Dominican University

Graduate School of Library and Information Science

LIS 721.01 Library Materials for Children

3 credit hours

Spring 2008

Wednesdays 9:00 am-12:00 pm

Debra Mitts-Smith

Office Crown 314

Office Hours Tuesdays 2:00pm-4:00 pm

email: dmittssmith@dom.edu

I. Course Description:

Selection, evaluation and use of media for children in elementary and middles schools and public libraries. Materials in curricula areas are studied along with an examination of the relationships on materials to developmental characteristics and individual differences of the child, to curriculum and recreation, to the exceptional child, and to a multicultural society, Prerequisites or co-requisites 701, 703 and 704.

II. Learning Objectives:

 1. Apply the skills, techniques, and established criteria for evaluating, researching, reviewing, and selecting books for children;

2.  Demonstrate a knowledge of professional journals, collection development resources, and internet websites that support the evaluation, selection and discussion of  literature;

3. Describe the current trends, selection issues, and enduring characteristics of materials for children;

4.  Identify major authors, illustrators, and critics of materials for children ;

5.  Demonstrate a basic understanding of  interests and developmental needs and apply that understanding to selecting materials for children, ages birth–12.

III. Required Texts:

Required Background Reading

Hearne, Betsy and Deborah Stevenson. Choosing Books for Children. 3^rd ed. University of Illinois, 2000.

Horning, Kathleen.  From Cover to Cover: Evaluating and Reviewing Books. HarperCollins, 1997.

Silvey, Anita, editor.  The Essential Guide to Books and Their Creators.  Houghton Mifflin, 2002.

Required Children’s Books

It is not required that you purchase all the books for required reading. Most of the titles can be found in public and school libraries.  If you prefer to start your own professional library, many of these titles are available in paperback and can be purchased at trade bookstores or online from amazon.com. If you cannot find the particular titles listed, look at other titles by the same author/illustrator.  Bring books to class for discussion. Starred (*) books are classic and/or award winning books.

Picture Books

A B C

Azarian, Mary. Gardener's Alphabet. Houghton, 2000.

Cambell, Lisa. The Turn-Around Upside-Down Alphabet Book. Simon & Schuster, 2004.

Ehlert, Lois. Eating the Alphabet. Harcourt  Books, 1989.

Pelletier, David. The Graphic Alphabet. Scholastic, 1994.

Seeger, Laura Vaccaro. The Hidden Alphabet. Roaring Brook Press, 2003.

1 2 3…Counting Books

*Bang Molly.  Ten, Nine, Eight. Greenwillow, 1988.

Dodd, Emma. Dog’s Messy Day. Puffin, 2003.

Leedy, Loreen. Follow the Money; written and illus. by Loreen Leedy. Holiday House, 2002.

Lewis, J. Patrick. Arithme-Tickle: An Even Number of Odd Riddle-Rhymes; illus. by Frank Remkiewicz. Silver Whistle/Harcourt, 2002.

MacDonald, Suse. Fish, Swish! Splash! Dash!: Counting Round and Round. Simon, 2007.

*Morales, Yuyi. Just a Minute!: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book. Chronicle, 2003.

Concept Books

Blake, Michel. Baby’s Day; illustrated with photographs by Trish Gant. Candlewick, 2007.

Ehlert, Lois. Color Farm. Harper Collins, 1990.

Gravett, Emily. Orange Pear Apple Bear, Simon, 2007.

Gutman, Anne. Penelope in the Winter; written and illustrated by Anne Gutman and Georg Hallensleben, Cartwheel/Scholastic, 2005.

Henderson, Kathy. Look At You!: A Baby Body Book; illustrated by Paul Howard. Candlewick, 2007.

*Crews, Donald. Freight Train. Greenwillow, 1978.

*Hoban, Tana.  Cubes, Cones, Cylinders, & Spheres. Greenwillow, 2000.

Emberley, Rebecca. My Colors/Mis Colores; My Numbers/Mis Numeros. Little, Brown, 2000. 

Nursery Rhymes

Ada, Alma Flor, comp.  Mamá Goose: A Latino Nursery Treasury/Un tesoro de rimas infantiles.  Hyperion, 2005.

Crews, Nina. The Neighborhood Mother Goose. Amistad, 2003.

Wright, Blanche Fish. The Real Mother Goose. Cartwheel, 1994.

Stories for ages 0-5

*Allard, Harry. Miss Nelson is Missing! Houghton, 1977.

Bee, William.  Whatever.  Candlewick, 2005.

*Bemelmans, Ludwig.  Madeline. Simon & Schuster, 1939.

Bryant, Sean. A Boy and His Bunny; illus. by Tom Murphy. Arcade, 2005.

*Burningham, John. Mr. Gumpy’s Outing. Holt, 1970.

