books that are attractive to the reluctant readers • Books requiring physical interaction (‘Hands on’/ ‘Pop-up’/ ‘flap’ books and ‘How-to’ books). Hands on, pop-ups, and flap books generate interest through direct reader involvement: turning pages upside down (when needed), moving pop-ups and flaps to keep the story going. The how-to books (e.g. Cookbooks) allow readers to forget about reading and focus on the process of making something. • Books requiring active thinking and problem solving (Puzzles, Riddles and Jokes, Story Games and books on games). Puzzles, riddles, and jokes stimulate reluctant readers to think “deeper” and to think for themselves. Story games (e.g. Choose Your Own Adventure type of books) give readers a sense of power and allow them to control what happens in a story; this kind of readertext interaction is particularly beneficial to a reluctant reader. Many reluctant readers enjoy books that offer lists of games and directions on how to play them; readers get an opportunity to try something new and share their knowledge with others. • Factual information books and books on a specific topic of interest (e.g. Encyclopedias, Record books, Almanacs, Topical books). Some reluctant readers are very keen on learning the world facts and reading the non-fiction literature on various topics: nature, sports, discoveries, technology, and more. • Highly visual books (Picture books, Graphic
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• High/low books. These books aim at giving a reluctant reader a ‘high’ interest fictional story or non-fiction information, presented in an easy-to-read, ‘low’ vocabulary mode. Popular themes/topics of interest among the reluctant readers Some of the favourite reading topics among the reluctant readers are: • • •
• • • • • • • • •
Tales of survival, personal independence, wit, and prowess Topical, non-fiction literature on various subjects: cars, sports, fashion, animals, space Non-fiction literature on natural disasters, weather phenomena, geographic landscapes, geology Non-fiction literature on various cultures of the world Books with a strong female character (for girls) and with a strong male character (for boys) Design/Crafts Historical facts and accounts of real events Cooking Games ‘Online’ world Friendships and other relationships Humour, and more…
T
he above list is just a starting point for a beginnerlibrarian trying to help a reluctant reader; the list is not complete and it covers only generally popular themes among the majority of reluctant readers. Every reader is unique and different from other readers. It is the task of a librarian to find out about a reader’s interests and suggest titles accordingly.
►►►
Specific approaches: working with the reluctant readers o matter what approach you decide to use when working with a group of reluctant readers (or just one reader), make sure that your reluctant readers are doing something in which they are really interested. Interest is one of the most effective, natural motivators. Also, do not stress the importance of reading to the reluctant readers; on the contrary, shift their attention away from the actual reading process and highlight those projects and activities that follow the reading. Organize ‘after-reading’ projects that involve originality and imagination, discussion, sharing, creation, and, if possible, learning some new skills. Some examples of the after-reading activities are: book club type discussions (book voting, awarding a book some ‘stars’), creating posters (voting for the best poster), writing book reviews (Become a Literary Critic Challenge), making book trailers (Become a Marketing Agent Challenge), add an extra chapter to a book (Imagination Challenge), write your own story on the theme of a book you have just finished reading (Become a Writer Challenge), and the latter can lead to the Writers’ Awards Night where every story can be a winner (e.g. the funniest story, the most concise story, the most fantastic story, and etc). In brief, reading should be a stepping stone to something bigger, not a destination in itself. And, the reluctant readers should be given as much opportunity as possible to succeed and shine at things other
N
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than reading. When starting a new book with a group of reluctant readers, it is a good idea to introduce the book with some interesting, story-significant objects; these visuals can help in attracting reluctant readers’ attention and in creating an intriguing atmosphere. The other successful ways of introducing a new book to a group of readers include: role-reading and oral story telling. The role-reading consists of taking on a role of a character (usually, of the protagonist) or multiple characters and voicing the text/dialogues in such a way as if the characters were real. The oral story telling (in this instance) involves telling a captivating story that has some connections to a new book to be read. Conclusion emember that the reluctant readers are not really reluctant to read, but they have a problem that hinders them from enjoying reading. Identifying a reason (-s) causing reading reluctance is essential to helping a struggling reader and librarians and teachers are among those professionals who are ‘most equipped’ to help a child in this specific need. Y
R
Mariya Tokhtarova is an MLIS student at the School of Library Archival and Information Studies at the University of British Columbia. This article was originally written for the class LIBR 527: Services for Children.
