Literacy Now

The Children's Literature and Reading SIG focused on older readers (in grades 6-12) for the conclusion of their book review series that includes books that feature characters' adventures with reading.

Bauer, J. (2011). Close to famous. New York: Viking. 

Foster McFee just finished sixth grade by the skin of her teeth, but now she and her mother are on the run, avoiding an abusive and controlling boyfriend in Nashville. Despite the fact that she can’t read and her grades in school are abysmal, Foster is a talented baker, able to whip up scrumptious cupcakes and muffins. She memorizes the recipes she hears on cooking shows and hides her inability to read from the rest of the world. With the help of a somewhat reclusive, highly strong retired actress and her family and friends, Foster summons the determination to break the alphabetic code and master the art of reading. Bauer serves up delectable descriptions of the desserts Foster prepares, but in sympathetic yet accurate fashion she also describes the lengths to which Foster goes in order to hide her inability to read. 
- Barbara A. Ward

Resau,  L. & Farinango, M. V. (2011). The queen of water. New York: Delacorte. 
When she is seven, Virginia is given away to a middle mestizo class family in Ecuador. Having been punished by her teacher for speaking her original language, Quichua, Virginia resolves never to go to school again. Over the years, though, she realizes that literacy and education provide avenues to the life she wants to lead, and she teaches herself to read secretly, studying the science texts of her mistress, conducting secret science experiments, and reveling in words such as “photosynthesis.” Although she is ashamed of her illiterate, indigenous parents and their poverty and culture, she eventually comes to realize that the family with whom she is living will never truly allow her to be a part of their world. They will always consider her to be “less than” because of her own background. Virginia struggles with her own self-identity and disconnection from her own culture throughout the book’s pages. Reminding readers to be true to themselves and their roots, the story of her ultimate triumph over difficult odds is inspiring as she writes a play that is performed by her classmates and is named Queen of the Water. 

- Barbara A. Ward

Schmidt, G. D. (2011). Okay for now. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Moving to a new town and a new school in Marysville, New York, isn’t easy when you’re a middle grader—especially when you’re a boy with a secret. In this companion book to The Wednesday Wars, Doug Swieteck’s secret turns out to be his inability to read. Although the book is about much more than that particular struggle, Schmidt nails accurately the rising anxiety experienced by Doug as his teacher begins round-robin reading. As tough as things may be for the seventh grader already, he knows that once his inability to read is unmasked, life will be insufferable. Luckily for Doug, he has help: an artistic outlet in the library as he studies the bird paintings of John James Audubon under the tutelage of Mr. Powell, a kindly librarian, and Miss Cowper, who has him play the part of a novice reading in her thinly disguised tutorial called the County Literacy Unit.  Later, after much work, Doug is sounding out the words he needs in order to read bedtime books for the Daugherty children he babysits. Doug’s literacy journey serves as a poignant reminder that it is never too late to learn how to read. 
- Barbara A. Ward

We hope you enjoyed this book review series from the CL/R SIG. Click here for more information about the CL/R SIG. 

BY MRS. MIMI
I love a good To-Do List. Most of the time, there is no better feeling than admiring my color-coded week and reveling in all that productivity. Just look at what I’m going to get done! It’s going to be amazing! I’m going to be amazing! Crossing items off my list is going to be amazing!

Usually, when I am feeling crazy and unbalanced, list making somehow calms my nerves and reassures me that everything will be okay, that it will all get done. (This last sentence implies that there are times when I am feeling balanced, which we all know is basically an impossible feat for a teacher save for perhaps the summer. But I think you get my point.) A good list gives me a clear plan and as a teacher, a clear plan is everything.

Friends, it pains me to type this next bit, but I have to admit it’s true. Lately, it feels as if my To-Do List has grown to such epic proportions that it has rendered me less effective and robbed me of the joy I used to feel in the classroom.

Is it just me, or did I hear gasps from the crowd? Yes, I think that was definitely a collective gasp.

As teachers, our plates are becoming so very full that they are more like troughs filled with responsibility, accountability and just-get-it-done-ability. Not only are we all pulling our hair out wondering how it is all going to get done, we are becoming robots. Programmed to make a dent in the Almighty To-Do List, I notice myself and others around me just getting through the day, unable to think about turning our classrooms into spaces filled with wonder, excitement, and joy.

Let’s use the read-aloud as our example. The read-aloud is what I consider to be one of the most important parts of the day. It’s what we all fantasized about when we were naïve education majors dreaming about our future classrooms. It’s what we all remember from our own days in the classroom. It’s pretty much one of the best parts of the day. And on more than one occasion, it has been my sanity.

