Figure 5.1
Mood Reprinted with permission from “Readers Advisory for Kids,” by Kyra Nay. Parma, Ohio: School Age Central Blog, Cuyahoga County Public Library, March 2018.
It may be hard for you to imagine why a child would not want to read—that he or she would not find joy between the pages of a book or would not choose reading as a hobby. As librarians, we have a passion for the written word and we want everyone to share that passion. But sometimes children just don’t.
My definition of an apathetic reader is a child who does not find reading fun. Apathetic readers may test off the charts for reading ability or they may test below grade level. The true test is whether or not they can read independently. If they can, then they just might need some extra time and attention to help them get over the hump and find books that they enjoy.
The caregivers of apathetic readers may be book lovers who cannot understand why their children do not share the same interest. They read to and in front of their children, have books in the house, and they take their children to the library, but it is still an argument to get their children to pick up a book and read. Parents may also be nonreaders themselves but they want their children to take a different path.
Working with apathetic readers can be challenging at times. You may feel like banging your head against the wall when nothing you suggest is right. After spending a half hour making suggestions, you may find the stack of books abandoned on a table. It is important not to take it personally or let your frustrations show, and there are some steps you can take to combat wishy-washy responses.
An important role that librarians play when working with children is giving them a voice in their book selections. Library staff can be the intermediary between the parent and the child when they are at odds over what counts as reading or what books a child should be allowed or want to read. John Scott, a school librarian in Baltimore, approaches this by talking with parents and offering readers advisory help to elevate anxiety related to reading choices. He talks to caregivers about why it is okay for students to read graphic novels or read on a Kindle. To try to combat some of this unease, I use these phrases to try to build a trusting relationship with families.
This is not to say that I do not still find a pile of books left behind, but it does usually open up some dialogue between the librarian and the child. Telling children that they can stop reading a book they do not like always seems to surprise kids because most of their reading life is made up of books they have to read for school, reports, or because their caregiver liked it as a child.
It is a conundrum for librarians when parents approach them and say their child does not like to read. They want suggestions, but unfortunately, their child is not at the library with them. These caregivers know you are an expert about books and hope you can magically find that one perfect book that will turn their child on to books. If only it were that simple.
When I was in library school, there was a lot of talk about the fact that you need to talk to the child, not the parent, when you perform a reference or readers advisory interview. That you should encourage the parent to bring the child in to be able to provide the best possible help. I agree that having a child in front of you to interact with is the ideal situation. However, turning this parent away with a “come back with your kid” directive is a missed opportunity. Instead, we need to have that conversation with the live body in front of us.
Caregivers know their child’s interests and you can still do a reference or readers advisory interview. Try using some of these questions to get to the heart of what this particular reluctant reader likes. Then take a stab at figuring out what the nonpresent child might want. Yes, it will likely be hit or miss, but it is better than doing nothing. Give the caregiver options to take home so that there is a better chance you will make a match between child and book.
When I had this conversation with a parent, I started by talking a bit about the child’s likes and dislikes with the mother. I learned that her son was into sports but the mother was not interested in any of the sports books I pulled out. She really felt he would like mysteries because she liked mysteries. I was in a catch-22 moment. I really wanted her to take home a Gordon Korman or a Tim Green book, but that was not what the mother wanted. If I continued to push, she might leave with nothing to bring home for her son to try. This was not what I wanted to see happen.
I took a step back and decided to offer her some mystery books, while also encouraging her to take home at least one of the other books I thought just might spark the reading bug. After a few more minutes of discussing and recommending, she left with The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd and Masterminds by Gordon Korman. I suggested she give him both books to explore. The interaction ended with the mother pleased with the books she was checking out for her son. A new relationship was developing between her and the library, and with any luck, next time she would bring her son with her.
A typical transaction that I have witnessed and been a part of with families is when the parent announce that his or her child does not like to read— can you please help?—right in front of the child. You can usually see the embarrassment or anger on the child’s face as the child listens. If the parent then starts talking about what an older sibling who is a reader likes to read, you can quickly have a disaster on your hands.
Figure 5.1
Mood Reprinted with permission from “Readers Advisory for Kids,” by Kyra Nay. Parma, Ohio: School Age Central Blog, Cuyahoga County Public Library, March 2018.
One way to redirect this conversation is to ask the child about books that might interest him or her. But instead of using genres, try asking what type of mood the child likes from a book. Figure 5.1 provides some mood words to get you started.
When a mother, after asking for my help, proceeded to start pulling books of the shelf and saying things like “Your sister liked this one,” it was obvious to me that either this daughter had very different tastes or she simply did not want to read what her sister did. This child did not have the gumption to announce like a teen I know did to her older sister. That teen said, “I don’t like the same books you do” and then turned back to me for help. As the librarian, you need to be that voice so the actual reader in the readers advisory transaction can end up with books that will be of interest to them.
