Literacy Now

With so many wonderful selections of children's and young adult literature published this fall, members of the Children's Literature and Special Interest Group wanted to share titles that really stand out for their unique content, presentation, or timeliness. Some of the books are by renowned authors breaking out of the typical style or genre. Some feature little known stories or diverse perspectives on well-known figures.

As you read aloud, plan reading workshop, literature circles and book talks for independent reading, you will want to consider the variety of themes and formats that are bound to intrigue the readers in your class.

Grades K-2

Dubuc, Marianne. (2014). Lion and the Bird. New York, NY: Enchanted Lion Books.

This international offering uses multiple wordless pages to capture the friendship between and a lion and a bird. The textured illustrations use greens, blues, grays, and a lot of white space to convey the tone of the story as it fluctuates from camaraderie to loneliness. The pacing of the plot is carefully executed through variation in page layout, especially during the winter the lion and the bird spend together. Young readers will delight in figuring out the unspoken parts of this narrative and in noticing small details in the illustrations. This title will pair nicely with other books about seasonal changes and unusual animal friendships, but stands out for its subtle imagery, unique characters, and quiet charm.

— Lesley Colabucci, Millersville University of Pennsylvania.

Appelt, Kathi (2014) Mogi: The Heart of the House. Illus by Marc Rosenthal. New York,  NY: Antheneum Books for Young Readers.

Featuring playful illustrations and repetitive text, this picture book will appeal to adults and children alike. Adults, like the author herself, will be charmed by the real story of Mogi, the dog who cheers up patients at the Ronald McDonald House. Children may not exactly understand the nature of the hospital or its role in the children’s lives, but they will delight in the cartoon style art which contains plenty of silly details, the catchy phrasing, and the overall hopeful tone. Readers get to know two specific children, Gage and Antonia, but the book offers parents and teachers a great opportunity to talk in much more depth about children like these two.

—Lesley Colabucci, Millersville University of Pennsylvania

Alexander, Rilla. (2014). The Best Book in the World. London, UK: Flying Eye Books.

What makes a book the best in the world? Well, designer/illustrator, Rilla Alexander’s visually stunning picture book provides the universal answer: each book leads the reader to imagine endless possibilities. Each page is an invitation to encourage reading. Within the pages of this inventive book, there are images of a little girl immersed in reading (at the kitchen table, on the bus, at the airport, at the amusement park, etc.). The title page offers a shadow image of a house, where the little girl steps outside, book in hand, ready to start her adventure. Each page alternates hues of colors, with the focus on the little girl (and her book) pictured in red. No matter what book you decide to read or where you decide to read it, a story will take you to a magical and unexpected journey. The sparse text will ignite further conversation about the illustrations. Each page offers a glimpse into the imaginary world, its characters, settings, and possibilities offered by reading a book. The dramatic shift in size, perspective, and colors tell their own story. Readers will want to carefully observe how the little girl is slowly, slowly ending her busy day by drifting off to sleep. The two page spread of the little girl dreaming inside the book’s pages simply capture the beauty of its message: A good story will stay with you, help you dream about possibilities, and offer new understandings about the world.
 
—Mary Napoli, Penn State Harrisburg

Browne, Anthony. (2014). What if ...? Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.

Anthony Browne presents another visual feast to capture a readers’ imagination. Teachers might wish to share the video clip featuring Browne reading the first several pages of his new book to pique curiosity. The story begins with an image of Joe clutching a birthday present for his friend Tom. Unfortunately, Joe lost the invitation to Tom’s birthday party and didn’t know the address. Joe’s mom reassures him that they will find Tom’s house together. Joe worries about whether he would know anyone at the party or if he would like the food. Throughout the story, his mom reassures him. As they walk through their neighborhood, they stop at several homes to look inside. Each window shaped frame features interesting and unusual characters which heighten Joe’s anxiety about the party. When, they finally reach Tom’s house, his mother hopes that her son will have a good time despite his fears. When it was time to go home, Joe’s mom is thrilled to know that he did in fact have a splendid time. Anthony Browne effectively employs word-and-image interactions by playing with hues and metafictive elements. He captures the emotional complexity of a child’s world by presenting a captivating story. He also alternates small and large frames throughout and includes speech bubbles to capture the conversation between mother and son. Teachers will want to encourage readers to look closely at the images and to share their observations.

