Sylvia M. Vardell - Childrens Literature in Action: A Librarians Guide

Childrens Literature in Action

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CHILDRENS LITERATURE IN ACTION

A Librarians Guide

THIRD EDITION

Sylvia M. Vardell

Library and Information Science Text Series

Copyright 2019 Sylvia M. Vardell

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Vardell, Sylvia M., author.

Title: Childrens literature in action : a librarians guide / Sylvia M. Vardell.

Description: Third edition. | Santa Barbara, California : Libraries Unlimited, An Imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC, [2019] | Series: Library and information science text series | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2019009835 (print) | LCCN 2019012389 (ebook) | ISBN 9781440867781 (paperback : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781440867798 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: ChildrenBooks and reading. | Childrens literatureHistory and criticism. | School librariesActivity programs. | Childrens librariesActivity programs.

Classification: LCC Z1037.A1 (ebook) | LCC Z1037.A1 V39 2019 (print) | DDC 028.5/5dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019009835

ISBN: 978-1-4408-6778-1 (paperback)

978-1-4408-6779-8 (ebook)

23 22 21 20 19 1 2 3 4 5

This book is also available as an eBook.

Libraries Unlimited

An Imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC

ABC-CLIO, LLC

147 Castilian Drive

Santa Barbara, California 93117

www.abc-clio.com

This book is printed on acid-free paper

Manufactured in the United States of America

Contents

Acknowledgments

I continue to be grateful to have this opportunity to share my love of childrens literature through this book. This project is the fulfillment of a professional dream; pulling together a lifetime of teaching and a multitude of favorite books and resources to help create and update this tool for librarians and future librarians. Once again, I am indebted to many others for their input, feedback, help and support. Thank you, dear friends:

Motivating editors and fellow textbook writers: Blanche Woolls, Sharon Coatney, Rosemary Chance, and Rose Brock

Talented authors and poets: Joyce Sidman, Pat Mora, Margriet Ruurs, Matt Cordell, J. Patrick Lewis, Erin Entrada Kelly, Kirby Larson, Grace Lin, Ashley Bryan, Seymour Simon, Denise Fleming, Janet Tashjian, Kristine OConnell George, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Laurence Yep, T. A. Barron, and Janet Wong

Kind colleagues and librarian contributors: Dean Schneider and Robin Smith, Horn Book, Marianne C. Wilson, Mary Ann Scheuer, Marc Aronson, Kiera Parrott, Cynthia Alaniz, Emily Chasse, Hilary Haygood, Mia Steinkamp, Marlene Horsey, Marnie Cushing, Mary Burkey, Xelena Gonzalez, Zulema Bewley, Mary Buckalo, Tammy Korns, Susi Grissom, Barbara Kieran, and Elizabeth Murphy

Loving and supportive friends and family: Susan Garner; Janet Wong; Lynn Akin; Robert and Sophie Mergeler; Ingrid Mergeler; Alex Vardell and Melissa Stovall; Emily Vardell and Brenda Linares; and especially my endlessly patient husband, Russell Vardell

Thank you, all!

Sylvia

Introduction

The purpose of this book is to provide an activity-oriented survey of childrens literature for undergraduate and graduate students seeking licensure and degrees leading to careers working with children in school and public libraries. Most textbooks on childrens literature focus on teachers using literature in the classroom. This textbook focuses on librarians and library media specialists. The framework for this text adds a layer of practical application in every chapter for the librarian who shares books with children, plans book-based programs, and collaborates with teachers and families in sharing books and developing literature-based instruction. What does a librarian need to know about how to select and share books in each genre? What are the usual promotion and collaboration activities associated with each genre? This is the driving force of the book: linking literature with active practice in the school and public library. Embedded in a genre approach to literature, it has a unique focus on the librarian or future librarian as the reader.

In my 35 years of university teaching, I have used nearly every major textbook in the area of childrens literature. Each has its strengths and weaknesses, but none focuses specifically on the perspective of the librarian. The unique contributions of this textbook are threefold: designed for use by librarians, emphasis on action and library applications, and brevity for an affordable text and more time for reading literature itself.

Each chapter is enriched by brief insets of author comments and interviews, practitioner insights, collaborative activities, featured books, special topics and programs, selected awards and celebrations, historical connections, recommended resources, issues for discussion, connections with various standards, and assignment suggestions. The table of contents is organized around these major genre divisions:

An Introduction to Children and Their Literature

Picture Books

Traditional Tales

Poetry for Children

Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Historical Fiction

Fantasy

Nonfiction and Informational Books

The action components of each chapter include:

Literature in Action

Librarians in Action

Authors in Action

One Book in Action

History in Action

Standards in Action

Assignments in Action

Backmatter includes professional references and childrens books cited throughout the narrative, as well as a comprehensive index of authors, titles, and subjects.

The goal of this approach is to help the new librarian or library media specialist become knowledgeable about the field of childrens literature in preparation for guiding young people, ages 5 through 12, in their reading. In addition, the book provides practical ideas for generating interest in reading, strategies for connecting with the school curriculum, and guidance for reaching out to families and the wider community through childrens literature. It includes: