Reading to Middle Schoolers - A Substitute Teacher's POV

Hi all. It's great to be back with MGminded!

Along with my busy schedule as parent and writer, I substitute teach in our local public middle school. I'll share an experience recently where I subbed all day for a Family and Consumer Science Teacher. This itself is unremarkable. Lessons were prepared ahead of time and classes went smoothly, except for the period I had to kick two kids out of class, but that's another blog post entirely.

The last class of the day for this teacher was a sixth grade ELL class, which stands for English Language Learning, and I'd brought my recently purchased copy of Sal and Gabi Break the Universe, by Carlos Hernandez.

At the beginning of the class, I explained their lesson and told them if they worked quietly, I'd read some of the book out loud during the last part of the class period for them.

Wow did they work quietly. For twenty-five minutes or so, they worked, without a sound. Just so you understand me here, I'm in a room with twelve or thirteen sixth graders. Sixth graders, at the end of the day! Do you understand me here?

When their assignment time was up, I began reading to them. I thought they'd start messing around, making noise, getting up out of their seats, perhaps tossing pencil lead or something, but no. They sat so still and quietly as I read the first chapter, I couldn't believe it.

Throughout that whole first chapter, I had ZERO interruptions from them. As I contemplated reading on, I asked the class if they liked it and wanted me to continue reading aloud, or if they wanted to play one of their games or something else for the remainder of the period.

You guessed it. I was peppered with "Keep reading!" "Don't stop!" and all kinds of variations of these comments.

I read for the rest of the quiet period, and when I texted their regular teacher the following day about how it went, here's our text message exchange.



I think these students connected with the characters on several levels - aside from the fact that the writing grips and engages the reader (and listener.) Perhaps the response wouldn't have been so strong had I read from Tom Sawyer, but I'll never know.

What I do know, is from now on, I will take a few of my favorite books with me to school when I substitute teach in case there arises an opportunity to read to kids such as this.

Happy reading,
Rob Polk

What Kids Read #5

This month we are bringing back an old segment "What Kids Read". This segment consists of interviews with Librarians, Teachers, and Educators about what kids read. If you are in one of those categories and would like to be interviewed for the blog, please email MGminded (at) gmail (dot) com and put "What Kids Read" in the subject line. And if you have questions about what kids read that you'd like answered send them to the same email address.

This month we have Gaye Sanders answering questions for us.

1.) What grades/age groups do you work with? I teach 4th grade English Language Arts.  I teach 3 classes, so I have 75 fourth graders.  Plus, this is my 35th year to teach.

2.) What are some of your favorite middle grade books?This question is hard to answer!  I read a lot of middle grade, since I not only teach this age but I am an aspiring Middle Grade author, in current search of an agent.  So I read!

 

Lately, I've loved:

The Crossroads by Chris Grabenstein

Half a Chance by Cynthia Lord

My Diary from the Edge of the World by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Ms. Bixby's Last Day by John David Anderson

 

But my favorites are, of course Harry Potter, Becoming Naomi Leon by Pam Munoz Ryan, and Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan.

3.) What genres/topics do kids seem to ask for the most? What book titles are the most popular with kids right now?
I see kids continually want to read Diary of a Wimpy Kid or Dork Diaries, or fantasy like Harry Potter, Artemis Fowl, etc.  They also love the Reina Telgemeir books. 

However, I always take the time to turn my kids on to the other genres and authors, namely Newberry winners.  They love them after I've read them to the kids, and will say, "That's a book I would never have picked up, but now it's a favorite!"

4.) What do kids seem to like the least or what do kids complain about when it comes to books? I think kids would complain if the graphic novels were banned, or not allowed.  I don't see that much complaining, though.  If a kid doesn't like to read, I work super hard to eventually find something that he or she will connect to.

5.) What gets kids excited about reading?Kids get excited about reading when I am excited about the books.  I do a "Book Commercial" several times a week.  I'll tell my spiel of the book and find a trailer on You Tube.  It keeps them excited and they always want to see what I'm going to share next.

6.) If you've had author visits/Skype chats etc. at your library/classroom what worked well and what didn't?
Skype.  I have really not used it and shame on me!  I have to admit that it's just that I haven't taken the time to set it up.  Hopefully after  testing!

