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    Using Tech to Teach English

    by Larry Ferlazzo
     | Aug 08, 2013
    On a visit to the home of one my Hmong students ten years ago, his father and I had this conversation (through an interpreter):

    p: Enokson via photopin cc
    FATHER: I love what my son showed me he was doing in the school computer lab last week during Open House. I wish we had a computer here so I could use it to learn English—the adult school is so far, I don't have a driver’s license because you need to speak English to pass the test, and the bus takes so long.

    ME: Do you think other Hmong parents feel the same way?

    FATHER: Oh, yes. We were all talking about it at the Open House.

    ME: Well, if you could bring them together for a meeting, maybe I could get the principal and other teachers there, too, and we could see if there would be something we could do together to get computers in homes. I can't guarantee anything, but it's worth talking about.

    FATHER: Yes! How soon could we meet?!

    That conversation led to a pilot project where our school provided computers and home Internet access to twenty families, and then an expanded program doing the same to fifty more. Immigrant students in those families quadrupled the progress in English assessments made by students who did not have home Internet access. We had, and continue to have, a school-wide commitment to improving reading by encouraging students to read high-interest books of their own choosing. Though the use of technology, our immigrant students were able to access thousands of higher-level "talking books" that provided audio and visual support for text, along with benefiting from numerous other online tools.

    Our program was named the 2007 Grand Prize Winner of the International Reading Association Presidential Award for Reading and Technology.

    We subsequently expanded it even further by cooperating with the Sacramento Mutual Housing Association, a nonprofit housing developer which housed a number of our families (and others) to provide more in-depth computer skills training along with English support at their affordable housing complexes.

    The brutal impact on school funding caused by the recession forced us to stop our home computer project three years ago, though its loss for our families has been somewhat mitigated by a number of factors:

    The increasing affordability of computers and Internet access, and its increased accessibility due to the FCC's new rules on cable companies providing hardware and DSL to low-income families, particularly those with school-age students.

    The advent of smartphones, though they also offer their own challenges to student use.

    The dramatic increase of free online sites that allow teachers to set-up virtual classrooms and allow them (and parents) to monitor student progress. During the life of the home computer project, parent commitment to accountability was key to its success, and these new sites make it even easier.

    Recent well-publicized studies report that just providing free computers to students does not generate academic gains. Those results should be no surprise to educators.

    The key to the success of our home computer project, and the continued use of technology by our students to enhance reading and other English skills, is twofold:

    Training for teachers, parents and students and weekly monitoring and accountability.

    Building a partnership between those same three stakeholders in developing all aspects of the program, including weekly monitoring and accountability, so that it meets the self-interests and helps further the goals of everyone involved.

    Without both of those key elements, it's unlikely that just about any program—technology or nontechnology related—is going to be successful.

    For further information, a collection of resources, including in-depth descriptions and research on our home computer project and similar programs, can be found at The Best Resources For Learning About Schools Providing Home Computers & Internet Access to Students.

    Larry Ferlazzo has been a teacher at Luther Burbank High School is Sacramento, California for the past ten years. He's authored five books on education, writes a weekly teacher advice column for EDUCATION WEEK TEACHER, and a monthly post for THE NEW YORK TIMES on teaching English Language Learners.

    © 2013 Larry Ferlazzo. Please do not reproduce in any form, electronic or otherwise.


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    On a visit to the home of one my Hmong students ten years ago, his father and I had this conversation (through an interpreter): p: Enokson via photopin cc FATHER: I love what my son showed me he was doing in the school computer lab last...Read More
  • Lumpito
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    Books Celebrating the Arts

     | Aug 07, 2013

    The arts are integral to our daily lives and culture. We’re surrounded by colors and designs, listen to music on the radio, and tap our feet or move to the rhythms we hear. The meanings communicated in different art forms, such as music, dance, paintings, written language, or sculpture, are unique. The meanings expressed in a piece of music, for example, do not have equivalent meanings in drama and the meanings expressed in dance cannot be duplicated in the same way in a painting. Sometimes, though, the importance and relevance of the arts are minimized and not appreciated. In this week’s book review column, members of the International Reading Association's Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group highlight the role the arts play in our lives and also hope to spark the imagination of readers to consider and try other varied ways to share meaning.