With my mother-and-daughter duo, I worked to focus my questions on the daughter directly. Using Nay’s technique, I asked her if she was in the mood for a funny book or maybe something scary. This showed the mother, without my having to call her out, that her daughter wanted to read books that appealed to her, not what appealed to the mother or sister. After a little back and forth, I realized that what she liked was a realistic story that was moving. I recommended she try W. Bruce Cameron’s A Dog’s Purpose series and gave her Bailey’s Story. These books about dogs that do search and rescue or sniff out cancer were just what she was looking for even though they are told from the dog’s perspective. Another book I thought she might like was Three Pennies by Melanie Crowder. A foster kid is not so sure about being adopted because she is still hoping her mother will come back. My customer left feeling much more confident in her finds, and the mother was happy she had books to check out.
When working with families that have children who are not drawn to books, the format you give them becomes even more important. Simply sharing popular middle grade fiction or beginning readers may not be enough to hook these kids. Instead, you need to dig a little deeper and examine the formats you circulate for their appeal to a more visual or fact-seeking reader.
High-interest books tend to circulate really well so you might not have a lot on your shelves at any one time. This is a problem in some of my branches as the kids do not like to place holds and neither do their parents. When it comes to kid’s books, the majority seem to want immediate gratification at least 95 percent of the time.
If the usual response to placing a hold is “I’ll just get it next time,” you know that you may not have it on that next trip but it can be a challenge to make families understand. A tip for floating collections is to place a hold on a staff card for titles and subjects you are asked for but you do not have in your branch. This way you might just have it when they come back. And if not, you’ll probably make someone else super happy.
Books that combine graphic novel elements with beginning reader visuals can help kids take greater strides to becoming fluent readers. I have found that caregivers are not as resistant to graphic novels that are targeted to this younger age group. I think this is because parents understand the importance of illustration to learning to read. These titles will not likely be hard to sell to either the parent or the child.
Currently, I place most of these books in the beginning reader collection. However, as demand rises, along with the number being published, creating a section for graphic novel beginning readers is a direction you can take. If you are ready to create a separate section, I would recommend putting it at either the start or end of the fiction beginning readers rather than with middle grade graphic novels. Here are a few examples of excellent graphic novel readers.
Annable, Graham. Peter & Ernesto: A Tale of Two Sloths. New York, NY: First Second, 2018. 119p. (Peter & Ernesto). $17.99. 9781626725614.
Ernesto longs for adventure and leaves the comfort of the tree. Peter, a homebody, must gather his courage and leave the tree too in order to find his friend.
Brunetti, Ivan. 3X4. New York, NY: Toon Books, 2018. unpaged. $12.95. 9781943145348.
A school assignment has the students drawing sets of items that add up to 12.
Clanton, Ben. Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea. Toronto, ON: Tundra Books, 2016. 64p. (A Narwhal and Jelly Book). $12.99. 9781101918265.
Narwhal makes friends at sea and eats some yummy waffles.
Jamieson, Victoria. The Great Pet Escape. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company, LLC, 2016. 63p. (Pets on the Loose). $15.99. 9781627791052.
The class pets are planning their escape when they come across the school’s mice population and their dastardly plot.
When I visit branches, the echoing refrain I hear is that we need more of these cartoon readers. The kids love them and will flip through what is available to find their favorites. At Cuyahoga County Public Library I purchase paperback cartoon readers. They are cheaper so I can buy lots of copies. I typically purchase 50 to 60 copies of each title for our 28 branches. Rather than shelve these skinny paperbacks spine out, we use Demco’s Magboxes.
Magboxes were created for magazines, but they work great for this collection too. The clear acrylic means that kids can see the cover of the first book and will be drawn in by seeing Superman, My Little Pony, Thomas the Tank, Dora the Explorer, or Mickey Mouse. I look for Disney, Lego, Superhero, Star Wars, Nickelodeon, and Netflix television shows when purchasing cartoon beginning readers.
Some publisher lines that release cartoon readers include the following:
You may find some resistance from caregivers about graphic novels for older readers. They may say, “But it is not really reading.” Natasha Forrester Campbell from Multnomah County Library lets parents know that reading graphic novels actually requires kids to use both sides of their brain. They have to decipher the words as well as the pictures. This can lead to reading more difficult texts with harder vocabulary simply because the images can help kids decode words. At Rocky River Public Library, Nicole L. Martin talks to parents about how reading a graphic novel can be a confidence booster. It can allow a child to read a much longer (in page-length) book than they would otherwise be capable of. She also sees it as a jumping-off point to other reading formats.
If you are a lover of graphic novels like Martin is, you will want to bring that enthusiasm to the conversation with both the parent and the child. If parents witness your appreciation for the format, they might be more willing to allow their child to read it. Additionally, Forrester Campbell and Martin have noticed that kids who read graphic novels will read them three to five times in a single month before coming to a book discussion. A parent factoid here would be that kids are deeply engaged with a graphic novel and notice new details every time they reread. If they were reading a chapter book, they would likely not be working so closely with the text.
