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Pushing Boundaries on Children's Literature: An Introduction to Crossover Picturebooks

1/19/2021

 

BY MEGHAN VALERIO & WILLIAM BINTZ

Recently, I (William) introduced crossover picturebooks in a graduate literacy course to students pursuing a reading specialization Master’s degree. All students were practicing teachers ranging from elementary through high school. Each week, I read aloud a crossover picturebook to introduce the class session. Selected picturebooks dealt with themes including death and dying, divorce, suicide, mental illness, physical disability, parent-child separation, and other life-changing and impactful events. One example is Dragon by Gro Dahle (2018). It tells the story of Lilli,  a young girl who is a child abuse victim by her mother.  Lilli regards her mother as a dragon because she is explosive, hot-tempered, and abusive. After reading, I invited students to share their questions and reactions to crossover picturebooks. Three questions and one reaction were particularly illustrative:
Book Cover: The Dragon
  • ​​Why did the author write a picturebook on this controversial topic? 
  • Who is the intended audience for this book?
  • What tensions or repercussions might teachers face if they read this type of picturebook?​
  • I had no idea these kinds of picturebooks existed. I feel a little conflicted. Teaching these kinds of books makes me nervous, but I’m excited to know more about them.
These responses inspired this blog post. They revealed teachers may not know much about crossover literature but are curious to know more about it.    

What are Crossover Picturebooks?

Crossover literature, or texts written for dual-aged audiences, is not a new genre, as many books could be considered crossover already. While picturebooks specifically might be enjoyed by both children and adults, crossover picturebooks, a subset of crossover literature, are written and illustrated intentionally for both children and adults, breaking conventional assumptions that books are intended for one age group (Falconer, 2008; Harju, 2009, Rosen, 1997).  Crossover authors communicate purposeful messages to both audiences equally (Harju, 2009). Narratives then are considered ageless and timeless, often portraying issues that might be deemed controversial including death, verbal and physical abuse, and divorce.

In a world where in-person and online book shopping and borrowing is organized by genre and age, this makes these “ageless” books complex. Consider first an adult purchasing a picturebook for themselves, and on the flip side, encouraging a child to purchase a book about abuse. Both instances could be questionable, even alarming to some. 

While there are truly designated texts for children, like aesthetic and sensory appealing babybooks (Kümmerling-Meibauer, 2015), crossover picturebooks defy traditional book categorizing norms, causing anyone interested to rethink what counts as children’s literature vs. adult. 

Children’s literature though is written and published by adults for children (Rosen, 1997). So really, is there such a thing as a true children’s book if the text isn’t written by children at all?

What Concerns Does This Raise?

Currently, we are conducting research on crossover picturebooks. Specifically, we are exploring teacher concerns on using this literature in the classroom. Based on this research, two major findings indicate that many K-12 teachers worry about the following issues:
FINDING
EXAMPLE
Feel uncomfortable with the idea of using literature, like crossover picturebooks, to teach controversial issues.
“I struggle with the idea of using literature to teach controversial topics.  Mostly it is because I want to teach in elementary, and you combine that and ESL learners and all the extra culture and language barriers and it could be very difficult” (elementary teacher)
Feel pressure from a variety of stakeholders.
“I will face a lot of pressure to use literature like this. Using these books to teach will put me in big trouble with the whole community members” (elementary teacher)
These concerns, and many others like them, are real for teachers. Traditionally, children’s literature is to be enjoyable not uncomfortable, entertaining not controversial. Crossover literature invites a different perspective and pushes the envelope on censorship and what constitutes taboo topics in classrooms. To help explore this further, we recommend the following resources. These resources include picturebooks and professional literature that have pushed our thinking about crossover literature. We hope they will push yours.

Picturebooks

  • Beaty, D. (2013). Knock Knock. New York: Little, Brown Books.
  • Dahle, G. (2019). Angry Man. New York: NorthSouth Books.
  • Erlbruch, W. (2016). Death, Duck and the Tulip. Auckland, NZ: Gecko Press. 
  • Fortes, A. (2008). Smoke. Pontevedra, Spain: OQO Books.
  • Garland, S. (1994). I Never Knew Your Name. New York: Ticknor & Fields. 
  • Gleeson, L. (2011). I am Thomas. Crows Nest, AU: Allen & Unwin.
  • Greder, A (2020). Diamonds. Crows Nest, AU: Allen & Unwin. 
  • Hathorn, L. (1994). Way Home. New York: Knopf Books. 
  • Lanthier, J. (2012). The Stamp Collector. Ontario, Canada: Fitzhenry & Whiteside. 
  • Marsden,, J. (2008). Home and Away. Sydney, AU: Lothian.
  • Ouimet, D. (2019). I Go Quiet. New York: Norton Young Readers.  
  • Ringtved, G. (2016). Cry, Heart, But Never Break. Enchanted Lion Books. 
  • Tan, S. (2003). The Red Tree. Sydney, AU: Lothian. 
  • Taylor, C. (1992). The House that Crack Built. Chronicle Books.   
  • Woodson, J. (2002). Our Gracie Aunt. New York: Jump at the Sun. ​​

Professional Literature

  • Evans, J. (2015). Challenging and controversial picturebooks: Creative and critical responses to visual texts. London, UK: Routledge. 
  • Druker, E., & Kummerling-Meibauer, B. (Eds.) (2015). Children’s literature and the avant-garde. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company. 
  • Beckett, S. (2011). Crossover picturebooks: A genre for all ages. London, UK: Routledge.
  • Falconer, R. (2008). The Crossover Novel: Contemporary Children’s Fiction and its Adult Readership. London, UK: Routledge.
  • Kummerling-Meibauer, B. (2014). Picturebooks: Representation and narration. London, UK: Routledge.
  • Beckett, S. (1999). Transcending Boundaries: Writing for a Dual Audience of Children and Adults. Shrewsbury, MA: Garland Publishing.​

Editorial Note:
Valerio and Bintz will contribute a follow-up post next week. The next entry dives deeper into exploring Crossover Picturebooks by looking closely at one such book, discussing the benefits of using crossover picturebooks, and inviting a new possible stance on curriculum

References

Bishop, R.S. (1990). Mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors. Perspectives: Choosing and Using Books for the Classroom, 6 (3). 
Falconer, R. (2008). The Crossover Novel: Contemporary Children’s Fiction and Its Adult Readership. London, UK: Routledge. 
Harju, M.L. (2009). Tove Jansson and the crossover continuum. The Lion and the Unicorn, 33(3), 362-375. 
Kümmerling-Meibauer, B. (2015). From baby books to picturebooks for adults: European picturebooks to the new millennium. Word & Image, 31 (3), 249-264.
Rosen, J. (1997). Breaking the age barrier. Publishers Weekly. 243 (6).
Meghan Valerio is a doctoral student in Curriculum and Instruction with a Literacy emphasis at Kent State University. Meghan’s research interests include investigating literacy and cognitive development from a critical literacy perspective, centering curricula to understand reading as a transactional process, and exploring pre- and in-service teacher perspectives in order to enhance literacy instructional practices and experiences.

