Dominican University Mission: Dominican University, a comprehensive Catholic institution sponsored by the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters, prepares candidates to pursue truth, to give compassionate service and to participate in the creation of a more just and humane world.  The University Motto, Caritas et Veritas, characterizes the essence of this mission.

 

Dominican University

Graduate School of Library and Information Science

LIS 722 01: Library Materials for Young Adults

Spring, 2007

Thursdays, 6:00-9:00 pm

 

Contact Information:

Debra Mitts-Smith

Lewis 480

708-524-6604

dmittssmith@dom.edu

Office Hours: Thursdays 3:00-5:00pm and by appointment

 

Course Goals and Objectives

The goal of this course is to provide graduate library school students with an understanding of the scope of contemporary young adult literature in the United States, to acquaint them with the tools necessary to effectively address young adult literature collection development issues, and to kindle the enthusiasm and intellectual curiosity needed to pursue mastery of this ever-burgeoning field. 

 

Reaching this goal will enable students to achieve the following objectives:

 

  • To arrive at a working definition of young adult (YA) and YA literature;
  • To gain an understanding of the history of YA literature;
  • To become familiar with a range of authors, works, & genres for YAs;
  • To gain experience in discussing YA literature & resources;

·        To apply the skills, techniques, and established criteria for evaluating, reviewing, and selecting young adult books;

  • To demonstrate knowledge of print and electronic professional journals and collection development resources that support the evaluation, selection, and discussion of YA literature;

·        To become familiar with techniques for introducing literature to YAs;

  • To identify and discuss literary and societal trends and issues, including intellectual freedom, affecting work with young adults in libraries and schools;
  • To gain an understanding of and familiarity with forms of popular culture oriented toward and appealing to young adults.

 

 

 

Course Requirements/Assignments

 

Participation:

Participation requires that you read all assigned texts and that you attend class. Come to every class on time and be prepared to participate in discussions. Open discussion is the rule in my class; any question or comment relevant to the topic at hand is welcome. Through discussion students will not only demonstrate that they have read and reflected upon the materials assigned, but will contribute to an atmosphere of open inquiry that will facilitate the learning process for all of us. If you are going to be absent, you need to contact me before class begins. Absences and tardiness will adversely affect your grade. For each session you will receive .5 point for attendance and .5 point for participation. If you arrive late you will receive .5 point for that session. (15 points)

 

Papers, presentations and projects:

 

1.) Reading/literacy autobiography (3-5 pages, 10 points; due January 25)

 

2.) Author Presentation (15 points; sign up for due date)

 

3.) Observation Paper (3-5 pages; 10 points; due March 1)

 

4.) Booktalk and flyer (15 points; sign up for due date)

 

5.) Book Review (10 points; due April 19)

 

6.) Book discussion portfolio with presentation (25 points; due May 3, 2007)

 

 

See assignment packet for directions and expectations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preferred Format for Written Assignments

Written work should be double-spaced with 1 or 1.5  inch margins, with no less than 12 point type.   

No title page is required.  Your name, the class number (LIS 722 01), the name of the assignment, and the due date, single-spaced, should be on the upper left hand corner of your written work.  (Note: this does not apply to the booktalk flyer or the author/illustrator handout.)

GRADING

Grades are based on:

  • comprehensive attention to both the topic and the assignment requirements
  • clarity of organization  
  • quality of written work
  • quality of oral presentations
  • visible demonstration of effort
  • class participation  (Infrequent class participation will substantially lower your grade.)

Professional, grammatically correct writing is expected.  This means that, spelling, punctuation, and grammar count.  If this is a problem, find someone whose skills you trust to proofread your written work, or go to the Student Writing Center (Cybercafe, Crown, lower level, 708/524-6682) for assistance.  Please remember that spell-check is fallible.

 All assignments must be turned in by the due date in order to receive full credit.  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. If you arrive late to the session in which you are presenting, both your participation grade and your presentation/project grade will be lowered. 

Academic Honesty and Integrity 

"All students of the GSLIS are expected to observe high standards of academic honesty and integrity. Any student whose conduct violates such standards may be subject to disciplinary action as determined by due process." (GSLIS Bulletin, p. 48)  

Plagiarism is unethical and unprofessional and will result in project failure.  Each student is responsible for understanding what plagiarism is and how to avoid it.  See Purdue University's "Avoiding Plagiarism," http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_plagiar.html or Indiana University's "How to Recognize Plagiarism", http://education.indiana.edu/~istd/test.html if you are unsure about what is and what is not acceptable behavior when using other people's words and ideas.

