Poetry

Poetry

Text Book Reflection

Poetry is a literary form that is frequently over looked and under-appreciated. Given the right poems with the right level of excitement from the adults introducing poetry and student just might give this ignored section of the library a second chance. Research shows that there are five elements when selecting poetry for children. This study shows that children like narrative poems, poems that tell a story but they dislike free verse and haiku. Those poems that utilize rhyme, rhythm and other sound devices (such as alliteration) are enjoyed more. Students also are attracted to funny poems, poems with familiar experiences and, of course, animals. They also find contemporary poems more enjoyable than older, more traditional poem.

When evaluating poetry for students, librarians need to look at the following: the sound of the poem, the language and rhythm, sensory images, rhyme, humor, emotional intensity, quality imagination, substance and purpose. Some other ideas to note are that students respond positively to visual images and words that expand the imagination. Poetry that children remember usually involves a part of the poem where they can interact in some way such as choral readings. Make sure the poems selected are good enough for multiple readings and that they are not “watered down’ for students.

When choosing poetry for children use awards, such as NTCE Award for Poetry, to help find quality poems. A few other ideas to keep in mind include: Can children understand the poem easily? Does the poem stir emotions? Does the poem play with the sound of language? Is the poem age appropriate? Does it allow the reader to interact with the poem? Does it stand up to repeated reading? Will it stay with the reader for life?  These are questions for librarians to keep in mind while making selections for their poetry collections.

Awards

Awards

Text Book Reflection

There are many awards presented to authors and novels for young adults. These awards enable librarians to help build their collections with quality literature that will interest students across a wide selection of literature from realistic fiction and fantasy, to nonfiction and graphic novels. The Printz Award is given to books that exemplify excellence in young adult literature. Awards of excellence are also given by YALSA for nonfiction, graphic novels and new young adult authors. YALSA also publishes serval lists that contains books considered the Best of to assist librarians in the selecting of new materials for their collections. They have also developed a Best of paperback lists that includes interesting categories such as “It’s the end of the world as we know it” and “Once upon a twisted time”. There are other honors such as the Edwards Award given to authors for a body of work that contributes a lasting contribution to young adult literature. The ALEX award is given to ten books every year written for adults, that also appeal to teens. The Odyssey Award is given to the best audiobook and there is also a list published by YALSA containing 30 of the best audiobooks for the year. There is also an award given to books nominated and voted on by teens, The Teens Top Ten, hosted by YALSA. The International Literacy Association, also hosts a teen driven list every year spotlighting teen nominated books. To help find books for reluctant readers, YALSA also sponsors a significant list for this hard to target audience.

There are also awards for various categories of young adult literature. The Edgar Award is for mysteries, NCTE Award for Poetry, the Orbis Pictus for nonfiction, Sibert Award for the best informational book, the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical fiction, the Pura Belpre Award for best portrayal of the Latino experience, Schneider Family Book Award for the best portrayal of a child with disabilities and the Stonewall Award for honoring GLBT literature.

Texas also sponsors its own lists to help encourage reading: Lone Star List is for Jr. High students, TAYSHAS reading list is for High School age students and the Maverick list spotlights graphic novels.

Literary Elements

Literary Elements

Text Book Reflection

When looking at literature, there are many literary elements that are involved in creating a story. Elements such as character (who), setting (when and where), and plot (what) are the basic foundations of most stories. Elements such as conflict and mood/tone help enrich the story by creating the atmosphere of the book. The strengths or weaknesses of protagonist (main character) and the antagonist (the opposition) also help create interest in the novel. How all of these elements work together is what make a story unique. There are also many literary devices including allegory, allusion, archetype, deus ex machine, hyperbole, imagery, metaphor, motif, point of view, simile and symbolism. All of these elements and devices need to be reflected on as you read a book that might be added to your collection. Noting which novels display the best of the devices will help librarians assist teachers in selecting quality literature to teach these devices.

A major element that can be found in picture books and novels alike is theme. Theme is the message the author is trying to convey to readers. The theme has to be stated in a complete thought and must have a global message meaning it applies to the world at large. There may also be more than one theme in the book and the theme can be supported in the text. Theme is NOT: the main idea, a topic, a summary, an old saying, or defined in a single word. Theme is a very hard concept to teach and for students to understand. As a librarian, I would suggest using picture books to help teach students (of all ages) about theme.