William Bintz​ is
Professor of Literacy Education in the School of Teaching, Learning, and Curriculum Studies at Kent State University. His professional interests include the picturebook as object of study, literature across the curriculum K-12, and collaborative qualitative literacy research. 

Hiatus Announcement and Wishes for the New Year

12/15/2020

 
The CLA Blog is going on a winter break! We will return on Tuesday, January 19, 2021 with a  post on “Crossover Books”  from Megan Valerio and William Bintz. 
 
If you are interested in contributing a post in 2021, please send an email to lauren.liang@utah.edu
Picture

From the 2020 Notable Children’s Books in the Language Arts: Moving From Small to Large Through Play and Imagination

12/8/2020

 

By Kathryn Will, Meghan Goodwin, and Sophie Hendrix

​​The Notable Children’s Books in Language Arts Committee (NCBLA), reads, reviews, and discusses over 400 books of various genres written for K-8 children each year. These works of poetry and prose are analyzed using the charge of the committee that asks in making the selection of the top thirty texts the seven committee members consider:
        1. Appealing format,
        2. Enduring quality,
        3. Exemplary quality for their genre, and
        4. Meeting one or more of the following:
                a. Use of language: play on words, word origins, history of language
                b. Uniqueness in use of language or style
                c. Invitation of child response or engagement
This post focuses on two of the texts from the 2020 Notables List that might be seen through the lens of a progression from small to large. Although The Magic of Letters (2019) and Small World (2019) are very different books, they can be used to invite readers to imagine, play, and wonder.

The Magic of Letters
Written by Tony Johnston
Illustrated by Wendell Minor
Penguin Random House, unpaged, ISBN
 978-0823441594
Imagine an invitation to play with language through the revelation of letters as building blocks to words, and words to meaning. Through rich images of simple, but colorful line drawings, and collage, readers are encouraged to consider the magical nature of literacy as the pathway to building new ideas. The interplay of the text and illustrations immerse the reader in the playful progress as the rabbit leads the journey from letters, to words, to sentences. Interesting and rigorous vocabulary such as flibbertigibbet, clunk, limber, and enchantment invite readers to strive for complex use of language.
The Magic of Letters cover

Small World
Written by Ishta Mercurio

Illustrated by Jen Corace
Abrams Books for Young Readers, unpaged, ISBN 
978-1419734076
Small World cover

From the beginning of her time on the Earth as a baby in her mother’s arms to her travels to the moon as an astronaut, we journey with Nanda in her ever-expanding world. As Nanda grows, her participatory experiences with her expanding world grow more scientifically complex. Beautiful vocabulary such as fractals, symphony, and spooled, complement the rich illustrations vividly layered with color and images. Lyrical language invites the reader to travel along the journey with comfort. Woven throughout the story as the perspectives change, a thread of circularity brings comfort within the expansive boundaries or growing up--first in her mother’s arms and finally in the sphere of the Earth as she looks at her home from afar. The illustrations of gouache, ink, and pencil provide the depth of realism with warm inviting scenes that allow the reader to imagine the existence of this journey.​
Ishta Mercurio offers craft ideas related to things Nanda does in Small World.

​​Teaching Tips

Both of these books invite readers to engage in exploration and discussion through multiple reads due to their rich vocabulary and use of language. Teachers can easily deepen and extend the texts through a variety of activities.

Using the illustrative style of The Magic of Letters, children could repurpose magazines and catalogues to cut out letters and words as sources for creating new words and sentences. As they pore over the texts, they could look for familiar and known letters and words, providing opportunities for practice in letter and word recognition before assembling them in a collage. Children could use crayon resist to create magic letters of their very own, or even play roll and write to create sentences from familiar and new words. These activities reflect the rich and playful nature of the text.

Small World is a text that envelopes the reader in the world of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math). The rich vocabulary begs teachers to consider connections to geometry, snow science, and roller coasters. With consideration of Nanda’s career as an astronaut, students might watch this video about women astronauts, or think about materials they might need for a trip to the moon. This book also holds opportunities for rich discussion with questions such as:
  • In what ways is the world large? In what ways is it small?
  • What do the pictures in this book tell you? (without reading the book first to focus on inferencing)
  • How has your perception of the world changed as you have grown up?
  • In what ways did Nanda’s world change as she grew up? How does she see the world differently towards the end of the book as compared to the beginning?
  • Why do you think Nanda’s perception of the world changed throughout the book? Can you relate to this?
Children might write or draw with consideration of the ways in which their world has expanded outward from their welcome into the world, to their current context, and even the possibilities of where they might like to be in the future.


Kathryn Will is an Assistant Professor of Literacy at the University of Maine Farmington (@KWsLitCrew). She is passionate about sharing the power of children's literature with her students, including the two listed below who assisted in the creation of the teaching tips shared. She is a member of the 2019 Notables Committee, and will be chairing the committee in the upcoming year.
Meghan Goodwin, Preservice teacher, University of Maine Farmington (@Ms_G_Teaches)
Sophie Hendrix, Preservice teacher, University of Maine Farmington

Curating Inclusive Bookshelves and Curricula

12/1/2020

 

BY MEGAN VAN DEVENTER

As educators, we recognize the value in providing readers with reading experiences that act as mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors (Bishop, 1990) to affirm readers’ identities, build empathy for others, and explore humanity. We understand the importance of curating bookshelves that offer a vast array of experiences that validate readers’ lives, feelings, and identities. At times, it can be challenging to select and teach books that do not ‘mirror’ our own lived experience, and it can feel vulnerable to step outside our own expertise. Fortunately, there are many of us committed to expanding our own readership and curating inclusive bookshelves and curricula that resonate with our students. This blog post champions and supports educators doing this vulnerable work to ensure all students are included and reflected and refracted on their bookshelves and in their curricula. This post shares books, tools, and resources to support educators building their expertise to ensure young readers have access to high quality, validating, and accurate children’s literature.​ 