 

Grading

Grades are based on clarity of writing, comprehensive attention to both the topic and the assignment requirements, quality of work, and visible demonstration of effort.  Professional, grammatically correct writing is expected.  In other words, spelling, punctuation, and grammar do count.  All assignments must be turned in by the due date in order to receive full credit.  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.  Please see GSLIS Grading Policy below for additional clarification.

LIS 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.

 

“All students of the GSLIS are expected to observe high standards of academic honesty and integrity. Any student whose conduct violates such standards may be subject to disciplinary action as determined by due process.”  

~GSLIS Bulletin

 

 

Please note:  According to the GSLIS Grading Policy, the grade for “good, solid work” that “demonstrates strong comprehension of the course materials” is a B+, not an A. 

 

Grading scale:

 

100-96 A
95-90 A-
89-87 B+
86-83 B
82-80 B-
79-77 C+

76-73 C
72-70 C-

 

 

Course Schedule/Topics

 

Week 1: January 11:  Introduction

Introduction to course, texts and assignments

Defining Young Adult and YA  literature

Five I’s

Discussion of:

Blume, Judy. Forever.   Bradbury, 1975.

Burgess, Melvin. Doing It. Henry Holt and Co., 2004.

Daly, Maureen. Seventeenth Summer.  Dodd, Mead, 1942.

 

Week 2: January 18: History and Classics of Young Adult Literature

History of Teenagers, Young Adult Literature and Young Adult Services Classics

Discussion of:

Cormier, Robert. The Chocolate War. Pantheon, 1974.

Hinton, S. E. The Outsiders. Viking 1967.

Lipsyte, Robert.  The Contender. Harper, 1967.

Salinger, J.D. Catcher in the Rye. Little, Brown, 1951.

Zindel, Paul. The Pigman. Harper, 1968.

 

Week 3: January 25:  Contemporary Realism

Collection development, review journals, and writing reviews

Discussion of:

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Speak. FSG, 1999.

Haddon, Mark. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Doubleday, 2003.

Myers, Walter Dean. Monster. HarperCollins, 1999.

Wolff, Virginia Euwer. Make Lemonade. Henry Holt, 1993.

Assignment due: Reading Autobiography

 

Week 4: February 1: Biography and Non-Fiction

Author Presentations

Information Books

Discussion of:

Bartoletti, Susan. Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow. Scholastic, 2005.

Crowe, Chris.  Getting Away with Murder: The True Story of the Emmett Till Case. Penguin, 2003

Farrell, Jeanette. Invisible Allies: Microbes that Shape Our Lives. Farrar, 2005.

Flowers, Pam.  Alone Across the Arctic: One Woman’s Epic Journey by Dog Team. Northwest, 2001.

Partridge, Elizabeth. John Lennon: All I want is the Truth. Viking, 2005.

Assignment due: Author presentation and flyer

 

Week 5: February 8:  Supernatural/Horror/Mystery

Author Presentations

Genres: Horror and Mystery

Discussion of:

Anderson, M.T. Thirsty. Candlewick, 1997.

Brooks, Kevin. Martyn Pig. Chicken House, 2002.

Hiaasen, Carl. Hoot.  Random House, Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2002.

Klause, Annette Curtis. Blood and Chocolate. Delacorte, 1997.

Zusak, Markus. I Am the Messenger. Knopf, 2005.

Assignment due: Author presentation and flyer

 

Week 6: February 15: Science Fiction

Author Presentations

Speculative Fiction: SF

Discussion of:

Adams, Douglas. Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Harmony, 1979.

Anderson, M.T. Feed. Candlewick, 2002.

Card, Orson Scott. Ender’s Game. Doherty, 1985.

Dickinson, Peter. Eva. Delacorte, 1989

OR

Farmer, Nancy House of Scorpions. Scholastic, 2002.

Assignment due: Author presentation and flyer

 

Week 7: February 22: Fantasy

Author presentations

Speculative Fiction: Fantasy

Discussion of:

Billingsley, Franny.  The Folk Keeper. Atheneum, 1999.

De Lint, Charles. Blue Girl. Viking Juvenile, 2004.

Morris, Gerald. The Squire’s Tale. Houghton, 1998.