    For classroom ideas see ReadWriteThink.org's lesson ideas featuring the arts.

     

    GRADES K-3

     

    Daywalt, Drew. (2013). The day the crayons quit. Illus. by Oliver Jeffers. New York: Philomel Books.

    The Day the Crayons QuitWhen Duncan goes to take his box of crayons out of his desk, he finds a stack of letters with his name on them. The twelve letters were written by his crayons, each detailing a complaint or demand. Red, for example, feels it works too hard, especially on holidays. Purple likes to be neat and wants Duncan to color in the lines. Beige is proud of itself and doesn’t like being second place to Brown. Gray is tired of coloring big animals. And Yellow and Orange are involved in a dispute over the color of the sun. Duncan finds a creative way to color and make his crayons happy at the same time. Jeffers’s colorful and playful drawings make the personalities of the crayons come to life. This is a fun book about color that is sure to spark the imagination of young readers.

    - Prisca Martens, Towson University, Towson, Maryland

     

    Kulling, Monica. (2013). Lumpito and the painter from Spain. Illus. by Dean Griffiths. Toronto, Ontario: Pajama Press. 

    Inspired by a true story, Monica Kulling tells the tale of Lump, a dachshund who lived in Rome with David, a photographer. Lump’s life was not easy because of David’s other pet Big Dog who continually annoyed Lump. One day David went on a journey to visit Pablo Picasso in France and took Lump with him. Lumpito, as Picasso called him, loved the villa, surrounding grounds, and Picasso himself, and Picasso loved Lumpito, even when he destroyed a paper rabbit. And while Picasso had another dog and a goat, the three animals were instant friends. Seeing how happy Lumpito and Picasso were together, David decided to leave Lumpito there since he traveled a lot and Big Dog was not kind to Lumpito. Lumpito can be found in several of Picasso’s works. Griffith’s beautiful watercolors add to the richness and beauty of this tender and delightful story.

    - Prisca Martens, Towson University, Towson, Maryland

     

    Trice, Linda. (2013). Kenya’s song. Illus. by Pamela Johnson. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge Publishing.
     
    Kenya's SongIn this follow-up book to Kenya’s Word (2006) Kenya is faced with a homework assignment to identify and bring her favorite song to school to share with her class. Kenya’s mother and sister suggest their favorite song and her father plays other possibilities on the piano, but none of these are quite right. The next day Kenya accompanies her father to the Caribbean Cultural Center where she experiences music from Cuba, Trinidad, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. On her walk home with her father, listening to the variety of sounds around her, Kenya is inspired to create, with her father’s help, her favorite song:

    English, French, Spanish, too —
    Music’s how I speak to you!
    Doesn’t matter where you’re from —
    Just sing your song and play your drum!

    Kenya’s Song is a heart-warming story that celebrates the diverse music found in different cultures.

    - Prisca Martens, Towson University, Towson, Maryland

     

    Tullet, Herve. (2013). I am Blop! New York: Phaidon Press.

    I Am BlopThis light-hearted, fun book is the latest imaginative creation from French artist Herve Tullet, author/illustrator of Press Here (2011). Blop is a shape, similar to a butterfuly or flower, that comes in a wide variety of colors, sizes, and textures. In addition to the diversity possibilities for appearance, Blops do a range of things, including grow and learn, and they live in such places as families, the sky, museums, the countryside, and cities. This book will have readers discovering Blops around them and imagining what else Blops can be and do. The book itself is an odd rectangular-type shape which adds to the creativity the book inspires. The final pages of the book include Blops that can be punched-out and a series of questions not in the book, such as “What do Blops eat?”, to spark readers imaginations.

    - Prisca Martens, Towson University, Towson, Maryland

     

    Verde, Susan. (2013). The museum. Illus. by Peter Reynolds. New York: Abrams Books for Young Readers.