—Mary Napoli, Penn State Harrisburg

Grades 3-5

Rosenstock, Barb (2014). Ben Franklin’s Big Splash: The Mostly True Story of His First Invention. Illus by S.D. Schindler. Honesdale, PA: Calkins Creek (Boyds Mills Press).

In this clever book, readers are introduced to a young Ben Franklin. While there are many biographies of this American icon, this one offers new information in an inviting style. The story starts on the title page which shows “Ben” landing a cannonball jump, splashing amongst fish and frogs. The joy on his face is reinforced throughout the text and pictures as reader learn of Franklin’s passion for swimming from a young age. The story of Franklin’s attempt to swim more like a fish creates a portrait of Franklin that models perseverance without any heavy-handedness. The narrative text features poetic language, the typography changes to show emphasis, and the page layout varies to help delineate the plot. The book ends with examples of Franklin “solving BIG problems” later in life, such as inventing bifocals and designing US coins. An authors’ note, timeline, and source notes are included.

— Lesley Colabucci, Millersville University of Pennsylvania

Rubin, Susan Goldman. (2014). Stand There! She Shouted: The Invincible Photographer Julia Margaret Cameron. Illus.by Bagram Ibatoulline. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.

This extraordinary biography includes information about the Victorian photographer, Julia Margaret Cameron. A mixture of gorgeous illustrations with reproductions of photographs captures the essence of beauty that distinguished Cameron’s work. Told in an accessible style, readers will learn about Cameron’s early life, interest in photography, and her professional success. Each page contains a “period trim” coupled by sketches and realistic images portraying Cameron’s life. Goldman’s impeccable research includes quotes from Cameron’s models, including those of her relatives. Though Cameron’s models often feared her and the lengthy hours of sitting or standing still, the results of the images captured the beauty of the world, the innocence of simple emotions, and a unique perspective. Cameron’s work was not immediately appreciated by her critics, but her perseverance led to her success. Goldman includes information about the earliest experimentations with photography. Also included are extensive bibliographic notes as well as a list of museums where readers can find Cameron’s photographs.  

— Mary Napoli, Penn State Harrisburg

Martin, Ann. (2014). Rain Reign. New York, NY: Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan).

This book takes reader into the heart and mind of Rose Howard, who is diagnosed with high-functioning autism. Rose’s voice is the strongest element in the novel. She describes her interactions and reactions to people and events in such a way that readers feel intimately aware of her challenges, which include not only her diagnosis but also her potentially abusive and alcoholic father. Rose’s father is balanced by several supportive, nurturing, and wise adults - and by her dog Rain. Throughout the story, readers will become immersed in Rose’s obsession with homonyms and prime numbers, find out more about Rose’s mom, and experience a hurricane and lost dog alongside this appealing main character.

— Lesley Colabucci, Millersville University of Pennsylvania.

Dairman, Tara. (2014). All Four Stars. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons.

Absolutely delicious storytelling! Dairman’s debut novel contains all of the ingredients to tantalize readers. Gladys Gatsby has a deep appreciation for delectable cuisine. She’s only eleven, but her interest in food, recipes, and cooking reflects her dream of becoming a well-known food critic for a New York City newspaper. She maintains a food review journal and visits the local gourmet grocer for new flavors to use in her recipes. Unfortunately, after a kitchen mishap, she was no longer allowed to cook. Without cooking to occupy her free time, Gladys befriends her neighbor Sandy. His mother, Mrs. Anderson, loves to bake and when she lets Gladys hold the impressive original French cookbook, The Larousee Gastronomique, she is immediately overwhelmed with excitement. When her new teacher challenges the class to submit an essay about their hopes for the future, Gladys’ creativity soars. With her teacher’s encouragement, she finds her voice and trusts her passion to submit the winning essay for her class. Through a series of events, her essay for the New York standard $500 prize money was accidentally mistaken for an employment letter of interest. An email from the chief editor of the New York Standard’s Dining Section initiates an entirely creative and delectable plan. Gladys must find a way to get to “Classy Cakes” in Manhattan to complete her freelance review assignment. This is a delightful novel full of lively characters, beautiful language, humor, and creativity.

