Five Characteristics of Great Chapter Books

Yesterday, on the heels of the announcement of the Cybils finalists for 2011, I shared my five characteristics of a great easy reader. Today, I'm continuing that thought process with five characteristics of great chapter books.

The most important component of a chapter book is a strong voice. Characters who sound like kids, or who speak to kids in their language, will undoubtedly be the best-received. Whether the character has a deadpan sense of humor like J.J. Tully in the Trouble with Chickens, a spirited and bouncy nature, like Grace from Just Grace and the Double Surprise, or a sweet and sassy temperament like Clementine, kids relate to characters who come alive on the page and begin to feel just like real people.

The plot of a chapter book should also come alive through a series of memorable events. The most wonderfully written chapter books are the ones that stick with the reader long after the book is finished. Images like Clementine wearing her father's tool belt, Vince the inside dog wearing his cone, and Eleanor's description of her beloved babysitter in Like Pickle Juice on A Cookie are all examples of moments that are so salient, they begin to feel like a part of the real world. Moments like these cause children to fall in love with books and also teach them, in a subtle way, the art of storytelling.

Though chapter book readers are getting more savvy and will soon move on to middle grade books, they still need some cues to help them understand story structure. Just Grace's illustrations and comics help bring her problems and questions to life. In mysteries like The Case of the Library Monster, it helps to have the characters occasionally recap the information uncovered so far. The Trouble with Chickens even goes so far as to cue the reader to changes in point of view by changing the way the chapter number is displayed. Kids who are still learning to navigate different types of stories really benefit from the subtle guideposts pointing them on their way.

Concise and powerful text is another major feature of great chapter books. Chapter books can include more vocabulary than easy readers, but they are still short books, with short chapters, so authors have to find ways to be economical with their language while still conveying all the information needed to tell a story. Toys Come Home does this very well, managing to paint these lovely pictures with words while maintaining a reading level low enough for kids who are not quite ready for novels.

Finally, as with easy readers, chapter books should speak to readers on their level. Kids reading independently want to read about kids like them, or people with concerns similar to their concerns. By keeping the language fresh and current, focusing on the child's mind instead of adult reasoning and being careful to insert lessons subtly instead of preaching, authors can really win kids over and get them excited about reading. Grace learns how to deal with disappointment, Clementine learns how to accept unexpected news, JJ learns never to trust a chicken, and Eleanor learns to let go and move forward, but they all do so on a child's terms, and it is only through immersion in these stories that the lessons even begin to come to light.

To learn more about the nominees and finalists in the Cybils Early Chapter Book category, visit Cybils.com.

Baby/Toddler Story Time, 1/3/12

My Winter story time schedule began today, and thankfully started off with a couple of small groups. I felt really rusty getting up there at first, but also much more relaxed than I've felt in a program since I can remember. I'm not sure it's necessary to take two weeks off like I did this year, but I do feel re-energized and rejuvenated, and ready to take on a new bunch of songs and rhymes, so I think at least a week's break is necessary.

This is my repertoire for this morning. I had about 25 kids at the 10:00, and around 30 at 10:30. The group was especially restless, probably because they're out of the story time routine, so the sessions ran just about 20 minutes each.

Opening Song: Hello, how are you?

Book: Snow by Manya Stojic (2002)
I love this story, with its big bold words, bright oversized illustrations and emotionally satisfying ending.  It was a few pages too long for my very young group - I'd say the average age this morning was around 15 months - but they still mostly paid attention, and seemed to really like the animals. I might save this one to use again during my upcoming preschool class visits.

Rhyme: Clap Slap Tap Lap

Rhyme: Fingers

Book: We've All Got Bellybuttons by David Martin, illustrated by Randy Cecil (2005)
This book would have been just perfect if I had my usual twos and threes, but many of them did not attend story time this morning, and the motions suggested by the text just weren't interesting to the babies - or to their very chatty and seemingly bored caregivers.

Song: Shake My Sillies Out 

Song: I'm a Little Teapot

Song: There's a Little Wheel a-Turnin' In My Heart 

Flannel Board Rhyme: Five Perky Penguins
They really didn't like this rhyme, even when I tried to make it interactive by asking the kids to pretend to swim. Again, I think this was due to the surprisingly young ages of nearly all the kids. (I also totally made up my own words halfway through in an attempt to make it simpler for the babies.)

Song: Numbers Are Our Friends

Song: Ten Little Icicles
This one is really cute. We counted to ten with our fingers right-side up, then turned our hands upside down and wiggled our fingers to show them hanging on the roof. 

Song:  Five Little Snowmen Riding on the Sled 
The kids didn't quite understand that this song is essentially the same as monkeys on the bed, but I feel confident that they will eventually, since I plan to do this song every week this Winter.

