Idaho Magazine

Interested in advertising, writing, teaching, creating recipes, and/or taking photos? Idaho Magazine is just the place for all that. At Idaho Magazine, teachers can look up lesson plans to “enrich” their students lives. These lesson plans are designed for Idaho students. Idaho Magazine also has some great fundraisers for teachers to be able to pay for the cost of field trips.

            Idaho Magazine also holds fiction writing contests, cover photo contests, and recipe contests. These contests have won awards at state and national levels. For the fiction writing contests, there is a 2,500 maximum word limit and people of all ages can join. For 18-year-olds and under, the entry fee is only $5 and for adults, the entry fee is just $10. You must also include 4 copies of your story. Cash prize is $100 for first place.

            For the cover photo contests, there must be at least one person in the photograph, each photo must be taken in Idaho, the image may be black and white or color although color is preferred, the image may not be altered in any way, and do not send originals. If you like taking photos and want to make some money from it, this is the contest for you.

            The last contest is the recipe contest. “At least one ingredient in each recipe must be an Idaho Preferred™ product.” The grand prize for this contest is $100 plus $150 in kitchen tools. Entry cost is only $10.

Kay E. Vandergrift’s YA Literture Page

             In Kay E. Vandergrift’s article “Vandergrift’s Young Adult Literature Page,” Vandergrift explains that “contemporary problem novels reflect the troubled times in which young readers are coming of age, but young people also need to laugh at themselves and at their world and to escape that world in flights of fancy.”

            It is important to remember that a young adult should read material that deals with the every day problems and troubles they face each day. However, it is imperative that young adults also have hope and something to look forward to by the time they finish the book. Though, it should be done realistically. S.E. Hinton said, “Writers needn’t be afraid they will shock their teen-age audience. But give them something to hang onto. Show that some people don’t sell out, and that everyone can’t be bought. Do it realistically. Earn respect by giving it.”

            One of the last things young adults need to be talked down to and treated as though they are children. Young adults are most certainly not young children and the things they face are certainly problems in today’s world.

            Vandergrift goes on to say, “With greater freedom in both content and form, young adult literature is moving into a closer connection with adult literature.” This is becoming a bigger problem in the world of YA literature. Young adults are permitted to read books that seem closely related to adult books.

            “Societal changes and the mass media have, in some ways, pushed young people to an earlier maturity . . . What might once have been thought appropriate for a fourteen-year-old is now appropriate for a considerably younger reader.” Looking at what young adults read twenty years ago and today, the maturity levels have drastically changed. Because young adults are becoming more and more desensitized to the horrors that go on in the world day to day lives, books are coming out now with more mature content than any time previous.

            Vandergrift goes on to say that we as a society need to better understand and work alongside young adults and the YA literature community. “In order to work successfully with young adults, we must read widely to acquaint ourselves with the best and the most current thinking about young people and their literature from a variety of perspectives.”

            Vandergrift also said that one of the best ways to get involved in the YA literature community is to read many of the books created especially for the young adult audience. In order to understand and help the YA literature community, Vandergrift suggests to read the material that is already out there in order to come to more knowledge of young adults and the literature written especially for them.

The Importance of YA Literature

In the NJLA conference talk entitled “How to Talk to Parents About YA Literature,” Jennifer Hubert gave these three main points many parents ask:

1.      Why is my teen reading “junk”? Why aren’t they reading the classics??

2.      Why is my teen reading the same book over and over, or stuck on a series?

3.      Why is my teen obsessed with horror, or books about drugs, sex and murder?

Let’s start with the first question: Why is my teen reading “junk”? Why aren’t they reading the classics? Jennifer Hubert made this point: Teens will be exposed to the classics in high school and college. Leisure reading should be books they choose themselves.

            And let’s face it, for many teens, reading classic books inside or outside school is about as much fun as sledding down a mud-covered hill. A person can’t very well sled down a muddy hill; they would get stuck. And for some teens forced to read classic books, that is exactly how they feel. Stuck.

            Hubert goes on to say that parents should not be elitists because reading taste varies. “Many “classics” started out as pulp serials, including stuff by Dickens and Alcott. Shakespeare was considered low-brow in his day!”

            Just because society does not consider YA books as classics, does not mean they cannot teach just as much to young adults. Many look at it this way: “The THAT of teenagers reading is more important than the WHAT.”–Hippie.

“Developmental needs trump intellectual ones.” It is important for young adults to develop reading skills, even if those reading skills do not come from “the classics.” 71 percent of eighth graders and 65 percent of twelfth graders read below grade average.

That’s because young adults are becoming less willing to read on their own and, consequently, are unable to develop the reading skills they need later in life. Therefore, we need to ask ourselves if the content of what we have our students and teens read is more important than the fact that they are reading at all. “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a flame.” –Yeates.

The second question Hubert asks is: Why is my teen reading the same book over and over, or stuck on a series? Hubert then responds: Familiarity is comforting during the changes of adolescence. Reluctant readers feel a sense of accomplishment after completing a series.

It is important to get reluctant readers and all readers alike excited about what they are reading. If a reluctant reader finishes an “easy” series, they feel a sense of accomplishment. Therefore, when the reader comes across a more difficult book or series of books later on, they will feel more confident to read that book or series because now they know they can. 