Martin has also seen an increase of graphic novel titles showing up on the school’s summer reading lists, and when kids are simply required to read a certain number of books over the summer, graphic novels are allowed to be among those books. Having teacher support definitely translates into more kids asking for graphic novels at the library and provides the perfect opportunity for librarians to show caregivers the wide variety of genres that fall under the format of graphic novel.
Even if you are not a fan of graphic novels personally, you need to read at least a few to become familiar with the format. Reviews can help you expand your recommendation pile but nothing beats reading them yourself.
Brooks, Molly. Sanity & Tallulah. New York, NY: Disney Hyperion, 2018. 227p. (Sanity & Tullulah). $12.99pa. 9781368022804pa.
A science project gone wrong wreaks havoc on a spaceship, and it is up to a child scientist to save the day.
Brosgol, Vera. Be Prepared. Illustrated by Vera Brosgol and Alec Longstreth. New York, NY: First Second, 2018. 245p. $12.99pa. 9781626724457pa.
Loosely based on the author’s own childhood, Vera goes to a Russian American summer camp that is not quite what she was hoping for.
Chanani, Nidhi. Pashmina. New York, NY: First Second, 2017. 169p. $16.99pa. 9781626720879pa.
A magical pashmina offers Pri insight into her mother’s life in India.
Jamieson, Victoria. Roller Girl. New York, NY: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2015. 240p. $20.99. 9780525429678.
Roller Derby helps a tween, Astrid, deal with changing friendships.
Martin, Ann M. Kristy’s Great Idea. Illustrated by Raina Telgemeier and Braden Lamb. New York, NY: Graphix, 2015 (2006). 181p. (The Baby-Sitters Club). $10.99pa. 9780545813877pa.
Characters and stories first introduced in the 1980s have been brought back for a new generation in a new format. Best friends Kristy, Mary Anne, Claudia, and Stacey join forces to provide babysitters for all the neighbors and support each other through middle school.
Pilkey, Dav, and Jose Garibaldi. Dog Man. New York, NY: Graphix, 2016. 231p. (Dog Man). $9.99. 9780545581608.
An injured police officer and police dog are stitched together to create a new hero—Dog Man.
Scott, Mairghread. Robots and Drones: Past, Present, and Future. Illustrated by Jacob Chabot. New York, NY: First Second, 2018. 121p. (Science Comics). $12.99pa. 9781626727922pa.
Mixing fact and graphic novel format, the evolution of robots is explored.
Sell, Chad, Jay Fuller, David Demeo, Katie Schenkel, Manuel Betancourt, Molly Muldoon, Vid Alliger, Cloud Jacobs, Michael Cole, and Barbara Perez Marquez. The Cardboard Kingdom. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 2018. 281p. $21.99. 9781549039973.
A diverse group of neighborhood kids gather together to create and act out their own fantastical kingdom.
Yang, Gene Luen. Secret Coders. Illustrated by Mike Holmes. New York, NY: First Second, 2015. 91p. (Secret Coders). $9.99pa. 9781626720756pa.
Friends must use their computer-programming skills to save their school.
At Cuyahoga County Public Library, we carry comic books for both kids and teens. They are a mixture of superhero titles along with other character-based series. Rather than working with a book vendor, we instead work directly with a local comic book shop. The mother and son owners provide excellent service and help me make sure we have a selection of some of the hottest comics being put out each year.
In the fall, I contact them through e-mail and ask for information on any new titles we should pick up and what series might have concluded. We typically order between 20 and 25 kids titles and 20 to 25 teen titles. With their suggestions, I then do a Survey Monkey poll of the branch staff to see if they want a full set of all titles or a selection of about half the titles. From their responses, I send a spreadsheet to the comic book shop with the titles and quantities we want. This sets up our standing order. After that, once a month the comics are delivered to the library’s administrative offices so they can be barcoded and sent out to the branches.
Comics are a good choice for kids looking for a quick read and those who like artwork with their stories. It can also be a way for a parent and a child to connect if the parent was a comic-book reader as a child. The cost for comics is pretty cheap at between $2.99 and $3.99 an issue. As mentioned with graphic novels, comics can be that jumping-off point to other formats once kids find genres that they like reading.
Chapter books and middle grade titles that have longer texts but are still heavily illustrated are a growing format in the children’s book world. Hybrid books might be more acceptable to caregivers who are leery of graphic novels, and you can steer the conversation in this direction if you are getting nowhere on all the benefits of reading a graphic novel.
Baltazar, Armand. Diego and the Rangers of the Vastlantic. New York, NY: Katherine Tegen Books, 2017. 607p. (Timeless). $19.99. 9780062402363.
A post-apocalypse novel where the past, present, and future all exist together. Animation-style illustrations increase the action and suspense.
DiCamillo, Kate. Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures. Illustrated by K. G. Campbell. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2013. 233p. $17.99. 9780763660406.
