INTRODUCTION TO CONTEMPORARY REALISTIC FICTION FOR CHILDRENFunding provided through an IMLS/LSTA grant administered by the MA Board of Library Commissioners; additional funding is provided by the Friends of the Boxford Town Libraries.

READER’S ADVISORY RECAP

• Finding the right book for the right person at the right time.

• Helping readers find the best (most enjoyable!) reading that matches their needs, interests, and reading level.

• Connecting readers and authors/writers.

Source: Francisca Goldsmith, from Reader’s Advisory on the Web, an Infopeople Traininghttp://infopeople.org/training/past/2004/readers_adv2004/

APPEAL FACTORS OF BOOKS

• Pacing• Characterization• Storyline• Frame• Language• Setting

Source: Saricks, Joyce and Nancy Brown. “Articulating a Book’s Appeal.” Readers’ Advisory Service in the Public Library. 2nd ed. Chicago : ALA , 1997.

Nancy Pearl, MLA

REFERENCE INTERVIEW ESSENTIALS Discover what the reader already knows

desire for a genre? a mood? a read-alike?

Clarify what’s important to this readerstay with the known? meet the unknown?

Tune your suggestions to the patron, not to your personal biases Give direction to next place to go

shelf? booklists? Internet? alternate library?

Source: Francisca Goldsmith, from Reader’s Advisory on the Web, an Infopeople Traininghttp://infopeople.org/training/past/2004/readers_adv2004/

REFERENCE INTERVIEW TECHNIQUES

Welcoming body language, tone, attitude

Open ended questions Suggest, don’t recommend Co-browse Don’t judge Follow up!

ROLE PLAY!

In these scenarios, you don’t need to have specific books for an answer. Just practice asking open ended questions and having a conversation about books!

Group 1: A student comes up to you and says, “I just finished the Ramona books! Is there another series like that I can read?”

Group 2: A child comes to you and says, “How can I find all of Jack Gantos’s books?”

Group 3: A student says, “I have to do a book report on a realistic book. Can you suggest something?”

CONTEMPORARY REALISTIC FICTION GENRE OVERVIEW

EVALUATING REALISTIC FICTION

• Plot

• Character

• Theme

• Style

• Believability

• Consistency

• Creativity

REALISTIC FICTION MOTIFS

1. FAMILIES 2. FRIENDS3. SCHOOL4. ISSUES

BENCHMARK BOOK!The Lemonade WarJacqueline Davies FAMILIES

GOING, GOING, GONE! WITH THE PAIN & THE GREAT ONE JUDY BLUME

RUBY HOLLERSHARON CREECH

DESSERT FIRSTHALLIE DURAND

FIG PUDDINGRALPH FLETCHER

MOXY MAXWELL DOES NOT LOVE WRITING THANK YOU NOTES PEGGY GIFFORD

SAY WHAT?MARGARET PETERSON HADDIX

EVERYTHING ON A WAFFLEPOLLY HORVATH

RATFINKMARCIA JONES

DELIVER US FROM NORMALKATE KLISE

BABYPATRICIA MACLACHLAN

SURVIVING THE APPLEWHITESSTEPHANIE TOLAN

101 WAYS TO BUG YOUR PARENTSLEE WARDLAW

TEN WAYS TO MAKE MY SISTER DISAPPEARNORMA FOX MAZER

BENCHMARK BOOK!THE SMALL ADVENTURES OF POPEYE AND ELVIS BARBARA O’CONNOR

FRIENDS

IVY AND BEANANNIE BARROWS

THE PENDERWICKS JEANNE BIRDSALL

EXTRA CREDITANDREW CLEMENTS

BECAUSE OF WINN DIXIEKATE DICAMILLO

HAPPY NEW YEAR, MALLORY LAURIE FRIEDMAN

WHEN ZACHARY BEAVER CAME TO TOWNKIMBERLY WILLIS HOLT

SWINDLEGORDON KORMAN

THE BATBOYMIKE LUPICA

ELEVENLAUREN MYRACLE

ME AND RUPERT GOODYBARBARA O’CONNOR

PROJECT MULBERRYLINDA SUE PARK

CLEMENTINESARA PENNYPACKER

HOW TO EAT FRIED WORMS THOMAS ROCKWELL

BENCHMARK BOOK!DIARY OF A WIMPY KID JEFF KINNEY SCHOOL

RAMONA QUIMBY, AGE 8BEVERLY CLEARY

FRINDLEANDREW CLEMENTS

THE LANDRY NEWSANDREW CLEMENTS

LOVE THAT DOGSHARON CREECH

LET’S PRETEND THIS NEVER HAPPENED BY JIM BENTON

95 POUNDS OF HOPEANNA GAVALDA

MISS DAISY IS CRAZY! (MY WEIRD SCHOOL #1)DAN GUTMAN

MELONHEAD KATY KELLY

THE VIEW FROM SATURDAYE.L. KONIGSBURG

ALVIN HO: ALLERGIC TO GIRLS, SCHOOL, AND OTHER SCARY THINGSLENORE LOOK

BIG NATE: IN A CLASS BY HIMSELFLINCOLN PEIRCE

CLEMENTINE’S LETTERSARA PENNYPACKER

SIDEWAYS STORIES FROM WAYSIDE SCHOOLLOUIS SACHAR

LIBBY ON WEDNESDAYZILPHA KEATLY SNYDER

BENCHMARK BOOK:JOEY PIGZA SWALLOWED THE KEY JACK GANTOS

ISSUES

THE HEART OF A CHIEF JOSEPH BRUCHAC

MOVING DAY (ALLIE FINKLE’S RULES FOR GIRLS) MEG CABOT

DEAR MR. HENSHAW BEVERLY CLEARY

THE LAST NEWSPAPER BOY IN AMERICASUE CORBETT

AMBER BROWN IS FEELING BLUE* PAULA DANZIGER

SUN & SPOONKEVIN HENKES

THE DOG DAYS OF CHARLOTTE HAYESMARLANE KENNEDY

SHILOHPHYLLIS REYNOLDS NAYLOR

THE GREAT GILLY HOPKINSKATHERINE PATERSON

THE HIGHER POWER OF LUCKYSUSAN PATRON

MISSING MAYCYNTHIA RYLANT

MANIAC MAGEEJERRY SPINELLI

GRACIE’S GIRL ELLEN WITTLINGER

TIP: USE MEDIA AS A PROMPT

INSTEAD OF: What authors do you like to read? What are the last 3 books you read and enjoyed? What did you like about them?

ASK: What movies do you like? What TV shows do you watch? What games do you play?

TIP: TURN TO AWARDS

Edgar Awardhttp://theedgars.com/

Newbery Awardhttp://bit.ly/newbery

QUESTIONS? CONCERNS? Beth Gallaway

informationgoddess29@gmail.com

http://informationgoddess.info