*Burton, Virginia Lee. Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel. Houghton, 1939.

*Carle, Eric.  The Very Hungry Caterpillar. World, 1969.

Cronin, Doreen. Wiggle; illus. by Scott Menchin. Atheneum, 2005.

Ehlert, Lois. Leaf Man. Harcourt, 2005.

Feiffer, Jules. The Daddy Mountain. di Capua/Hyperion, 2004.

Fleming, Candace. Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! Schwartz/Atheneum, 2002.

Fleming, Denise.  Lunch. Holt, 1995.

*Freeman, Don. Corduroy. Viking, 1968.
*Gag Wanda.  Millions of Cats.  Putnam, 1928.

*Geisel, Theodore (Dr. Seuss). And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street.  Vanguard, 1937.

Graham, Bob. “Let’s Get a Pup!” Said Kate. Candlewick, 2003.

Gravett, Emily. Orange Pear Apple Bear. Simon, 2007.

*Henkes, Kevin. Kitten’s First Full Moon. Greenwillow, 2004.

Jenkins, Emily. That New Animal; illus. by Pierre Pratt. Foster/Farrar, 2005.

*Johnson, Crockett.  Harold and the Purple Crayon. Harper, 1955.

*Keats, Ezra Jack. The Snowy Day.  Puffin, 1962.

*Kraus, Robert. Leo the Late Bloomer. Windmill, 1971.

*Krauss, Ruth. The Carrot Seed. Harper, 1945.

*Lionni, Leo. Frederick. Pantheon, 1968.

*McCloskey, Robert. Make Way for Ducklings. Viking, 1941.

*Mayer, Mercer.  There’s a Nightmare in My Closet. Dial, 1968.
Manning, Mick. Yuck! illus. by Brita Granstrom. Lincoln, 2005.

*Marshall, James.  George and Martha. Houghton, 1972.
*Martin, Bill, Jr. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Holt, 1983.

______. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. Scholastic, 1989.
Meddaugh, Susan.  Martha Calling. Houghton, 1994.

*Milne, A.A.  Winnie-The-Pooh.  Dutton, 1926.
Numeroff, Laura J. If You Give a Mouse A Cookie. Harper, 1985.

Ormerod, Jan. Lizzie Nonsense; written and illus. by Jan Ormerod. Clarion, 2005.

*Potter, Beatrix.  The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Warne, .

*Rathman, Peggy. Good night Gorilla, 1994.

Root, Phyllis. Looking for a Moose.  Candlewick, 2006.

Rosoff, Meg. Meet Wild Boars; illus. by Sophie Blackall. Holt, 2005

*Sendak, Maurice.  Where the Wild Things Are.  Harper, 1963.

Shannon, David. Good Boy, Fergus! Blue Sky/Scholastic, 2006.

*Slobodkina, Esphyr. Caps for Sale. Young Scott, 1940.
*Waber, Bernard. Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile. Houghton, 1965.
Wells, Rosemary. Max’s Breakfast. Dial, 1985.

*Willems, Mo. Knuffle Bunny. Hyperion, 2004.

*Wise Brown Margaret. Goodnight Moon. Harper & Row, 1947.

Wood, Audrey.  The Napping House. Harcourt, 1984.

*Zion, Gene.  Harry the Dirty Dog. Harper, 1956.

Fables, Fairy Tales and their Revisions

Bryan, Ashley.  Beautiful Blackbird.  Atheneum, 2003.

De Paola, Tomie.  Strega Nona. Prentice, 1975.

Evetts-Secker, Josephine. Little Red Riding Hood; illustrated by Nicoletta Ceccoli. Barefoot Books, 2004.

Galdone, Paul. The Three Little Pigs, Clarion Books, 1979.

Hamilton, Virginia. Bruh Rabbit and the Tar Baby Girl.  Bluesky Press/ Scholastic, 2003.

Hyman, Trina Schart. Little Red Riding Hood. Holiday House, 1982.

Kelly, John. The Mystery of Eatum Hall.  Candlewick, 2004.

La Fontaine. Hare and the Tortoise and Other Fables of La Fontaine.  Barefoot Books, 2006.

MacDonald, Margaret Read. Shake-It-Up Tales!  August House, 2000.
Marshall, George. Red Riding Hood. Puffin, 1993.

McKissack, Patricia. Flossie and the Fox. Dial, 1986.

___. Porch Lies: Tales of Slicksters, Tricksters, and Other Wily Characters. Schwartz & Wade Books, 2006.

Moon, Sarah. Little Red Riding Hood. Creative Company, 2002

Moser, Barry. The Three Little Pigs. Little, Brown Young Readers, 2001.

Scieszka, John The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by A. Wolfe. Scholastic, 1991.

___. Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales. Viking, 1992.

Taback, Simms. Kibitzers and Fools: Tales My Zayda Told Me. illus. Viking, 2005. 

 Zwerger, Little Red Cap. North South Books, 1995.

Picture Books for older children

Avi. Silent Movie. Anne Schwartz/Atheneum, 2004.

Fleischman, Paul. Sidewalk Circus; illus. by Kevin Hawkes. Candlewick, 2004.

Gaiman, Neil. Wolves in the Walls. HarperCollins, 2003.

*Leaf, Munro. The Story of Ferdinand. Viking, 1938.

Lester, Julius. What a Truly Cool World. Scholastic, 1998.
McKy, Katie. Pumpkin Town!: Or, Nothing is Better and Worse Than Pumpkins. Houghton, 2006.

*Pericoli, Matteo. The True Story of Stellina.  Knopf, 2006.

*Ringgold, Faith.  Tar Beach.  Crown, 1991.

*Rathmann, Peggy. Officer Buckle and Gloria, 1995.

Rohmann, Eric. Clara and Asha. Roaring Brook, 2005.

Shange, Ntozake   Ellington Was Not a Street, 2004.

Smith, Lane. John, Paul, George, and Ben. Hyperion, 2006.

*Steig, William.  Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. Simon & Schuster, 1969.
Weatherford, Carole Boston. Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-ins. Dial, 2005.

Williams, Mary. Brothers in Hope: The Story of the Lost Boys of Sudan. Lee & Low, 2005.

Woodson, Jacqueline.  The Other Side. Putnam, 2001.

Easy Readers

Adler, David A. Young Cam Jansen and the Double Beach Mystery. Viking, 2002.

*Bang-Campbell, Monika.  Little Rat Sets Sail.  Harcourt, 2002.

Brown, Marc. Arthur and the School Pet. Random House, 2003.

Byars, Betsy.  The Golly Sisters Go West. Harper, 1986.

Cazet, Denys.  Minnie and Moo Go Dancing.   DK Ink, 1998.

Driscoll, Laura. Apples and How They Grow;  illus. by Tammy Smith.   Grosset, 2003.

Fenner, Carol. Snowed in with Grandmother Silk. Illus. by Amanda Harvey. Dial, 2005.

*Geisel, Theodore (Dr. Seuss). The Cat in the Hat.  Random House, 1957.

*Hoban, Lillian.  Arthur’s Honey Bear. Harper, 1974.

Hoff, Syd.  Mrs. Brice’s Mice.  Harper, 1988.

*Howe, James. Pinky and Rex and the Just-Right Pet. Simon & Schuster, 2001.
Koss, Amy Goldman. Where Fish Go in Winter and Other Great Mysteries. Dial, 2000.

*Lobel, Arnold.  Frog and Toad Are Friends. Harper, 1970.

McCall, Francis.  A Huge Hog Is a Big Pig: A Rhyming Word Game.  Greenwillow, 2002. 

*Minarik, Else Holmelund.  A Kiss for Little Bear.  Harper, 1968.

*Parish, Peggy.  Amelia Bedelia. Harper, 1963.

*Rylant, Cynthia.  Henry and Mudge.  Simon & Schuster, 1987.

_____.  Puppy Mudge Takes a Bath;  illus. by Isidre Mones.   Simon, 2002

*Schwartz, Alvin.  In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories.  Harper, 1984.

*Sharmat, Marjorie.  Nate the Great and the Pillowcase. Delacorte, 1993.

*Yolen, Jane.  Commander Toad in Space. Putnam, 1980.

Transitional Books

*Atwater, Florence and Richard.  Mr. Popper’s Penguins.  Little, 1938.

Bunting, Eve. Wanna Buy an Alien? Illus. by Timothy Bush. Clarion, 2000.

*Danziger, Paula.  Amber Brown Is Not a Crayon.  Putnam, 1994.
Grimes, Nikki. Danitra Brown Leaves Town. HarperCollins, 2002.

*Howe, James. Bunnicula. Atheneum, 2002.
Hurwitz, Johanna. Mostly Monty. Candlewick, 2007.

King-Smith, Dick. Babe: The Gallant Pig, Crown, 1983.

Pinkwater, Daniel. Fat Camp Commandos; illus. by Andy Rash. Scholastic, 2000.
*Robertson, Keith.  Henry Reed, Inc.  Viking, 1958.

*Rockwell, Thomas. How to Eat Fried Worms.  Watts, 1973.

Sachar, Louis.  Marvin Redpost: Why Pick on Me? Random, 1993.

Sciezka, John. Time Warp Trio

General and Realistic Fiction

*Blume,Judy:  Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret.  Bradbury, 1970.

Choldenko, Gennifer. Al Capone Does My Shirts. Putnam, 2004.