—Mary Napoli, Penn State Harrisburg

Grades 6-8

Woodson, Jacqueline. (2014) Brown Girl Dreaming. New York, NY: Nancy Paulsen Books.

Woodson’s memoir is a testament to the power of family connections, hope in the face of tragedy, and the liberating force of writing. The book is divided into five parts and told through a series of poems. The poems capture moments in time as well as reflections on important stories. Some are quite short, some contain dialogue, and many will stand on their own. Woodsons does a beautiful job of rendering dynamic characters through brief descriptions. Readers may be left wondering about certain actions or endings, but the narrator’s affection for and understanding of her family (and friends) results in a satisfying level of intimacy. In addition, this collection provides a thoughtful balance of the personal and the political as African-American history is invoked across several states and within a range of years.

—Lesley Colabucci, Millersville University of Pennsylvania.

Wiles, Deborah. (2014). Revolution. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.

Book two in Wiles’ ‘60s trilogy opens with a Langston Hughes poem, printed in white type against a black background. This sets the tone for the unique genre-blurring book. Revolution uses multiple voices as several characters experience Freedom Summer from different perspectives, including a white girl named Sunny and a black boy named Ray who both sneak into a pool at night for different reasons. These varied narrators powerfully show how one’s experience of history is shaped by race in both obvious and subtle ways. This historical fiction exploration of how the summer “invaders” came to Greenwood, MI, is balanced by pages of documentary elements such as archival photographs, newspaper clippings, and quotes from pamphlets, fliers, speeches, and songs. Wiles provides more than 30 pages of back matter to complement the extensive research that shines through in this books.

—Lesley Colabucci, Millersville University of Pennsylvania

Grades 9-12

DeWoskin, Rachel. (2014). Blind. New York, NY: Viking.

When Emma and her family were watching the fireworks display, one of the rockets backfired and hit the crowd. Emma felt a burning sensation that left her blind. Throughout this descriptive and emotional novel, Emma learns how to read braille and to walk with a cane. The year spent at the Briarly School for the Blind is described in great detail and Emma’s inner resolve and resiliency prove to serve her well as she returns to her regular high school. The subplot of Claire Montgomery’s apparent suicide is interwoven throughout the novel, with Emma and her friends creating a support group to talk about life, death, and their fears. Like her friends, Emma is coping with the death of her classmate in her own way. She discovers an inner strength that helps her to overcome her own limitations and challenges. Her friendships are tested, but also evolve as she cycles through new understandings about others and about herself. This novel moves beyond how one copes with a disability; it provides a powerful examination into the world of teens and their relationships.

—Mary Napoli, Penn State Harrisburg
 
Sidman, Joyce. (2013). What the Heart Knows: Chants, Charms, & Blessings. Illus by   Pamela Zagarenski. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.

This collection of poems is divided into four sections with distinct purposes. Chants and charms aim to “bolster courage” and feature poems to invite sleep or happiness. Spells and invocations are designed to make things, like sandcastles and invisibility, happen. Laments and remembrances include reflections on regret and grief, both specific (a teddy bear) and general (“my old life”). Finally, the praise songs and blessings offer inspiration for showing love and gratitude. The accompanying illustrations have a dream-like quality that matches the overall tone of the collection. Students who may be inspired to write their own poems in spirit of these will find the definitions of the forms provided in the beginning of each section. This is a book for poetry lovers, writers, and dreamers of all sorts.

—Lesley Colabucci, Millersville University of Pennsylvania

These reviews are submitted by members of the International Reading Association's Children's Literature and Reading Special Interest Group (CL/R SIG) and are published weekly on Reading Today Online. 

As teachers, we are always looking for new, motivating ways to get our students to read, not only during the course of the school year, but during the summer when sun is high, the pools are open, and the kids are presented with the extra time in which they have to just lay around, play video games, and do a whole lot of “nothing.” That is how we created an engaging, creative way that goes beyond the teachers', tutors' and parents' summer reading "requirements," and the tireless read-a-thon programs that certainly motivate some with prizes and an award at the end (if the student happens to meet his/her goal without fuss and forcefulness).