Tools and Resources for Curating an Inclusive Bookshelf and Curriculum

Educators committed to expanding our bookshelves beyond our own favorite reads must be intentional in selecting and teaching high quality children’s literature that is accurate, validating, and honest. There are several wonderful tools and resources to ensure our bookshelves are inclusive, relevant, and accessible for readers. The four tools and resources below support educators in curating inclusive bookshelves and reading curricula (and help us cull problematic books from our shelves as well).
Guide for Selecting Anti-Bias Children's Books
Louise Derman-Sparks's Guide for Selecting Anti-Bias Children's Books  names and specifies the harmful biases we must avoid when curating inclusive, affirming classroom libraries and curricula. This tool supports educators’ analysis of books through a critical lens to ensure they are validating reading experiences that do not perpetuate stereotypes and misconceptions.
Reading Diversity: A Tool for Selecting Diverse Texts
Reading Diversity: A Tool for Selecting Diverse Texts by Teaching Tolerance provides a series of critical questions that help educators evaluate a book in considering its text complexity, diversity and representation, critical literacy, and the reader and task. This text selection tool empowers educators to determine the value of a book for readers in their classroom community.
#DisruptTexts
This resource articulates a pedagogical stance educators should adopt when evaluating texts by #DisruptTexts. Co-developed by Tricia Ebarvia (@triciaebarvia), Lorena Germán (@nenagerman), Dr. Kimberly N. Parker (@TchKimPossible), and Julia E. Torres (@juliaerin80), the #DisruptTexts movement is an online social media community via Twitter that analyzes the merit of canonical and contemporary literature in the classroom. The #DisruptTexts core principles are (1) interrogating our biases to understand how they inform our teaching practices; (2) centering the authentic voices and lived experiences of people of color; (3) applying a critical literacy lens to our teaching practices that is anti-racist, anti-colonial, and anti-bias; and (4) working in community with other educators, particularly Black, Indigenous, and educators of color. Working with others in community to disrupt our bookshelves is critical to ensure we are serving our readers best.
American Indians in Children's Literature
Dr. Debbie Reese’s blog American Indians in Children’s Literature catalogues inaccurate and stereotypical representations in children’s literature, focusing on Indigenous representation. Searching Dr. Reese’s blog for recommendations can help us cull our bookshelves to ensure high quality, accurate, and honest depictions of history and today. 
Oyate
Oyate is a native organization that works towards honest and authentic representations of the lives and histories of native peoples. The Oyate site includes "critical evaluation of books and curricula with Indian themes," workshops and other resources.

Books for Curating Inclusive Bookshelves and Curricula

The tools and resources described above support educators in selecting and teaching high-quality, accurate, and honest children’s literature. Building our expertise through these tools and resources sustains our commitment to curating inclusive bookshelves. Here are four children’s literature books that support educators in holding space that honors young readers’ and teachers’ capacity to engage with complex and authentic picturebooks.
When Sadness is at Your Door written by Eva Eland (2019)

​This picturebook describes how sadness can feel, and how the main character comforts sadness until it moves forward. While it can be tempting to avoid hard emotions, it is important for young readers to see hard emotions—like sadness—experienced so they can build the capacity to manage the range of emotions they will experience throughout their lifetime. This picturebook might initially feel vulnerable because it is not a joyful text, but Eland’s words of courage will support an educator in engaging these hard emotions in ways that validate young readers’ authentic experiences.


Book Cover: When Sadness is at Your Door

The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family written by Ibtihaj Muhammad with S.K. Ali and illustrated by Hatem Aly (2019)
​
This picturebook is a beautiful story of two sisters on the first day the older sister wears her hijab to school. This text is a vulnerable read because it explores the racism students experience in schools. While we may wish that racism does not exist in schools, we are better for explicitly discussing it with youth through an antiracist pedagogical lens, and this book is hopeful in its depiction of the joyful main characters celebrating their family and culture. 

Book Cover: The Proudest Blue

The Journey written by Francesca Sanna (2016)

This picturebook is a powerful story about a refugee family escaping a devastating war in their country and journeying toward a better future. This book approaches this harrowing reality in an intentional and age-conscious way that invites young readers and educators into conversation.

Book Cover: The Journey

We Are Water Protectors written by Carole Lindstrom and illustrated by Michaela Goade (2020)
​
​This picturebook celebrates Indigenous Water Protectors and their efforts to protect Mother Earth. This picturebook may feel like a vulnerable read because it recounts modern conflicts in North America between Indigenous Peoples and oil companies. This lyrical text combined with incredible artwork prompts young readers and educators to reconcile our world today.

Book Cover: We Are Water Protectors

​Bookshelves and curricula that honor young readers in helping them make sense of the world are a key aspect to orchestrating equitable and socially just classrooms. These books, tools, and resources support our work as educators in curating high-quality reading experiences that are inclusive, accurate, and honest.

References

Bishop, R.S. (1990). Windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors. Perspectives: Choosing and using books for the classroom, 6(3), 1-2. ​
Eland, E. (2019). When sadness is at your door. Random House. 
Lindstrom, C. (2020). We are water protectors. Roaring Brook Press. 
Muhammad, I., & Ali, S.K. (2019). The proudest blue: A story of hijab and family. Little, Brown and Company. 
Sanna, F. (2016). The journey. Flying Eye Books. 


Megan Van Deventer is an Assistant Professor of English Education at Weber State University and the current CLA Secretary. ​

Three Tips for Biography Read-Alouds

11/24/2020

 

By Courtney Shimek, on behalf of The Biography Clearinghouse

2020 has changed our world in indelible ways. From navigating a global pandemic to fighting social injustices embedded into our everyday lives, we find ourselves overwhelmed, exhausted, and uncertain of the future. In response to these crises and the emotions they produce, we have found solace in picturebook biographies that deliver some much-needed perspective. Reading biographies have become a part of our self-care; they provide archives of the past, context for the present, and hope for the future. At The Biography Clearinghouse, we recognize the potential of biographies to shape readers’ understanding of the world, inform their connection to history, and engender empathy. Through our teaching ideas, we suggest ideas and resources for incorporating biographies into curricula. We also recognize that sometimes picturebook biographies come to life most vividly when read-aloud with young readers.

