Online Class: Children's Literature: NonFiction

presented by Beth Gallaway, Metrowest
May 2007

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

Access to the Internet is required. 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 email distribution list at http://groups.google.com/group/mwnonfiction 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. Participants must pace themselves. Plan on spending 2-3 hours a week on readings and assignments.
  4. Participants must earn their certificate for 10 attendance hours by:
    1. Responding to discussion questions via the listserv an average of twice per week - once to present your own ideas and comments, and a second time to follow up with a classmates comment
    2. Completing a Final Assignment and share it with the group.

    NEW! Final Projects from November 2006 and May 2007 Sessions:
    Make History Come Alive with Biographies by Rebecca Smith, Malden Public Library
    Diane Stanley Annotated Booklist by Shelley Sgammato, Milford Town Library
    Learn About American History Through Selected Works by Russell Freedman by Martha Reagan, Belmont
    High School Library
    Andrea Warren and Orphan Train by Christina Renaud, Oak Street/Horace Mann Schools, Franklin MA
    Weather and Rainforest Nonfiction Books for Classroom Use by Laura Murdock, Wayland Free Library
    Promoting Nonfiction Literature for Youth by Janice McArdle, Granby Public Library
    Selected Russell Freedman Titles: An Annotated List by Patricia Partlow, Milford Town Library
    Top Ten Things Minuteman Students Need to Know About Nonfiction by Terri Burke, Minuteman Regional High School

WEEK 1: History of Information Books for Children

Listening/Reading/Viewing:

Aspects of the Victorian Book. The British Library. http://www.bl.uk/collections/early/victorian/intro.html. August 23, 2006.

Carter, Betty. "Grownup reading.(Critical Essay)." The Horn Book Magazine 80.3 (May-June 2004): 287(10). 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=A116861447&source=gale&srcprod=SP00&userGroupName=ntn&version=1.0> Note: Log in to InfoTrac with your MA library card to access:
http://find.galegroup.com/ips/infomark.do?markListId=11102&type=markList&prodId=IPS&version=1.0&userGroupName=ntn&source=gale

Faust, Susan. "Up for Discussion-In Quest of Excellence." School Library Journal. June 2001. http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA83682.html. August 23, 2006.

NCTE. NCTE Orbis Pictus Nonfiction Award Overview. http://www.ncte.org/elem/awards/orbispictus/106877.htm. October 23, 2006.

Reviewing Nonfiction. http://www.mmrls.org/Materials/cebookreviewing06.htm#nf

Week 1 Assignments: Please discuss via the Google Group!

  1. Reading Response:
    • How has the nonfiction book medium evolved?
    • What trends do you see?
    • What characteristics and elements of informational books are you starting to pay more attention to, as a result of your reading?
  2. Books to Read:
    • Visit http://www.ncte.org/elem/awards/orbispictus and select an award winner from comprehensive list from 1990-2005. How many have you read? Select a title you have not read, read it, and post a brief description of the book to the Google group. Why did this title win the Orbis Pictus Award?

WEEK 2: Evaluating NonFiction


Listening/Reading/Viewing:

ALSC/ Robert F. Siebert Informational Book Award Terms and Criteria. ALA. 2000. http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/literaryawds/sibertmedal/sibertterms/sibertmedalterms.htm. October 23, 2006.

Aronson, Marc. "Originality in Nonfiction." School Library Journal. January 2006. http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6296522.html. August 23, 2006.

Isaacs, Kathleen. "Truth in Information Books." School Library Journal. July 2005. http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA621773.html. August 23, 2006.

Mannell, Lindsay. On Writing Nonfiction for Children. http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/nonfictcriteria.htm. October 23, 2006.

SB&F Best Lists. http://sbfonline.com/bestlists.htm. Science Books & Films. October 23, 2006.

 

Week 2 Assignments: Please discuss via the Google Group!

  1. Reading Response:
    • What makes a good nonfiction book? Do you have a favorite title, publisher, or series? Where do you look for nonfiction reviews? How do you select?
    • How important are credits and citations when reviewing nonfiction for youth?

  2. Books to Read:

WEEK 3: Authors & Illustrators to Know


Listening/Reading/Viewing:
Children's Non-Fiction Authors. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children%27s_non-fiction_authors. Wikipedia. October 23, 2006.

Reading is Fundamental. http://www.rif.org/educators/books/100_nonfiction.mspx. October 23, 2006.

Best Nonfiction Books for Young Adults. http://www.jocolibrary.org/index.asp?DisplayPageID=315. October 23, 2006.

YALSA. Get Real: Nonfiction. http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/teenreading/trw/trw2005/nonfiction.htm ALA, 2005. October 23, 2006.

Week 3 Assignments: Please discuss via the Google Group!

  1. Reading Response:
    • Who is missing from the list of Children's Non-Fiction Authors to know? What titles would you have added to the top 100 Nonfiction? the Best Nonfiction Books for Young Adults?
    • What other selection list resources are you aware of that help you to select nonfiction for your library?
  2. Books to Read:
    • Choose any contemporary nonfiction 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 two (2) books. Are there recurring themes, styles, characters? What makes this author one to know?

Final Assignment Suggestions - choose ONE of the following:

  1. Create a wikipedia account and expand upon the Children's Non-fiction article.
  2. Choose any contemporary nonfiction author whom you are familiar with and create an annotated booklist.
  3. Other?

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)

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

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

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

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

Wyatt,. Flora R. et al. Popular Nonfiction Authors for Children: A Biographical and Thematic Guide. Libraries Unlimited, 1998.

Web
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.

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

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

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.

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.

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


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

Metrowest MA Regional Library System services are provided through state funds administered
by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.