With the help of a little magic and a superhero squirrel, Flora finds a way to stand up for herself. A mix of illustration and comic panels enhance the story.
Libenson, Terri. Invisible Emmie. New York, NY: Balzer + Bray, 2017. 185p. $10.99. 9780062484932.
Two girls in middle school have very different experiences. One story is told as a narrative with illustrations, and the other is told through comic panels.
Vernon, Ursula. Harriet the Invincible. New York, NY: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2015. 247p. (Hamster Princess). $12.99. 9780803739833.
Harriet is not your typical princess. Rather than waiting for Prince Charming to save the day, she does it herself. Color illustration and speech balloons share the pages of text.
This format is near and dear to my heart. As a kid who took a little longer to learn to read and who was not a confident reader, series books are what made me a bookworm. I read all the original Baby-Sitter’s Club books by Ann M. Martin as well as the Sweet Valley Twins series created by Francine Pascal. I discovered these books in my fourth-grade teacher’s classroom library, and after that, I became a regular at the public library so I could read and reread all my favorites.
My word of caution to librarians is to not dismiss these books as fluff or lesser reading. We need to remember to be advocates for kids who eat up the books that have similar plots each time and those who have characters they can rely on. It is your job as the keeper of the books to let parents know that it is perfectly normal and acceptable for kids to want to read series. That they will likely move on to other books as they get older, but there is no rush or time table.
If a caregiver is persistent or even a coworker is, I would remind them that many adults like to read their series books or every book by an author. James Patterson, Janet Evanovich, Louise Penny, and John Sandford are just a few examples of these types of authors for adults. Finding a series that a kid loves might just be what turns them into a lifelong reader.
Florence, Debbi Michiko. Jasmine Toguchi, Mochi Queen. Illustrated by Elizabet Vukovic. New York, NY: Farrar Straus Giroux, 2017. 115p. (Jasmine Toguchi). $15.99. 9780374304102.
Jasmine wants to help make mochi, a traditional Japanese New Year food, but must convince her family that she is old enough and strong enough to help.
Kelly, David A. The Fenway Foul-Up. Illustrated by Mark Meyers. New York, NY: Random House, 2011. 101p. (Ballpark Mysteries). $4.99pa. 9780375867033pa.
Cousins figure out who stole the star baseball player’s bat.
Meadows, Daisy. Shelley the Sugar Fairy. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc., 2017. 65p. (Rainbow Magic: The Sweet Fairies). $4.99pa. 9781338207255pa.
The Candy Harvest must be saved from the trickster goblin Jack Frost, who has stolen Shelley’s magic.
Simon, Coco. Sunday Sundaes. New York, NY: Simon Spotlight, 2018. 144p. (Sprinkle Sundays). $6.99pa. 9781534417465pa.
Starting at a new school and dealing with your parents’ recent divorce is not easy, but with the help of friends and ice cream, it is all a little more bearable.
Warner, Sally. EllRay Jakes Is NOT a Chicken! Illustrated by Jamie Harper. New York, NY: Viking, 2011. 108p. (EllRay Jakes). $14.99. 9780670062430.
An African American third-grade boy deals with bullies while anticipating a trip to Disneyland.
Nonfiction books for reports are necessary to have in your library’s collections. They recount the facts of a person, an animal, or a time in history. They can explain how things work and show readers how to attempt an experiment or a recipe themselves, or with the help on an adult. However, the writing style of some nonfiction books can be a little dry. To excite the inquisitive child, you will want to also have books that spark curiosity. Some things to look for include high-quality color photographs, back matter that shows the research the author undertook, and nonfiction titles that read like fiction.
Arnold, Tedd. Why, Fly Guy?: A Big Question & Answer Book. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc., 2107. 128p. (Fly Guy Presents). $14.99. 9781338053180.
The why questions kids have always wanted the answer to, and answers to questions they have never thought to ask, are answered through a mix of photographs, comic stripes, and snippets of text. It makes this a book that kids can dip in and out of.
Frost, Helen. Wake Up! Illustrated by Rick Lieder. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2017. unpaged. $15.99. 9780763681494.
Stunning photographs give a close-up look at nature.
Gigliotti, Jim. Who Was George Washington Carver? Illustrated by Stephen Marchesi. New York, NY: Penguin Workshop, 2015. 105p. (Who Was). $5.99pa. 9780448483122pa.
A series of chapter book biographies that include illustrations and are written in a narrative style. At right around the 100 pages mark, they work for middle grade reports as well as for those who like reading to learn new things.
Jenkins, Martin. Bird Builds a Nest. Illustrated by Richard Jones. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2018. 26p. (A First Science Storybook). $16.99. 9780763693466.
Short sentences and words in a larger font explain the steps birds follow when making their nest. An add-on at the end includes an explanation of the science concepts of pushing and pulling along with ways for kids to practice them.