Pullman, Philip. The Golden Compass. New York: Knopf, 1996.

Assignment due: Author presentation and flyer

 

Week 8: March 1: Historical Fiction

Sharing findings of the observation paper: public libraries and YAs

Historical Fiction

Discussion of:

Barrett, Tracy. Anna of Byzantium. Delacorte, 1999.

Cushman, Karen.  Catherine Called Birdy. Clarion, 1994.

Heuston, Kimberly. Dante’s Daughter. Hand Print, 2004.

Konigsburg, E. L. A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver. Atheneum, 1973.  

Assignment due: Observation paper

March 8: Break—No Class

 

Week 9: March 15: War/Survival/Adventure

Booktalks

Discussion of:

Chambers, Aidan. Postcards from No Man’s Land. Dutton Juvenile, 2002.

Myers, Walter Dean. Fallen Angels. Holt, 1988.

Rosoff, Meg.  How I Live Now. Lamb, 2004. 

Spillebeen, Geert. Kipling's Choice; tr. by Terese Edelstein. Houghton, 2005.

Assignment due: Booktalk and flyer

 

Week 10: March 22: Relationships  

Booktalks

Discussion of:

Block, Francesca Lia. Weetzie Bat. Harper, 1989.

Gardner, Nancy. Annie on My Mind. FSG, 1982.

Green, John. Looking for Alaska. Dutton Juvenile, 2005.

Johnson, Angela. The First Part Last. Simon & Schuster, 2004.

Levithan, David.  Boy Meets Boy. Knopf, 2003.

Assignment due: Booktalk and flyer

 

Week 11: March 29: Life in Different Cultures

Booktalks

Discussion of:

Mazer, Anne, ed. A Walk in My World: International Short Stories About Youth. Persea, 2000.

OR

Nam, Vickie, ed.  Yell-OH Girls!: Emerging Voices Explore Culture, Identity and Growing-Up Asian American. HarperCollins, 2001.

AND

Staples, Suzanne Fisher. Shabanu. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 1989.

Stratton, Allan. Chanda’s Secrets. Annick Press, 2004.      

Whelan, Gloria. Homeless Bird.  HarperCollins, 2000.

Assignment due: Booktalk and flyer

 

April 5: No Class—Easter Vacation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 12: April 12: Humor

Booktalks

Discussion of:

Howe, Norma.  The Adventures of Blue Avenger.  Holt, 1999.

Korman, Gordon. No More Dead Dogs. Hyperion, 2000.

Pratchett, Terry. Wee Free Men. Harper, 2003.

Rennison, Louise. Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson. HarperCollins, 2000.

Assignment due: Booktalk and flyer

 

Week 13: April 19: Graphic Novels and Comics

Word and Image

Discussion of:

McCloud, Scott. Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art. Harper Paperbacks, 1994.

Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis. Pantheon, 2003.

Speigelman, Art. Maus: A Survivor’s Tale. Pantheon, 1986. 

One superhero comic such as Batman, Superman, Silver Surfer, etc.

Any of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman books.

Assignment due: Book review

 

Week 14: April 26: Poetry

Poetry Slam (five poems on assigned theme)

Discussion of:

Carlson, Lorie Marie. Red Hot Salsa: Bilingual Poems on Being Young and Latino in the United States. Henry Holt, 2005.

Clinton, Catherine.   I, Too, Sing America: African American Poetry.  Houghton Mifflin 1998

Greenberg, Jan, ed. Heart to Heart: New Poems Inspired by 20th Century American Art.  Abrams, 2001.

Sidman, Joyce.  The World According to Dog: Poems and Teen Voices.  Houghton, 2003.

 

Week 15: May 3: Final Project Presentations

Assignment due: Book Discussion Portfolio presentation and projects

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assignments for LIS 722 01 Spring 2007

 

 

Assignment 1: Reading/literacy autobiography (10 points)

Due: January 25, 2007                                                                     

 

Length: 3 to 5 pages or 1,000-1500 words; double-spaced

 

Description: In this essay you will trace the history of your relationship with reading, with books, and with other print media. This assignment is an opportunity for you to think critically about your own reading and literacy experiences and the ways in which they may have contributed to your current ideas about reading and literacy. Reading is the central focus here, but you may want to include other viewing and listening media (television, radio, film, etc.). All reading materials count, not just books and not just those specifically designed for young readers.  Focus on the areas that you find most relevant.  Include both your own story and your reflections on your story.