Typically these programs only hit those with intrinsic motivation and/or those students whose parents sign them up to take the onus of being the “bad guys” when it comes to getting their kid to keep up their reading over the summer months and not lose everything they gained in the previous school year. Not to say these reading programs are not useful or successful, but participation can be even further rewarding and stimulating if fused with a kid-safe and friendly blog, as we started.

With this mission in mind a year ago we began our schools “Summer Blog” hoping the technology spin on things would draw student’s attention. Our blog is called “Catch the Wave of Summer Reading.” I brought each homeroom from grades 2-4 (16 homerooms) into the computer lab to explain how to log onto the blog and also set a purpose for the Blog with my students. Research was shared from Harvard about how to keep students from sliding backwards during their summer break. Based on this research, each student had a purpose to set a summer reading goal and entered it into the Blog. Students responded to each other and our journey began. Student models from the prior summer were also posted by utilizing the Smart Board and each class discussed what they noticed and what would be the expectation for their entries this summer. Students responded to each other and our journey began. The new blog called “What Are You Reading?” started off the summer and students began communicating with each other about reading.

Kidblog is a great site for this activity because each student has their own password and nothing gets posted unless approved by a teacher or administrator. Our literacy instructors run this program and we are fortunate to have very supportive administrators who also approve and communicate with our bloggers throughout the summer. Sending home a rules and safe blogging sheet helped to avoid any postings that were not appropriate.

There was at least a 25 percent increase in participation from the first summer to the second. Now that we have subscribed to Kidblog, our teachers have access to the blogging site year-round to help acclimate our students to utilizing the blog. One of the largest increases in posts has been from our special Ed population. It’s been great to see these students have the confidence to participate. Another great addition this summer was a parent who started a boy’s book club and used the Blog to report their activities. This summer blog is going to grow each summer and next year we are looking to partner up with the PTA, local library and Local Junior Women’s club to link the blog into their summer reading programs. Parents or guardians will also be invited to participate with the students as well. KidBlog has a parent piece to their site that can be added easily. Thus far a lot of the student entries are book recommendations and positive comments encouraging each other to read. Each year we are looking to build depth onto their entries by discussing characters, plots, genres, summaries and questioning the author. This will take practice throughout the year that we are hoping will be supported by the Language Arts teachers. Our Summer Blog project will be a “work in progress” every year in which our hopes are to watch our students grow in their responses and communication with each other about quality literature, keep them reading over the summer and most of all, excited about books!

Students come back in September to a Principals’ Bloggers’ Wall of Fame, in the front hallway. Here our principals choose their favorite blog posts from the summer and that student is recognized on the front bulletin board with their name in lights! Here are just a couple examples.

From a future third grader:

I started to go to the book club on July 31. We are reading this book called Wonder it is book about a boy whose face is deformed. His name is August (Auggie.) Even though his face is deformed he is very smart funny and brave. He has never been to a real school before he was always been home schooled. When his parents decided that he should go to school he is a little nervous. Auggie’s having a hard time fitting in with everyone. I’m in the middle of the book I’ll give you an update later!

From a future fourth grader:

Thumbs up for The Secret Language of Girls! I really liked this book. It is about the friendship of two girls going into middle school. You can find it in the Flocktown Library or on your Kindle. Happy blogging-Sophia G.

The blog stirred students across multiple grade levels in our school. The skills (interpersonal, verbal, visual-spatial, etc.) associated with blogging about reading and books touch upon several of the multiple intelligences and learning styles. Giving the students an appealing place in which they can 'make their own,' chat, present, pose, question, respond, encourage, discuss, and create has increased motivation to read, especially over summer. We hope with a little bit of continued training and increased expectations through the school year, we intend that our school blog will grow in popularity as the teachers utilize this space as they see fit to extend their lessons and encourage reading in their classrooms, both in conjunction with the curriculum, outside of class reading, and the new core standards.