Cleary, Beverly. Ramona Quimby, Age 8.  Morrow, 1981.

Finney, Patricia.  I, Jack. HarperCollins, 2004.

*Fitzhugh, Louise.  Harriet the Spy.  Harper, 1964.

*Gantos, Jack.  Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key. Farrar, 1998.

*Paterson, Katherine.  The Great Gilly Hopkins.  Crowell, 1978.

*Spinelli, Jerry.  Wringer.  HarperCollins, 1997. 

Any Captain Underpants novel by Dave Pilkey

Informational Books

Allen, Thomas B. George Washington, Spymaster: How the Americans Outspied the British and Won the Revolutionary War. National Geographic, 2004.

Bortolotti, Dan. Tiger Rescue: Changing the Future for Endangered Wildlife. Firefly, 2003.

Burleigh, Robert. Tiger of the Snows. Atheneum, 2006.

*Davies, Nicola. Poop: A Natural History of the Unmentionable.  Candlewick, 2004

Dunham, Kelli. The Boy's Body Book. Boys World, 2007.

Giblin, James Cross. The Mystery of the Mammoth Bones. HarperCollins, 1999.

*Jenkins, Steve. Actual Size.  Houghton, 2004.

Levine, Karen. Hana's Suitcase: A True Story. Albert Whitman, 2003.

McKissack, Patricia C. Hard Labor: The First African Americans, 1619. Aladdin, 2004

*Murphy, Jim.  An American Plague.  Clarion Books/Houghton Mifflin, 2003.

Ray, Jane, ad.  Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden.  Eerdmans, 2005.

Scieszka, Jon. Math Curse.  Viking, 1995.

Simon, Seymour. Tornadoes. Morrow, 1999.

*Thimmesh, Catherine. Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon. Houghton, 2006.

Historical Fiction

Avi. The Fighting Ground. Lippincott, 1984.

*Collier. My Brother Sam is Dead. Simon & Schuster, 1984.

*Forbes, Esther. Johnny Tremain. Houghton Mifflin, 1943.

Adventure & Survival

*Cole, Brock. The Goats. Farrar, 1986.

*Creech, Sharon.  Walk Two Moons.  HarperCollins, 1994.

*Konigsburg, E. L. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. Atheneum, 1967.

*Paulsen, Gary. Hatchet . Bradbury, 1987. 

*Sachar, Louis.  Holes.  Farrar, 1998.

Any of the Lemony Snicket novels

Mysteries & Supernatural

Bruchac, Joseph. Skeleton Man.  Scholastic, 2001.

Clements, Andrew. Room One: A Mystery or Two. Simon & Schuster, 2006.
Gaiman, Neil.  Coraline. HarperCollins, 2002. 

*Hamilton, Virginia.  The House of Dies Drear. Macmillan, 1968.

Van Draanen, Wendelin. Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief.  Knopf, 1998.
Vande Velde, Vivian. Ghost of a Hanged Man. Marshall Cavendish, 1998.

Fantasy & Science Fiction

*Alexander, Lloyd.  The Book of Three. Holt, 1964.

*Babbit, Natalie.  Tuck Everlasting. Farrar, 1975.

Colfer, Eoin. Artemis Fowl. Hyperion, 2001.

*Cooper, Susan. The Dark Is Rising. Atheneum, 1973.

*DiCamillo, Kate.  The Tale of Despereaux.  Candlewick, 2003.

*L’Engle, Madeline. A Wrinkle in Time.  Doubleday, 1973.

Rowling, J.K.  Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Scholastic, 1998.

Poetry and Novels in Verse

Janeczko, Paul B. Kick in the Head: An Everyday Guide to Poetic Forms.  Candlewick, 2005.

Argueta, Jorge. Talking with Mother Earth/Hablando con Madre Tierra. Groundwood, 2006.

Clarke, Gillian. The Whispering Room: Haunted Poems. Kingfisher, 1996

*Creech, Sharon.  Love That Dog. Scholastic, 2001.

Florian, Douglas. Bow Wow Meow Meow: It's Rhyming Cats and Dogs. Harcourt, 2003.

Grimes, Nikki.  At Jerusalem's Gate: Poems of Easter.  Eerdmans, 2005

Herrera, Juan Felipe. Downtown Boy. Scholastic Press, 2005.

*Hesse, Karen. Out of the Dust.  Scholastic, 1997.

Ho, Minfong, comp. Maples in the Mist:  Poems from the Tang Dynasty. Lothrop, 1996.

*Myers, Christopher.  Black Cat. Scholastic, 1999.

Prelutsky, Jack. Headless Horseman Rides Tonight:  More Poems to Trouble Your Sleep. Greenwillow, 1980.

*Silverstein, Shel.  Where the Sidewalk Ends.  HarperCollins, 1974.

