yak november 2014 patrick jones / author [email protected] [email protected]

YAK November 2014

Patrick Jones / author [email protected]

www.connectingya.com

Getting started

School Library Journal November 2001

“Why We Are Kids Best Assets”

One in your face: “I hate to read” – what does it mean, why did he say it, and what you can do about it

One fact: “Reading ability is positively correlated with the extent to which students read recreationally.” -National Center for Education Statistics.

One story from JDC One book from your life


Why They Aren’t Reading

By the time many students reach high school, they equate reading with ridicule, failure or exclusively school-related tasks.


Students are not excited by ideas. They prefer to experience life directly rather than through reading.



Many active adolescents are unable to sit still long enough to read for any prolonged period of time. .



Why They Aren’t ReadingTeenagers are too

self-absorbed and preoccupied with themselves, their problems, families, sexual roles, etc., to make connections between their world and books.


Books are inadequate entertainment compared to other competing media such as television, video games and the Internet.




Persistent stress from home and school to read constantly is counter-productive for some adolescents.


Adolescents may grow up in non-reading homes void of reading material with no reading role models. There is no one to pass down the value of reading..




Some adolescents may consider reading solitary and anti-social.


Reading is considered “uncool” and something adults do.




Can’t find the good books


Qualities of Books for Reluctant Readers

Cover - catchy, action-oriented, attractive, appealing, good "blurb"



Print style - sufficiently large

for enjoyable reading



Format - appropriate and appealing balance of text and white space


Artwork/illustrations - enticing, realistic, demonstrated diversity




Clear writing without long convoluted sentences of sophisticated vocabulary



Acceptable literary quality and effectiveness of presentation


Qualities of Books for Reluctant Readers: Fiction High interest

"hook" in first 10 pages


What do you think makes a good book for a reluctant

reader? Gail Giles. It has to start fast from

the giddy up. These kids won’t give you more than a sentence to snag their attention. You have to have a great first sentence. And a really good second sentence. And third, And ninth and twenty seventh and maybe if you’re lucky they will cut you some slack and let you have just an okay two thousand and third sentence, but you better pick it back up on the two thousand and fourth. These kids don’t have time to mess with a sloppy writer. They only read the good stuff so everything in the book has to be good.


Qualities of Books for Reluctant Readers: Fiction Well-defined

characters and not too many of them


Qualities of Books for Reluctant Readers: Fiction Sufficient plot to

sustain interest


When you write, do you think about the potential book's appeal to non-

readers?

R.L. Stine: Almost all of my books are designed for reluctant readers. When I wrote and edited educational magazines, I learned how to write for different reading levels. I try to keep my scary books at a 4th-grade reading and vocabulary level. In addition-- short books, fast-paced, lots of surprises and twists, cliff-hanger chapter endings to force them to go on to the next chapter, and plot-driven books with little description to slow down the action.


Qualities of Books for Reluctant Readers: Fiction Familiar themes

with emotional appeal for teenagers


Young adult fiction emotional appeal:

1. Show YAs being independent from adults. 2. Reassure YAs they are "normal". 3. Present role models. 4. Demonstrate problem solving in action. 5. Allow to feel like winners/overcoming

odds. 6. Display relationships of all sorts. 7. Capture intensity and uncertainty of

their life. 8. Help develop of socially responsible

behavior 9. Explore lives of other teenagers. .


Qualities of Books for Reluctant Readers: Fiction Plot lines

developed through dialog and action rather than descriptive text

Qualities of Books for Reluctant Readers: Fiction

Believable treatment (that does not preclude speculative fiction however)



Qualities of Books for Reluctant Readers: Fiction Single point of

view / nothing tricky / just tell the story /

Clear mirrors not pretty pictures

Qualities of Books for Reluctant Readers: Fiction

Touches of humor when appropriate



25 things to do to reach reluctant readers

tomorrow

1. A library card:

2. Booklists: 3. Booktalking :

4. Build relationships:



tomorrow

5. Celebrate Teen Read Week: 6. Contests: 7. Displays:

8. Follow-up:



tomorrow

9. Get an author:

10. Get input:11. Get out of

the library:12. Get over

yourself:



tomorrow

13. Get them in the building :

14. Go the shelves:

15. High visibility merchandising:

16. Honesty:



tomorrow

17. Keep current :18. Listen: 19. Non-judgmental

attitude:20. Reader's advisory:



tomorrow

21.Samples: 22.Wave goodbye

to just fiction 23.Weed the

collection: 24.Zowie! Get

graphic


For More Information

Connecting with Reluctant Teen

ReadersPatrick Jones, Maureen L.

Hartman, and Patricia Taylor

Neal-Schuman, 2006

yak november 2014 patrick jones / author [email protected] [email protected]

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