7.) Any other thoughts about children's literature or reading you'd like to share?
Other thoughts...like I said, I feel it's my duty to inspire these kids to love to read, to crawl in that book and take an adventure! 

Gaye Sanders has been an elementary school teacher for 35 years and counting! She's also a kidlit writer, mostly writing Middle Grade Contemporary, but she does have a PB coming out later this year about the Oklahoma City National Memorial Survivor Tree.

When not teaching, writing, or reading, she loves to explore! Gaye loves travel near and far, and often uses those adventures to fuel her stories. She has two grown boys who live in the Oklahoma City area.

 

You can find Gaye on Twitter and Instagram. She also occasionally blogs at http://gsanders58.blogspot.com/

Changing the World a Paragraph at a Time

As I’m writing this, I can hear breaking news being televised in the next room, reporting that police officers in Baton Rouge have been shot and killed. After I first heard about this and had a chance to process my now all-too-familiar shock and disgust, it occurred to me that our country has reached the point when the mourning periods during which we lower the American flag to half staff are now overlapping, due to the frequency of such tragedies. These events of extraordinary violence have become so familiar we use the names of their locations as shorthand: Orlando. Baton Rouge. Minneapolis. Dallas. San Bernardino. Charleston. Newtown. All of this is to say nothing of the wider problems also occurring throughout the world.

When I was a kid in the age range of the middle grade reader, our most immediate access to the events of the day was either the evening news, the newspaper that arrived the following morning, or occasional thirty-second bulletins on the radio. Social media and a twenty-four hour news cycle defined by divisiveness, hatred, and fear has to make it harder for kids these days. Even if they don’t closely follow what’s happening, they live in a world saturated by all variety of things going wrong. As they get older, they become more aware of the boundaries that separate people as lines are drawn between ideologies that don’t agree. Talking about things like politics and religion have become conversational third rails, since expressing beliefs or aligning yourself with any kind of strong opinion too readily invites conflict.

When thinking about problems like these, it’s hard for me to separate my roles as a teacher and a writer, because, for better or worse, I see them both as much as who I am as what I do. Teachers can have a great deal of influence on their students. They plant seeds regarding character. They try to act as role models worth emulating. When the school year is done they send their students into the future and usually will never know how much difference they made, if any at all. It’s frustrating, but it’s something you learn to accept. In the end, all you can do is hope you made a difference.

One way teachers work to make that difference is through books. They put a lot of thought into what they read to their classes, and what titles are included in their classroom libraries. They’ve all seen students unable to choose a new book to read, and usually can figure out which books those perplexed students will enjoy. They help desperate parents of reluctant readers find books their children might connect with.

This is where writers come in. We need to give those kids books to read, and ideas to think about. We make our characters handle difficult situations and resolve the conflicts that follow. Some of those conflicts are things middle grade readers might experience in their daily lives, or are only aware of from a third-person distance. Some might even be so utterly fantastical they could never happen in real life, but they can still give readers things to consider. 

We also give them examples of consequences that follow certain decisions and actions. I think it’s fair to say that most writers have favorite books from when we were younger. How many of those books might have helped shape our view of the world as adults? 
Even a book intended to be little more than a fun story has merit. Maybe silly is exactly the kind of thing that will win over a reluctant reader, and convince them to broaden their horizons and try reading something new. Maybe it just provides that reader with a welcome escape from what they’re facing in the real world.

Not every book that makes it on a library shelf is going to change the trajectory of the entire human race, but that doesn’t mean it won’t challenge some reader out there. Even when we’re frustrated enough to scream from all of the work that comes with our drafting, and revising, and editing, and revising again, everything we do is a small step in the direction of someday making a difference. When we write, our goal is to communicate an idea or provoke an emotion at some level. Isn’t that ultimately the purpose of art?

It’s easy to feel helpless when things in the world are going so wrong, and so many problems feel like they’re beyond our control. The next time you sit down to outline, or stress-spiral through your notes, or hack away at your current work-in-progress, remember that each paragraph you write is a contribution to the greater cultural thumbprint of literature. Writing something can make a difference, whether it ends up on bestseller lists, or is only enjoyed by a small circle of people, or just helps you understand your own world better. You probably won’t ever get to know what kind of reach your work has or how many people could be influenced by it, but that’s okay.

