Online Class: Children's Literature: Chapter Books

presented by Beth Gallaway, Metrowest
Fri March 30-Fri April 20 , 2007

Description: Examine the criteria of what makes great novel for youth, familiarize yourself with literary awards for fiction for youth, learn the essential authors to know, and discover resources for review and reader's advisory.

Access to the Internet is required. A gmail account is recommended. The successful participant has 3 hours a week to dedicate to readings, discussion, and online assignments. A certificate for 10 hours of attendance or PDP's will be awarded upon completion of class expectations.

Register for the class listserv at http://groups.google.com/group/mwchapterbooks by emailing Beth at bethg@mmrls.org

CLASS EXPECTATIONS:

  1. Participants will follow the Ten Basic Rules of Netiquette.
  2. Participants will identify themselves in all comments and posts with a signature file that includes name and location.
  3. Pace yourself. Plan on spending 2-3 hours a week on readings and assignments.
  4. To get your 10 attendance hours for participating, you must:
    • respond to discussion questions via the listserv twice in each week - once to present your own ideas and comments, and a second time to follow up with a classmates comment.
    • complete a Final Assignment and share it with the group.
HELP & SUPPORT
Online Office Hours:
Mon 1-5 PM, EST
Wed 9-11 PM, EST


Contact
email: bethg@mmrls.org
phone: 781-398-1819
AIM: bethatmetrowest
Google Talk: bethatmetrowest
ICQ: 311254389
Yahoo!: metrowestmrls

WEEK 1: History of Chapter Books


Listening/Reading/Viewing:

ALA/ALSC. Terms and Criteria: John Newbery Award. http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/literaryawds/newberymedal/newberyterms/newberyterms.htm. September 26 2006.

Sutherland, Zena. "The Newbery at 75: changing with the times. (Newbery Award)(Cover Story)." American Libraries 28.n3 (March 1997): 34(3). Expanded Academic ASAP. Thomson Gale. Newton Free Library. 27 Sep. 2006 
note: access with MA library card - search "newbery" + "75" in professional collection and limit to American Libraries.

Smith, Vicky. "Disappearing Children’s Books." School Library Journal. June 2006. http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6338707.html. August 23, 2006.

Week 1 Assignments: Please discuss via the Google Group!

  1. Reading Response:
    • How has the chapter book medium evolved?
    • What trends do you see?
    • What characteristics and elements are you starting to pay more attention to, as a result of your reading?
  2. Books to Read: Read one Newbery Award book (that you have never read!) from the ALA/ASLC list of Newbery Award Winners. For discussion:
    • How many titles have you read?
    • How many have you heard of?
    • What is your favorite? least favorite?
    • Share what you read with the group by writing an informal analysis of the book you read. What made it work for you as a reader?

WEEK 2: Evaluating Chapter Books

Listening/Reading/Viewing:
Coats, Karen. "Conventions of children's literature: then and now.(Critical Essay)." Style 35.3 (Fall 2001): 389(5). Expanded Academic ASAP. Thomson Gale. Newton Free Library. 27 Sep. 2006 
Note: Log in to InfoTrac with your MA library card to access.

Wadham, Tim. "Plot Does Matter." Horn Book, Jul/Aug 1999. http://www.hbook.com/publications/magazine/articles/jul99_wadham.asp

Optional:
Awards to Know. http://mmrls.org/ysawards.htm.
Evaluating Fiction. http://www.mmrls.org/Materials/cebookreviewing06.htm#fiction

Week 2 Assignments: Please discuss via the Google Group!

  1. Reading Response:
    • What makes a good chapter book?
    • What children's book awards (for fiction or narrative) are you familiar with?
  2. Books to Read:
    Read one MA Children's Book Award nomination (that you have never read!) from the list http://www.salemstate.edu/education/mcba/docs/0607-master_list.pdf. For discussion:
    • How many titles have you read?
    • How many have you heard of?
    • What is your favorite? least favorite?
    • Share what you read with the group by writing an informal analysis of the book you read. What made this book work for you as a reader?

WEEK 3: Authors to Know

Listening/Reading/Viewing:
Children's Book Council. 75 Authors/Illustrators Everyone Should Know, Grades 3-6 (intermediate). http://www.cbcbooks.org/readinglists/75intermediate.html. September 26, 2006.

Week 3 Assignments: Please discuss via the Google Group!

  1. Reading Response:
    • What did you think of the list? How many names did you know?
    • Who was missing? Who didn't deserve to be on there?

  2. Books to Read:
    • Choose any contemporary author whom you are familiar with (i.e. have read three or more of his/her books). It does NOT have to be an author on the previous list. Give a SHORT synopsis of three (3) books. Are there recurring themes, styles, characters? What makes this author one to know?