Osborne, Mary Pope, and Natalie Pope Boyce. Dragons and Mythical Creatures. Illustrated by Carlo Molinari. New York, NY: Random House, 2016. 123p. (Magic Tree House Fact Tracker). $12.99. 9781101936375.
After reading about Jack and Annie’s fictional adventure, kids can pick up the fact tracker to help them separate fact from fiction, like whether unicorns or mermaids are real.
Offering fun and engaging programs for preschool and school age kids can help them develop a love of reading and an appreciation for other subjects like math and art. By inviting the parents to participate in your programs, you give families a chance to learn and experience something together.
If you are looking for a way to bring the parents and kids together, a book discussion is a great way to do it. By choosing to discuss graphic novels, you are potentially reaching kids who would not come to traditional book discussion of novels. You are also showing parents that graphic novels as a format is a legitimate form of reading. With parents present, they can see their children develop as readers. They will see how well they comprehend the text and art as well as how they mature as discussion participants.
Natasha Forrester Campbell started her first graphic novel book discussion in 2016 because she was looking for a way to help the second and third graders transition out of early readers. Many of these kids were not quite ready for chapter books but were beyond the traditional beginning readers. Forrester Campbell saw graphic novels as a great way to bridge the two, and from the start, she included parents. When the typical book discussion for fourth and fifth graders started to dwindle in attendance, she also transitioned it to a graphic novel book discussion with the parents participating.
Forrester Campbell’s program is similar in many ways to a traditional book discussion. In Appendix D, an outline of one of her discussions is included. Just like with other book discussions, you need to read the books before deciding if they will make a good book discussion title for your library. Also, if you are going to offer a graphic novel book discussion, the presenter should enjoy and be enthusiastic about the graphic novel format. If that is not you, that is okay, but find the person at your library who is.
When selecting titles, she likes to include a variety of genres, including nonfiction. She also looks for books that show inclusive experiences, cultures, and social perspectives. She finds that parents tend to notice and are happy about it. To make families a part of the process, Forrester Campbell has them help choose the titles that will be discussed. She usually book talks about 12 to 14 titles at the first meeting of the year in October. She has two to four titles that she absolutely wants to discuss and then lets the families pick the other titles. An added side benefit is that many of the kids will decide to read the other titles not selected.
The Discussion. She has general questions that she can use for any graphic novel. She also creates questions that are specific to the graphic novel being discussed. Everyone is expected to participate in the discussion, including the parents. Most times the parents will give the kids the chance to speak first. However, Forrester Campbell makes sure the adults also share their thoughts and opinions. This makes for a richer discussion for all.
Another piece that stems from having the parents reading the same book is that families are encouraged to talk about the book before they attend the discussion. They do not have to wait to share the excitement they are feeling, ask each other questions, or express disappointment in a part of the story or artwork that they did not like. She finds everyone still has plenty to say to the group as a whole, but prediscussion allows for the parents to gauge the amount of the story their child has comprehended on his or her own.
The Activity. After discussion, there is an extension activity that connects back to the graphic novel. It can be art based or narrative based. It can be a game or something more tactile. It will really just depend on the book you choose and how it inspires you.
The Snack. Even the snack is linked to the book being discussed. It has become a game of guess the connection among the kids. The cost of the program is pretty minimal and could be made to fit any budget. Forrester Campbell spends around $10 to $20 each month for the activities supplies and the snacks.
Family Graphic Novel Book Group is offered once a month from October to June. Forrester Campbell offers it on Sunday afternoons. The second- and third-grade group meets first, and then later that day is the gathering of the fourth- and fifth-grade group. She finds that parents with siblings in both age groups will sometime split up, and other times, the same parent will attend both discussions. Families attending find the program valuable and will make the time to come each month. On average, Forrester Campbell sees 12 to 22 participants at the younger group and 10 to 14 at the older group.
Most libraries face some competition for a kid’s after-school time. There are many activities that kids participate in such as sports, dance, theater, and music. To keep interest up, a postcard-size flyer is placed in graphic novel titles. A flyer is also displayed on the shelves in the graphic novel section.
At the start of the school year, Forrester Campbell drops off flyers so that one can go in each teacher’s mailbox. She will also e-mail or stop by and chat with teachers about the book discussion. She does find that one of the best ways to get new families is by word of mouth between parents. Other avenues used are the library’s website and event calendar. Word of mouth also comes from the library staff who will invite families they see browsing by the graphic novel section.
As you decide if a graphic novel book discussion is right for your library, I would look at two key elements: your circulation statistics for the format and how often you see kids browsing the section. If you find that the interest is there, go for it!
Public Library. You may have to play around with the day and time to find one that works for your families. In my library system, Sundays are usually a little lighter on staff and we are only open from 1:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. so it would probably not work. Some branches find that right after school or right after dinner is the best time. If you want to do one that is more for home-school families, you could consider offering it during the day.