    The MuseumIn this delightful book readers visit an art museum with a young girl who describes what she sees and how she feels. The text begins with “When I see a work of art, something happens in my heart” and with that the girl whirls and twirls through the museum galleries. As she views the various works, her feelings and emotions in response range from sadness to  hunger to joy to fear to happiness. The girl stops short, though, when she comes upon a large blank canvas and wonders what it means. When she realizes the canvas is hers to fill, she is overjoyed and leaves the museum knowing, “[The museum’s] rhythm exists in all I see. The museum lives inside of me.”  Reynold’s pen-and-ink drawings with some color added bring Verde’s rhymed text to life. The front end-papers show Reynold’s renderings of various works of art and the back end-papers are blank canvases to inspire readers’ creativity.

    - Prisca Martens, Towson University, Towson, Maryland

     

    GRADES 4-6

     

    Bryant, Jen. (2013). A splash of red: The life and art of Horace Pippin. Illus. by Melissa Sweet. New York: Knopf Books.

    A Splash of RedA Splash of Red documents the life and art of Horace Pippin (1888-1946), a self-taught African-American artist who “couldn’t stop drawing.” Jen Bryant beautifully tells Pippin’s story, including his passion for art that began at a young age, how he won his first set of art supplies through a magazine drawing contest, and how he quit school in eighth grade to work when his father left his family. She also shares how an injury while Pippin served in the Army during World War I threatened to end his ability to draw, but he found a way to continue his art. A United States map on the back end-papers indicates the major museums displaying Pippin’s work. Melissa Sweet’s mixed-media illustrations are stunning and include quotes that bring Pippin’s own voice into the telling of his story. The back matter also includes additional biographical information on Pippin and author and illustrator notes.

    - Prisca Martens, Towson University, Towson, Maryland

     

    Ko, Alex. (2013). Alex Ko: From Iowa to Broadway, my Billy Elliot story. New York: Harper Collins.
     
    Alex KoIn this inspiring autobiography Alex Ko details his life from his early years in Iowa to his starring role in Billy Elliot: The Musical on Broadway in New York. Ko describes his passion for gymnastics and dance/ballet even as a young child and how, with the support of his family, he was able to take lessons and enter competitions. His father’s death devastated Ko, but he worked through his sorrow and pain and later financial difficulties. At age 13, he got to Broadway and became the first replacement for one of the original the actors playing the role of Billy. Ko describes the pressures he faced, including practices and classes, but the joy and excitement he ultimately experienced with his first Broadway performance. Throughout the book Ko highlights the love and dedication of his family and emphasizes their critical role in his success. Ko’s commitment, strong faith, captivating personality come through clearly in the book, making this a compelling read. A photo album at the end of the book provides pictures of Ko and his family during his growing-up years.

    - Prisca Martens, Towson University, Towson, Maryland

     

    Maddox, Jake, & McDonald, Leigh. (2013). Dance team dilemma. Illus. by Katie Wood. North Mankato, MN: Stone Arch Books.

    Dance Team DilemmaHannah and Caitlin are excited to audition for the junior high dance squad, and they immediately begin practicing routines for their try-outs. Caitlin catches on easily while Hannah struggles to keep up, but they both make the team. After the first practice Hannah is concerned that she’s not as good as the other dancers and decides to have extra practices at home to improve her skills. Caitlin, however, wants to do other things, like go to the movies and the mall and spend time with Connor, the boy she likes. When Hannah has to choose between going with Caitlin to Connor’s house and practicing for her try-out for a solo, she decides to stay home and practice. Hannah lands one of the solos, and Caitlin doesn’t. Their friendship is strained at first, but in the end Hannah is excited to have her friend back and to dance a solo in the upcoming dance competition. This charming story focuses on balancing friendships and ambition and on the rewards of determination and hard work. The back matter includes a glossary, discussion questions, writing prompts, and information on different forms of dance.

    - Prisca Martens, Towson University, Towson, Maryland

     

    GRADES 7-12

     

    Beram, Nell, & Boriss-Krimsky, Carolyn. (2013). Yoko Ono: Collector of Skies by New York: Amulet Books.