Final Assignment Suggestions - choose ONE of the following to complete by May 31, 2007:

  1. Create an annotated list of other resources that are useful in evaluating chapter books
  2. Compile an annotated list of books/authors discussed
  3. Design a program for your library to introduce chapter books to a specific audience - new teachers, parents, youth in grade 4-6. What books would you use? What would you discuss?

NEW: Final Projects from October session!
Winning Books for Discussion Groups by Linda Sullivan, Cary Memorial Library, Lexington
A Year of Children's Literature Awards: a 2007 Calendar by Lorie Browell, Medway Public Library
Compilation of MA Children's Book Award Winners by Rebecca Smith, Malden Public Library
Awards Display by Joyce Kamsler, Goodnow Library, Sudbury

Resources

Print:

Carpenter, Humphrey and Mari Pritchard. The Oxford Companion to Children's Literature. New York: Oxford University Press, 1984.

Carpenter, Humphrey. Secret Gardens: A Study of the Golden Age of Children's Literature (1985)

Dresang, Eliza T. Radical Change: Books for Youth in a Digital Age. H.W. Wilson, 1999.

Nodelman, Perry and Mavis Reimer. The Pleasures of Children's Literature, 3rd edition. Allyn & Bacon. 2002.

Only Connect: Readings on Children's Literature, second edition. 1980.

Rose, Jacqueline. The Case of Peter Pan; or The Impossibility of Children's Fiction (1993).

Web

ABC Lit: An Index to Children's Literature Scholarship. http://www.abc-lit.com. September 21, 2006.

Bearden, Elaine and Anne St. John.  "Reviewer's Toolbox: Journals and Resources." Reviewer's Toolbox: Reviewing and Annotating Children's Literature Books. Ohio State University Children's Literature Conference, 2001. http://www.prairienet.org/ufl/rev.htm. August 23, 2006.

Bookletters. Chelmsford Public Library. http://www.chelmsfordlibrary.org/children/featured_books.htmlhttp://www.chelmsfordlibrary.org/children/featured_books.html

New! BookSense. http://www.booksense.com

New! Brookline/Wellesley Booksmith. http://brooklinebooksmith.com/

Brown, David. The Children's Literature Web Guide. University of Calgary. http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/%7Edkbrown/index.html. August 23, 2006.

New! Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. http://bccb.lis.uiuc.edu/blue90.html.

Burns, Mary M. "Evaluating Children's Books: A Critical Look.(Brief Article)." The Horn Book Magazine 70.n4 (July-August 1994): 476(1). Professional Collection. Thomson Gale. Newton Free Library. 27 Sep. 2006 
<http://find.galegroup.com/ips/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T003&prodId=IPS&docId=A15643296&source=gale&srcprod=SP00&userGroupName=ntn&version=1.0>

Children's Literature Awards and Prizes. http://www.childrenslit.com/award_link.html.

Cooperative Children's Book Center. http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/. August 23, 2006.

New! Edgar Awards. http://www.mysterywriters.org/pages/awards/winners06.htm.

Hendrickson, Linnea. Children's Books: A Guide to the Cricitism. http://www.unm.edu/%7Elhendr/. August 23, 2006.

Hurst, Carol Otis and Rebecca Otis. Carol Hurst's Children's Literature Site. http://www.carolhurst.com/. August 23, 2006.

Nodelman, Perry and Mavis Reimer. The Pleasures of Children's Literature. http://io.uwinnipeg.ca/~nodelman/resources/index.htm. September 21, 2006.

One Hundred Books That Shaped a Century. School Library Journal. January 2000. http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA153035.html. August 23, 2006.

Silvey, Anita. "Is Publishing Going to the Dogs? SLJ Celebrates 50 years. " School Library Journal, November 2004. http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA475518.html. August 23, 2006.

Singh, Manjari. Gender Issues in Children's Literature . ERIC Clearinghouse on Reading, English, and Communication, Bloomington, IN. http://www.kidsource.com/education/gender.issues.L.A.html. September 21, 2006.

Patten, Janice. Steps for Close Reading or Expliciation de texte. http://theliterarylink.com/closereading.html. September 21, 2006.

Vandergrift Kay. Kay Vandergrift's Children's Literature Site. http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/~kvander/ChildrenLit/index.html.
August 23, 2006.

NEW! Brookline Booksmith Newsletter. http://brooklinebooksmith.com/.

Evaluation for Online Class: Children's Literature: Picture Books (please complete an evaluation if you access any of the materials on this page)