As we maintain our "new normal" of vacillating between online, hybrid, and in-class instruction, reading aloud continues to be a constant beacon of inspiration and connection in our teaching. Our youth are navigating the same chaotic and ever-changing world; given that biographies model the complexities of this world, sharing these perspectives with youth is vital. As such, I share here 3 tips for reading biographies aloud and a few illustrative examples of high-quality biographies.

Tip #1: Discuss the Visual Features

Cover of Spotted Tail
Picturebooks are unique artifacts where readers gain information not only from words but also from images. The visual features of biographies provide insights into the emotional experiences of distinctive individuals and offer a deeper understanding of humanity. As you read biographies aloud, begin examining the artistic elements (e.g., design and composition, font styles, use of color, artistic mediums, etc.) and see what you discern about the featured individuals, their emotions, and their experiences. For example, from the beautiful mixed media artwork in Spotted Tail (Weiden et al., 2019), we see how the history of the Lakota people connects to present-day issues through striking photographs, art, textural elements from nature, and quotes. Though Spotted Tail has a text-heavy narrative, the design and combination of photographs and art from Jim Yellowtail and Pat Kinsella provide readers numerous points of discussion and a perspective worth including in your read-aloud rotation. Additionally, in It Began With a Page: How Gyo Fujikawa Drew the Way (Maclear & Morstad, 2019), Morstad’s illustrations show the reader the detail and sense of color Fujikawa used in her work, and real photographs of her family are included throughout the book. In addressing the visual features of books with readers, we learn about people’s beliefs, histories, cultures, and emotions, and learn more information than from the words, alone.

Tip #2: Back Matter Matters

Cover of Planting Stories
Often, when we begin a read-aloud we skip to the beginning of the narrative and stop at the end, but creators of contemporary biographies share exceptional amounts of information in the peritextual elements, or everything in the book which is not the actual narrative. Instead of stopping your read-aloud at the end of the narrative, share some of the information included in the back matter such as authors’ and illustrators’ personal connections to the content, where they sourced research materials, and their creative processes. For example, in Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré (Denise & Escobar, 2019), Denise provides descriptions of books by Pura Belpré, as well as films, books, and collections about Pura Belpré for further study. Similarly, in A Place to Land: Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Speech that Inspired a Nation, Barry Wittenstein and Jerry Pinkney (2019) provide notes expanding upon their decisions, short biographies about other civil rights leaders, along with sources and a bibliography. Biography creators also include additional content through the book jacket, endpapers, and their dedications. Sometimes, the back matter or other peritextual features might be more text-heavy or smaller in size than the narrative. We suggest projecting these features or displaying them on an interactive whiteboard so that these peritextual features can be explored and discussed collectively. When we only read aloud the primary narrative, we miss out on information that contextualizes the biography, describes the creative process, and inspires readers to search out additional sources.


Tip #3: Revisit Writer’s Language

Cover of Fight of the Century
Biographers don’t just share events with readers, they share the essence of a person’s life. After you read a biography aloud, reread the book like a writer and examine how the authors’ word choices shape your understandings of a person, place, or event. In Fight of the Century: Alice Paul Battles Woodrow Wilson for the Vote (Rosenstock & Green, 2020), for example, Rosenstock structures her biography as a boxing match between Alice Paul and Woodrow Wilson. By portraying major events as rounds and including commentary from fight announcers (e.g., “This fight determines whether the women of the United States can vote, folks!”), readers experience how progress is often a battle of wills and experience what a fighter Alice Paul was. Additionally, Nelson’s use of western idioms (e.g., “plain as the ears on a mule” and “fit like made-to-measure boots”) in Let ‘er Buck!: George Fletcher, the People’s Champion (Nelson & James, 2019), drops the reader into the cowboy language and culture of Pendleton, Oregon. Through similes and energetic descriptions of bull riding, we experience how Fletcher was discriminated against and, yet, became a hometown hero. Biographers’ language choices provide us with new ways of looking at historical events, embed us in particular moments of time, and supply inspiration for our own writing processes.

The six exemplar biographies referenced in this post are just some of the contemporary picturebook biographies that evoke engaging, artistic, and dynamic read-alouds. If you’re interested to know more about biographies and how to include them in your curriculum, join Tanya Lee Stone, Lesa Cline Ransome, Barb Rosenstock, and members of The Biography Clearinghouse and the Children’s Literature Assembly, Xenia Hadjioannou and Mary Ann Cappiello, as they engage in conversations about biographies on December 9th from 6:00-7:00 pm EST on Stimola Live.
Flyer for Real People Real Classrooms Stimola Live Event. Registration URL linked to image
Previous posts from the Biography Clearinghouse
Exploring Representation and Advocacy in Government with "What Do You Do with a Voice Like That?"

Studying Science Processes with Otis and Will Discover the Deep: The Record Setting Dive of the Bathysphere

20 Biographies for 2020

Ideas for Change with Tonya Bolden’s Maritcha: A Nineteenth-Century American Girl

The Biography Clearinghouse: Creating, Crafting and Connecting

How do you read aloud biographies? We would love to hear your tips through our email, thebiographyclearinghouse@gmail.com, or through comments on Facebook and Twitter #theBiographyClearinghouse. No matter what 2021 brings, we know we will navigate the uncertainty equipped with high-quality, multidimensional biographies and share the reassurances and possibilities they provide through read-alouds.

References

Denise, A. A., & Escobar, P. (2019). Planting stories: The life of librarian and storyteller Pura Belpré. HarperCollins.
Maclear, K., & Morstad, J. (2019). It began with a page: How Gyo Fujikawa drew the way. HarperCollins.
Nelson, V. M., & James, G. C. (2019). Let ‘er buck!: George Fletcher, the people’s champion. Carolrhoda Books.
Rosenstock, B., & Green, S. (2020). Fight of the century: Alice Paul battles Woodrow Wilson for the vote. Calkins Creek.
Weiden, D. H. W., Yellowtail, J., & Kinsella, P. (2019). Spotted tail. Reycraft Books.
Wittenstein, B. & Pinkney, J. (2019). A place to land: Martin Luther King Jr. and the speech that inspired a nation. Neal Porter Books
Courtney Shimek is an assistant professor at West Virginia University and has been a member of CLA since 2015.

Join CLA at the 2020 NCTE Virtual Convention

11/17/2020

 

BY LAUREN AIMONETTE LIANG

Last year, right around this time, the Fall 2019 issue of JCL arrived in the mail. In the President’s Message I had written a bit about my excitement for the upcoming NCTE conference:
It starts for me with the airplane travel. Coming from my area, it is rare to board a flight heading to a major conference and not encounter fellow teachers, librarians, and researchers embarking on the same adventure. We wave, ask about colleagues and friends, and buzz a bit with excitement. (I often think the other travelers must later wonder about these groups of individuals who are all grading papers and reading thick books, while simultaneously winning all the in-flight trivia and scrabble games.)  