    Yoko OnoWritten in honor of Yoko Ono’s 80th birthday, this thoughtful biography chronicles her complex life from her birth to today. The chapters describe Ono’s privileged but troubled life as the child of wealthy parents in Japan, her fear and struggles during World War II, her marriage against her parents’ wishes, her difficult life in New York, her third marriage to John Lennon, her children, and her activities and exhibitions after Lennon’s death. Ono is portrayed as a creative, intelligent, strong-willed, independent woman whose unique forms of visual art, writing, music, and performance works have contributed much to our cultural history. Rich with photographs of Ono’s family and art and interesting details, the book offers an intriguing glimpse into the life of a well-known artist. A timeline of Ono’s life, detailed bibliography, and index are included in the back matter.

    - Prisca Martens, Towson University, Towson, Maryland

     

    These reviews are submitted by members of the International Reading Association's Children's Literature and Reading Special Interest Group (CL/R SIG) and are published weekly on Reading Today Online. The International Reading Association partners with the National Council of Teachers of English and Verizon Thinkfinity to produce ReadWriteThink.org, a website devoted to providing literacy instruction and interactive resources for grades K–12.

     

    The arts are integral to our daily lives and culture. We’re surrounded by colors and designs, listen to music on the radio, and tap our feet or move to the rhythms we hear. The meanings communicated in different art forms, such as music,...Read More
  • Julie Coiro
    • Blog Posts
    • Teaching Tips

    TILE-SIG Feature: Jackie Gerstein’s Top-Notch Blog About User Generated Education

     | Aug 02, 2013

    by Julie Coiro

    Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about the Common Core Standards and the implications of these standards for how we might use technology to promote effective teaching, deep learning, and critical thinking. While exploring online resources last month, I came across an amazingly thoughtful blog, created by Dr. Jackie Gerstein, called User Generated Education. Jackie is a faculty member at Boise State University where she focuses on Online Learning in Teacher Education. Currently, Jackie’s blog is ranked number 49 on the Teach 100 list of top educational blogs around the world, and you will quickly see why when you stop to peruse any of the ponderings she has crafted monthly since December 2009. Four of her posts especially caught my attention.

    In May 2013, Jackie articulately summed up the importance of what she refers to as, “The Other 21st Century Skills” or the skills and attributes she believes will serve learners of all ages in this era of learning. Beyond cognitive skills like critical evaluation and close reading, Gerstein adds to Tony Wagner’s seven survival skills for the 21st century with a set of personal attributes including grit, resilience, hope and optimism, vision, self-regulation, empathy, and global stewardship. Jackie’s summary artfully weaves images and relevant quotes about each of these attributes with brief lists of research-based guidelines and additional resources for teachers to help visualize the “soft skills” that are not explicitly mentioned in the Common Core Standards, but, in my mind, reflect the critical underpinnings of what learners (adults and children) need to be successful in college and into their careers. Positive feedback from readers encouraged Jackie to provide more in-depth discussions of each disposition in separate posts; thus far, she has more deeply explored ideas related to resilience and empathy and global stewardship.

    Gerstein Blog screen shot

    A second post that impressed me was Jackie’s concrete examples of Technology Enhanced Celebrations of Learning. After outlining an open-ended assignment she gives her college students to provide them with multiple choices in ways to demonstrate their insights gleaned over the semester, she describes additional ways that technology can be used to further differentiate instruction and assessment based on content, interest, and ability. Jackie gives her students choices to create technology-enhanced products of their learning and the results are often both creative and compelling.

    A third post from June 2011, The Flipped Classroom Model: A Full Picture, provides both a useful overview of the Flipped Classroom Concept and a series of suggestions to most effectively use video lectures and vodcasts within a larger framework of meaningful learning activities. This powerful sequence of activities, based on Experiential Learning Cycles and the 4MAT Cycle of Instruction, includes opportunities for experiential engagement, concept exploration, meaning making, and demonstration and application. As Jackie suggests, the practice of using Flipped Classroom videos is most successful when used as “part of a larger picture of teaching and learning.” Jackie also provides links to a Slideshare version of how to apply the Flipped Classroom Model in higher education and a workshop version that focuses on how to use authentic and experiential learning activities during classroom time.