Depending on the size and setup of your library, either you will need to earmark some of your budget for the books or you will need to talk to your collection development staff about purchasing those copies for you. In some cases, you will be able to call in copies from multiple branches in your system or work with your consortium to acquire the copies needed.
The activities you choose and whether you offer a snack may need to be tied into the budget you have. You can make them very simple and therefore not expensive. If you would like to be more elaborate, an option might be to ask your Friends of the Library for a small program budget. Remember Forrester Campbell only spends $10 to $20 a month.
School Library. If you want to try a graphic novel book discussion, a good time to have it would be during lunch. Kids will bring their lunch, and then you do not have to worry about budgeting for a snack. You will either need to budget money to purchase copies of the titles for the discussion or see if you can get sufficient copies from your public library. Parent–teacher groups might be able to help or profits from a Scholastic or Follett Book Fair might be used too.
In most cases, you probably will not be able to make it a parent–child discussion. If you think you can get caregivers, I would give it a go. If not, consider having an end-of-year discussion and celebration and invite the caregivers to it. It might be easier for them to only have to take off work one time, and it would still give them a chance to see what a graphic novel discussion looks like.
Depending on the length of the lunch period, you can do a discussion of the book and still have time for an activity. If time is short, you can simply do the discussion but you might consider getting a button maker and giving the kids a button each time that relates to the book. You will likely get participants who were on the fence about participating decide to come back to get that next button.
Your first clue of success will be the willingness of the caregivers to not only attend but also take the time to read the graphic novel ahead of time. Forrester Campbell has heard things like “My child hates nonfiction and will not read it, but she will read graphic novel nonfiction like the Science Comics series.” It is a true joy to help kids find the books that inspire them to read more.
Visual learners will have a chance to shine at programs that focus on art. This can be the study of famous artists and the creation of art that is in a similar style. It can also be an appreciation and study of the art techniques used to illustrate children’s books. Recognizing that kids learn differently and offering programs that support visual literacy can help parents appreciate the fact that their kids are multitalented.
After attending the Dayton Metro Library’s Mock Caldecott program for librarians, Melissa Sokol thought her families would like to give selecting a winner and honor books a try. With a regular Tuesday night Family Story-time, she had a built-in audience for the program. Working at a suburban library branch, she is lucky to have parents who continually bring their kids, ranging in age from 2 to 12 years old, to library programs.
Sokol worked with a children’s librarian at another branch who was on the Dayton Mock Caldecott Committee. They looked at Jen J’s spreadsheet of starred reviews for titles to consider. From there the list was narrowed down to titles that kids would like. Although not on the list of criteria for the real committee, it was an important one for this program. Sokol then compared her list to the library’s holdings to see which titles had copies available.
This narrowed things down to 20 titles, and for a couple of them, like Grand Canyon illustrations and text by Jason Chin, she talked with her collection development department about getting a few extra copies since all currently owned copies were checked out. Her goal was to have two copies of each title available for participants to look at during the program.
Since the focus of the Caldecott is the artwork and how it tells the story, Sokol contacted a local high school art teacher who happened to be studying for his master’s in fine arts. By lucky happenstance, she knew his wife, a former Dayton librarian and current school librarian at the high school. Having someone with an art background in the room helped to elevate the discussion surrounding medium and technique used in the illustrations.
The budget for the program was pretty minimal, which is nice for libraries with limited finances. Sokol did provide snacks, as the program went on for one and a half hours, 6:30 P.M.–8:00 P.M., on a week night. She thought ahead of the fact that some caregivers might not have time for a real dinner before coming to the program. The inclusion of snacks reminded me of a real Caldecott Committee tradition, where members often bring a snack from their home state to share during the long days of discussion at the American Library Association’s Midwinter Conference.
The art teacher did offer his time free of charge, so there was no upfront cost. To show her appreciation and thanks, Sokol did purchase a fun library-related tee shirt and a box of chocolate for him. Along with that, she provided a deposit collection of books being used for the Predicting the Caldecott Winner program for use with his high school art students. This happened about a month before the library program and allowed for a second, unofficial study of the books.
Deciding on a title for the program was carefully thought out. Having the right catchy title can make the difference in how many people click on the event link to find out more information. Traditionally, programs like Sokol’s might be called a “Mock Caldecott.” Instead of using this title for her program, she went with the title “Predicting the Caldecott Winner” because she felt it would resonate better with her families.
Then came deciding when would be the best time to offer the program to garner the most participation from families. Sokol decided to offer it the same night as her Family Storytime. Weekly storytimes go on hiatus at the end of November and the first week of December during that Family Storytime slot is an annual puppet show. To keep the momentum going, she decided to host the “Predicting the Caldecott Winner” the second week of December.
Once the title and date were chosen, she then turned to getting the word out. There was no budget for flyers, so the program was primarily advertised on the library’s online event calendar. As this is where all library programs can be located, it did get some automatic traffic. The most effective way of getting the word out turned out to be word of mouth via Sokol. She talked it up to her regular families as a big read-in that would be super fun. All of the forethought put into naming, picking a date, and advertising paid off as she had 27 participants the first time she offered the program in 2017.
