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Paying It Forward…One Chapter at a Time by Eileen M. Washburn
As a children’s librarian in a public library, I’m all about putting the right books in the hands of my young patrons. One of my biggest struggles in this area in the last decade has been getting kids to read some of the great fiction that is out there that they might be missing, due to that often talked about “Harry Potter effect”. Don’t get me wrong, I love that Harry and all these other great multi-volume, 400-page series are turning some kids into readers and keeping others interested in reading. What I don’t love is when kids go straight from early chapter books to these monster series, simply because I know what they are missing and they might not! I have to quote uber-librarian Nancy Pearl in Book Crush when she says, “The problem arises when children are guided to books based on their reading-level readiness rather than their emotional readiness; they simply won’t appreciate all that the books have to offer.”
My thoughts exactly!
So for this very reason, my co-worker and I created a “reading club” last spring at our library called the Next Chapter, for kids in grades 2-4. It’s our version of “paying forward” a love of books at every age. We have a monthly book, and we also have a snack and either games or fun activities that correspond to the book choice. We’ve crammed the kids into a taped-off square on the floor for Elevator Family to see how many could fit, and had them design “Wanted” posters of themselves for reading infractions when we recently read Emily’s Fortune.
These monthly meetings have become one of my favorite things. I think the kids are enjoying them too. Maybe it’s because they’re reading with friends or maybe because snack time is involved! But what if it is because the pressure is off? Most of these kids are quite capable of reading much longer titles. What if they’re as excited as we are to find more stories to read, just when they were worrying that they would run out! Harry and friends will still be there when they are in sixth grade, but these titles won’t.
Often times it’s the parents that seem to be pushing these huge books onto younger and younger kids, thinking that since they have become such great readers, they should continue reading harder and longer books. And often it is the kids themselves who just see older siblings or friends reading these books and feel like it’s a marker for how good a reader they are.
I have talked with countless parents and teachers about the appropriateness of certain books at certain ages. We all agree that each child is different, ready to read different types of books at different times, and that getting some kids to read almost any book is an accomplishment. But I could make a decent case that no one should read Harry Potter until at least third grade (Didn’t JK herself say something to that effect?), and when wearing my YA cap, that no girl should read Twilight until they have been THAT girl – the one willing to give up her mortal life for a boy – and that is not in fifth grade!
I vividly remember reading Watership Down when I was much too young to really understand it. I may think there’s no way I would trade that experience, but would said experience have been even richer a year or two later? I hope the Next Chapter is in some way buying these kids some of that time.
So our criteria is loosely this:
*keep it under about 150 pages
*No long picture books or anything lingering in the easy reader section – we want them to feel like they are reading real chapter books
*Stand-alone titles are preffered, but we are doing the first in the Shredderman series this year
(I really have nothing against books in a series! I just want them to know that is not all there is!)
*Obviously make it something they will enjoy, and try to find titles that will appeal to boys and girls –or at least switch it up.
*Try to stay away from wildly popular books and anything teachers at the neighboring school may be using in class.
So go ahead, those of you in positions to put books in the hands of young readers. Give them a book with less than 150 pages. Maybe a stand-alone story just waiting for a reader. I just know it will be wonderful. You’ll be paying it forward by giving a great book a longer shelf life, and by giving a child a richer reading life.
Next Chapter books we’ve read:
The Elevator Family by Douglas Evans
Emily’s Fortune by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
The Firework-Maker’s Daughter by Philip Pullman
Goosed! By Bill Wallace
Granny Torrelli Makes Soup by Sharon Creech
Lulu and the Brontosaurus by Judith Viorst
Shredderman: Secret Identity by Wendelin Van Draanen
More titles up for consideration:
Eoin Colfer’s Legend of Spud Murphy
Frindle by Andrew Clements
‘Gator Aid by Jane Cutler
Gooseberry Park by Cynthia Rylant
Guinea Pigs Don’t Talk by Laurie Myers
The Imp That Ate My Homework by Laurence Yep
Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie by Julie Sternberg
The No 1 Car Spotter by Atinuke
No Talking by Andrew Clements
Roxie and the Hooligans by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Skinnybones by Barbara Park
Eileen has been a Child/YA Librarian in public libraries for 15 years. She’s always in the process of writing, reading, recommending, or parenting two future Nerdy Book Club daughters. You can find her (newly) on twitter @WashburnEileen and read about her library adventures at kidsatrml.blogspot.com.
Nerdy Book Club 
What a great idea! I appreciate the lists you’ve shared and will fill in ages holes in my library.
I hear you! As a second grade teacher I see the same thing. The core of my reading workshop is reading just -right books and I have a classroom library stocked with appropriate titles. But when they go to the school or neighborhood library there are alway at least 4-6 students who bring in books like Diary of a Wimpy Kid back to class. And yes, many can read the words, but can’t understand the book. Sometimes it’s the fact that an older sibling reads the book or that they saw the movie, but most often it is a parent pushing the title. This particular age group is very tricky. Most are moving past the easy reader category, but aren’t ready for middle grade fiction. When they walk in our local library the fiction stacks are separated into only 3 categories – easy readers like Frog and Toad, Young Adult, and the rest are placed all together titled children’s fiction. I wish they would separate out what I call, early chapter books for our younger readers. (And I wish they wouldn’t call them EASY readers – easy for the grown ups, but perfect for a 7 year old.) Sometimes it’s all about presentation to make a book appealing.