Do I need to remind you how painful it can be to sit through a bad read-aloud? Just the other day, I listened to a teacher who was so determined to cross things off her list that it sounded like she was reading the instructions that come with a piece of DIY furniture rather than giving a rousing rendition of INTERRUPTING CHICKEN.

I watched as she encouraged the class to dig deeper! Turn and talk! Stop and jot! Chart your thinking! Mark that place with a Post-it! (Talk about an interrupting chicken.)

Despite her wonderful intentions and good instincts to actively engage her students, there wasn’t any joy left in that room. Not for the teacher and certainly not for the students. When I spoke to the teacher later, she looked at me with tears in her eyes and said simply, “Sometimes it’s all just too much.”

It is too much. There is too much on the list. The list is no longer our friend. But we can’t throw the list away because that would be unprofessional and we are better than that. We are teachers! We walk into our classrooms every day ready to work it! We strut our educational stuff, don our superhero capes, and do more work in a day than most people can fathom.

I may be pretty fabulous, but I can’t wave my wand and give you five extra hours in the day, or supply you with enough caffeine to put down a horse. (Besides, you probably do just fine with that last part on your own.) But I can tell you what I’ve been doing.

When I choose a read-aloud, I pull from books that I love because they make me laugh, or make me cry or make me want to scream from all that juicy picture book goodness. I take that book and perform the living you-know-what out of it. I use voices, dramatic gestures, and facial expressions my mother tells me are going to give me serious wrinkles. I work that book until we all feel the joy.

Then, in the true spirit of the teacher-who-must-get-it-all-done-and-do-it-the-best-way-she-knows-how, I come back to that same book another day and mark it, turn and talk it, and dig deeper. I will make sure we cross things off that list and I will relish the moment that I do just that. But first, always first, I make sure we feel the joy.

I know some of you are shaking your heads right now and thinking, “Wow, Mrs. Mimi has finally cracked. What’s with all this joy talk? What’s next, hemp necklaces and patchouli?”

I haven’t lost it, friends. I’ve just decided that the joy of reading and learning and investigating together needs to trump everything else. Because, honestly, all that other stuff on your To-Do List isn’t really going to get done very well in a classroom that feels like a factory.

So go buy yourself some new list-making pens in a rainbow of colors that puts a smile on your face. (Admit it, a good pen makes every teacher smile.) Uncap your favorite color and put “Feel the Joy” at the top of your list.

Cross that off and then we’ll worry about everything else. Because we can do it all.

Mrs. Mimi is a pseudonymous teacher who taught both first and second grades at a public elementary school in New York City. She's the author of IT'S NOT ALL FLOWERS AND SAUSAGES: MY ADVENTURES IN SECOND GRADE, which sprung from her popular blog of the same name. Mimi also has her doctorate in education from Teachers College, Columbia University.



QUIET! Teacher in Progress: Too Much of a Good Thing

QUIET! Teacher in Progress: Focus on the 'How'

This third set of book reviews from the Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group (CL/R SIG) includes a donkey, a dog, a slug, and a cat! All creatures share thier love of books and encourage students to enjoy reading. 

Winter, Jeannette. (2010). Biblioburro: A True Story from Colombia. New York: Beach Lane Books.
In simple, straightforward prose, Winter tells the true story of Luis Soriano, a book-loving teacher in rural Colombia determined to share his beloved book collection with those who have no access to books. When his books overtake his living space, Luis loads books onto one donkey and rides another into the countryside. The author’s approach is warm and inviting, showing Luis sharing a story with village children and reading a book peacefully at home. While the plot suggests the danger and challenge of the journey (a bandit threatens him at one turn, steep and treacherous terrain at another), this picture book honors the dignity of both helper and helped. Folk-art illustrations ground the reader in the Colombian setting while also providing a touch of whimsy and celebration. Winter presents Luis as a simple man sharing what he had and doing what he could to make a difference. In doing so, she quietly entreats readers to take actions of their own as well. The spare presentation leaves room for classroom dialogue; background information provided will support further exploration. 
- Sue C. Parsons

We continue this series of book reviews submitted by members of the (CL/R SIG). This second installation includes more loveable books for children in grades K-3. 

Buzzeo, T. (2010). No T.Rex in the library. Illus. by S. Yoshikawa. New York: Simon & Schuster.