The program focus was reading the books through their illustrations as the Caldecott Award focuses on the artwork rather than the words. This meant that even the youngest child could view the book without needing a lot of help. However, parents were encouraged to experience the books with their children, and having an art teacher present allowed for him to help facilitate this. He could go around the room and talk with families about the medium used in the book and let the kids and parents know that a style of artwork like Big Cat, Little Cat was deceptively simple and actually very difficult to create.
When talking about literacy, caregivers may have tunnel vision and only be thinking about reading, reading levels, and fluency as a reader. What Sokol was able to do with this art program was to show caregivers that literacy is broader than the written word and that interpreting art is also an acquired and important skill that needs to be developed over time. Visual storytelling actually helps level the playing field and allows a less strong reader to stand out for his or her knowledge set. This is a great thing for the child to experience and the parent to witness.
The Predicting the Caldecott Winner program started off with some content that was targeted to the parents and older kids. This introductory piece included things like:
From here, Sokol gave the participants a sheet with each title listed and asked them to rank each book they viewed from 1 to 10 so they would remember what they thought about each book by the end of the night. An example of the sheet can be found in Appendix E. After viewing the books, the kids then were given the chance to vote on their top-three picks, just like the real Caldecott Committee. She tallied the votes on a white board with the back to the kids. This built up anticipation and many kids tried to peek around the side to see what was getting the most votes.
Once tallied, it was announced that there was not a clear winner and honor books per the award criteria. The list was then narrowed down to the eight most voted for titles. The group briefly discussed all eight titles as a group to see what stood out about them, both the good and the bad. Then a second vote was taken, and there was a clear winner and honor book.
Winner. The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors illustrated by Adam Rex
Honor. Big Cat, Little Cat illustrated by Elisha Cooper
One of the most memorable moments came from a two-year-old. This little girl impressed everyone when she was able to tell the story of Big Cat, Little Cat just by looking at the images. Her interpretation was the (white) cat was coming back versus it being a new cat. Perfectly reasonable storytelling for one so young. This truly showcased why the program could work with a broad range of ages.
Looking to the future, there are some things that she would improve upon. For example, she would be a little more purposeful in using the art teacher’s expertise and would introduce each book and what type of art or medium was used in its creation. She would also like to add a storytime after the awards announcement. This would allow her to share the Caldecott Committee’s winner and honor books and discuss with participants what they think about the choices.
Another great idea for larger libraries would be to create a rotating kit of titles that can be shared with other branches so more librarians could offer the program. This would entail working with the collection development staff, or whoever handles book ordering, to get extra copies of the chosen titles to be placed in the kit. The added advantage would be knowing you had all the titles you needed without the challenge of calling them in. If this is not an option for you because of lack of funding or space to house, you could also work with interlibrary loan to secure the additional copies you need.
Here are some ways that I think you could easily market this program beyond hosting a mock or predicting the award program in a public library setting. One way would be for school librarians to adopt this program since they have direct access to art teachers. Another possibility would be the public library, school library, and an art teacher teaming up together. The program’s mock night could be held at the school and then a follow-up storytime after the real announcement could be held at the public library. Developing this partnership is a win-win for schools and public libraries as it offers both institutions a chance to engage with families in a fun and educational way.
Literacy does not just mean being able to read a street sign or a novel. There are all kinds of ways to be literate, and for some kids, math is their forte. They enjoy solving problems that involve both numbers and letters. When libraries offer programs that dig into the nonfiction side of the collection, they open the doors to families who might not otherwise come through the doors.
At her current and previous libraries, Cheryl Lee had parents who are very active in their children’s education and who are looking for additional enrichment for their kids. While at Palo Alto City Library, Lee became familiar with Communication Academy, an organization that was already offering Math Olympiad programs at the recreation center. But those programs required paying a fee, and the library could offer them to families at no charge. She first offered them in Palo Alto, and now she offers them at the Santa Clara City Library’s Northside Branch Library.
Math Olympiad is a national program that encourages a love for math in fourth through eighth graders and offers tournaments for individual and team competition. To participate you have to be part of a school team. North-side’s program is slightly different. Kids in second and third grade attend one session and kids in fourth through sixth grade attend a separate session. The program is not part of the official Math Olympiad tournaments but, instead, gives parents and kids a taste of what Math Olympiad is all about.
Kids are given old questions from previous Math Olympiad test years, and they work to solve them either individually or as part of a team. Then the instructor calls the group back together to discover what the correct answer is and to have the kids explain how they got the answer. Structuring the session in this way gets the competitive juices flowing and quickly engrosses the kids in the solving of each problem.