 

Suggestions for Your Story:  As you write, consider the following list of suggestions and possibilities that can help you think about various aspects of your story.  For the purposes of this assignment, please focus on the items or events that are particularly relevant or meaningful to you.

 

1.) Times:  Early childhood: preschool

Early elementary:  Gr. K-3

Middle elementary:  Gr. 4-6

Middle school/Junior high: Gr. 7-9

High school:  Gr. 9-12

College-present

 

What was most memorable about reading for you during one or more of these periods in your life?  What most attracted you to reading?  Do you recall learning to read?  Do you recall getting "lost in a book"?  Do you recall specific feelings, attitudes, sensations, or actions related to reading?  What was most memorable about your experiences of other viewing and/or listening media?  Was there any relationship between these and reading?

 

2.) Books and Other Materials:        Favorites and least favorites at each age and why

Characters and authors you remember

The look and feel of a book

 

Did you have different experiences with different sorts of reading materials: hardcovers, paperbacks, comic books, magazines, reference books, cereal boxes?  What sorts of reading materials were in your house?  Did you own books?  Did you borrow books from others?  Did you receive them as gifts?

 

3.) Places:  Where and when did you read?  Where did you find books and other reading materials?  Did you buy, acquire, or check out books at school?  Did you frequent bookstores? Did you go to the public library?

 

4.) People:  Who do you think most influenced your reading?  Why?  Who else shaped your reading?  Were these positive or negative influences?  Did you share books with friends?  Did you go to the library?  Did you know a librarian?  Did you talk about books?  What influences your reading now?  What most attracts you to reading now?  What makes you stop reading?

 

5.) Reflections/Patterns of Literacy/Reading:  Are there overall patterns in your reading history?  In what ways has reading functioned in your life?  Are there ways that reading used to function in your life, but no longer does? 

 

6.) You as Reader: You are the protagonist of your own story.  What kind of protagonist are you?  Are you a hero conquering obstacles?  Or are you a detective cracking a secret code? Or a solitary wanderer or explorer?  Are you an ant working diligently acquiring facts? Or grasshopper who revels in reading as a leisurely activity? Or a member of a band of bold adventurers? Or an orphan finding friends or family?  All or none of the above? 

 

 

Finally, after considering the six points listed above, you need to consider your entire story up to this point. What, if anything, do you notice about your teenage reading (or viewing or listening) compared to reading and its role(s) in your life as a child and as an adult?  How is your experience as a reader likely to inform your work with young adults and young adult literature and materials?

 

 

Assignment 2: Author presentation with flyer (15 points)

Due date: various dates beginning Week 4 (February 1) through Week 7 (February 22)

 

Length: 15 minutes. You will be timed, and I will stop you at 15 minutes. If you do not finish within the allotted time 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. 

 

 

Components: An oral presentation and flyer on an author NOT on our reading list.

 

Description: Using print and online sources you will research a YA author’s life and works and present your findings to the class. In addition to reading biographical essays, articles, and interviews about the author you need to read as many selections of the author’s YA works as possible. This will help you to become familiar with the author’s language, style, and literary world(s).  (How does the writer use language to evoke an atmosphere for the reader?  How does the author attract and hold the reader’s attention?  What sort of narrative or narrator is used?)  To understand the author’s literary merit (according to critics) you also need to consider the response of critics, award committees, and readers to the author’s works. 

 

1. Presentation content:

  • Biographical sketch;
  • Brief summaries of author’s notable works;
  • Insight into what influenced the author’s writing;
  • Reflections on the author’s writing style and techniques;
  • Quotations or interview excerpts from the author being studied;
  • Quotes from critics or scholars about the author’s work;
  • Awards and honors (if applicable);
  • Selected passages from the author’s work to read aloud to the rest of the class.

2. Flyer:

  • Submit a complete bibliography and list of resources used for the author study; provide annotations of 30 words or less for 5 to 7 of the author’s works. You should also list his or her awards. Pick a citation style (APA, MLA, or University of Chicago) and use it consistently throughout your bibliography.
  • 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 YAs.  The handouts for your classmates may be black and white photocopies of the original.

 

Assignment 3: Observation paper (10 points)

Due: March 1, 2007

 

Length: 3-5 pages or 1,000-1,500 words.

