Move Over Dick and Jane: Reconsidering Books for Beginning Readers

What constitutes a book for beginning readers? Do they come in one format or many? Historically media specialist and reading teachers have referred to Frog and Toad or Dr. Seuss books as beginning readers. Many of the Geisel Award winners and honor books are bold departures from these titles. Full of innovative writing and book design these books offer rewarding experiences for beginning readers in your school library. Are you ready to change your perception of books for beginning readers? Interactive workshop. Powerpoint Slide Show. Handout.

Several folks expressed the feeling that classroom teachers will not embrace the picture book Geisel winners as appropriate books for early readers. The absence of text blocks, no chapters, and the picture book format will not match the expectations teachers have for students who are learning to read. Is the problem with the books or with educator’s perceptions of what reading “looks” like?

More discussion when I have had more sleep.

Each summer I attempt to read some history and criticism of children’s and YA literature from earlier decades. One of the people I have been reading a bit about recently is Anne Carroll Moore, a pioneer of children’s librarianship and literary criticism. She had a tremendous influence on public opinion and the purchasing decisions of librarians and parents throughout the early 1900s. Her annual “Children’s Books Suggested as Holiday Gifts” and “Holiday Books for Boys and Girls” lists were eagerly awaited every year she produced them. The amount of power held by Moore is in marked contrast to our own time – we have an abundance of review sources, critics, authorities, and publishers. It seems that most of the time Moore used her influence for the betterment of children’s literature and library services. I am on the hunt for a compilation of her book reviews entitled The Three Owls which originally appeared in a column of the same name published in the New York Herald Tribune. What treasures from the early 20th century will Moore introduce me to?

I am reading my way through a list of books recommended by speakers or colleagues at ALA annual 2007. Purple Cow:Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable was mentioned by Stephen Abram during his session “10 Cool Technologies That Can Impact the Public Relations Plan” – here is the handout. Mr. Abram made a compelling case for using this type of book in the library community. I just finished it off this morning, so here is my best summary ….The Purple Cow is a product (service) that is remarkable, one that is unique and exciting. These remarkable ideas spread to audiences in a post-TV age (this is were the cool technologies come in). This is not mass marketing but marketing to niches. Your librarie’s Purple Cow (maybe a chat reference service) should be directed at innovators & early adopters who will be interested in the Cow and tell friends (early & late majority). This is based on a model by Geoff Moore:

The people we wish to reach are changing in the ways they receive information and what messages get their attention. How do school librarians market what they do in an exciting and relevant way? Do the lessons we teach and the services/resources we offer speak to the needs of our students, parents, and teachers? Do we know who the “innovators” are in each of these groups and are we creating Purple Cows that they will identify with and speak to others about? Purple Cow is a slim book written for a business audience (that is to say full of case studies and important ideas in bold text) but it does offer another way to think about how we present our libraries through services, slogans (mission statements), and programs. Libraries are in a good position to reach the innovators through the inexpensive and easy-to-use technologies Mr. Abram discussed in his session. The challenging part – consistently creating exciting Purple Cows (ideas) and letting go of things that are no longer relevant. Let me know what Purple Cows are living in your library.

The rest of the book list you ask…coming soon.

*graph from MIT Press