Literacy Now

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One of the best safeguards against censorship is having a policy and procedure—a recipe—in place for almost any situation. A step-by-step guide and a list of required elements, aka ingredients, guide the process. There are a lot of players involved in any book challenge so it can be helpful for all to be working with the same instructions. Staff and administration will feel more confident if there’s a secure policy as a foundation. In a school environment, often there is more than one supervisor. It could be a department head, a principal, the school board or the superintendent. That’s a lot of cooks in the kitchen. And sometimes they don’t always cook well together.

During Banned Books Week, the American Library Association (ALA) Office for Intellectual Freedom hears from many school librarians and teachers who are dealing with a challenge to a library material, instructional material, or reading list. Sometimes one or all of the supervisors or administrators will be supportive of the book, and a united front can be created to protect the First Amendment for the students of their community. Think raspberry soufflé.

But other times, it may be the administration denouncing the value of a resource, or possibly responding to a challenge without following procedure and overstepping the policy set in place. Think chocolate chip cookies with no sugar.

In fact, this week we received a call where the situation is just that. A superintendent recalled a book assigned to students by an English teacher. His action was based on an email from a parent and not the consequence of a board-approved policy decision. How should a teacher react in this situation?

My first step is to refer to the soon-to-be-published 2015 Intellectual Freedom Manual. There’s a sidebar in the challenges section that specifically talks about the possibility of the process being subverted or undermined.

When the Reconsideration Process Is Subverted or Undermined
If after discussing the legal and ethical reasons for following the reconsideration process, the principal or library director does not follow policy and removes the challenged resource (or one about which a concern has been raised), how far should a librarian go to defend a library resource?
      This is a personal, ethical decision, and the librarian must weigh what else can be done. If the director or principal is adamant, the librarian may be forced to evaluate the risk of retaliation from his supervisor or losing a job against the merits of continuing to oppose censorship by a supervisor. After considering the situation carefully, he may come to acknowledge that he has done all that is possible at this time, or he may decide that taking a principled stand is better for him.
      The process can also be compromised if the concerned individual or group goes around the policy structure to speak directly to a higher authority such as an alderman, school superintendent, or school board members. Although the public official or school administrator should remind the challenger that there is a review process in place, this does not always occur.

The second step is to document everything! Obtain copies of relevant policies and procedures. Make sure to keep every email and to log phone calls and verbal conversations. Write down as many details as you can remember. Take screenshots of social media. A challenger could brag that after speaking with an administrator, a specific book was removed. Documenting evidence of not following policy doesn’t mean you have to act on it, but it’s there if you need it or if a second or third offense occurs.

The third step is to seek counsel. Call the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom if you’re unsure of what direction to take. Call your teachers’ union. Call the ACLU in your state. It doesn’t hurt to ask questions.

I heard a colleague advise a teacher that sometimes a misstep of procedure by administration can be “walked back” if proof of the misstep is available. If you give your administrator a quiet moment (or day) to realize the error of his ways, he might thank you in the long run. You could pretend that it was all an innocent mistake, and pride and jobs will be saved by all. Even the best chefs overbake the cake at times.

For more information on Banned Books Week, book challenges and censorship, please visit the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom’s Banned Books website at www.ala.org/bbooks, or www.bannedbooksweek.org.

Kristin Pekoll is the assistant director of the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom.

Throughout the school year, my English Language Arts students practice and apply research skills while studying a variety of topics.  Along with brainstorming, evaluating sources, and drafting, a skill I work extensively on with students is note taking.  Note taking is an important skill, and is included in the Common Core Anchor Standards for Writing under “Research to Build and Present Knowledge.”  The teacher’s guide for our writing series calls for students to record their findings and details on notecards, which can then be sorted into topics and arranged in an outline.  While this may be the traditional way to develop a research paper, my
classroom is 1:1 Chromebooks, and I wanted a way for students to be able to work on their research outside the classroom, collaborate with peers, and not worry about losing any (or all!) of their work.

After searching for a web tool that fit my goal of collaboration and online access, I decided to use Padlet.  Padlet (formerly known as Wallwisher) is a free, app/online space or corkboard that can be used for collaboration, brainstorming, and note taking.  Signing up and creating walls are easy and teachers can embed Padlet walls into a class Symbaloo, blog, website, or make it a QR code.  Within a Padlet post users can insert text, images, documents, and website addresses.  These features matched my purpose for students to assemble their research digitally in the cloud, and I created a wall for each country being researched.