Regardless of where you are on your own writing journey, there will always be value in the effort. Your effort could someday plant an idea with someone, and help them find the tools they need to make their world a better place.

What Kids Read #4

Today we have the fourth interview for What Kids Read! Enjoy!

1.) What grades/age groups do you work with?

I work in a ​small, k-12 school. I teach English in the upper school, and I run a book club for elementary and middle school students.

2.) What are some of your favorite middle grade books?

The BFG, The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, Doll Bones, A Snicker of Magic, Goodbye Stranger, P.S. Be Eleven, and I am currently reading and loving both The Akata Witch and Rules for Stealing Stars.

3.) What genres/topics do kids seem to ask for the most?

I think fantasy is the most popular genre, but we definitely have kids who gravitate towards contemporary.

4.) What book titles are the most popular right now?

Our students recently read and loved Breadcrumbs and The Real Boy, by Anne Ursu. A few students are also really into the Emily Windsnap series, by Liz Kessler.


5.) What do kids seem to like the least or what do kids complain about when it comes to books?

Students ​often ​express frustration when they feel confused by a text. That can happen for a variety of reasons. Sometimes they don't understand what is literally happening in the story. Sometimes the plot structure is complex or the vocabulary is unfamiliar. In those moments, I try first to validate their confusion ("Yes, there are a lot of characters to keep track of here." Or "Yes, it was tricky when that flashback happened."). Then I try to help them learn strategies to overcome their confusion. Chris Tovani has an amazing book about this called I Read it, but I Don’t Get it. The strategies hopefully benefit students in their later reading lives as well.


6.) What gets kids excited about reading?

My students love getting lost in the world of a story. They love a mystery to solve or a secret to uncover. And I love to see them empathize and become invested in the wellbeing of the characters. They also relish the freedom that comes with the ability to read on their own. For students at that age, reading is very much an act of independence, exploration, and maturity.

 

Dana Langer is a high school English teacher and the author of The Sirens of Starbridge Cove, a middle grade novel forthcoming from Aladdin/S&S in 2017. She is represented by Alexander Slater at Trident Media Group and can be found online at danalanger.blogspot.com or on Twitter at @danicalanger.
 

Celebrating I Love to Read Month

For as long as I can remember, the school where I teach has celebrated February as I Love to Read Month, and this year was no exception. I don’t think I have to sell the readers of this blog very hard on how important it is to get young kids interested in reading, so I’d imagine you’d all be on board with this.

Our calendar fills up with events and activities taking place throughout the month, all somehow related to reading. Each week features some kind of a dress-up day. Sometimes the connections to reading seem like a bit of a stretch, but the kids still love them. Read a Shirt Day, Read a Button Day, Read a Hat Day have all come up in the rotation over the years, and are good inclusive ways to get students participating. We’ve even had a few “Dress Like a Book Character” Days before, which often end up with debates about whether or not SpongeBob can be counted as a book character on the same level as Pippi Longstocking just because he has his own joke book (and someone was super excited about repurposing their Halloween costume in the name of school spirit). This year the events included “Slip Into a Good Book Day,” when the kids, and adults, all had the chance to wear and show off their favorite slippers. “Sports Team Day” made the calendar because...well, I guess athletes read? “Sweat it Out With a Good Book Day” is also known as “Mr. Mulroy’s Favorite Day of the Year” because I can wear sweatpants to school and nobody will even think twice about it. A few times during the month we’ll take a building-wide pause for a “Drop Everything and Read” break, and yes, that includes the staff. I promise you there are few on-the-job moments that get much better than a reading break that is not only sanctioned, but required. If we ever see Drop Everything and Read fall on a Sweatpants Day some year, my life will pretty much be complete.

This year the students can fill out paper Book Circles when they finish reading a new book (or complete a chapter, depending on their grade and reading level). Each circle puts them in a weekly drawing for a Barnes & Noble gift card, along with the potential thrill of hearing their name announced over the intercom as one of the winners. As the month progresses, the completed circles are displayed in the school’s main hallway in an overlapping chain that looks like a comically long rainbow-colored worm crawling along the walls and the ceiling. The whispers and giggles that my students are always trying to sneak under the radar all but die out when we down the hallway now as each each of them scans the circles to find the ones they turned in. In another hallway display, a collection of photos shows staff members posing with some of their favorite books from elementary school, holding open the book and hiding most of their face with the cover. If you ever found yourself in our hallway, you’d see my eyes peeking up from behind a copy of my definitive childhood book, A Wrinkle in Time.