Smith,Hope Anita.  The Way a Door Closes. Holt, 2003.

*Stevenson, Robert Louis.  A Child’s Garden of Verses.  Morrow, 1998.

IV. Assignments and Course Requirements:

1.) Class Participation (15 points):

This is a reading intensive course. In order to fully participate in the discussions and to fulfill course assignments, you need to read the assigned texts. Through discussion students demonstrate that they have read and reflected upon the materials assigned. My classes are defined by communication and collaboration: open discussion is the rule; questions or comments concerning the works(s) under discussion are relevant and valid. Come to every class on time and prepared to participate in discussions and group activities related to the assigned books and any other assignments. If you do not contribute to class or group discussions, you will lose one half point per session.

Habitual lateness and/or absences will affect your class participation grade.  You will lose one half point for each time that you are late and one point per missed session.

2.) Review a picture book title (10 points):

Due date: Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Length 300-350 words double-spaced.

Description: A professional book review briefly summarizes the book while providing the reviewer’s opinion of the book’s merits or weaknesses.  Clear and concise writing is essential.

Choose a contemporary picture book not on our reading lists and published within the last five years to review. Your reviews should be suitable for publication in a professional reviewing journal.

Points to consider/include:

• Along with the complete bibliographic information of the book being reviewed, include the ISBN, page numbers, and age level of the book.
• You are writing your review for librarians and teachers. What do they need and want to know about the book?
• You also need to consider the book’s intended audience. In what ways are the subject matter, narrative style, reading level, etc appealing or appropriate for the work’s intended audience? What is the age group of the intended audience? Will the book succeed in reaching this audience? 
• Include an evaluation of (relevant) literary/design elements such as plot, characterization, pace, theme, organization, artwork, addenda, context, tone, point of view, etc.
• Refer to specific portions of the book to support your opinion; be sure to put any quotes from the book in quotation marks.
• Compare the book being reviewed to other works by the same author or to other books dealing with similar themes. In other words try to situate the work within the wider body of children’s literature. 

3.) Book Talk with promotional bibliographic flyer (20 points):

Various due dates: Wednesday March 12, 19, 26 or April 2, 2008

Length: 15 minutes maximum. You will be timed, and I will stop you at 15 minutes. if you do not finish on time or if you finish too soon (more than 3 minutes early), your grade will be reduced by 2 points. This means you need to practice and time your talk. Presenting within the allotted time is an important skill. It reflects not only courtesy to your host and audience, but also your ability to identify and synthesize the points you want to make.   

• Coverage: 8 to 10 books Note: You may use up to four books from the required reading list.

Content requirements:

· Have a thematic link between books

· Include a very brief introduction, conclusion, segue/connection between books.

· Include a variety of books: consider genre, setting, era, reading level, fiction/nonfiction.

· Include a variety of methods: brief description, questions the book will answer, read-aloud.

· Indicate the age group of your audience young adult audience.

Format/Oral Presentation:

· Remember visual audience appeal (movement, props, eye contact, etc.)

· Remember audio audience appeal (consider delivery, pace, manner)

· All books featured in the booktalk should be present (the actual, physical objects) and visible to your audience.

B. Promo-Flyer with annotations

Content:

· Include all books featured in booktalk plus additional titles for a total of 15 books.

· Include minimal bibliographic information (author, title, publisher, date) for each work.

· 1-2 sentence informational annotation or teaser for five books.

Format requirements:

• No larger than 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper—it may be flat or folded, single or double-sided

• Visual appeal aimed at young people
• Your choice of color, graphics, format (book mark, single-fold flyer, handout, etc.)
• Provide one copy for the instructor and one for each of your classmates. The handout for the instructor should look precisely as you would wish it to look (color, type, graphics, paper) if you were producing it for a group of young people.  The handouts for your classmates may be black & white photocopies of the original.

4.) Review a fiction or nonfiction title for children, ages 9-12 (10 points):

Due Date: Wednesday April 9, 2008

Length: 300-350 words double-spaced.

Description: A professional book review briefly summarizes the book while providing the reviewer’s opinion of the book’s merits or weaknesses.  Clear and concise writing is essential.

Choose a contemporary fictional work or nonfiction book not on our reading lists and published within the last five years to review. Your reviews should be suitable for publication in a professional reviewing journal.

Points to consider/include:

• Along with the complete bibliographic information of the book being reviewed, include the ISBN, page numbers, and age level of the book.
• You are writing your review for librarians and teachers. What do they need and want to know about the book?
• You also need to consider the book’s intended audience. In what ways are the subject matter, narrative style, reading level, etc appealing or appropriate for the work’s intended audience? What is the age group of the intended audience? Will the book succeed in reaching this audience? 
• Include an evaluation of (relevant) literary/design elements such as plot, characterization, pace, theme, organization, artwork, addenda, context, tone, point of view, bibliography, sources etc.
• Refer to specific portions of the book to support your opinion; be sure to put any quotes from the book in quotation marks.
• Compare the book being reviewed to other works by the same author or to other books dealing with similar themes. In other words try to situate the work within the wider body of children’s literature. 