Goodbye Song: We Wave Goodbye Like This

Five Characteristics of Great Easy Readers

The finalists for the 2011 Cybils were announced on Sunday, and among them were the five chapter books and four easy readers chosen by the first-round panelists in the Easy Reader/Early Chapter Book Category, of which I was one. Since I have now officially come to the end of my Cybils duties for this year, I thought it would be a good time to reflect on what I've taken away from the experience, and what I have learned about easy readers and chapter books. Today, I'll discuss what makes a great easy reader, and tomorrow, I'll do the same for chapter books.

The first key aspect of a successful easy reader is well-written text. The writing must be both easy enough for its audience to read, and artistic enough to make the book interesting. This means that not only is an author limited in the vocabulary he or she can use, but he or she is also presented with the additional challenge of stringing few words together in a way that is not cliched, boring, or awkward.

An example of perfect easy reader text comes from the first page of Aggie Gets Lost by Lori Ries, wherein Ben walks his dog and the action is described as follows:

Left foot, right foot, two feet, four feet.
We walk to the park.
Aggie pulls hard.
She wants to play fetch.

Making an emotional connection to the reader is a second sign of easy reader excellence. Whether the mood of a story is silly, as in the Elephant & Piggie books or the Fly Guy series, sad, as in Aggie Gets Lost when Aggie is missing, or even scary, as in parts of Gus Gets Scared, the reader should feel that emotion along with the characters. Children can more easily relate to new characters and settings if they can recognize feelings and concepts they have experienced themselves.

Easy readers should also be told from a child's point of view. This means that the characters speak to the reader at his level, rather than at him in an adult tone. Even adult characters, like Mr. Putter, and adult-like animals like Dodsworth from Dodsworth in Rome, should embody child-like characteristics to which kids can relate. Revealing adult characters' anxieties and imperfections makes them interesting to read about, and giving them dilemmas similar to those found in childhood creates stories that really speak to their audience and keep the reader invested in their outcomes. Embodying a child's point of view also eliminates the urge to preach at kids, and makes the story, rather than the message, the central focus. Most kids aren't interested in morals, but they become quickly invested in the fate of a favorite character.

 

It's also important for easy readers to focus on familiar themes. New readers like to read stories that reflect their real lives, and by keeping things close to home, authors can help kids find comfortable ways of learning new vocabulary and story structure. By beginning with those simple themes of family, friendship, school, and home, kids begin to build a strong foundation that will later help them tackle new genres and settings.

Finally, a truly great easy reader includes illustrations that are not only beautiful to look at, but also complement the text and assist the reader with understanding new vocabulary and new concepts. Illustrations in children's picture books and easy readers are an integral part of the story, not just the icing on the cake. Not only should the illustrations clearly depict what's happening in the text to provide context, they should, like those in Flip Flop and Dodsworth in Rome, also include other visual content that expands the story beyond the words and gives the reader a greater understanding of the setting, plot, and characters.

To learn more about the nominees and finalists in the Cybils Easy Reader category, visit Cybils.com.

Winter Programming Preview 2012

Fall went by so quickly, and the holidays even quicker! It's hard to believe that tomorrow I will begin my busy Winter schedule. It feels like I have been saving ideas for Winter for such a long time, and now it's finally here.

Here are the new things I have planned for January and February.

After School Program for Preschoolers and School-Age Kids
I have finally gotten rid of that pesky Monday afternoon story time that has plagued me for the past year, and in its place, I'm introducing a slightly more sophisticated program for older kids who can sit for longer books and participate in more complicated interactive crafts and activities. For this Winter, through March 1st, each week has a theme. This week, it's Welcome, Winter. Next week, we'll focus on Martin Luther King, Jr. Next month, the themes include chocolate and teeth, and on March 1st, we'll celebrate National Pig Day. The idea is to keep things interesting and draw in different audiences by focusing on a variety of topics.

The Return of Baby Lap Time
This successful program is one of my favorites, and it's back for six weeks beginning January 18th and ending the second to last week of February. This time around, I'm not being as strict about limiting registrations in the hopes that we'll have an actual good-sized group that won't die off around week two. I'm still toying with what will be changed from last time, but stay tuned - I'll be posting about each session as it happens. 

Outreach
My goals for this fiscal year include a requirement that I do three different types of outreach, only one of which can involve visiting schools. It's still very up in the air what I'll be doing, but I do know I'll be in the schools not just to promote summer reading, but also to teach early literacy to teen parents, and to perform story times at the local rec. center. The amazing Anna at Future Librarian Superhero was kind enough to post a round-up of all the suggestions people offered me on Twitter. I will be sure to share when I decide which direction to take!

Fancy-licious Story Time
I'm not the girliest of girls, but I know a lot of little girls who are, so we'll be celebrating Fancy Nancy, Pinkalicious, and other picture book fashionistas at this special Saturday story time in February.

Crafts
The Gettin' Crafty feature is here to stay on this blog, because the daily crafts will be sticking around the library. I'm in the process of ordering Winter crafts now, and can't wait to see what fun ideas I stumble upon as we enter a new season!


What is your library up to this Winter?