    Finally, one of the reasons I am most impressed by Jackie’s blog is her message that amidst the glitz and wonder of learning with technology, what’s most important is the human and social side. Her post titled Beginning the School Year: It’s About Connections, Not Content, offer teachers several engaging team-building activities that can help begin the school year in ways that are more personalized and tailored to learner needs and interests. Each activity is designed to communicate to learners ideas such as, “You are important,” “You will be expected collaborate and actively engage in learning activities during class time,” and “You are the focus of the class, not me.”

    These are just four of thirty-six posts that have caused me to think differently about learning in today’s classrooms. For anyone who is serious about promoting relevant learning experiences for your students with and without technology, I would highly recommend you add this blog to your summer reading list. And, if you are inspired, you might also enjoy exploring Jackie’s set of 39 Slideshare presentations on these topics and others including mobile learning, digital citizenship, and online communities.

    Enjoy August and return to your classrooms invigorated with new energy and new ideas!

    Julie CoiroJulie Coiro is Associate Professor in the School of Education at The University of Rhode Island and Chair of IRA’s TILE-SIG. You can reach Julie at jcoiro@snet.net or learn more about her work at http://uri.academia.edu/JulieCoiro.

    This article is part of a series from the International Reading Association Technology in Literacy Education Special Interest Group (TILE-SIG).


    by Julie Coiro Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about the Common Core Standards and the implications of these standards for how we might use technology to promote effective teaching, deep learning, and critical thinking. While exploring...Read More
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  • Kimberly Kimbell-Lopez
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    August Member of the Month: Kimberly Kimbell-Lopez

     | Aug 01, 2013

    August's International Reading Association Member of the Month is Kimberly Kimbell-Lopez, a 21-year IRA member who also belongs to the Professors of Reading Teacher Educators Special Interest Group (PRTE) and the Technology in Literacy Education Special Interest Group (TILE-SIG). After years as a classroom teacher for both high school and elementary levels, she began a career as a college professor at Louisiana Tech. Her research has been published and she has presented at several conferences, often with Louisiana Tech colleague and IRA Past President Carrice Cummins. She shares her road to the doctoral degree and her passion for literacy education in this interview.

    How did you begin your career, and what led you to your current position at Louisiana Tech University?

    Kimberly Kimbell-LopezI received a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s Degree in Special Education with an emphasis in Gifted Education, and I began my career teaching high school gifted students. I really wanted to work instead with elementary students, so I accepted a job to teach at Alief Independent School District in Houston, Texas. During my time in Alief, I taught 2nd grade, multiage 4th/5th, was a Language Arts Specialist, then also served as a grade level specialist. One of my career goals was to get my doctorate degree, so I enrolled at the University of Houston and focused on curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in reading/language arts. Once I finished my degree, I was offered a job at Louisiana Tech University. One of my passions has always been working with teachers to develop and implement curriculum and working in higher education has enabled me to do just that. 

    What do you consider to be your proudest career moment?

    Graduating with my doctoral degree is a memory I will always carry with me. Both of my daughters were born during the course of my program. When I finally graduated, Reghan was three years old and Kendall was about one year old. They were at my graduation ceremony with my husband along with all of my other family members.  I could never have finished the program without the help from my husband, his family, and my family. It was definitely a shared degree!

    What's the most valuable advice you can give to someone entering the education field?

    I tell the teachers, both preservice and inservice, that they must have a passion for teaching and learning. That passion for teaching and learning is what will sustain them throughout their teaching career. I truly believe that great teachers never stop learning, and great teachers never lose that passion for sharing what was learned with their students and other teachers.

    How long have you been a member of the International Reading Association, and how has membership influenced your career?
    I joined IRA when I was in my doctoral program, so this would be about 21 years. The influence that IRA has had on my career would be that I am able to keep current in the field through reading of the various journals as well as attending sessions at the annual convention. IRA also provides me with a way to network with other educators through SIGs and committee opportunities. I truly believe I would not be the teacher I am today without having access to the resources provided by IRA.

    You're a member of IRA's PRTE Special Interest Group. How long have you been a member, and how has the experience been?

    I have been a member of the PRTE SIG group for about four years. The PRTE session each year at IRA always features a guest speaker who shares their expertise, then we have break out sessions where we can listen to what other members are currently researching. This group has been a wonderful way to share ongoing research in the field.