Once we arrive at the NCTE city, conference-goers from all over are grabbing bags, looking for shuttles and taxis, and heading off to the area hotels. Immediately there is a shared sense of purpose and anticipation. Conversations break out in the hotel elevators about whether registration is open, and the time of the opening session. Hordes of badge-wearing, tote-bag laden attendees appear in long lines at the coffee stands and take over the sidewalks in their sensible walking shoes as they head off for the day.

And then the conference! Hour after hour of thought-provoking sessions, with speakers addressing the important issues in our field, provoking new ideas, and sharing possible solutions. The vibrant displays of new books in the exhibit hall waiting to be shared by knowledgeable and enthusiastic publishers who offer sneak peeks that might be perfect for your classroom. And, best of all, that amazing shared sense of being present with each other—knowing that the people gathered here care just as deeply as you do about supporting children’s and teen’s literacy experiences and growth.

The Children’s Literature Assembly events at NCTE are a highlight for many attendees. A history of consistent excellence makes our CLA Notables Session, CLA Master Class, and CLA Breakfast the starred events on many personal conference schedules...

This year’s conference will be a little different. No elevator chats with fellow badge-wearing attendees—but more #NCTE2020 tweets taking their place. Less wearing of sensible walking shoes—but likely a lot more feet clad in comfy slippers. However, I am certain that the most important part of the NCTE experience will remain the same: that gathering to passionately share and learn together how to support the literacy experiences and growth of our youth. Perhaps the virtual experience may allow for more to attend this year without the burden or barriers of travel. How we gather is, in the end, much less important than the fact that we simply do—that we find a way to make assembly and community.

For those attending the 2020 NCTE Virtual Convention, we hope our two live events will provide that powerful gathering space.

Interested in registering for the 2020 NCTE Virtual Convention?
Registration

Notable Children’s Books in the Language Arts AwardS

Join the members of the Notable Children’s Books in the Language Arts award committee in a live event on Sunday afternoon from 1:45- 3:00 pm ET. Throughout the fall this blog has featured posts from members of this committee. Join them live for more outstanding 2020 titles and suggestions for classroom use.

NOTABLES live event on Sunday afternoon from 1:45- 3:00 pm ET at NCTE2020

Annual CLA Breakfast

Bring your breakfast to listen to amazing author Jason Reynolds, this year’s CLA Breakfast keynote speaker! In a live session Sunday morning from 9:00 – 10:15 am ET, the 2020-21 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature will talk about his writing and more.
Picture
Add to your experience by submitting a question from you, or from your students, to be answered live during the session! 
Submit Questions
Prepare by exploring our annual “table trivia” game, this year to be played virtually
Trivia Game
CLA MEMBERS

Explore the interview with Jason Reynolds featured in the Fall 2020 issue of JCL
FALL JCL ISSUE [46(2)]
Lauren Aimonette Liang is an associate professor at the University of Utah and the current president of CLA.

Living Literately and Mindfully at the Intersection of Mother Nature, the Animal World and Poetry

11/9/2020

 

BY PEGGY S. RICE

Consider...

Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each. Be blown on by all the winds.  Open all your pores and bathe in all the tides of nature, in all her streams and oceans, at all seasons. Grow green with spring, yellow and ripe with autumn.  For all Nature is doing her best each moment to make us well.  She exists for no other end. Do not resist her.

Henry David Thoreau, August 23, 1853

Poetry! There is no other genre like it in the world.  A good poem can take you places you never thought possible, wake you up, shake you, make your every emotion quake with excitement and awe.  Writing poetry is taking a subject---be it a pigeon or a Popsicle—breathing new life into it, letting readers know they never experienced a moment such as this before.

Lee Bennett Hopkins, 2009.

Make the Earth Your Companion 
--J. Patrick Lewis

Make the Earth your companion. 
Walk lightly on it, as other creatures do. 
Let the Sky paint her beauty—she is always watching over you. 
Learn from the Sea how to face harsh forces. 
Let the River remind you that everything will pass. 
Let the Lake instruct you in stillness. 
Let the mountain teach you grandeur. 
Make the woodland your house of peace. 
Make the Rainforest your house of hope. 
Meet the Wetland on twilight ground. 
Save some small piece of Grassland for a red kite on a windy day. 
Watch the Icecaps glisten with crystal majesty. 
Hear the Desert whisper hush to eternity. 
Let the Town weave a small basket of togetherness. 
Make the Earth your companion. 
Walk lightly on it, as other creatures do  

North Padre Island, TX THE ROAR of the surf... Soaring seagulls' hungry screams... Serenity here.
Picture
Ruby-throated hummingbird [Public domain USFWA]
Hummingbird jewels
Necks gleaming like red rubies
In the morning light

                   Sarah Rice, 8 years old

Serenity can be found at the intersection of Mother Nature, the animal world and poetry. I have found that the more time I spend at this intersection, the less anxiety I feel. Following are materials and strategies, my students, daughter and I have found successful:

  • Writer’s Notebook: The notebook serves as a means to encourage young writers to value writing.  It creates a space for students/writers to save words in the moment; "seeds" for a longer writing project which might be expanded and developed (Calkins, 1994).
  • Banish Boring Words (Shelton, 2009): Use as a resource for interesting words.  It provides lists of specific, interesting words for several categories of words, such as sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, action verbs, colors and shapes.
  • The Book of Animal Poetry (Lewis, 2012), and the Book of Nature Poetry (Lewis, 2015) Mentor Poems: Before requiring students to write a poem at the intersection of Mother Nature, the animal world and poetry provide students with numerous opportunities to explore mentor poems. NTCE Award Winning Poet and former U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate, J. Patrick Lewis has created the Book of Animal Poetry (Lewis, 2012), and the Book of Nature Poetry (Lewis, 2015) to inspire us to see poetry in the natural world. Each collection includes 200 poems that “squeak, soar and roar” or “float, zoom and bloom.”  Each poem is accompanied by a photograph to experience the wonder of Mother Nature and the Animal World.