As they begin their research, my students have Padlet open in their Internet browser and as they comb through digital and print resources can add notes, images, videos, and citations on individual posts.  There is no limit to the number of posts that can be placed on a board, so students are free to gather information without concern of running out of space or having too much paper to keep track of.  Once notes have been compiled, my students move their posts into categories by dragging the boxes into related groups.  These categories then form the sections of the research paper.  Students may also use the posts to create mind maps and outlines before drafting their writing.
Using Padlet helped my students organize their notes throughout the research process. Students were not intimidated by digital note taking on Padlet, and even students who would have been resistant to reading and transferring information from a text to paper, did not seem to mind doing so in a digital manner. Finally, the biggest improvement I saw was students taking time to evaluate the amount and quality of information they were finding, and ultimately take pride and ownership of their work.
If you are looking for ways to incorporate technology into the research process, and would like a web tool that allows collaboration and cloud access, I encourage you to check out Padlet.  Your students will enjoy having an easy to use format to gather their notes.

Stephanie Laird is an Instructional Coach in the Southeast Polk School District where she works alongside teachers to impact student learning through the areas of curriculum, instruction, and assessment.  She holds a M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instructional Technology from Iowa State University, and is the International Reading Association’s 2014 Technology and Reading Award Winner.

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Service-learning is a way of learning with the head, the heart, and hands—a learning that transforms students.  It’s a kind of learning where meaningful connections between students and the world around them are made and more and more schools around the world, especially here in the U.S., are seeing the benefits of service-learning projects in their schools. Published research indicates these types of programs positively impacts students’ civic and academic achievement and this year President Barack Obama declared March 31 “A day of service for the nation.”
“I encourage Americans to make this a national day of service and education by speaking out, organizing, and participating in service projects to improve lives in their communities,” Obama said in his presidential proclamation. “Let us remember that when we lift each other up, when we speak with one voice, we have the power to build a better world.”
Community service impacts students lives by creating authentic opportunities for young people to be active and to be the solution-designers their communities need. Not only are students exposed to issues where change is needed, they are collaborating with their peers—sometimes across grade levels—in an authentic way. 
“It connected the AP and General Program students; we worked together collaboratively to make a difference in our community in mid-Michigan,” said Ana Luisa, a primary teacher in Aldine ISD who experienced her high school service learning experiences as a student. “It helped some of us make career choices; or connect our careers to serving others.  One mechanic still spends one day a week providing free oil changes for the elderly and low-economic populations.”
In my own experience coordinating service projects, I’ve seen my middle school French ESL students in Palo Alto gain confidence and proficiency in English through a Book Buddy project with kindergarteners in East Palo Alto.  Even though the newly-arrived students from France were just beginning to learn English, they were role models and rose to the challenge to read in English to the beginning readers.  But that wasn’t all, the students returned with an enthusiasm to embrace their own acculturation process and proficiency. 
At Cesar Chavez Public Charter School for Public Policy, students in Washington, D.C., choose their own service-learning projects. Their week-long projects include planting trees, fundraising, administering public surveys, creating and passing out pamphlets on an issue important to them, and making pet beds and toys for the Washington Humane Society.  I’ve seen kids who were discouraged become empowered by seeing they can make a difference in this world. 
In the spring of 2014, at Sammons Elementary, Aldine ISD, the first and fourth grade students held a “World Porridge Day” to provide meal sponsorships for African children receiving meals through Mary’s Meals (www.marysmeals.org). The children learned that through giving we do indeed receive.  The children were engaged throughout the project.  They continued to talk about the project and brainstorm alternative solutions to world hunger, they decorated donation containers, made informative posters, brought in spare change, calculated costs to provide meal sponsorships, and even wanted to send them soccer balls for their after-school activities. 
As we prepare for a new school year, let’s prepare our students for the future through learning with the head, the heart, and the hands. Through authentic community projects we can connect and implement to our curriculum to transform our students and ourselves.

Jennifer King is a native of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.  She has a broad background in international education, and is currently a literacy coach in Aldine ISD in Houston, Texas.

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Being a teacher means embracing constant change. Yet all too often, teachers are told when, how, and why to change. In this monthly column, Mrs. Mimi takes on creating change for herself by rethinking old practices and redefining teaching on her own terms. 

One of the best parts of our job is getting to hang out with a lot of really cool kids all day.  I know sometimes they might forget their homework, or start a fight or, hey, even poop in their pants, but aside from all that most of them they are pretty fabulous.  The key to looking past the lost homework, unkind words, and poop is to get to know them deeply, particularly as readers.  And for many of our students, this may mean helping them see themselves as readers or supporting them as the build their reading identities.

