I look forward to seeing what books are on people's lists, but this question opens the door to a way of thinking when "recommending" books to kids altogether.
At this time, when leisure time is so much about tech "devices", I believe it's most important to get kids to think of reading as something they want to do, a delicious way to spend time. When students are brought into my library by parents or teachers and told "you'll really like this book". "this is a great book". I just watch the kids go blank. They've heard it before, they don't believe it or don't care. (and of course they'd rather turn to their device.) So. I have a standard line that I say to the children I deal with (K-6): "Look at the books in this section and see what appeals to you based on the cover - it's up to you; what looks good? Read the first page. If you're interested enough to turn the page you'll probably like the book! If it's already boring, then put it back and keep looking. And I'm right here if you need help with a word or have a question." Kids are bossed-around all the time; I want to validate their right to make a choice in the library, and also be seen as sympathetic. (Once you have their trust, you can recommend the good ones!) (Boys often need more guidance, and I've had great success with the Rabbi Harvey series as gateway-books for non-readers.) Amy Turims Temple Emanuel Kensington, MD [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> From: Heidi Rabinowitz [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, July 22, 2016 12:08 AM To: Hasafran <[email protected]> Subject: [ha-Safran] Classics vs. New Books So Pnina Moed Kass (author of STBA winner Real Time, 2004) sometimes sends me interesting librarianship articles, and she just sent this one from The Guardian newspaper in England about classics vs new books for kids. https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2016/jul/13/stop-pushing-the-sam e-classic-books-on-children-and-trust-modern-writing?CMP=share_btn_link Seems like when asked about "must read books" adults tend to answer with their own out-of-date favorites. They are not lucky like us librarians, they haven't read the more recent kidlit. So this made me wonder - within the genre of Jewish kidlit, what are your top ten classics and what are your top ten "must read books" that were published more recently (say within the last 10 years or so)? Just wondering... Heidi Rabinowitz [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus
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