Debra, I often feel like we could use that middle section between easy readers and “everything else”. At my library we often steer them toward the ppb racks, but at the library where I sub, they have a seperate section called “Chapter Books” which are exactly that early kind. It has been fun searching out the just-right titles though!
Great idea! Adding the social element must also get the buzz going. I’ve dealt with parents who insis their kids are ready for Oliver Twist and can’t see how they’re robbing them of books with themes th.eir children need at their age…
Love this list! I will take it to school as a guide for my students getting into chapter books.
This was a fabulous post! As a former Young Adult Librarian and a current middle school one, I see so much of this happening! Teachers can sometimes be just as bad about this as parents – maybe more so in the upper grades. I have to keep telling teachers I don’t have “adult” books in my library (books written FOR an adult audience) because there are so many other books that are out written for our audience. I think some of the issue is teachers aren’t reading for their students – they are reading for themselves. And books that speak to us as adults are different than what speaks to kids. It can be hard to “go back in time” so to speak.
Thanks for this very thoughtful and thought provoking post.
Tasha Squires
Well said, Eileen! You and I have spoken about this before and I feel the same way. It’s been hard for me to find age appropriate books for Lauren especially when she has the ability to read books at a higher level but I don’t feel she’s ready emotionally. You’ve been a big help with assisting us in finding some great reads for her. We’ve been sad she hasn’t been able to get to the Next Chapter book club because she has a conflict on Fridays but we will definitely check out some of the books the club has read!
As a parent, my perspective is slightly different. We define a “just right” book as one that you enjoy, which means that they can read things “too old” for them, but they also read things “too young” and they still read everything in between. I don’t want them only picking books from the older shelves, but I also hate it when kids make fun of books as being too young.
In our family, that has worked out well, starting seven years ago when the now-fourteen year old caught the reading bug by finding a science fiction book on my shelves that was written for adults but that he adored as a seven year old. It was the first time he worked to finish a book. And he went from that to a Bulla book that was much more age appropriate, but now he was used to finishing things. He effortlessly switches between books written for elementary readers (even picture books), books aimed at his junior high age, and adult fiction (mostly science fiction at this point).
Beth, I love that some kids can switch effortlessly like that. Totally get your perspective, thanks for the comment.
Here are some other books to consider:
Judy Moody by Megan McDonald (There are other Judy Moody books but they’re all stand alone.)
Lulu and the Duck in the Park by Hilary McKay
The Grand Plan to Fix Everything by Uma Krishnaswami
Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard Atwater
Dominic by Walter Steig
Ralph the Mouse by Beverly Cleary
Jenny and the Cat Club by Esther Holden Averill (or any of the Jenny the Cat books)
Paddington Bear by Michael Bond – who doesn’t love the bear from deepest, darkest Peru?
Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo (182 pages so it may be disqualified but it’s such a great story)
Thanks so much for the suggestions!
Thanks Eliza – we were just saying we need to pick a book for next month. I think I completely forgot about Paddington!
Oh, please don’t forget about Paddington. For some reason, I think folks have dismissed the Paddington stories recently. However, the scrapes he gets into and how he always lands on his feet (or paws) are fun and funny. Also, think of all the marmalade related snack possibilities.
A few more book suggestions:
Marty McGuire and Marty McGuire Digs Worms by Kate Messner
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
Madam Pamplemousse and Her Incredible Edibles by Rupert Kingfisher
The Goddess Girls books by Joan Holub & Suzanne Williams. – the Greek gods and goddess as kids attending school on Mount Olympus.
Book 1 – Athena the Brain – Athena learns that she is a goddess when she is summoned to Mount Olympus by her father, Zeus, and she must quickly adjust to her new status, make friends with the other godboys and goddessgirls, and catch up with all the studies she missed while attending mortal school.
Oh, Anita Silvey’s great blog reminded me of another wonderful book that’s perfect for kids that like mysteries, and humor:
The Mysterious Disappearance of Leon (I Mean Noel) by Ellen Raskin
Tua and the Elephant by R.P. Harris – this book is geared for the younger end of the MG crowd and is a lovely story of lost souls finding each other. In Chiang Mai, Thailand, nine-year-old Tua releases an abused elephant from its chains, but it will be a challenge to get the elephant to refuge without getting caught. The book is a smaller size so it’s page count is longer than 150 pages but I think you should take a look at it. It’s nice to have a books that take place in and deal with other cultures and character than the Western World.
Eliza – we took your advice and did A Bear Called Paddington! Just had the Book Group today. I’m going to write about it on the library blog in the next few days (kidsatrml.blogspot.com) thanks for the suggestion!
What a great list! Thank you for sharing. I want to be a kid in your library!
thanks Nancy! Better yet, you can write a book that I recommend to a kid in my Library! 😉