Does all this sound too fluffy and touchy-feely while you are in the midst of data collection?!  Assessing?!  Beginning-of-the-year paperwork?!  Running records?!  Organizing your classroom library?!  I guess it does.  But I can tell you from years of practicing what I preach that when I savored the time to get to know my students as readers I felt happier, more in line with what I think makes a good teacher, and more effective throughout the school year. (And that’s on top of feeling fluffy and touchy-feely!  Boom.)

When we get to know our students as readers, it means more than asking them to draw a picture of where they like to read at home or name a favorite book.  It means reading alongside students to discover what types of authors, genres and text types they enjoy reading most.  (And I mean really reading with them.  No surface-y stuff, friends.  Get into the book, find something to love and talk about it.  Honor their choices as readers and take the time to read what they like to read.  You might even discover some new faves.)  It means sharing your own favorites with them and engaging them in an authentic conversation about the book itself.  Let them see your passion for reading, your nerdiness and excitement for reading.

It also means learning about their interests outside of school and using that information to help match them to an exciting new read or push them to try something different.  Think about your nightstand (or where ever you stack up your On Deck Reading).  Mr. Mimi likes to joke that my nightstand is one book away from collapsing, my pile is that serious.  And while to him it may appear to be a haphazard leaning tower of books and magazines, I know it is a well-curated collection of who I am as a reader.  I take time to re-organize those piles, moving current issues of magazines to the top, a piece of nonfiction to the bottom, a book recommended by a friend to the up-next spot.  Our students should have the same self-awareness as well as the freedom in our classrooms to curate a pile of their own.

So enjoy these weeks of getting to know your students, warts and all.  I know there are tests and test prep and graphic organizers and schedules to get together—those are all important pieces of our teacher puzzle.  But I think the most important piece of the puzzle and the piece that ties all of these other things together—something that has true meaning and a lifelong impact—is our work growing and inspiring true readers.

Mrs. Mimi,a.k.a. Jennifer Scoggin, is a teacher who taught both first and second grades at a public elementary school in New York City. She's the author of the upcoming “Be Fabulous: The Reading Teacher's Guide to Reclaiming Your Happiness in the Classroom” and“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.

With so many wonderful selections of children's and young adult literature published this fall, members of the Children's Literature and Special Interest Group wanted to share titles that really stand out for their unique content, presentation, or timeliness. Some of the books are by renowned authors breaking out of the typical style or genre. Some feature little known stories or diverse perspectives on well-known figures.

As you read aloud, plan reading workshop, literature circles and book talks for independent reading, you will want to consider the variety of themes and formats that are bound to intrigue the readers in your class.

Grades K-2

Dubuc, Marianne. (2014). Lion and the Bird. New York, NY: Enchanted Lion Books.

This international offering uses multiple wordless pages to capture the friendship between and a lion and a bird. The textured illustrations use greens, blues, grays, and a lot of white space to convey the tone of the story as it fluctuates from camaraderie to loneliness. The pacing of the plot is carefully executed through variation in page layout, especially during the winter the lion and the bird spend together. Young readers will delight in figuring out the unspoken parts of this narrative and in noticing small details in the illustrations. This title will pair nicely with other books about seasonal changes and unusual animal friendships, but stands out for its subtle imagery, unique characters, and quiet charm.

— Lesley Colabucci, Millersville University of Pennsylvania.

Appelt, Kathi (2014) Mogi: The Heart of the House. Illus by Marc Rosenthal. New York,  NY: Antheneum Books for Young Readers.

Featuring playful illustrations and repetitive text, this picture book will appeal to adults and children alike. Adults, like the author herself, will be charmed by the real story of Mogi, the dog who cheers up patients at the Ronald McDonald House. Children may not exactly understand the nature of the hospital or its role in the children’s lives, but they will delight in the cartoon style art which contains plenty of silly details, the catchy phrasing, and the overall hopeful tone. Readers get to know two specific children, Gage and Antonia, but the book offers parents and teachers a great opportunity to talk in much more depth about children like these two.

—Lesley Colabucci, Millersville University of Pennsylvania

Alexander, Rilla. (2014). The Best Book in the World. London, UK: Flying Eye Books.

What makes a book the best in the world? Well, designer/illustrator, Rilla Alexander’s visually stunning picture book provides the universal answer: each book leads the reader to imagine endless possibilities. Each page is an invitation to encourage reading. Within the pages of this inventive book, there are images of a little girl immersed in reading (at the kitchen table, on the bus, at the airport, at the amusement park, etc.). The title page offers a shadow image of a house, where the little girl steps outside, book in hand, ready to start her adventure. Each page alternates hues of colors, with the focus on the little girl (and her book) pictured in red. No matter what book you decide to read or where you decide to read it, a story will take you to a magical and unexpected journey. The sparse text will ignite further conversation about the illustrations. Each page offers a glimpse into the imaginary world, its characters, settings, and possibilities offered by reading a book. The dramatic shift in size, perspective, and colors tell their own story. Readers will want to carefully observe how the little girl is slowly, slowly ending her busy day by drifting off to sleep. The two page spread of the little girl dreaming inside the book’s pages simply capture the beauty of its message: A good story will stay with you, help you dream about possibilities, and offer new understandings about the world.
 