Meg DeFrance teaches in the Washington Township Elementary Schools in Long Valley, NJ, with 14 years’ experience including with gifted and talented students, teaching all subjects in grades 3-5, and now as a literacy instructor for reading and writing in grades K-5. She holds a Master's degree in Critical Thinking in Reading from Montclair State University and is now enrolled in a second Master's program for a Reading Specialist Certificate and a Supervisory Certificate.

Nicole Jurgensen is a Literacy Instructor of reading and writing for grades 3-5 at Flocktown-Kossmann School in Long Valley, NJ. She has 12 years’ experience, including  second grade, fifth grade language arts and social studies education, and reading and writing support instruction in grades 1-5. She earned her Master’s in Teaching and Learning with a concentration in Literacy.

In the latest print edition of Reading Today, Timothy Shanahan presented a summary of his research address from the IRA 2014 Conference in New Orleans concerning the question of whether or not to teach students at their reading levels.

Shanahan, a distinguished professor emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chicago who serves on IRA’s Literacy Research Panel, cited what he referred to as misused research evidence, concluding that sticking only with student-text matching can result in a scenario in which the learner never really catches up. Instead, he suggested more emphasis on scaffolding to help students better grasp frustration text and not veer away from it.

He concluded by stating he has found more than 20 studies that used scaffolding to allow students to read frustration-level text as if it was at their instructional level. Here are those studies:

Bonfiglio, C. M., Daly, E. J., Persampieri, M., & Andersen, M. (2006). An experimental analysis of the effects of reading interventions in a small group reading instruction context. Journal of Behavioral Education, 15, 93-109. 

Burns, M. K. (2007).  Reading at the instructional level with children identified as learning disabled: Potential implications for Response-to-Intervention. School Psychology Quarterly, 22, 297-313.

Burns, M. K., Dean, V. J., & Foley, S. (2004). Preteaching unknown key words with incremental rehearsal to improve reading fluency and comprehension with children identified as reading disabled. Journal of School Psychology, 42, 303–314.

Carney, J.J., Anderson, D., Blackburn, C., & Blessing, D. (1984). Preteaching vocabulary and the comprehension of social studies materials by elementary school children. Social Education, 48(3), 195-196.

Daly, E., & Martens, B. (1994). A comparison of three interventions for increasing oral reading performance: Application of the instructional hierarchy. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 27,459-469.

Eckert, T. L., Ardoin, S. P., Daisey, D. M., & Scarola, M. D. (2000). Empirically evaluating the effectiveness of reading interventions: The use of brief experimental analysis and single-case designs. Psychology in the Schools, 37, 463-474.

Faulkner, H. J., & Levy, B. A. (1999). Fluent and nonfluent forms of transfer in reading: Words and their message. Psychonomic Bulletin and Review, 6, 111-116.

Gickling, E. E., & Armstrong, D. L. (1978). Levels of instructional difficulty as related to on-task behavior, task completion, and comprehension. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 11,559-566.

Hall, K. M., Sabey, B. L., & McClellan, M. (2005). Expository text comprehension: Helping primary-grade teachers use expository texts to full advantage. Reading Psychology, 26,211-234.

Levy, B. A., Nicholls, A., & Kohen, D. (1993). Repeated readings: Process benefits for good and poor readers. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 56, 303-327.

McComas, J. J., Wacker, D. P. & Cooper, L. J. (1996). Experimental analysis of academic performance in an academic setting. Journal of Behavioral Education, 6,191-201.

Neill, K. (1979). Turn kids on with repeated reading. Teaching Exceptional Children, 12, 63-64.

O’Shea, L. J., Sindelar, P. T., & O’Shea, D. J. (1985). The effects of repeated readings and attentional cues on reading fluency and comprehension. Journal of Reading Behavior, 17, 129-142.

Pany, D., & McCoy, K. M. (1988). Effects of corrective feedback on word accuracy and reading comprehension of readers with learning disabilities. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 21, 546-550.

Rasinski, T. V. (1990). Effects of repeated reading and listening-while-reading on reading fluency. Journal of Educational Research, 83, 147-150.

Reitsma, P. (1988). Reading practice for beginners: Effects of guided reading, reading-while-listening, and independent reading with computer-based speech feedback. Reading Research Quarterly, 23, 219-235.

