In the past few years, there has been increasing demand from school librarians for books for "reluctant readers"--despite the impressive offering of children's literature published each year and the success of blockbuster series like "Harry Potter, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Twilight," and "Hunger Games," among others. This is also in addition to all…

In this paper the author relates how the thing he enjoys most about his job as a school librarian is nurturing lifelong readers, in particular readers of children's literature. In talking about nurturing lifelong readers and, referring to students, staff and school librarians, the author discusses: (1) The Southwell Library Programme; (2) The Lit…

Based on more than twenty years' experience working to get boys interested in reading, the author now offers his first readers' advisory volume. With an emphasis on nonfiction and the boy-friendly categories of genre fiction, the work offers a wealth of material including: (1) Suggestions for how to booktalk one-on-one as well as in large groups;…

What kinds of books do children want to read? And how can a teacher find those books? The author provides some ideas for interesting new books in the categories of graphic novels, humorous adventures, poetry, and books about math.

The reading students are required to do for school bears little semblance to the reading they do outside of school. Students today are reading the same texts in school that students read a generation ago, but the varieties of text used outside of school are much different. One result is that many students are unmotivated to become readers.…

Offering over 300 successful "booktalks" for librarians, teachers, and parents, this book shows how to "hook" reluctant readers onto books. The field-tested booktalks (brief "commercials" for books that give just enough information to promote reading the book) are divided into three reading levels: elementary, middle…

This book presents ideas for more than 350 booktalks to use with children in grades 1-8. It is written in a conversational style and is divided thematically into the following seven high-interest chapters: (1) "Great Disasters," including shipwrecks and disasters at sea, fires, floods, diseases and other natural disasters; (2) "Fun…

Offering over 200 ready-to-use, successful "booktalks" for librarians, teachers, and parents, this book shows how to "hook" reluctant readers onto books. The field-tested booktalks are brief "commercials" for books that give just enough information to promote reading the book, and that help match the right reader with…

Describes how a committee of children's librarians created a booklist that allowed young readers to talk to other readers through published book annotations. Discusses development, promotion, and judging of a contest that encouraged children to submit new ideas and resulted in a list of entries from children at 55 schools. Includes sample winning…

The Newbery and Caldecott awards were established to encourage authors, illustrators, editors, and publishers to produce the most remarkable works to stimulate the mind, satisfy the curiosity, broaden horizons, and raise the hope of all children. With its vivid annotations for all winning titles and honor books since the awards' inception (Newbery…

Each year the Newbery and Caldecott Medals are awarded by the American Library Association for the most distinguished American children's books published the previous year. With its annotations for all winning titles and honor books since the inception of the awards (Newbery in 1922 to be awarded annually to the author of the most distinguished…

Offers five "images" (personal recollections) of reader response in the life of the author/educator. Suggests that while each image offers insight into the nature of response, each still supports the need for initial personal connections to the text whether the ultimate goal is motivating readers, enhancing reading ability, or creating…

Argues that teachers, librarians, and writers for the young are part of a proud tradition when they invite young people to come of age with books in their hands, books that offer community, friends, elders, honest aid and comfort, questions to ponder, mirrors that reflect the reader's face, and doorways that open to a wider place. (SR)

Intended to encourage young people to read, this 140-item annotated bibliography features books chosen because they are distinguished in their categories, have broken new ground in children's publishing, or were written for adults only to be taken by children as their own. The list is presented in 4 age groups: preschool to age 7; middle readers,…

The Teachers as Readers Project, originally developed by the American Association of Publishers, helps teachers encourage students to become lifelong readers. Teachers as Readers Book Groups consist of teachers and librarians who meet on a regular basis to read and discuss the same literature--at least four quality children's or adolescents' books…