The headlining event of the month is I Love to Read Night, which could best be described as a combination of a family information night and a reading carnival. There’s a book fair, and catered food brought in from our local Buffalo Wild Wings (yes, I had some). Bingo games, technology explorations, story time, family word games, crafts, and a wide assortment of standard carnival games keep everyone busy. All of the activities are run by staff members, school parents, community volunteers, and even National Honor Society members from the nearby high school. I assume the night was a big success this year, but since I spent my two-hour shift chasing down taped-up rolls of toilet paper at the T.P. Toss, I didn’t get out to see much else.

Last Friday every student in the school had a chance to play Bango For Books, which is very much like a perpendicular version of a similar game, but in this one everyone eventually wins and the prize is a brand new book of their choice. Unfortunately one of my students was sick that day and didn’t get to play, but the announcement was made at the start of the game that all teachers should select books for any absent students to make sure each child got one. As the announcement was made, I looked at one of my girls sitting at a nearby table. She read my expression and anticipated the question I was about to ask, saying: “She likes books about pets.” First of all, this was such a perfect third grade kind of thing to say I had no choice but to smile. And I loved that she knew this about her friend. I’d like to think that knowing what kinds of books you like should be near the top of any friendship checklist.

We still have one more week before I Love to Read Month closes, as well as a few more special days and fun events. From there we continue on, and hopefully the students are ready to move through the rest of the year with a renewed appreciation or a new discovery of the joys of reading.

What Kids Read #2

Today we have the second interview for What Kids Read! Enjoy!

1.) What grades/age groups do you work with?
I am a librarian at a public high school, and I work with grades 9-12.

2.) What are some of your favorite kid lit books?
It's so hard to narrow it down to just a few favorites! I love anything by John Green, and Paper Towns is my all-time favorite YA novel. I also love anything by Andrew Smith; The Marbury Lens and Stick are my favorite of his books.


3.) What genres/topics do kids seem to ask for the most?
It really varies by student, although currently sci-fi and fantasy are the most requested genres in the library. In the last year or so, more and more students are asking for contemporary fiction and romance.


4.) What book titles are the most popular right now? 
I ran the report, and right now, here are our most popular titles: The Fault in Our Stars, Paper Towns, Looking for Alaska (first three by John Green), Tsubasa (graphic novel series) by CLAMP, Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins, The Maze Runner series by James Dashner, Escape from Furnace series by Alexander Gordon Smith, Divergent series by Veronica Roth, Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye, Chronicles of Nick series by Sherrilyn Kenyon, and Gone series by Michael Grant.


5.) What do kids seem to like the least or what do kids complain about when it comes to books?   
I have found that students don't like books where the plot is unclear or where they dislike the main character. Also, most students have a hard time getting through books with non-American slang (like British slang, for instance).


6.) What gets kids excited about reading? 
Kids love books with tons of action, likable characters, and funny dialogue. They also like books with edgy components, like those by Ellen Hopkins. Most students enjoy reading series and really getting to know the characters.


7.) If you've had author visits at your library/classroom what worked well and what didn't?
We had a Skype visit with a popular author a few months ago. We wrote out our questions ahead of time, and it went wonderfully well! He was engaging, and had prepared a little motivational talk about reading and writing which he presented before opening it up to questions. The kids loved it and can't wait to get their hands on all of his books! The technology didn't work perfectly, but that had more to do with our WiFi connection than anything.


8.) Are there any other thoughts about children's literature or reading you'd like to share?
Authors should never "hold back" when it comes to writing YA. For  most of the students I work with, the edgier, the better!

If you are a librarian, teacher, or educator and would like to be interviewed on the blog please email MGminded (at) gmail (dot) com and put "What Kids Read" in the subject line. And if you have questions about what kids read that you'd like answered send them to the same email address.    

What Kids Read #1

Today I'm starting what will hopefully be a new series on Middle Grade Minded. Interviews with Librarians, Teachers, and Educators about what kids read. If you are in one of those categories and would like to be interviewed for the blog, please email MGminded (at) gmail (dot) com and put "What Kids Read" in the subject line. And if you have questions about what kids read that you'd like answered send them to the same email address.