Cover of the book of animal poetry
Cover of Book of Nature Poetry

Poetry Performance

I recommend regular poetry breaks that provide students an opportunity to perform a poem of his/her choice.  Repeated reading and poetry performance of a favorite poem can enhance students’ motivation and build/increase fluency skills as well as strengthen reading/writing connections. Renee M. LaTulippe at No River.com provides 5 tips for poetry performance that my students and I have found helpful.

Within the context of repeated readings and poetry performance, discussions about poet’s craft/poetic elements can occur, such as stanzas, use of white space, figurative language (similes, metaphors & imagery), personification, rhyme, rhythm, alliteration, onomatopoeia, assonance, consonance and repetition. Performance of an original poem can provide a moment of pride and peer review of videotaped performances can strengthen literacy skills.

Power of Place

Locate a space surrounded in nature that you can visit regularly.  I am fortunate, because I live on 7 acres with a pond.  When visiting this space, be prepared to engage in mindful listening, see the world with a poet’s eyes and take notes in a writing journal.
  • Sit comfortably.
  • Close your eyes and breath normally for a moment.
  • Now imagine your belly is a balloon filling up with air and when it is full hold it. (Pause). Now slowly breathe out.
  • Listen mindfully: What are the sounds of nature? Consider poetic elements, such as figurative language, personification, alliteration, onomatopoeia, assonance, consonance, repetition
  • Repeat. Deep breath in and hold it. (Pause). Release.
  • Breathe normally.
  • In your writing journal, write down the sounds of Nature. See p. 22 and 23 in Banishing Boring Words for some specific interesting sounds
  • Sit comfortably.
  • Now imagine your belly is a balloon filling up with air and when it is full hold it. (Pause). Now slowly breathe out.
  • Relax your body.
  • Focus your attention on nature for 5 minutes.  What do you see? What do you smell? Hear? What can you touch? When you see a creature, use your imagination.  What would it be like to be this creature?
  • In your writing journal, write down what you have noticed in nature. Consider poetic elements, such as figurative language (simile, metaphor, imagery), personification, alliteration, onomatopoeia, assonance, consonance, repetition and refer to Banishing Boring Words for some specific interesting words.
  • Take photograph(s) to capture the moment.
  • Continue mindful listening and writing as desired.

Poetry Writing

Writing poetry is all about playing with words.  Fletcher (2002) encourages us to play with the sounds of words.  Consider, rhythm, rhyme, repetition, onomatopoeia and alliteration. He also encourages us to think fragments/cut unnecessary words, consider shape, use white space/experiment with line breaks and end with a bang/sharpen the ending. Each of these aspects of language can be a topic of minilessons connected to poetry performances of mentor poems.  Lewis (2012, 2015) has included excellent resources for writing formula poems.

Savor...

In Beauty May I Walk
--Anonymous (Navajo Indian)

In beauty may I walk
All day long may I walk
Through the returning seasons may I walk
Beautifully will I possess again
Beautifully birds
Beautifully joyful birds
On the trail marked with pollen may I walk
With grasshoppers about my feet may I walk
With dew about my feet may I walk
With beauty may I walk
With beauty before me may I walk
With beauty behind me may I walk
With beauty above me may I walk
With beauty all around me may I walk
In old age, wandering on a trail of beauty, lively, may I walk.
In old age, wondering on a trail of beauty, living again, may I walk
It is finished in beauty
It is finished in beauty

References

Calkins, L.M. (1994). The art of teaching writing. (2nd ed.). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Fletcher, R. (2002). Poetry matters: Writing a poem from the inside out. New York: Harper Trophy.

Lewis, J. P. (2015). National geographic book of nature poetry: More than 200 poems with photographs that float, zoom, and bloom! Washington, DC: National Geographic Partners, LLC.

Lewis, J. P. (2012). National geographic book of animal poetry: More than 200 poems with photographs that squeak, soar, and roar! Washington, DC: National Geographic Partners, LLC.

Shelton, L. (2009). Banish boring words. New York: Scholastic

Peggy S. Rice is an Associate Professor of Elementary Education and Faculty Advisor for the Partners in Literacy Council at Ball State University in Muncie Indiana. She is a member of the Children's Literature Assembly Ways and Means Committee.

Exploring Representation and Advocacy in Government with "What Do You Do with a Voice Like That?"

11/3/2020

 

BY SCOTT RILEY AND MARY ANN CAPPIELLO, ON BEHALF OF THE BIOGRAPHY CLEARINGHOUSE

Cover of
The nation is rattled by a presidential impeachment trial. The economy is held in the grip of a recession. Black Americans demand an end to racism, redlining, and segregated schools. Women insist on equity in the home and in the workplace, control over their finances and their bodies. 2020? No. 1974.

The votes cast today, on Election Day 2020, along with the millions of votes cast over the last several weeks, will determine the next president and vice president of the United States of America. Today’s votes will also elect all members of the U.S. House of Representatives and 35 members of the U.S. Senate. How much do our students know and understand about these legislative bodies and the power with which they are endowed? About the people who serve within these institutions?

One small way to begin a conversation about these legislative bodies, the legislative process, and the people who fill those seats is with a reading of What Do You Do with a Voice Like That? The Story of Extraordinary Congresswoman Barbara Jordan, written by Chris Barton and illustrated by Ekua Holmes. This 2018 picture book tells the life story of Barbara Jordan, the formidable Congresswoman known for her defense of the Constitution during the 1974 impeachment trial of President Richard Nixon:


Earlier today, we heard the beginning of the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States, “We, the people.” It is a very eloquent beginning. But when the document was completed on the seventeenth of September 1787 I was not included in that “We, the people.”  I felt somehow for many years that George Washington and Alexander Hamilton just left me out by mistake.  But through the process of amendment, interpretation and court decision I have finally been included in “We, the people.”

Today, I am an inquisitor; I believe hyperbole would not be fictional and would not overstate the solemnness that I feel right now.  My faith in the Constitution is whole, it is complete, it is total.  I am not going to sit here and be an idle spectator to the diminution, the subversion, the destruction of the Constitution.

Barbara Jordan believed in the Constitution, and she believed in the power of the processes of government to enact change on behalf of the greater good. Throughout What Do You Do with a Voice Like That?, author Chris Barton uses the power and conviction of Jordan’s voice to demonstrate to readers how Jordan worked within the system to advocate for social justice. Through repetition, sentence variety, and precise word choice, Barton captures Jordan’s transition from studious young woman to tireless champion. Ekua Holmes’ mixed-media collages move from intimate close-ups to panoramic views, constantly shifting and changing perspectives to engage the reader in different portraits of Jordan.