 

Description: Different public libraries serve young adults in different ways. In this assignment you will choose a public library and consider the ways in which it provides services and space to young adults. In order to understand the presence that your library affords to young adults, you should visit both the library’s physical and electronic spaces. This in turn will help you to identify, consider, and assess the space, programs, and services offered. This project is not meant to be a critique, but rather an exploration and analysis of the ways in which a particular public library designs spaces, places, and programs for young adults.  

 

Choose a public library and explore the ways in which they provide services to young adults. If you work in a public library, do not use the library where you work. Since the main role of school libraries is to support the curriculum, you need to focus on a public library not a school library.

 

Note: You are not to interview librarians or users. This is an observational study of the physical and electronic spaces for young adults in a library.

 

1. Paper content: Your observation should allow you to comment on the following points:

Describe:

  • How does the library define young adult? Is it part of the adult department or the children’s department? Is it split between the two departments or is it a free-standing department? What is it called and for what age groups is it intended?
  • Collection: Is there a variety of materials and formats? Are there graphic novels, CDs, DVDs? How are the books promoted?  Are there book displays and booklists?
  • Staffing: is there a full or part-time young adult librarian? If so, does he or she split her responsibilities with other departments? Or is his or her main focus on programming, services, and collection development for young adults?  
  • What is the physical layout and location of the young adult department or space? Are there book displays? Are there areas to study? Does it look different than the other departments? Does it have signage? Where is it located?
  • Website: Does the library have a set of pages aimed at young adults? If so, are they easy to find? How are they labeled? Is the format and design appropriate for the audience? What kinds of information and links can you find there?
  • Programming: What kinds of programs are offered for young adults? How are they advertised? Are there flyers?
  • Furnishings: Are there computers, a seating area, etc.? 
  • Users or patrons: When you visited, who was using the space? What were they doing?

Reflect and analyze

  • Think about the layout of physical space and the design of the electronic space? Are they appealing? Do they invite use? If not, why not?
  • Consider what works and what doesn’t work.
  • Libraries are also social spaces. Is the space adequate? Quiet? Noisy? Private? 

 

 

Assignment 4: Booktalk with flyer (15 points)

Due date: Various dues dates beginning Week 9 (March 15) through Week 12 (April 12).

 

Components: Booktalk presentation; flyer.

 

Length: 5 to 7 minutes maximum.

 

Description: Booktalks are brief, promotional presentations featuring several young adult books with accompanying promotional flyer.  (Be sure to read all sections of this assignment.)

 

1. Booktalk presentation

Scope:

  • Length: 5 to 7 minutes maximum. You will be timed, and I will stop you at 7 minutes. If you do not finish within the allotted time 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: 3 to 5 books Note: if you present on 3 to 4 books, 1 of the books maybe from the required reading list; if you present on 5 books 2 of the books may be 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, format, fiction/nonfiction.

·        Incorporate a variety of methods to introduce the books to your audience: brief description, questions the book might answer, read-aloud.

·        Indicate the age group of your young adult audience.

Format/Oral Presentation:

·        Remember visual audience appeal including movement, props, eye contact, etc. is important.

·        Remember audio audience appeal including delivery, pace, manner, tone, etc. is important.

·        Remember to bring and display all books featured in your booktalk and on your flyer.

 

2.  Promotional flyer with annotations

Content:

·        Include all books featured in the booktalk plus additional titles for a total of 8 books.

·        Include minimal bibliographic information (author, title, publisher, date) for each work. Pick a citation style (APA, MLA, or University of Chicago) and use it consistently throughout.

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

 

Format requirements:

  • No larger than 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper.
  • Visual YA appeal (nothing that will actively repel YAs—no bunnies, kitties or other visual elements associated with younger children).
  • Your choice of color, graphics, format (flat,folded, single or double-sided,
  • 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 YAs.  The handouts for your classmates may be black and white photocopies of the original.

 

Assignment 5: Book  Review (10 points)

Due: April 19, 2007

 

Length: approximately 500 words.

 

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

 

Choose a contemporary YA book (published within the last five years) to review. You may review one of the books you’ve read for class (from the reading list or one of your projects) or another book of your choice. Your review should be suitable for publication in a professional reviewing journal such as the Hornbook, School Library Journal, or Booklist.

 

Paper Content:

  • 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 who the intended audience of the book is. Do the subject matter and reading level appeal to younger YAs? Or would it be more suitable for high school students? Does the book succeed in reaching its intended audience? 
  • Include an evaluation of (relevant) literary and 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 YA literature.  