Parents are invited to attend the program with their child but are asked not to bring siblings with them. Younger brothers and sisters tend to be distracting to the participants. When the parents do come in, the instructors will ask them to try solving the same problems as the kids. It then becomes a learning experience for all, especially if the kids get it right and the adults do not.
Feedback from parents has been really positive, including asking things like “when will it be offered again” and “how come no other library offers it.” Another sign that the program is meeting a family need is that people come from outside the community, some traveling 20 to 30 minutes just to attend.
After presenting Math Olympiad for four years, Northside does not have to do a lot of promotion to have the program fill up and to have a waiting list. Registration opens up 30 days before the program date and a reminder e-mail to caregivers is sent the day of the program.
Typically, the program is listed on Eventbrite, the software they use for online registration. It tends to sell itself and the parents spread the word by word of mouth. Occasionally, Lee will share on the library’s Facebook page if registration is not as brisk as usual.
Math programs can work for both public and school libraries. They likely will be an unexpected surprise for families who only think of the library as a place to check out books or to attend storytime. Getting the word out that you are providing math literacy programs just might bring in new families to your library.
Public Library. It is important to listen to your community and offer programs that caregivers are asking for. By listening, you can start to meet and even exceed the expectations of the parents. One key thing to look at is when to hold a program. After school on Wednesdays work best for Northside as that is a shorter school day for the public schools. The teachers have staff meetings so the kids get out of school about an hour early. This works for the public school parents, and as long as the program is not offered too early, it also works for the private school families. To help with accessible times, the program is also offered on Saturday mornings so that working parents or kids with after-school activities can still have an opportunity to come.
School Library. If you are able to partner with a teacher, you could offer a math challenge program during lunch and recess or as an after-school club. You would need to check with your building principal and teachers to see when other clubs are offered. Another option is to partner with some math teachers and provide additional math resources for students who need to be challenged or offer your own math competition night in the school library and invite caregivers to come and see firsthand the skills of their child. With the focus on STEM in schools, you are likely to be embraced by colleagues as a team player and you will be showing an added benefit of the school library and school librarian.
Lee estimates that Northside Branch Library spends approximately $1,000 to offer Math Olympiad four to six times a year. The program is funded by grants from the Santa Clara City Foundation & Friends. With attendance maxing out at 25 kids and the fact that they reach that number each time the program is offered, she finds that it is money well spent.
This up-front cost might be a challenge for some libraries, but hosting a math competition program can also be done at a lower cost. You might have someone at your library with an affinity for math who would love to take on the challenge of creating a math competition program and the problems to go with it. If that is not the case, this would be a great opportunity to partner with a math teacher and develop a connection between the public library and a local school or between the school librarian and a fellow teacher. If you can get volunteer help to create the math problems, your program cost would then just be for supplies like paper and pencils.
Seek out highly illustrated books for readers of all ages.
Brown, Peter. Mr. Tiger Goes Wild. New York, NY: Little Brown and Company, 2013. unpaged. $18.00. 9780316200639.
Cameron, W. Bruce. Bailey’s Story. Illustrated by Richard Cowdrey. New York, NY: A Tom Doherty Associates Book, 2016. 206p. (A Dog’s Purpose Novel). $16.99. 9780765388407.
Chin, Jason. Grand Canyon. New York, NY: A Neal Porter Book, 2017. unpaged. $19.99. 9781596439504.
Cooper, Elisha. Big Cat, Little Cat. New York, NY: Roaring Brook Press, 2017. unpaged. $16.99. 9781626723719.
Crowder, Melanie. Three Pennies. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2017. 181p. $16.99. 9781481471879.
Daywalt, Drew. The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors. Illustrated by Adam Rex. New York, NY: Balzer + Bray, 2017. unpaged. $17.99. 9780062438898.
Dowd, Siobhan. The London Eye Mystery. New York, NY: David Fickling Books, 2007. 323p. $15.99. 9780375849763.
Korman, Gordon. Masterminds. New York, NY: Balzer + Bray, 2015. 321p. (Masterminds). $16.99. 9780062299963.
Forrester Campbell, Natasha. In online interview with the author. August 2, 2018.
Lee, Cheryl. In phone interview with the author. August 28, 2018.
Martin, Nicole L. In interview with the author. August 2, 2018.
Scott, John. In e-mail interview with the author. August 30, 2017.
Sokol, Melissa. In phone interview with the author. April 9, 2018.
“Build Better Math Students through Contests!” Math Olympiad for Elementary and Middle Schools. Accessed September 16, 2018. https://www.moems.org.
“Magbox.” Demco. Accessed September 17, 2018. https://www.demco.com/goto?magbox2.
“Starred Reviews.” Jen J’s Booksheets: Where Children’s/YA Literature and Spreadsheets Collide. Accessed September 17, 2018. https://booksheets.wordpress.com/starred-reviews/.
“Welcome to the Caldecott Medal Home Page!” Association for Library Service to Children. Accessed September 17, 2018. http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/caldecottmedal/caldecottmedal.