Publishers
Resources
The following publishers specialize in producing books for the reluctant readers:
In the following three resources you would be able to find lists of books that are suitable for the reluctant readers:
• • • • • • •
Barrington Stoke (U.K) Capstone Publishing (U.S.A) Chestnut Publishing (CAN) HIP: High Interest Publishing (CAN/U.S.A) Orca Book Publishers (CAN) Ransom Publishing (U.K) Stone Arch Books (U.K)
•
•
•
Backes, Laura. Best Books For Kids Who (Think They) Hate to Read: 125 Books That Will Turn Any Child Into a Lifelong Reader. Roseville, Calif.: Prima Publishing, 2001. Jobe, Ron, and Mary Dayton-Sakari. Reluctant Readers: Connecting Students and Books for Successful Reading Experiences. Markham, ON: Pembroke Publishers, 1999. Young Adult Library Services Association. “2012 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Readers.” The American Library Association. November 24, 2012. http://www.ala.org/ yalsa/booklists/quickpicks/2012
References Ambe, E.B. “Inviting reluctant adolescent readers into the literacy club: Some comprehension strategies to tutor individuals or small groups of reluctant readers.” Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy 50, no. 8 (2007): 632-639. Backes, Laura. Best Books For Kids Who (Think They) Hate to Read: 125 Books That Will Turn Any Child Into a Lifelong Reader. Roseville, Calif.: Prima Publishing, 2001. Crawford, Philip. “Using Graphic Novels to Attract Reluctant Readers.” Library Media Connection. February, 2004; 26. Day, Richard R., and Julian Bamford. “Reaching Reluctant Readers.” Forum 38, no. 3 (2000). Jobe, Ron, and Mary Dayton-Sakari. Reluctant Readers: Connecting Students and Books for Successful Reading Experiences. Markham, ON: Pembroke Publishers, 1999. Scholastic. “Facts About Kids and Reading: Read Every Day. Lead a Better Life.” Scholastic: Global Literacy Campaign. Accessed on November 24, 2012. http://www.scholastic.com/readeveryday/facts.htm Steve and Diana Kimpton. “Reluctant Readers: Introduction.” The Word Pool. Accessed on November 25, 2012. http://www.wordpool.co.uk/rr/intro.htm Young Adult Library Services Association. “2012 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Readers.” The American Library Association. November 24, 2012. http://www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists/quickpicks/2012
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reviews The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. Harper, 2012. Audience: Elementary Grades This incredible story is based on a true life situation – Ivan is a mountain gorilla, who was captured as a youngster, reared by humans, and then placed in a small enclosure in a mall. He’s been there for 27 years. In his spare prose, he narrates the story and amazingly doesn’t hold a grudge against humans. He speaks matter of factly and with great self awareness of his simple life and simple joys. His best friends are Rosie the elephant and Bob, a dog who visits his enclosure. He also looks forward to daily visits from the maintenance man’s daughter, who has given him a love for painting. Things change when they bring a new baby elephant, Ruby, into the mall, and none of the animals want to see her suffer the same fate as themselves. He is challenged to save Ruby, and himself in the process. I was initially hesitant to read the book, as I thought the subject matter might be too disturbing. And indeed parts of the book made me cringe over the unthinking cruelty of people. However, it is a deeply moving book, about friendship, freedom, and rediscovery, in the same vein as Kate DiCamillo’s The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. Though narrated by a gorilla, the book is really about human nature and its various shades. There is a lot of food for thought in this elegant book, making it a perfect choice for children’s book clubs and roots of empathy programs. - Katherine Parker, Vancouver Public Library Pirate Cinema, by Cory Doctorow. Tor Teen, 2012 Audience: Teen Cory Doctorow’s Pirate Cinema is a deeply political science fiction book about making change in the world through art. Trent McCauley is a 16-year-old British kid who loves to make movies. The method he uses to that he make them (illegally downloading other movies, chopping them up and recombining them into something new) makes him into a copyright criminal, and the book opens with his family’s internet access being shut down, ruining their chances at a functional 21st-century life.