And without further ado, our very first interview is with Author and Teacher Marie Meyer.

1.) What grades/age groups do you work with?

I teach 4th grade at a parochial school in St. Louis.

2.) What are some of your favorite middle grade books?
My students and I enjoy the FABLEHAVEN series by Brandon Mull, KEEPER series by Shannon Messenger, HARRY POTTER series by JK Rowling, THE GIRL WHO COULD FLY by Victoria Forester, OUT OF MY MIND by Sharon M. Draper, RULES by Cynthia Lord, AT YOUR SERVICE by Jen Malone

3.) What genres/topics do kids seem to ask for the most?

In my experience, most kids enjoy fantasy the most.

4.) What book titles are the most popular right now?

The ORIGAMI YODA series by Tom Angleberger, the GERONIMO STILTON & THEA STILTON books by Elisabetta Dami, PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS series by Rick Riordan, the FLOORS series by Patrick Carmen, just to name a few!

5.) What do kids seem to like the least or what do kids complain about when it comes to books?

Sadly, The students I work with (9 & 10 year olds) complain most about books that are long. They shy away from books with lots of pages and small print.

Most recently, my students were complaining about the length of the Harry Potter novels. In an effort to bypass reading the books, they begged me to tell them what happened, or they said they'd just watch the movies. This was a travesty to me. Every child needs to experience the joy of reading Harry Potter. To remedy this situation, I started reading HP as a read-aloud. At first, the kids protested with lots of groans and grumbles, but once I started reading (with voices and all), the kids were hooked! They couldn't get enough! They were fighting over Chamber of Secrets, wanting to be the first to read the second book as soon as I finished Sorcerer's Stone!

6.) What gets kids excited about reading?
Read-alouds get kids excited! I always choose read-alouds that are a part of a series. I will read the first book to them, to pique their interest, but it is up to my students to read the rest of the books in the series.

Kids also get excited if I read a book to them and then there's an author visit at one of the local libraries. I've taken several groups to meet an author after we've read their book. There is special kind of magic that turns a kid into a life-long reader when they get to meet the author of a book they love!

After reading FABLEHAVEN to my class last year, Brandon Mull visited the area. One of my students not only devoured the rest of his novels, but has been to every author visit Mr. Mull has made to the St. Louis area. Mr. Mull's stories and ability to relate to kids made quite an impression on my student! I also recall a very fun class trip to the library when Scott Westerfeld visited. Mr. Westerfeld was so personable and the kids just loved him (and his books!)

7.) If you've had author visits at your library/classroom what worked well and what didn't?

I haven't had any author visits to my school. But, I take my students to the city libraries for visits. Being at a small parochial school, there isn't much money to host author visits.

8.) Are there any other thoughts about children's literature or reading you'd like to share?

Kids like books that aren't "dumbed down." Give them an engaging storyline and they will rise to the occasion, difficult vocabulary and all! Kids are smart, they are able to figure out complex stories and characters.

As a teacher, one of my biggest pet peeves is when MG books feature one dimensional characters and a boring plot. A story like this will turn kids off reading. In today's day and age, books are forced to compete with gaming systems, apps, tablets, ect... For a kid to be engaged in reading, an author has to capture a child's interest and hold it, not an easy feat. But, if the story and characters are solid and well developed, a kid will put down their game, for a while, and lose themselves in the pages of a book!



Marie Meyer was a Language Arts teacher for fourteen years. She spends her days in the classroom and her nights writing heartfelt new adult romances that will leave readers clamoring for more. She is a member of RWA and the St. Louis Writers Guild. Marie's short fiction won honorable mentions from the St. Louis Writers Guild in 2010 and 2011. She is a proud mommy and enjoys helping her oldest daughter train for the Special Olympics, making up silly stories with her youngest daughter, and binging on weeks of DVR'd television shows with her husband. - See more at: http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/authors/marie-meyer/#about

Marie's debut New Adult Contemporary Romance, ACROSS THE DISTANCE, releases on May 5, 2015, from Grand Central Publishing/Forever Yours.

Marie is represented by Louise Fury at The Bent Agency.

Marie's Website/Blog: www.mariemeyerbooks.com
Follow Marie on Twitter: @MarieMwrites