When Tess misbehaves in the library, her mommy puts her in a ten-minute time out. During this time, Tess accidently opens a book, and T. Rex jumps out. Other books begin to open, and characters come alive. Knights in gleaming armor lay siege to the dinosaur. Fish and aquarium treasures spill from other books. T.  Rex is able to cannonball through all of them. Next, a swashbuckling pirate surfaces, but T.Rex escapes. A posse of cowboys and cattle stampede from the pages of another book. T. Rex piles up mounds of books to build an escape. He even begins ripping and eating books until Tess places him back into his own book for a ten-minute time out. This hilarious picture book will remind young readers that reading uses our imaginations and that books take us to different places to meet unusual characters. Primary teachers and librarians might use this picture book to teach the importance of taking care of books and being respectful in the library.
- Deanna Day

Hills, Tad. (2010). How Rocket learned to read.  New York: Schwartz & Wade. Unpaginated, $17.99, ISBN:978-0-375-85899-4. 
A literate little yellow bird places on a tree a sign announcing the start of a new class. Rocket, a young puppy who loves to gnaw on sticks, chase leaves, and listen to birds sing, happens to take his nap below the bird’s tree. The bird is delighted to greet its first student. Since Rocket has no interest in learning to read, he moves to a different tree. Like any savvy teacher, the bird knows how to hook Rocket and begins reading a story about dog seeking its lost bone. The author describes the story’s appeal vividly: “To Rocket the story was as delicious as the earthy smells of fall” (u.p.).  Engaged in the story and motivated to read, Rocket is now ready to learn the letter names and sounds and to spell out the words he knew.  Like many of us, he has also learned the joy of listening to good stories—sometimes again and again.
- Terrell A. Young

Houston, G. (2011). Miss Dorothy and her bookmobile. New York: Harper Collins.
Building on her own experiences growing up in Appalachia, Houston offers the true story of Dorothy Thomas, who combined her predilection for books and people into a job as a librarian. Although Miss Dorothy dreamed of working in “a fine brick library” (u.p.), she ended up in rural North Carolina where there was no library. The community rallied to buy a bookmobile that Miss Dorothy determinedly piloted across the countryside, bringing books and her love of reading “into every school yard, … every farm, post office, grocery store, churchyard, and parking lot” (u.p.). Susan Lambs’ illustrations are lush and lively, with a gentle glow that suggests hope and promise. Houston’s characterization of both people and places deftly challenges pervasive stereotypes about the people of rural Appalachia. By showing Dorothy’s interactions with two young readers and following up with letters they wrote to her as adults, Houston shows clearly the profound effect that Miss Dorothy had on their lives. Through Miss Dorothy, Houston heralds the mystery of life’s twists and turns, and the transformative power of loving books and loving people.
- Sue C. Parsons

Numeroff, L., & Evans, N. (2010). The jellybeans: and the big book bonanza. Illus. by L. Munsinger. New York: Abrams.
A group of girls call themselves the jellybeans because they are all different yet go well together. While Emily loves to dance, Nicole loves to play soccer. Bitsy loves to paint, and Anna loves to read. After their teacher announces that the class is going to have a book bonanza, Anna takes her friends to the library to help them find a book. Each girl exclaims that they would rather be dancing, playing soccer or painting than reading a book. Anna reminds her friends that like jellybeans with their various flavors, there are many types of books. The librarian helps each girl find the perfect book focusing on their unique interests. Emily finds a book on ballet, Nicole chooses one on soccer, and Bitsy checks out one about famous painters. A reminder to teachers about the importance of finding the right book for each reader, this picture book could be used as part of a mini lesson on matching the right book for every child. 
- Deanna Day

Click here to read the first article in this book review series.

Click here for more information about the CL/R SIG.

This article is the first in a four-part series of book reviews from the Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group of IRA (CL/R SIG). President Janelle Mathis says that CL/R SIG has been supporting literacy educators since 1979 through its goals of sharing high quality, contemporary children’s literature, promoting creative uses of literature in the classroom, disseminating recent research in the field, and providing a forum to explore issues in the children’s literature field. 

"The organization accomplishes its goals through enthusiastic and informed members who organize sessions at IRA each spring, serve along with other selected members on the Notable Books for a Global Society committee who create an award list each year, contribute to its journal, The Dragon Lode, and interact around the recently created website, www.clrsig.org," she shares. 

A visit to this site offers a more detailed look at the possibilities for involvement in the Children’s Literature SIG. Membership is open to IRA members in all areas of instruction--Pre-K through 12 teachers, librarians, teacher candidates, administrators, university professors, authors, and publishers.

The members of the CL/R SIG who submitted this series of book reviews to Reading Today encourages us to remind ourselves of our responsibilities as teachers to foster a love of reading and writing in our students on a daily basis. It is also good to reflect on the lack of access to books many experience as well as the often well-hidden struggles many of our students face as they attempt to enter the often-confusing world of literacy. While there is a book for every reader once their tastes and interests have been ascertained, it is also important to help novice readers regard reading as a pleasurable activity rather than drudgery. The following books selected by members of the CL/R SIG celebrate the passion of literacy in several different ways.

For Younger Readers, Grades K-3