—Mary Napoli, Penn State Harrisburg

Browne, Anthony. (2014). What if ...? Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.

Anthony Browne presents another visual feast to capture a readers’ imagination. Teachers might wish to share the video clip featuring Browne reading the first several pages of his new book to pique curiosity. The story begins with an image of Joe clutching a birthday present for his friend Tom. Unfortunately, Joe lost the invitation to Tom’s birthday party and didn’t know the address. Joe’s mom reassures him that they will find Tom’s house together. Joe worries about whether he would know anyone at the party or if he would like the food. Throughout the story, his mom reassures him. As they walk through their neighborhood, they stop at several homes to look inside. Each window shaped frame features interesting and unusual characters which heighten Joe’s anxiety about the party. When, they finally reach Tom’s house, his mother hopes that her son will have a good time despite his fears. When it was time to go home, Joe’s mom is thrilled to know that he did in fact have a splendid time. Anthony Browne effectively employs word-and-image interactions by playing with hues and metafictive elements. He captures the emotional complexity of a child’s world by presenting a captivating story. He also alternates small and large frames throughout and includes speech bubbles to capture the conversation between mother and son. Teachers will want to encourage readers to look closely at the images and to share their observations.

—Mary Napoli, Penn State Harrisburg

Grades 3-5

Rosenstock, Barb (2014). Ben Franklin’s Big Splash: The Mostly True Story of His First Invention. Illus by S.D. Schindler. Honesdale, PA: Calkins Creek (Boyds Mills Press).

In this clever book, readers are introduced to a young Ben Franklin. While there are many biographies of this American icon, this one offers new information in an inviting style. The story starts on the title page which shows “Ben” landing a cannonball jump, splashing amongst fish and frogs. The joy on his face is reinforced throughout the text and pictures as reader learn of Franklin’s passion for swimming from a young age. The story of Franklin’s attempt to swim more like a fish creates a portrait of Franklin that models perseverance without any heavy-handedness. The narrative text features poetic language, the typography changes to show emphasis, and the page layout varies to help delineate the plot. The book ends with examples of Franklin “solving BIG problems” later in life, such as inventing bifocals and designing US coins. An authors’ note, timeline, and source notes are included.

— Lesley Colabucci, Millersville University of Pennsylvania

Rubin, Susan Goldman. (2014). Stand There! She Shouted: The Invincible Photographer Julia Margaret Cameron. Illus.by Bagram Ibatoulline. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.

This extraordinary biography includes information about the Victorian photographer, Julia Margaret Cameron. A mixture of gorgeous illustrations with reproductions of photographs captures the essence of beauty that distinguished Cameron’s work. Told in an accessible style, readers will learn about Cameron’s early life, interest in photography, and her professional success. Each page contains a “period trim” coupled by sketches and realistic images portraying Cameron’s life. Goldman’s impeccable research includes quotes from Cameron’s models, including those of her relatives. Though Cameron’s models often feared her and the lengthy hours of sitting or standing still, the results of the images captured the beauty of the world, the innocence of simple emotions, and a unique perspective. Cameron’s work was not immediately appreciated by her critics, but her perseverance led to her success. Goldman includes information about the earliest experimentations with photography. Also included are extensive bibliographic notes as well as a list of museums where readers can find Cameron’s photographs.  

— Mary Napoli, Penn State Harrisburg

Martin, Ann. (2014). Rain Reign. New York, NY: Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan).

This book takes reader into the heart and mind of Rose Howard, who is diagnosed with high-functioning autism. Rose’s voice is the strongest element in the novel. She describes her interactions and reactions to people and events in such a way that readers feel intimately aware of her challenges, which include not only her diagnosis but also her potentially abusive and alcoholic father. Rose’s father is balanced by several supportive, nurturing, and wise adults - and by her dog Rain. Throughout the story, readers will become immersed in Rose’s obsession with homonyms and prime numbers, find out more about Rose’s mom, and experience a hurricane and lost dog alongside this appealing main character.

— Lesley Colabucci, Millersville University of Pennsylvania.

Dairman, Tara. (2014). All Four Stars. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons.