Picture
Earliest known draft of VOICE, p. 6
Picture
Dr. Thomas Freedman, Barbara Jordan’s Debate Coach at Texas Southern University, Oct. 2, 2015
Picture
Barbara Jordan - Political Values and Ethics - Fall 1981
Operating within the Investigate, Explore, and Create Model of the Biography Clearinghouse, we designed teaching ideas geared toward literacy and content area learning as well as opportunities for socio-emotional learning and strengthening community connections using What Do You Do with a Voice Like That?

Create with What Do You Do with a Voice Like That?

Featured here is one of the teaching ideas inspired by What Do You Do with a Voice Like That?

“Making our Own Voices Heard.” Barbara Jordan used her voice and her education to become an advocate for the people around her and ultimately, for the American people, in her role as representative. At the end of his narrative, Barton writes, “...what do we do with a voice like that? We remember it, and we honor it by making our own voices heard” (unpaged).  What do your students already advocate for? What changes do they want to see in your community, the nation, or the world? How can they make their voices heard? In this activity, over 1 or 2 days, or 1 or 2 weeks, depending on the time you have available, your students have the opportunity to explore and advocate for their community in the footsteps of Barbara Jordan.

CHECK OUT THE BOOK ENTRIES @

Picture
What Do You Do with a Voice Like That?

Otis and Will Discover the Deep

Maritcha: A Nineteenth-Century American Girl
If you have 1-2 hours….
If you have 1-2 days….
If you have 1-2 weeks….
After reading What Do You Do with a Voice Like That?, have students brainstorm the people in your community or in the world today who need a voice like Jordan’s from the Socio-Emotional Learning section above. How can students amplify the voices of those people and help them advocate for their needs as allies?
Have students conduct a video-conference conversation with members of a local or regional organization that advocate for the people and/or issues that your students have identified. Be sure to have students prepare questions in advance; help students to organize their questions by related subtopics.
Working with your school or local public librarian, gather print and digital resources your students can use to conduct more research on the people and/or issue they have identified. Work together to create and implement an action plan, to take your students’ advocacy work out of the classroom and into the community.
By investigating biographers’ research and writing processes and connecting people and historical events to our modern lives, we hope to motivate change in how readers engage with biographies, each other, and the larger world. To see more classroom possibilities and helpful resources connected to What Do You Do with a Voice Like That? The Story of Extraordinary Congresswoman Barbara Jordan, visit the What Do You Do with a Voice Like That? The Story of Extraordinary Congresswoman Barbara Jordan page on The Biography Clearinghouse.
 
Additionally, we’d love to hear how these interviews and ideas inspired you. Email us at thebiographyclearinghouse@gmail.com with your connections, creations, questions, or comment below if you’re reading this on Twitter or Facebook.
 
If you are interested in receiving notifications when new content is added to the Biography Clearinghouse, you can sign up for new content notices on our website.

Scott Riley​ is a middle school instructional coach at Singapore American School where he supports professional learning in and out of classrooms and the debut author of The Floating Field: How a Group of Thai Boys Built Their Own Soccer Field (Millbrook Press 2021).

Mary Ann Cappiello teaches courses in children’s literature and literacy methods at Lesley University, blogs about teaching with children’s literature at The Classroom Bookshelf, a School Library Journal blog, and is a former chair of NCTE’s Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction K-8. 

From the 2020 Notable Children’s Books in the Language Arts Using Poetic Picturebooks as Mentor Texts

10/27/2020

 

BY ELIZABETH M. BEMISS

Each year, the Notable Children’s Books in Language Arts Committee (NCBLA) reads and discusses works of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry written for K-8 readers. Committee members, seven dedicated children’s literature enthusiasts, with experience ranging from elementary school teaching, to school librarians, and finally, university faculty with expertise in children’s and young adult literature, consider the requisite qualities for narrowing down the winners to a list of 30 titles.  

In this post, I will feature two poetic picture books included in the 2020 Notables list, Lion of the Sky: Haiku for All Seasons (2019), and Room on Our Rock (2019). ​

Lion of the Sky: Haiku for All Seasons 
Written by Laura Purdie Salas  
Illustrated by Mercé López
Millbrook, 2019, unpaged, ISBN 978-1-5124-9809-7


In this unique collection of poetry, Laura Purdie Salas intrigues readers with “riddle-ku” poems. The 24 three-line poems, centered around the four seasons, are narrated by something nonhuman, making it a mask poem for readers to guess each narrator. Coupled with Mercé López’s  stunning rendered acrylic illustrations that capture the nature of each object being described, the poetic words and artwork render objects associated with the seasons: 

A kite flying in spring 

“I am a wind bird,
sky skipper, diamond dipper,
DANCING on your string” 

Dandelions of summer 

“my fluffy seeds DRIFT
tiny puffs lift in the breeze
and land...who knows where?” 

Falling snow in the winter
 
“I’m cold confetti
falling from a crystal sky,
blanketing the town”  
Book cover: Lion of the Sky
Book cover: Room on Our Rock
Room on Our Rock 
Written by Kate and Jol Temple
Illustrated by Terri Rose Baynton
Kane Miller, 2019, unpaged, ISBN 978-1-61067-902-2

This clever book presents readers with a story that reads forward and backward, revealing narratives about sharing and compassion. Upon the first reading, a trio of seals announce “There’s no room on our rock” to a seal and pup approaching their rock from the sea. As the seals shoo away the approaching pair, readers are told “No room on this rock? Can it be true? Read back to front for another point of view.” Readers then find a seal and pup escaping dangerous seas who are welcomed by the seals: “You’re welcome here / You’ll never hear us say / Shoo! Go away!” Gray and blue watercolor illustrations of a landscape in the sea compliment this story sure to warm hearts and encourage compassion among readers. 

Teaching Tips for Using the Books as Mentor Texts

Utilized as mentor texts, these poetic picture books provide readers with delightful opportunities to craft their own written responses inspired from the texts.

The whimsical collection of “riddle-ku” poems in Lion of the Sky invites readers to enjoy a play on language and is an inspiring way to help young writers craft unique poetry of their own. Students can create their own “riddle-ku” poems and invite peers and family members to guess the answer to their “riddle-kus.” To scaffold young writers, teachers can draw from this brainstorming resource from Millbrook Press where students can craft a “Zoo-ku,” or a “riddle-ku” about an animal. Additionally, students can publish their “riddle-ku” on a Padlet Page created by the author, Laura Purdie Salas. Another way students can craft their poems is through Read Write Think’s Interactive Haiku Generator, which guides students through brainstorming, drafting, and publishing, where individual background images can be added to the published “riddle-ku.”  