5.) Reader’s Theater group project (15 points):

Due date: April 16, 2008

Length: 20 minute presentation and original script (length will vary) (Note: Your presentation will be timed—if you do not finish on time or if you finish too soon (more than 3 minutes early), your grade will be reduced by 2 points. This means you need to practice and time your talk. Presenting within the allotted time is an important skill. It reflects not only courtesy to your host and audience, but also your ability to identify and synthesize the points you want to make.   

Create a Reader’s Theater presentation from one book of choice. Each group will present your script as a celebration of literature.

What is “Reader’s Theatre?”

Reader’s Theatre employs reading aloud and creative dramatics to represent a literary work via scripting, excerpting, and interpretative presentation. This form of literature presentation is particularly valuable in cross-curricular literature activities in language arts, drama, social studies, foreign language, and humanities.

Reader’s Theater:

• Reinforces literacy as a community and collaborative event, stressing the creative, participatory aspects of literature
• Allows multiple points of access to a book, supporting a literary experience that can expand a child’s awareness of literature.
• Is a dynamic presentation of literary elements (plot, exposition, character, etc.) which enhances and makes visible themes in a particular work.
• Offers experiential, project-based learning and expands the definition of “reading a book”

Find out more:

http://www.literacyconnections.com/ReadersTheater.html

http://www.teachingbooks.net/

http://www.cdli.ca/CITE/langrt.htm

            www.aaronshep.com/rt

            http://www.loiswalker.com/catalog/teach.html

Elements of the project:

· Presentation of your reader’s theatre event;

· Your original script turned in to me on paper as well as posted to the Blackboard for your colleagues;

· Props or costumes are optional. Keep it simple! Let the story, your scripting, and your presentation do the work!;

· A thorough enjoyment and love of your selected book; enthusiasm is contagious!

Presentations will be graded on:

• Selection

• Introduction
• Scripting
• Narration
• Staging
• Vocal and physical elements

6.) Research paper (30 points)

Due Date: Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Length: 12 to 15 double-spaced pages, plus bibliography.

The final project is a research paper in which you investigate some aspect of children’s literature that is of interest to you. This involves original research focusing on some facet of the course content covered in LIS 721, Library Materials for Children. This project allows you to explore a topic of interest to you and create some piece of new (new to you, anyway) knowledge. Prior to beginning your research, you need to discuss your topic with the instructor. Broad areas to be included in your paper (not necessarily in this order):

• the book(s) you will be focusing on;
• research question(s);
• introduction or context for topic;
• data/information/evidence that supports your findings;
• analysis;
• conclusion;
• questions unanswered or raised by your research;
• citations and bibliography. 

V.        Assessment:

GRADING 

Grades are based on attendance, participation, and the quality of written and oral presentations.

Attendance, Tardiness, and Participation

My classes are defined by communication and collaboration: open discussion is the rule; questions or comments concerning the works(s) under discussion are relevant and valid. Come to every class on time and prepared to participate in discussions and group activities related to the assigned books and any other assignments. If you do not contribute to class or group discussions, you will lose one half point per session.

Habitual lateness and/or absences will affect your class participation grade.  You will lose one half point for each time that you are late and one point per missed session.

Format for Written Assignments 

Written work should be double-spaced with 1 or 1.5 inch margins, with no less than 12 point type in typefaces such as Time New Roman, Arial, Palatino Linotype, or Sylfaen.    

Your name, the class number (LIS 721 01), the name of the assignment, and the due date, single-spaced, should be on the upper left hand corner of your written work.  Please include your name in 10 point type in the footer of all standard format assignments.

Your grade will be based on:

• the quality of your written work, including content, grammar, punctuation, and spelling;
• your treatment of the assignment and topic;
• your fulfillment of the assignment’s requirements;
• clarity of organization;
• visible demonstration of effort;

Professional, grammatically correct writing is expected.  In other words, spelling, punctuation, and grammar count.  It is always a good ides to have someone else read your written work. Please remember that spell-check will not always catch your errors.

All assignments must be turned in by the due date in order to receive full credit. For each day that an assignment is late, you will lose half a grade. Due dates are not flexible unless an agreement is made with the instructor at least 24 hours in advance of class time on the due date.  Emergencies will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

Oral Presentations

All presentations will be timed. I will stop you at the allotted time. If you do not finish on time or if you finish too soon (more than 3 minutes early), your grade for that assignment will be reduced by 2 points. In addition you will be graded on:

• the content of your work, including  grammar;
• your treatment of the assignment and topic;
• your fulfillment of the assignment’s requirements;
• clarity of organization;
• visible demonstration of effort.