Rose, T. L., & Beattie, J. R. (1986). Relative effects of teacher-directed and taped previewing on oral reading. Learning Disability Quarterly, 9, 193-199.

Sanford, A. K., & Horner, R. H. (2013). Effects of matching instruction difficulty to students with escape-maintained problem behavior. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 15,79-89.

Sindelar, P. T., Monda, L. E., & O’Shea, L. J. (1990). Effects of repeated readings on instructional- and mastery-level readers. Journal of Educational Research, 83,220-226.

Smith, D. D. (1979). The improvement of children’s oral reading through the use of teacher modeling. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 12 (3), 39-42.

Stoddard, K., Valcante, G., Sindelar, P., O’Shea, L., & Algozzine, B. (1993). Increasing reading rate and comprehension: The effects of repeated readings, sentence segmentation, and intonation training. Reading Research and Instruction, 32, 53-65.

Taylor, N. E., Wade, M. R., & Yekovich, F. R. (1985). The effects of text manipulation and multiple reading strategies on the reading performance of good and poor readers. Reading Research Quarterly, 20, 566-574.

Turpie, J. J., & Paratore, J. R. (1995). Using repeated reading to promote success in a heterogeneously grouped first grade. In K. A. Hinchman, D.J. Leu, & C.K. Kinzer (Eds.), Perspectives on literacy research and practice: Forty-fourth Yearbook of the National Reading Conference (pp. 255-263). Chicago: The National Reading Conference.

VanWagenen, M. A., Williams, R. L., & McLaughlin, T. F. (1994). Use of assisted reading to improve reading rate, word accuracy, and comprehension with ESL Spanish-speaking students. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 79, 227-230.

Weinstein, G., & Cooke, N. L. (1992). The effects of two repeated reading interventions on generalization of fluency. Learning Disability Quarterly, 15, 21–28.

Wixson, K.K. (1986). Vocabulary instruction and children’s comprehension of basal stories. Reading Research Quarterly, 21(3), 317-329.

IRA members can view the digital issue here to read Shanahan’s piece and more. If you aren’t an IRA member, information about how to join can be found here.

The What’s Hot in Literacy Survey has appeared annually in IRA publications for nearly two decades. Within that span of time, the results of the survey have been cited in numerous publications, translated into languages other than English, and replicated in other countries including Denmark, Romania, and the United Kingdom. The results of the survey have also been used to guide professional development within schools and to situate the timeliness of current research. In this brief overview, we share how the 2015 survey was created, in what manner this year’s respondents were selected, and how the results were interpreted.

Constructing the Survey

Each year, 25 literacy leaders complete the survey. The literacy leaders who responded to the 2014 survey played a key role in constructing this year’s survey. This is because they reviewed the items listed on the 2014 survey and made suggestions for revisions. From their suggestions, the 2015 survey was formed. This process resulted in a 30-item survey. The following five topics were new to the survey this year: genre knowledge, STEM literacy, summer reading, writing (argumentative & based on sources), and writing (creative).

Selecting the Literacy Leaders

The key criterion for respondents is that they have a national or international perspective on literacy. Many of those interviewed have served (or are serving) on boards of prominent literacy organizations or as editors of major journals. Together, the 25 leaders create a diverse group representing various ethnicities, ages, and job categories such as classroom teachers, administrators, reading specialists, and college professors, although college professors constitute the majority of those responding.

The number of literacy leaders interviewed from a region is determined by the percentage of IRA members in that given area. The areas as defined by IRA are: East, South, Great Lakes, Plains, Southwest, Rocky Mountains, West, Canada and Outside North America.

Conducting the Survey

The literacy leaders were interviewed by phone or in person during the spring and summer months. Each respondent was read a standard 178-word paragraph explaining that a rating of “hot” and “not hot” was not a measure of their personal interest in a topic, but instead would refer to the amount of attention the item was currently receiving. Next, each of the 30 items from the survey were read aloud to the respondent and they were asked to give a rating of “hot” or “not hot.” Then each respondent was asked if each item “should be hot” or “should not be hot.” The direct oral contact is used for a number of reasons. Many times, respondents will make informal comments which can be helpful in the written narrative. Also, we want respondents to give a relatively spontaneous answer.