The poetic forward and backward reading of Room on Our Rock can foster rich conversations between readers about the varying messages from the book when read forward versus backward as well as discussions surrounding point of view. Teachers can guide students to reflect on the kind of tone and voice needed to read the book forward and how it changed to read the book backward. Teachers could also have students think about how the artwork on each page was used to create the tone of the book from two perspectives. After engaging in deep conversation around the book, students can partner up to write a review of the book and then share their reviews via free audio or video sharing applications. Students can post links to the reviews on a class page such as note.ly or Padlet.



Elizabeth M. Bemiss, an Assistant Professor at the University of West Florida, teaches courses in children’s and young adult literature and literacy methods. Elizabeth is a member of the 2019-2021 Notables Committee.

Teaching Vocabulary Words in Context Using Exemplary Nonfiction Texts

10/20/2020

 

BY ALLY HAUPTMAN

Why do we teach vocabulary? At its core increasing a student’s vocabulary gives that student power. The power to express ideas, opinions, and feelings. The power to find the right words to persuade, inform, or to bring joy to readers. The power to build knowledge and understand complex concepts across disciplines. 

To effectively teach vocabulary and empower our students, teachers must provide rich and varied language experiences, learning experiences that connect words within a context, and opportunities to develop word consciousness (Allen, 2014).  Students need opportunities to read, write, and talk in authentic ways. Teachers can model how to use words in context, and immerse students in the language of different disciplines.  We need to show students how powerful words are in helping us communicate our ideas.  We have to show them how to become “word collectors.”  We need to teach vocabulary within context, and intentionally put students in situations where they make connections between words and concepts.

One of the most effective ways for students to make connections and construct meaning is to make sure new vocabulary is presented within a meaningful context. This is where excellent children’s literature comes into play. There are so many brilliantly written non-fiction picture books that can be used to teach vocabulary within a context. With students, I refer to these non-fiction books that are accessible to young readers and use text features in interesting ways, as jazzy non-fiction. Students are drawn to these texts because they make the subject fascinating for readers.

One author whose jazzy nonfiction I often use is Jess Keating. She is an author, artist, and zoologist who creates texts that spark curiosity about animals and women in science. In her World of Weird Animals series, she uses photographs, cartoons, and text features in unique and engaging ways. This is what makes her books so appealing to young readers, but as a teacher I am drawn to the complex vocabulary she uses in her writing. Jess Keating books can be used as mentor texts for writing, sparking a myriad of writing possibilities for students as they begin to see creative ways to write nonfiction. Jess Keating books are perfect for modeling a rich array of metacognitive comprehension strategies like determining importance. Jess Keating books are the best for teaching science concepts and related vocabulary within an authentic context. 

Cute As an Axolotl: Discovering the World’s Most Adorable Animals

In this text, Jess Keating and David DeGrand present a combination of stunning animal photographs, cartoon animals, and text features that invite readers to learn about some seriously cute creatures. For each animal, Keating lists facts like species name, size, diet, habitat, predators and threats. She also tells the reader strange, interesting facts that leave you wanting to do more research on these adorable creatures.

Learning Experience Using Cute As an Axolotl
Sorting and Reading to Place Vocabulary Within a Context
(Johns & Bergland, 2002)

Book Cover: Cute as an Axolotl Discovering the World's Most Adorable Animals By Jess Keating
  • On the first two pages of the book, Keating uses the words axolotl, aquatic, regeneration, predator, gills, species name, habitat, traits, features. Print these words and ask students to cut out each, so they are able to manipulate the words in an open sort. 
  • Students take a pencil and lightly mark how they would rank their knowledge of each word. Asking students to rank their knowledge of the word is an easy way to activate prior knowledge.
  • Ask students to complete an open sort.  They can sort the word cards in any way that makes sense to them. I have seen students sort alphabetically and by number of syllables in a word during their first sort. Many students sort the words by words they know or have never heard. Other students begin sorting by their conception of how the words are related. There are no wrong answers!
  • Students turn and talk with a partner to explain their sorts. This is where the magic happens! Students are sharing ideas about each word and learning from each other. I often see students re-sorting words during their conversations with partners as they refine their thinking together. The more they interact with words and have to make decisions about them, the words become closer to being “owned” than “rented” (Gillis, 2014). 
  • Ask students to justify their sort in writing in their notebook. This makes thinking visible and gives the teacher a quick check of their current knowledge of the vocabulary. 
  • Place the vocabulary within the context of a Jess Keating book! Read the first page of Cute As an Axolotl.  After reading, quickly discuss each word that was on their cards that appeared in the text.   
  • Re-sort based on what students now know about the words after hearing them within the context of Cute As an Axolotl.  Explain the sort to a partner and then write the justification for their resort in their notebooks.

More Jess Keating Books to Consider

Pink Is For Blobfish
Discovering the 
Book Cover: World's Perfectly Pink Animals By Jess Keating
Book Cover: 
Eat Your Rocks, Croc!: Dr. Glider's Advice for Troubled Animals
Written by Jess Keating
Book Cover: Shark Lady by Jess Keating
The World of Weird Animals Series (illustrated by David DeGrand)
  • Pink is for Blobfish: Discovering the World’s Perfectly Pink Animals
  • What Makes a Monster?: Discovering the World’s Scariest Creature
  • Gross as a Snot Otter: Discovering the World’s Most Disgusting Animals
 
Other Books
  • Eat Your Rocks, Croc!: Dr. Glider’s Advice for Troubled Animals, illustrated by Pete Oswald
  • Ocean Speaks: How Marie Tharp Revealed the Ocean’s Biggest Secret, illustrated by Katie Hickey
  • Shark Lady: The True Story of how Eugenie Clark Become the Ocean’s Most Fearless Scientist, illustrated by Marta Álvarez Miguėns

References

Allen, J. (2014). Tools for teaching academic vocabulary. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.

Berglund, R. & Johns, J. (2002). Strategies for content area learning: Vocabulary, comprehension, and
      response
. Dubuque, IA: Kendall-Hunt. 

Gillis, V. (2014). Talking the talk: Vocabulary instruction across the disciplines (or what to do instead).
       Journal of Adolescent and Adult Learning, 58(4), 281-287.

Ally Hauptman is a CLA Board Member and is the Chair of the Ways and Means Committee. She is an associate professor at Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN. 

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