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with the highest standards of academic honesty and integrity. Appropriate credit must be given to original creators of all works used. Please see the College of St. Catherine Student Handbook for the full statement of Academic Integrity.

Grading scale:

96-100     A

90-95       A-

86-89      B

80-85      B-

76-79       C

70-75       C-

Below 70 is failing

GSLIS GRADING POLICY (Effective 12/15/2004)

The faculty of GSLIS Dominican uses the following guidelines when grading. 

Grade	Numeric Equivalent	Definition
A	4.0	Outstanding achievement.  Student performance demonstrates full command of the course materials and evinces a high level of originality and/or creativity that far surpasses course expectations; nearly flawless work.
A-	3.67	Excellent achievement.  Student performance demonstrates thorough knowledge of the course materials and exceeds course expectations by completing all requirements in a superior manner.
B+	3.33	Good solid work.  Student demonstrates strong comprehension of the course materials and exceeds course expectations on all tasks as defined in the course syllabus.
B	3.0	Satisfactory acceptable work.  Student performance meets designated course expectations, demonstrates understanding of the course materials and performs at an acceptable level.
B-	2.67	Marginal work.  Student performance demonstrates incomplete, substandard understanding of course materials, or absence of required work; indicates danger of falling below acceptable grading standard.
C+	2.33	Unsatisfactory work.  Student performance demonstrates  unsatisfactory understanding of course materials and inability to meet course requirements.
C	2.0	Unacceptable work.  Student performance demonstrates incomplete and inadequate understanding of course materials.
C-	1.67	Poor work.
F	0.0	Failing grade.

VI.      Course Calendar:

Week 1: January 16^th

Introduction: to course, syllabus, readings and assignments; overview of collection development tools and resources.

Web Resources:  Explore the following sites:

http://www.lib.muohio.edu/pictbks

http://www.lis.uiuc.edu/puboff/bccb/

http://slj.reviewsnews.com/

http://www.cbcbooks.org/

 Literature Comprehensive Databases (Crown Databases)

Novelist K-8 (Crown Databases)

Week 2: January 23^rd

History and Overview: of Literature for Children, library services for children, and the concept of childhood.

Assignments for week 2

Read:

Horning pp. 1-24

Hearne Introduction, chapter 1 & 12

Week 3: January 30^th

Reading, literacy, and picture books: including the conventions of reading, an overview of book illustration, and how text and image work; discussion of A B C, 1 2 3, concept books young children. 

Assignments for week 3

Read:

Picture Books/A B C, 1 2 3, and concept books (see reading list for specific titles)

Silvey pp. 12-15; 21-24; 74-75; 105-107; 133-135; 348-352; 366-368

Browse:

Silvey re: authors/illustrators read for this week

The following sites:

http://www.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=key_language

http://www.carolhurst.com/subjects/criticalpicture.html

http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/concept.htm

All really good picture books are written to be read five hundred times.

Rosemary Wells

Week 4: February 6th

Picture Books for Young children: discussion of stories for young children.

Assignments for week 4

Read:

Picture Books/Stories for Young Children

Hearne chapters 2 & 3

Horning pp. 87-120

Browse:

Silvey re: authors/illustrators read for this week

http://picturingbooks.imaginarylands.org

Week 5: February 13th

Picture Books for Older Children: discussion of folk and fairy tales and their revisions, fictional picture books for older children.

Assignments for week 5

Read:

Picture Books for Older Children and Fables, Folk and Fairy tales

Hearne: chapter 8

Hearne, Betsy. “Cite the Source: Reducing Cultural Chaos in Picture Books, Part One” School Library Journal, July 1993;  http://people.lis.uiuc.edu/~ehearne//cite.html

Hearne, Betsy. “Respect the Source: Reducing Cultural Chaos in Picture Books, Part Two” School Library Journal, August 1993;  http://www.lis.uiuc.edu/~hearne/respect.html

Horning pp 46-68

Silvey pp. 1-2; 15-19; 184-185; 346-347

Browse:

Silvey re: authors/illustrators read for this week

http://www.mythsoc.org/mythlore/

Week 6: February 20th

Book Reviewing and Caldecotts: Close reading of a book review; elements of a review; and the Caldecott Medal, history & process.