Tallying and Interpreting the Results

The final step was analyzing the results. This involved tallying the collected ratings. Items receiving 100 percent consensus among the literacy leaders were reported as “extremely hot” or “extremely cold.” Items receiving 75 percent consensus were reported as “very hot” or “very cold,” while those receiving 50 percent consensus were reported as “hot” or “cold.”

The full 2015 What’s Hot in Literacy Survey results were published in the September/October 2014 issue of Reading Today. Members: Click here to login and access the issue. Nonmembers: Join IRA now!

Judith Hayn is a teacher’s teacher. Having spent 15 years in the classroom, she is now stationed at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock where she prepares graduate students to go into schools and spread the love of literature. As a member (and past chair) of the International Reading Association Special Interest Group-Network on Adolescent Literature, she focuses on teen lit and prepares practical applications of YA books with her students. In turn, those applications and ideas are run as “Putting Books to Work” features on Reading Today Online.

How did you begin your career, and what led you to your current position?

I began my teaching career in Omaha, NE, in an urban junior high where I taught what was called Unified Studies, both English and Social Studies in a block time period. Then I taught that subject in Topeka, KS, finally moving on to high school English to finish my 15-year public school career.  I came to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 2006 to help the English Education program maintain its NCTE accreditation since I am a long-time program reviewer, lead reviewer, and auditor.  

What’s the mission of the Special Interest Group-Network on Adolescent Literature (SIGNAL)?

Our current mission is increasing membership, however our organization is committed to helping middle and high school teachers incorporate young adult literature into their classrooms.  We focus on practical implications of including YAL in curriculum and offer strategies for doing so. We also encourage classroom-based research teachers can adapt for their own use. Our website offers information about membership and our SIGNAL Journal.  Please visit the site to join and examine the calls for manuscripts. We celebrate, research, and promote YAL!

What are you reading (personal, professional, or even children's/YA)?

Right now I am reading two books for the continuing research I am doing with my colleague, Dr. Karina Clemmons (who is also the secretary of SIGNAL), and our graduate students.  We give pre-service teachers a survey on a social justice issue and they read a young adult book centered on that theme.  A post-survey lets us look at changes in attitudes that may have occurred through this encounter with text.  This fall, the book is In the Name of God by Paula Jolin, the spring selection is Moon at Nine by Deborah Ellis.

How has YA literature changed since you started teaching?

When I took my first young adult literature class in the ‘80s at the University of Kansas, I was awe-struck by the genre's power.  Now I am more than astounded at the burgeoning proliferation of YAL.  Since Harry Potter first wielded his wand and Bella emerged out of the twilight, the race has been on.  Who can write the highest quality book and get it made into a well-crafted movie seems to be the goal.  YA bookshelves are filled in big box and neighborhood bookstores.  E-readers entice teens to enter texts with a swipe of the finger.  This growth is phenomenal and creates a whole new niche for literacy.

How long have you been a member of IRA? How has membership influenced your career?

I have been an IRA member for many years, but I let my membership lapse, primarily because the emphasis on YAL was somewhat limited. I returned to the fold when I came to Little Rock and was asked to chair SIGNAL.  I also began submitting as many program proposals as I could handle that featured some aspect of YAL. These have been accepted, and interest at the conference is high; our sessions are well-attended, and I even have those who tell me they come every year to see what I am doing now with YAL.

What do you consider to be your proudest career moment?

 My proudest career moments occur when I hear from graduates who tell me what they are doing and where. When they can tell me they are implementing YAL despite the barriers, which are myriad, I just smile inside. The joy of a long teaching career is knowing what I say and do does indeed have an impact that only I can truly know.

What lessons do you share with teachers you train that seem to resonate year after year?

I think students remember me as the one who taught them that the important things they teach do not come out of textbooks or assignments, but rather, out of commitment, care, and dedication for students.  If teachers keep that at the center of teaching, students will accomplish all of those standards others impose on them in the most relevant way possible.

Do you want to suggest an IRA member for the Member of the Month feature interview? E-mail readingtoday@/.

April Hall is the editor of Reading Today Online. She can be reached at ahall@/.