 

 

Assignment 6: Book Discussion Group Portfolio with Presentation (25 points)

Due date: May 3, 2007.

Components: Portfolio (reflection paper, appendix, and flyer) and presentation.

Scenario:  Your director wants you to design and implement a six-week summer book discussion group for young adults. (This means you will be creating materials for discussion of 6 books, one per week.) Your theme must be ‘original.’ For instance, do not use themes designated by the Illinois State Library for the summer reading program. Further, while you may use 2 books from the books you read for class discussion and assignments, your theme needs to be different from that of your booktalk. Be creative!

Description: This project gives you experience designing a YA book discussion group. On the final day of class you will hand in a portfolio and make your presentation to the class. 

Points to consider when designing your book group:

1. Audience:

  • Age group: the term young adult has been applied to young people in their pre-teens to their early twenties. As such you must decide which specific age group you will be targeting.
  • Other audience parameters: these might include interests or expected gender of participants, etc.
  • Publicity ideas based on your target audience.  Where can you find them?  What do they like to do?  How can you reach them to tell them about your book group?

2. Topic/Genre:

  • Will your book group focus on a specific topic? For example, you may want to explore the topic of war. You could explore it through different genres including realistic fiction, historical fiction, science fiction, biography, poetry, music, etc. Or you might want to explore war by looking at it from different time periods.
  • Will your group read works written in a specific genre, such as science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, biography, etc.?
  • Or will you choose to have an eclectic mix of works that aims at introducing your participants to various authors, genres, topics, etc.

3. Criteria for Book Selection:

  • Audience: reading level; topic (does the book deal with a topic that is of interest to the age group), etc.
  • Topic: if you decide to build a book group around a specific theme, do the works represent enough variety in terms of perspective, format, and genres?
  • Genre: if your group will look at one genre, how does each book fit? For instance, in Science Fiction there are numerous subcategories such as contact with aliens, intergalactic wars, dystopias, cyberpunk, etc. Is the work classic SciFi? Or is it a new take on an old theme?  
  • “Discuss-ability”: does the book lend itself to discussion? Are there issues, characters, and/or conflicts that can be explored by a group of readers?
  • Reviews and critical acclaim: You might include works that were well-received by critics. Is it an award winner? Or is it by an award winning author?
  • Two of the books may be books that you have read for class.  

 

Portfolio contents:

  • A 5-7 page report (double-spaced) that summarizes the scope and content of your book discussion group, your intended audience, topic/genre, and book selection process. The previous section on ‘points to consider’ should act as a guide for your reflection paper.
  • An appendix containing a short summary and 5-8 questions for each book. 
  • Sample flyer advertising the book discussion group; one copy for each member of the class.

Presentation:

  • This is a short presentation (5 to 7 minutes) describing your book discussion group including the theme, audience, setting, and books. You will be timed, and I will stop you at seven minutes. If you do not finish within the allotted time 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.   

 

 

Required Book Lists:

 

While you are required to read all the books on the required lists, you do not need to buy the books on it. Many of the titles can be found in the public library. Nearly all are available in paperback and can be purchased at trade bookstores or online from amazon.com.

 

The following required text is available for purchase in the bookstore:

 

McCloud, Scott. Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art. New York: Harper Paperbacks, 1994.

 

Required Fiction and Non-fiction Reading List

 

Adams, Douglas. Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Harmony, 1979.

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Speak. FSG, 1999.

Anderson, M.T. Feed. Candlewick, 2002.

Anderson, M.T. Thirsty. Candlewick, 1997.

Barrett, Tracy. Anna of Byzantium. Delacorte, 1999.

Bartoletti, Susan. Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow. Scholastic, 2005.

Billingsley, Franny.  The Folk Keeper. Atheneum, 1999.

Block, Francesca Lia. Weetzie Bat. Harper, 1989.

Blume, Judy. Forever.   Bradbury, 1975.

Brooks, Kevin. Martyn Pig. Chicken House, 2002.

Card, Orson Scott. Ender’s Game. Doherty, 1985.

Carlson, Lorie Marie. Red Hot Salsa: Bilingual Poems on Being Young and Latino in the United States. Henry Holt, 2005.

Chambers, Aidan. Postcards From No Man’s Land. Dutton Juvenile, 2002.

Clinton, Catherine.   I, Too, Sing America: African American Poetry.  Houghton Mifflin 1998

Cormier, Robert. The Chocolate War. Pantheon, 1974.