Assignments for week 6

Read: Caldecott Medal and Honor Winners

Read: Horning, pp. 176-194

Read: Silvey pp. 74-75

Read: Caldecott Manual: http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/boardcomm/mar2005_Caldecott_Manual.pdf

Little Red Riding Hood was my first love.  I felt that if I could have married Little Red Riding Hood I should have known perfect bliss.  ~Charles Dickens

A book worth reading only in childhood is not worth reading even then.  ~C.S. Lewis

Week 7: February 27^th

Easy readers and transitional books: discussion of beginning readers and chapter books.

Assignments for week 7

Read:

Easy Readers (see reading list for specific titles)

Transitional Books (see reading list for specific titles)

Hearne chapter 4

Horning pp. 121-148

Silvey pp. 80-81; 135-138; 301-304

Browse:

Silvey re: this week’s authors and illustrators

Due: Book Review of Picture Book

Spring break: No class on March 5^th

Week 8: March 12^th

Realistic and General Fiction: discussion of realistic and general fiction and elements of style.

Assignments for week 8

Read:

Realistic and General Fiction (see reading list for specific titles)

Hearne chapters 5, 10 & 11

Horning pp 149-175

Silvey pp145-148; 301-304

Browse: Sivley re: this week’s authors and illustrators

The following sites

http://www.fairrosa.info/readingroom.html#classics

http://www.lib.usm.edu/%7Edegrum/

www.readingrockets.com

http://childrensbooks.about.com/cs/reluctantreaders/a/reluctantreader.htm

http://www.ala.org/ala/booklinksbucket/graphicnovelsforyounger.htm

http://www.reading.org/publications/reading_today/samples/RTY-0408-boys.html

Due: Book Talk

Week 9: March 19^th

Historical Fiction, Adventure & Survival: discussion of genres and books.

Assignments for week 9

Read:

Historical Fiction and Adventure & Survival (see reading list for specific titles)

Silvey 198-202; 439-440

Browse:

Silvey re: this week’s authors and illustrators

The following sites:

http://teacher.scholastic.com/lessonrepro/lessonplans/instructor/social1.htm

Due: Book Talk

Week 10: March 26^th

Informational Books:  elements of nonfiction and discussion of works.

Assignments for week 10

Read:

Informational Books (see reading list for specific titles)

Hearne chapter 9

Horning pp 22-45

Silvey pp. 217-221

Browse:

Silvey re: authors/illustrators read for this week

The following sites:

http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/nonfictcriteria.htm

Due: Book Talk

Week 11: April 2^nd

Reader’s Theater Prep: Come to class ready to discuss your understanding of Reader’s Theater in light of the recommended websites. Group work focusing on the selection and planning of your project: decide what sort of reading selection you prefer to use, how you will handle the written part of the assignment, etc. 

Assignments for week 11

Explore these following sites on Reader’s Theater:

http://www.literacyconnections.com/ReadersTheater.html

http://www.teachingbooks.net/

http://www.cdli.ca/CITE/langrt.htm

Due: Book Talk

Drama, as many teachers are discovering, is not only fun and natural for children, it also encourages emotional growth, motivation, and engagement.  One form of drama, known as Reader's Theater, has been found to be particularly effective in building reading fluency.  Called simply "RT" by many advocates, Reader's Theater can also boost listening and speaking skills, enhance confidence, and transform reluctant readers into book lovers. 

~Jennifer O. Precott

You must write for children the same way you write for adults, only better. ~Maxim Gorky

Week 12 April 9^th

Fantasy& Science Fiction: genre consideration and discussion of titles.

Assignments for week 12

Read:

Fantasy and Science Fiction (see reading list for specific titles)

Silvey pp. 148-151; 398-401

Browse:

Silvey re: authors/illustrators read for this week

Due: Book Review of Fictional or Nonfiction work

Fantasy's hardly an escape from reality.  It's a way of understanding it. ~Lloyd Alexander

Week 13 April 16^th

Mysteries and Supernatural: genre consideration and discussion of titles.

Assignments for week 13

Read:

Mysteries and Supernatural (see reading list for specific titles)

Silvey pp. 315-320

Browse:

Silvey re: authors/illustrators read for this week

The following sites:

www.mysterywriters.org

Due: Reader’s Theater Presentations

Week 14 April 23^rd

Poetry & novels-in-verse: poetry and literacy; its uses in the library.

Award Winners: review of different book awards and a discussion of award winners that we have read throughout the semester—what makes a winner?

Assignments for week 14

Read:

Poetry and novels-in-verse (see reading list for specific titles)

Hearne chapter7

Horning pp. 69-86

Silvey pp. 28-30; 357-361

Browse:

Silvey re: authors/illustrators read for this week

The following sites

http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/fil/pages/listpoetrymr14.html

http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=bookmediaawards

The sound of a word is at least as important as the meaning.~Jack Prelutsky 

Week 15 April 30^th

Presentations on final project

Class Evaluation

Assignments for week 15:

Presentations

Due: Final projects and presentation