    Are you excited that the 2014 IRA Annual Conference will be in Louisiana this year, and do you plan to attend?

    I will definitely be attending IRA’s conference in Louisiana this year. New Orleans is a fabulous city to visit—I always look forward to experiencing the culture, especially eating the food!

    What do you like to do when you're not wearing your educator hat?

    I am an avid reader—I rotate between professional reading and just good old leisure reading. I also love to work out—weight training and cardio! It is a great stress reliever.

     

    August's International Reading Association Member of the Month is Kimberly Kimbell-Lopez, a 21-year IRA member who also belongs to the Professors of Reading Teacher Educators Special Interest Group (PRTE) and the Technology in Literacy Education...Read More
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    Audio Books and How I Escaped Self-imposed Genre Jail

    by Nathan Hale
     | Aug 01, 2013
    This summer, my fifth graphic novel hits shelves. It’s a story about a family from Illinois who decide to move to California in 1846. They join a wagon train and roll west. They try an unproven shortcut, get stuck in the Sierra Nevada, and end up eating each other. It’s called DONNER DINNER PARTY and it’s nonfiction.

    I’ve been touring the country, talking to middle graders about my HAZARDOUS TALES graphic novel history series—the Donner book is the third entry. I end my presentation with an image from DONNER DINNER PARTY. It’s like a yearbook, showing all ninety-one members of the infamous 1846 emigration. There’s a key at the top that shows who lived, who died, and everyone’s favorite—who was cannibalized. Putting the slide last was a mistake, because when I open the floor for questions, 100% of the questions are about it. Who’s that person? Who are those twin girls? How did one of them die? Who murdered that guy? Nobody asks me who my favorite author is, or where I get my ideas. Nope, it’s Donner time. And those kids want answers.

    So how did I end up writing a nonfiction series? It’s not where I envisioned myself as a kid. I wanted to be an ace fantasy artist, doing cool sci-fi paperback covers like Michael Whelan. Hot space ladies in tight outfits holding aggressive laser guns. If you had told me, at that age, I would one day draw a comic book of pioneers and wagons, I would have lost my mind, quit drawing, and gone into, I dunno, dentistry.

    What changed me? I blame audio books, my gateway format. I’ll explain that in a minute.

    I grew up reading sci-fi and fantasy, which is what my dad read. When I checked out my own books from the library, I’d go down the shelves, looking for books that featured my library’s little SCI-FI sticker. It was blue with a ringed planet on it. There was also a green unicorn for FANTASY. All other books were virtually invisible to me. I voluntarily committed myself—happily—to a lifetime in sci-fi/fantasy genre jail.

    Around 10th grade, I discovered the greatest thing ever: audio books. Not only did my library have a large collection, they were marked with the same stickers! With audio books, I could draw pictures AND read fantasy at the same time! I was hooked immediately. Drawing and listening to a story isn’t simple multitasking. No—it’s perfection. It’s like driving and playing loud music, like chocolate and peanut butter. It’s magic! I completely devoured the audio book section of my local library—let me correct that, I devoured the sci-fi/fantasy audio books. The rest might as well have been cinder blocks on the shelf.

    I listened while drawing. I listened while playing video games. I took my audio books to work. My first job was painting scenery for a local theater. They did eight productions a year. I painted for them year round. I practically lived there—always with my Walkman in my pocket and my headphones in (noise-canceling earbuds, to block out the endless show tunes). I was listening to stories, painting, and getting paid for it.

    Then something horrible happened. The sci-fi/fantasy audio book well ran dry. I had listened to everything my library had. (This was pre-Audible, pre-Internet times.) I couldn’t operate without my stories! I went back and re-listened to the entire sci-fi/fantasy collection—even the lousy ones. When choosing between STAR WARS: SHADOWS OF THE BOUNTY FIST, abridged, or FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS, unabridged, there was no question, I’d re-listen to the Star Wars. (Ugh, awful, isn’t it? Maybe if someone had told me that the main character in FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS was named Robert Jordan, I might have given it a shot…)

    I knew I couldn’t re-listen forever, that soon I would have to bite the bullet and listen to regular fiction. I tried Stephen King. I hadn’t even considered him to be a fantasy author—he didn’t have the sticker! But I went nuts for him. Listened to his entire catalog twice. Then listened to all the other horror titles my library had.

    I had journeyed beyond the sticker, even if I’d only hopped a short distance. But the gate was now open. I tried crime and mystery novels—medical thrillers were big in the 90s—the medical stuff was okay, but I really liked the detectives and the criminals. Dick Francis and Elmore Leonard started coming to work with me. Dick Francis, you say? Oh yeah. Dick Francis was a staple—nay, a tent pole of 90s audio book collections. I knew more about horse racing than anybody in my high school. Horses, what a weird subgenre—but I got really into it. I listened to Jane Smiley’s HORSE HEAVEN one and a half times! Why? Because it was on audio book!

    Then one day, I checked out Larry McMurtry’s LONESOME DOVE.

    Westerns were not something I ever imagined liking. It was only out of desperation that I checked it out. And then… I completely lost my mind. This was the best fantasy book I’d EVER READ! Here was an epic quest, like so many fantasy adventures I had read and loved, but this was REAL—or, at least, semi-real. Texas was a REAL place! The Texas Rangers were a REAL thing! It was like reading the Lord of the Rings and discovering that Mordor was a place you could drive to and visit. That Dunedain Ranger was an actual JOB THAT REAL PEOPLE DID!

    I was hooked. I couldn’t get enough historical fiction. I blazed through Larry McMurtry, Bernard Cornwell, James Clavell, Mary Renault—then, on a dusty lower shelf I had always ignored, Patrick O’Brian’s naval series.

    Oh baby.

    My library would occasionally get new sci-fi/fantasy novels, I’d gobble them up immediately, of course. It was (and is) a genre I still enjoy, but it didn’t own me anymore. I stopped being angry at the long waits between books in lengthy series, because there are so many other great books to read. It was no longer my jail—now it was just a fun place to visit.

    From there, the leap from historical fiction to straight up nonfiction and biographies was easy. There was a whole NEW shelf of audio nonfiction! The audio book was my gateway format. It offered a cross section of genres, in a format that worked for me. It broke me out of my self-imposed genre jail. Over time, it taught me how to read comfortably from ANY shelf in the library. If it weren’t for audio books, I never would have read outside the fantasy realm. And I certainly wouldn’t be writing nonfiction history books today.

    Graphic novels are also a gateway format. They sit on an isolated shelf, they provide a cross section of different types of stories, and they offer a format that appeals to a certain type of reader. Every library has young readers devoted to the graphic novel shelf—and only that shelf. How powerful is the graphic novel as a gateway format? Look no farther than that pink hero of the graphic novel shelf, BABYMOUSE. I don’t imagine a lot of seven-year-old boys show up at the library begging for books about pink girl mice. But they’ll leave with a stack of BABYMOUSE—and they’ll LOVE it. The same goes for RAPUNZEL’S REVENGE (with illustrations by yours truly!). Do middle grade boys want Princess stories? No—but wait, is that a graphic novel? Okay, I’ll try it. Gateway format.

    I’m delighted my HAZARDOUS TALES books are on that shelf, hopefully breaking readers free from genre jail and creating channels to other parts of the library. It’s a great place to be right now because the pickins are still fairly slim—like audio books were in the 90’s. The scarcity of the format leads readers into a broader range of topics, as it did in my case.

    Will DONNER DINNER PARTY make new fans of American History? I hope so. It’s got the whole story: the bad decisions, the trials on the road, the families and friends, the feuds and fights, the adventures and the misadventures. Does it have the cannibalism? You better believe it does. And it’s all in graphic novel form. It’s a little green get-out-of-genre-jail free card.

    Nathan Hale is the author of BIG BAD IRONCLAD and ONE DEAD SPY, as well as the illustrator of the graphic novel RAPUNZEL’S REVENGE, which was an Al Roker Book Club for Kids selection, an ALA notable book, a YALSA Great Graphic Novel for Teens, and the recipient of three starred reviews. He lives in Provo, Utah.

    © 2013 Nathan Hale. Please do not reproduce in any form, electronic or otherwise.


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