Absolutely delicious storytelling! Dairman’s debut novel contains all of the ingredients to tantalize readers. Gladys Gatsby has a deep appreciation for delectable cuisine. She’s only eleven, but her interest in food, recipes, and cooking reflects her dream of becoming a well-known food critic for a New York City newspaper. She maintains a food review journal and visits the local gourmet grocer for new flavors to use in her recipes. Unfortunately, after a kitchen mishap, she was no longer allowed to cook. Without cooking to occupy her free time, Gladys befriends her neighbor Sandy. His mother, Mrs. Anderson, loves to bake and when she lets Gladys hold the impressive original French cookbook, The Larousee Gastronomique, she is immediately overwhelmed with excitement. When her new teacher challenges the class to submit an essay about their hopes for the future, Gladys’ creativity soars. With her teacher’s encouragement, she finds her voice and trusts her passion to submit the winning essay for her class. Through a series of events, her essay for the New York standard $500 prize money was accidentally mistaken for an employment letter of interest. An email from the chief editor of the New York Standard’s Dining Section initiates an entirely creative and delectable plan. Gladys must find a way to get to “Classy Cakes” in Manhattan to complete her freelance review assignment. This is a delightful novel full of lively characters, beautiful language, humor, and creativity.

—Mary Napoli, Penn State Harrisburg

Grades 6-8

Woodson, Jacqueline. (2014) Brown Girl Dreaming. New York, NY: Nancy Paulsen Books.

Woodson’s memoir is a testament to the power of family connections, hope in the face of tragedy, and the liberating force of writing. The book is divided into five parts and told through a series of poems. The poems capture moments in time as well as reflections on important stories. Some are quite short, some contain dialogue, and many will stand on their own. Woodsons does a beautiful job of rendering dynamic characters through brief descriptions. Readers may be left wondering about certain actions or endings, but the narrator’s affection for and understanding of her family (and friends) results in a satisfying level of intimacy. In addition, this collection provides a thoughtful balance of the personal and the political as African-American history is invoked across several states and within a range of years.

—Lesley Colabucci, Millersville University of Pennsylvania.

Wiles, Deborah. (2014). Revolution. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.

Book two in Wiles’ ‘60s trilogy opens with a Langston Hughes poem, printed in white type against a black background. This sets the tone for the unique genre-blurring book. Revolution uses multiple voices as several characters experience Freedom Summer from different perspectives, including a white girl named Sunny and a black boy named Ray who both sneak into a pool at night for different reasons. These varied narrators powerfully show how one’s experience of history is shaped by race in both obvious and subtle ways. This historical fiction exploration of how the summer “invaders” came to Greenwood, MI, is balanced by pages of documentary elements such as archival photographs, newspaper clippings, and quotes from pamphlets, fliers, speeches, and songs. Wiles provides more than 30 pages of back matter to complement the extensive research that shines through in this books.

—Lesley Colabucci, Millersville University of Pennsylvania

Grades 9-12

DeWoskin, Rachel. (2014). Blind. New York, NY: Viking.

When Emma and her family were watching the fireworks display, one of the rockets backfired and hit the crowd. Emma felt a burning sensation that left her blind. Throughout this descriptive and emotional novel, Emma learns how to read braille and to walk with a cane. The year spent at the Briarly School for the Blind is described in great detail and Emma’s inner resolve and resiliency prove to serve her well as she returns to her regular high school. The subplot of Claire Montgomery’s apparent suicide is interwoven throughout the novel, with Emma and her friends creating a support group to talk about life, death, and their fears. Like her friends, Emma is coping with the death of her classmate in her own way. She discovers an inner strength that helps her to overcome her own limitations and challenges. Her friendships are tested, but also evolve as she cycles through new understandings about others and about herself. This novel moves beyond how one copes with a disability; it provides a powerful examination into the world of teens and their relationships.

—Mary Napoli, Penn State Harrisburg
 
Sidman, Joyce. (2013). What the Heart Knows: Chants, Charms, & Blessings. Illus by   Pamela Zagarenski. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.

This collection of poems is divided into four sections with distinct purposes. Chants and charms aim to “bolster courage” and feature poems to invite sleep or happiness. Spells and invocations are designed to make things, like sandcastles and invisibility, happen. Laments and remembrances include reflections on regret and grief, both specific (a teddy bear) and general (“my old life”). Finally, the praise songs and blessings offer inspiration for showing love and gratitude. The accompanying illustrations have a dream-like quality that matches the overall tone of the collection. Students who may be inspired to write their own poems in spirit of these will find the definitions of the forms provided in the beginning of each section. This is a book for poetry lovers, writers, and dreamers of all sorts.

—Lesley Colabucci, Millersville University of Pennsylvania

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.