Hubert had this to say: Apply the “Goldilocks” principle: teens choose books that are “too easy” when they need a break, “just right” when they really need to understand a topic, “too hard” when they want to challenge themselves, or are REALLY interested in a topic.

Just because teens are reading things that are considered too easy for them, it should be celebrated to know that 1. They are reading at all and 2. They CAN read more difficult material. It comes down to the fact that if a person wants to read better, they need to read as much as they can. This applies with most everything. If you want to write, sing, dance, and do math better, you must do it as much as you can. If all a young adult knows is classics and they don’t like classics, that young adult isn’t going to want to read anymore because they have not had any positive experiences with reading.

The third and final question Hubert asked was: Why is my teen obsessed with horror, or books about drugs, sex, or murder? Hubert makes this point: Once they are twelve, they know what they can handle. Developmentally, they are interested in life and death issues, and it is better to get it from a YA novel, which is thoughtful and well-meaning, than from an R-rated movie.

Hubert goes on to say: Reading horror is a way for teens to subconsciously deal with some of life’s deepest fears, which are often far worse than vampires and werewolves.

Parents need not worry about teens reading YA literature because those who write it know who they are writing for and there is almost always a good thought-provoking message in the YA book. In the end, it should not matter how much a teen reads, but how much they want to read.

                        Works Cited

Gibbons, Louel C,   Dail, Jennifer S,   Stallworth, B Joyce. Young Adult Literature in the English Curriculum Today: Classroom Teachers Speak Out. Arts Publications. CBS Interactive Inc. 2009

Hubert, Jennifer. How to Talk to Parents About YA Literature. NJLA Conference. 2009

Reading Round-Up

 Maine—Conferences statewide are held each year in April in the Augusta Civic Center to “learn ideas for promoting, marketing, evaluating, and purchasing noteworthy juvenile literature.”

All staff who work with children and young adults in public or school libraries are invited to attend.

“Planning committee members represent the three regional library districts and meet monthly from September to May.” In the 2009 conference, Lois Lowry arranged a pictorial view of her life’s work. She presented photographs of her friends and family showing how they related to her life’s writings. Over 350 librarians, authors, illustrators, and publishers view the “Cream of the Crop” list. 

The “Cream of the Crop” list is a list of books for young adults and children on display. “Each year publishing houses send thousands of review copies of new children’s and young adult books to the Maine Examination Collection c/o the Southern Maine Library District.” Books are chosen monthly to be read and reviewed by local librarians. The list of books ranges from pre-school to high school reading levels and contain about 120 books.

Some of the highlights of the Reading Round-Up of Children’s and Young Adult Literature Conference (or RRU) include the announcements of many different awards. The first award is called the Lupine Award, which “is presented annually by the Youth Services Section Interest Group of the Maine Library Association, to recognize an outstanding contribution to children’s literature of Maine. This award is granted to encourage the reading, writing and appreciation of children’s books, and to foster pride in the state of Maine.” The award is designed to honor an illustrator or author whose work has taken place in the state of Maine.

The next award is called the Katahdin Award. This award is given to an author or illustrator who has produced an outstanding lifetime work in the field of children literature in Maine. The award is a commemorative stone carving or a set of book ends. It is given by The Youth Services Section Interest Group of the Maine Library Association.

The last award given is called The Maine Student Book Award (MSBA). This award is not given by any association or even by any adults, but given by students fourth grade to eighth. The students choose their favorite book of the year. School librarian Ernest Bradbury established the first Maine Student Book Award in 1989. Ever since then, the number of adults and students involved in it has grown.

Peter Parnell won this year’s Katahdin Award. Authors Maria Padian, Diane Les Besquets, Holly Berry, and Melissa Sweet are the recipients for this year’s Lupine Award.

 The next RRU will take place April 15, 2010 from 8:30 A.M. to 3:30 P.M. All staff who work with children and/or young adults in public or school libraries are invited. Fee is 55 dollars and it is located in the Augusta Civic Center. Registration ends April 1^st 2010 at 5:00 P.M. Come for a good time!

The Classics VS Young Adult Literature

For many students, reading classic books inside or outside school is about as much fun as sledding during the summer. A person can’t very well sled down a dirt hill; they would get stuck. And for some students forced to read classic books, that is exactly how they feel. Stuck.

But is it better to have young adult students read classic books in the classroom or should teachers open up to YA literature? Some teachers look at it this way: “The THAT of teenagers reading is more important than the WHAT.”–Hippie. When deciding if it is better to have young adults read classics rather than YA literature, it is important to consider that 71 percent of eighth graders and 65 percent of twelfth graders read below grade average. That’s a shocking statistic. Therefore, we need to ask ourselves if the content of what we have our students and children read is more important than the fact that they are reading at all. “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a flame.” –Yeates.

