Importance of Knowing and Sharing Literature
- Lizardo Moreno
- Jun 8, 2018
- 5 min read
Importance of Sharing Literature with Children
1. It is fun. When students read for pleasure/play, they experience other worlds and roles in the imagination. Getting them to enjoy it will prevent students from turning their backs on school literacy.
2. Aids in the acquisition of language and language development. A student who reads 20 minutes per day will have a richer vocabulary and have a better chance of being on grade level score on in the 90th percentile on standardized test vs. a student who read 1 minute per day will have a bleak vocabulary, will score in the 10th percentile on standardized test.
3. Develops empathy. Stories become a vehicle where students become aware of human behavior.
4. Supports lifelong readers.
Reading autobiographically – allows students to see themselves in the story.
Vicarious experience – students can learn from others mistakes and not have to actually get arrested in real life for trying something criminal.
Philosophical speculation – answer the big question for themselves.
Aesthetic experiences – for the joy, beauty and pleasure of reading. Students make associations to the book, relate their feelings, hypothesize and extend, imagine and picture, make judgment.
5. Develops the imagination. Makes people ask the question: What would happen if?
6. Transmits culture. Diversity such as Hispanic, African American, LGBT, European, Native American, etc.
Divisions in Young People's Literature
Children’s books include books for emergent readers, early readers, and transitional readers. Typically includes books for kids age 0 – 8. The books can be wordless picture books, picture storybooks, participation books, patterned concept books, predictable books, folktales, fables, poetry, informational books.
Middle Grade (MG) books are intended for children age 8 – 12 years old. Usually don’t have profanity, graphic violence or sexuality. Romance is limited to a crush or a first kiss. The focus is on friends, family and characters’ immediate world and/or relationships; the characters react to what happens to them with minimal self- reflection (Lamba, 2014).
Young Adult (YA) are books intended for youth ages 13 – 18. They deal with topics such as romance, and first sexual experience, but it is not graphic. Characters can be up to 18 but not in college. The hero discovers how to find the world beyond their friends and family. The main character spends more time reflecting on what happens and analyzes the meaning of things.
Note: Middle grade is not the same as Middle school. In middle school, books may be divided between MG and YA divisions.
New Adult (NA) books are attended for young adults age 18 – 30. It appeals to an adult audience with cutting-edge fiction. It’s the characters explore the world for the first time without adult supervision. Topics include recent high school graduates going off to college, moving away from home for the first time. Their first major love/sexual relationship with a more mature sexual content (Wetta, 2013). Also bring up issues such as history of abuse, anger management, troubled family lives.
Lamba, M. (2014, August 7). The Key Differences Between Middle Grade vs Young Adult. Retrieved June 7, 2018, from http://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/the-key-differences-between-middle-grade-vs-young-adult
Wetta, M. (2013). What is New Adult Fiction, Anyway? Retrieved June 7, 2018, from www.ebscohost.com
Parts of a Book
Genres and Formats: They Might Not be What You Think
The only two genres are Fiction and Nonfiction everything else is a subgenera or a format.
Fiction can be broken down into realism & fantasy.
Realism includes realistic modern contemporary and historical
Fantasy can be broken down int traditional, modern, hard science fiction, high fantasy, or low fantasy.
Traditional fantasy includes folktale, ballad, fable, legend, myth, fairy tale
Modern fantasy includes hard/soft science fiction and high/low fantasy
In hard science fiction, science is the main part of the story. The character is also a big part of the story.
In high fantasy worlds and languages have been created such as in Game of Thrones.
Low fantasy is more down to earth, and the reader can recognize the world, but there are still elements that are not possible such as fairies living in NYC.
Nonfiction is informational and includes biography, autobiography, memoir, narrative, and expository.
An autobiography cover span of a person’s life; whereas a memoir is a particular portion of a that person’s life.
Narrative nonfiction is written in the form of a story.
Expository nonfiction are books with facts and gives information.
The following are NOT GENRES, they are common categories or subjects, used in personal libraries: Chick Lit., Mystery, Guy’s Read, Horror, Sports Fiction, Action/Adventure, Paranormal, War, Classics, Humor, Dystopia. The reason some people use these is because their circulation goes up. Some people do not genrify a library because it may discourage students from checking out certain books. There may be a boy that is interested in reading Twilight, but it may be under Chick Lit. In addition, some books fall into several categories.
The following are FORMATS, that is the style of writing or the vehicle that the author has chosen to present his work: poetry, drama, novels, short stories, picture books, graphic novels
What is YA Literature
Some of the characteristics of these books include a youthful protagonist and their adolescent interpretation of events. It also has the directness of exposition and direct confrontation. The protagonist is highly independent and involves a significant life change to the main characters.
YA literature deals with concerns over contemporary issues and you may see a gradual change in the main characters, and their growth may be incomplete, it draws upon a sense of how adolescents develop. Usually the main character reaps the consequences of their decisions or actions. Finally, the story takes place in a brief time period, the setting is limited and there are few fully develop characters.
Personal Reflection
I believe it is important to know what the genres are so that students will learn the correct genres. Students grow up with misconceptions of what a genre is because way too many teachers come up with their own way categorizing their libraries. Once students are cognizant they will be better able to distinguish what they are reading.
As a librarian, you can steer students to books that are age appropriate by knowing the divisions of books. Since students always read “up” and there may be a high 7-year-old reader who may not be ready to tackle issues presented in MG books. It is necessary to know if the content of a book may be too graphic for them. You must know your audience to guide a child to read books that are age and issue appropriate for them. YA books are better geared toward adolescents 13 – 18 and the changes, issues, and choices they experience thought-out middle school and high school.
Students can be guided to learn the parts of books and what information can be found there, or purpose each part serves in the book as a whole.
In conclusion, it is important to transmit a love of reading during read-aloud or books talks so that it does not become a chore for them and they acquire the language, culture, learn to empathize with the human condition in a safe pleasurable setting.