Crowe, Chris.  Getting Away with Murder: The True Story of the Emmett Till Case. Penguin, 2003

Cushman, Karen.  Catherine Called Birdy. Clarion, 1994.

Daly, Maureen. Seventeenth Summer.  Dodd, Mead, 1942.

De Lint, Charles. Blue Girl. Viking Juvenile, 2004.

Dickinson, Peter. Eva. Delacorte, 1989.

Farmer, Nancy House of Scorpions. Scholastic, 2002.

Farrell, Jeanette. Invisible Allies: Microbes that Shape Our Lives. Farrar, 2005.

Flowers, Pam.  Alone Across the Arctic: One Woman’s Epic Journey by Dog Team. Northwest, 2001.

Gardner, Nancy. Annie on My Mind. FSG, 1982.

Green, John. Looking for Alaska. Dutton Juvenile, 2005.

Greenberg, Jan, ed. Heart to Heart: New Poems Inspired by 20th Century American Art.  Abrams, 2001.

Haddon, Mark. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Doubleday, 2003.

Heuston, Kimberly. Dante’s Daughter. Hand Print, 2004.

Hiaasen, Carl. Hoot.  Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2002.

Hinton, S. E. The Outsiders. Viking, 1967.

Howe, Norma.  The Adventures of Blue Avenger.  Holt, 1999.

Johnson, Angela. The First Part Last. Simon & Schuster, 2004.

Klause, Annette Curtis. Blood and Chocolate. Delacorte, 1997.

Konigsburg, E. L. A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver. Atheneum, 1973.  

Korman, Gordon. No More Dead Dogs. Hyperion, 2000.

Levithan, David.  Boy Meets Boy. Knopf, 2003.

Lipsyte, Robert.  The Contender. Harper, 1967.

Mazer, Anne, ed. A Walk in My World: International Short Stories About Youth. Persea, 2000.

McCloud, Scott. Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art. Harper Paperbacks, 1994.

Morris, Gerald. The Squire’s Tale. Houghton, 1998.

Myers, Walter Dean. Fallen Angels. Holt, 1988.

Myers, Walter Dean. Monster. HarperCollins, 1999.

Nam, Vickie, ed.  Yell-OH Girls!: Emerging Voices Explore Culture, Identity and Growing-Up Asian American. HarperCollins, 2001.

Partridge, Elizabeth. John Lennon: All I want is the Truth. Viking, 2005.

Pratchett, Terry. Wee Free Men. Harper, 2003.

Pullman, Philip. The Golden Compass. New York: Knopf, 1996.

Rennison, Louise. Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson. HarperCollins, 2000.

Rosoff, Meg.  How I Live Now. Lamb, 2004. 

Salinger, J.D. Catcher in the Rye. Little, Brown, 1951.

Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis. Pantheon, 2003.

Sidman, Joyce.  The World According to Dog: Poems and Teen Voices.  Houghton, 2003.

Speigelman, Art. Maus: A Survivor’s Tale. Pantheon, 1986. 

Spillebeen, Geert. Kipling's Choice; tr. by Terese Edelstein. Houghton, 2005.

Staples, Suzanne Fisher. Shabanu. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 1989.

Stratton, Allan. Chanda’s Secrets. Annick Press, 2004.      

Whelan, Gloria. Homeless Bird.  HarperCollins, 2000.

Wolff, Virgina Euwer. Make Lemonade. Henry Holt, 1993.

Zindel, Paul. The Pigman. Harper, 1968.

Zusak, Markus. I Am the Messenger. Knopf, 2005.

 

Recommended Texts:

 

Horning, Kathleen T. From Cover to Cover: Evaluating and Reviewing Children’s Books. New York: HarperCollins, 1997.

Lukens, Rebecca J.  A Critical Handbook of Children’s Literature. Boston: Pearson Education, 2003.

 

You should also have a style manual for citations such as, MLA, APA, or University of Chicago.

 

For help with rules of English grammar and punctuation, I recommend one of the following titles:

 

Gordon, Elizabeth. The Deluxe Transitive Vampire: The Ultimate Handbook of Grammar for the Innocent, the Eager, and the Doomed. New York: Pantheon Books, 1993.

Strunk, William. The Elements of Style. 4th Edition. New York: Longman, 2000.

Truss, Lynne. Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation. New York: Gotham Books, 2003.