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The story follows Trent as he leaves home and heads to London to become a panhandler, dumpster-diver, filmmaking rabble-rouser living in a squat. He’s inducted into the worlds of DIY computers and back room anarchist gatherings, and graveyard movie raves. But all of the exotic set-pieces aside this is easily my favourite teen novel where the central conflict is about passing a private member’s bill in parliament. As a political novel Pirate Cinema is an excellent primer on information issues and the law and why people might think the internet needs to be free, and how those people need to fight to keep it free. Does that make it preachy at times? Yes. Undoubtedly. Doctorow gives his characters excellent engaging speeches to explain how the world is and how it could be. Naturalism isn’t the goal here. Communication of an idea is. In a teen book landscape littered with fantastical worlds bearing only slight connections to our own, Pirate Cinema grabs readers and tries to explain why the world they live in and the things that happen in it matter. They can change it but only if they try. - Justin Unrau, Vancouver Island Regional Library Every Little Thing, adapted by Cedella Marley. Illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton Chronicle Books, 2012. Audience: Preschool This delightful book is based on Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds,” and adapted by his daughter into a perfect picturebook to share with children from preschool to early elementary grades. Cedella Marley’s new verses and Brantley-Newton’s vibrant illustrations show a young boy surrounded by the love of his family, and learning that it’s okay to make mistakes. What I love most about this book is that it is imminently singable. When I introduced it at a recent preschool storytime, all the adults in the audience joined me when we reached the chorus. It created a magical moment that captivated the children in the audience, and warmed my heart immensely. Every Little Thing may just become a new favourite in my library.
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- April Ens, Vancouver Public Library
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Image from https://www.cia.gov/kids-page/index.html
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CIA World Factbook www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/ In BC schools, country studies get integrated into intermediate grades. For poster projects students often need quick facts, a picture of the flag and a map of the country. These are all available quickly from the CIA World Factbook. This is an adult source with in-depth analysis of current events; however, it has a simple layout that provides quick facts for young students. Search Google for “CIA World Factbook” and the name of the country. Click on the first result listed to see the flag, two maps, and a photo section. Expand the subheadings below to read: the Introduction, Geography, People and Society, Government, Economy, Energy, Communications, Transportation, Military, and Transnational Issues. There are fascinating statistics on religion, life expectancy, education and health. “Country Comparisons” provide ranked lists on 76 key issues like obesity, HIV rates, unemployment in youth, and military spending. World Leaders can be found in the far left frame. Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members are listed for Canada. World Factbook has great national information, but it does not provide provincial information. What’s great about this source is that it is updated constantly. You know this source is reputable! - Marie Paul, Burnaby Public Library
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call for submissions YAACING is published four times per year and is always looking for submissions that might interest children’s and teen specialists in BC libraries. We accept news items, articles, program descriptions and ideas, conference reports, and much more. If you would like to write a regular column, send us a brief pitch. Submissions should be no more than 2500 words, sent as Word or text files. Please include a byline with your job title and workplace, or for students: your school, program and class information, if applicable. YAACING invites your contributions to our Review and Felt Story sections: Reviews: Please send us reviews of books, blogs, websites, or other resources. Submissions should be no more than 300 words. Longer reviews may be considered for publication as featured articles. Felt Stories: Share your creativity! YAACING is looking for felt story patterns. Submissions should include a printable pattern, photograph of the finished product, and related rhyme or note about the origin of the story. The deadline for the Summer 2013 issue of YAACING is May 15, 2013. Email your submissions to the editors at YAACING@ gmail.com
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