Many English teachers, however, believe “YAL should not occupy a prominent position in the curriculum, . . . that YAL may be useful as an option for struggling upper elementary and middle school students or as out-of-school leisure reading. Teachers . . . believe that [it] is not “deep enough” to include in the regular curriculum.” (Gibbons). YA literature is written especially for young adults and, believe it or not, there are many YA novels out there that are “interesting, appropriate, and challenging.” Not all YA novels are written simply for entertainment. Many are written to relate to young adults and help them consider the kind of person they may or may not want to be.

It comes down to the fact that if a person wants to read better, they need to read as much as they can. This applies with most everything. If you want to write, sing, dance, and do math better, you must do it as much as you can. If all a young adult knows is classics and they don’t like classics, that young adult isn’t going to want to read anymore because they have not had any positive experiences with reading.

“YAL should be integrated into the middle school and high school classroom becuase such literature can (a) help improve students’ reading skills; (b) encourage young adults to read more books, thereby improving their abilities to read; (c) facilitate teachers’ abilities to incorporate more books of interest to adolescents into the curriculum, thereby avoiding the non-reading curriculum or workbooks and lectures; and (d) support the development of an inclusive curriculum.” (Reed).

When looked at from this perspective, YA literature should be used in classrooms as teaching tools. Does this mean that there should not be any classics in the classroom? Of course not! For many young adults, classics such as “Mobey Dick,” by Herman Melville and “Romeo and Juliet,” by William Shakespeare appeal to them. But for other students, it is a struggle. It is important not to neglect these students especially when they pretend to be doing fine in the classroom. The classic books and YA books can both be used in the classroom.

There are still many informative as well as entertaining YA novels out there just waiting to be read. Such books as “Ender’s Game” by Orson Scott Card, “Crispin: The Cross of Lead” by Avi, and “The Outsiders” by S. E. Hinton are all informative and entertaining books dealing with social issues, history, and war. There are hundreds of books written for young adults that interest and inform them.

If teachers and parents are worried about their students and children not getting enough education if they allow young adult books into the classrooms, they shouldn’t be. The whole point of learning to read better is actually reading. A student can read a book that is boring or unappealing to them and they will not learn a single thing from that book because it did not grab them and hold their interest. It did not get them excited about what they are reading. I am not saying classics should be banned, but I am saying that young adult books should not immediately be discarded either.

Teachers, do your homework. Parents, do your homework. Read some books off of recommended lists for young adults such as YALSA quick picks for reluctant young readers and see for yourselves if the books cannot teach young adults something. All too often, the question many young adults ask is, “Why do I have to read this?” The goal is to make sure young adults are wanting read so this question does not even become applicable to them.

The more a young adult, or anyone, reads the more they understand what they are reading. And soon, young adults can find themselves reading more and more difficult books. Soon, young adults are challenging themselves to read. This is possible, but there has to be an attraction first. Therefore, classic books should not be neglected, but then neither should YA books. It should not matter how much a child reads, but how much they want to read. Remember, “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a flame.”–Yeates. Who will light that flame in a student’s heart? Our students need to love to read now because they might not later.

                        Works Cited

 

Gibbons, Louel C,   Dail, Jennifer S,   Stallworth, B Joyce. Young Adult Literature in the English Curriculum Today: Classroom Teachers Speak Out. Arts Publications. CBS Interactive Inc. 2009

 

Reed, Arthea J.S. Reaching Adolescents: The Young Adult Book and the School. New York: Merrill, 1994.

YA Literature Is Not Children Literature

For those who have ever read a young adult book and for those who have ever read a children’s book, they would most likely say there is a vast difference between the two.  But for some, YA Literature is defined as, “not much difference between children’s literature and YA Literature.”

How ridiculous. When a child first starts to read, they are reading nursery rhymes and picture books. When children start to get a little older, they start to read easy-to-read books. But when a child grows into an adolescent, he or she starts to read “contemporary problem novels” and “social issues fiction.” It’s silly to expect children to read such novels as these.

When children first start to read, they read for pleasure and the enjoyment of it. When young adults read, they read to find themselves in the literature and then to “venture beyond themselves” later on. Children books are for entertainment and morals are weaved into the storylines. But with YA literature, the readers are finding out who they are becoming and who they want to become. They find themselves in the characters.

If proof is needed that children literature and YA literture are two increasingly different genres of books, just look at the “Harry Potter” series. The book series starts out as a children literature genre, but as Harry gets older and the story progresses, the books become less and less for children and more and more for young adults. There is a massive difference between the content and characters of the first book in the series and the last book. That’s because the first book was written for children and the last book is written for young adults. There is a difference between children literature and YA literature.

The book “Liturature For Today’s Young Adults,” said,”When we talk about children’s literature, we refer to books released by the juvenile or junior division of a publisher and intended for children from prekindegarden to about sixth grade.” The age groups can be debated, but this is about the age of children books.

Literature is written usually to teach or to entertain; or both. Therefore, when it is claimed that children’s literature is the same or much the same as YA literature, it’s an absurd statement. How could the two genre’s be the same when children and young adults are learning different principles and subjects in their lives? A child is not the same as a young adult. A 9-year-old does not go through the same things and does not have the same problems as a youth does. Therefore, why would anyone assume children literature and YA literature is basically the same when both genres are trying to teach very different age groups? Children literature is not the same as YA literature.