Windows
and Mirrors
• Discovering the world through
children’s literature
• Fostering empathy and love
with diverse books
• The best new titles to
add to your summer
reading lists
May/June 2016
Volume 33, Issue 6
LITERACY TODAY
Contents
LITERACY TODAY
Volume 33, Issue 6
May/June 2016
EDITORIAL STAFF
Managing Editor Colleen Patrice Clark
Intern Nicole Lund
ILA LEADERSHIP
Executive Director Marcie Craig Post
Associate Executive Director Stephen Sye
2015–2016 BOARD MEMBERS
Diane Barone, University of Nevada, Reno,
President; William H. Teale, University of Illinois
at Chicago, Vice President; Gwynne Ellen Ash,
Texas State University; Donald Bear, Iowa State
University; Julie Coiro, University of Rhode
Island; Catherine E. Collier, Chesapeake Public
Schools, Virginia; Lori DiGisi, Framingham
Public Schools, Massachusetts; Bernadette
Dwyer, St. Patrick’s College, Drumcondra,
Dublin City University, Ireland; Laurie A.
Elish-Piper, Northern Illinois University; Rachel
A. Karchmer-Klein, University of Delaware;
Julianne Scullen, Anoka-Hennepin School
District, Minnesota
ADVERTISING
For information, contact Megan Ferguson at
800-336-7323 ext. 417 or advertising@reading.
org. Acceptance of advertising does not imply
endorsement.
ABOUT US
Literacy Today is the bimonthly membership
magazine of the International Literacy
Association, a nonprofi t that strives to
empower educators, inspire students, and
encourage teachers with the resources they
need to make literacy accessible for all.
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Literacy Today (ISSN 2411-7862, Print; 2411-
7900, Online) is included in the cost of ILA
membership. To join, visit literacyworldwide.
org. POSTMASTER: Send address changes
to Literacy Today, PO Box 8139, Newark,
DE 19714-8139, USA. CANADIAN GST:
Registration number R-129785523.
Publications Mail Agreement No. 40033039.
Return undeliverable Canadian addresses
to PO Box 503, RPO West Beaver Creek,
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CONTACT US
CUSTOMER SERVICE
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EDITORIAL
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literacytoday@reading.org
Write to Literacy Today, PO Box 8139, Newark,
DE 19714-8139, USA.
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© International Literacy Association
10
2
EDITOR’S NOTE
4
LIT BITS
6
OUR VIEW
LITERACY LEADERSHIP
8
Combining Research to Boost Comprehension
and Confi dence
CHILDREN’S LITERATURE
10
2016: A Win for Diverse Books
12
Online Exclusive: Interviews With This Year’s Belpré and Corett a Scott
King Award Winners
14
ILA’s Arbuthnot Award Winner on Her Top Tips and Book Suggestions
for Teachers
16
The Unspoken Language of Wordless Picture Books
18
ILA Choices Reading Lists: Perfect for Summer Reading
20
The Power of Fiction and What It Teaches Us About the World
24
Why You Should Be Incorporating LGBT Books in Your Classroom Library
THE ENGAGING CLASSROOM
28
How the Whole Class Is Impacted When the Teacher Loves
Children’s Literature
30
Using Technology and Other Tricks to Play With Literacy
32
Strategies for Increasing Engagement Through Reading and Writing
ILA 2016
34
Why You Can’t Miss the Putt ing Books to Work Panels
36
Lace Up Your Sneakers to Benefi t Literacy Development
THE ILA NETWORK
38
How One Community Is Using Tricycles to Boost Summer Reading
40
EVENTS
42
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Discovering
the World
Through Books
Colleen Patrice Clark
Managing Editor
cclark@reading.org
EDITOR’S
NOTE
feel incredibly fortunate to have a daughter
who’s an avid reader. At 8 years old, she devours
a good book, anything from George R.R.
Martin’s The Ice Dragon to Nick Bruel’s Bad Kitty
series. She loves nonfiction, too. I once read to
her How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the
Awfully Famous as a bedtime story. And if it’s
bug, dinosaur, or cat related, it’s on her shelf.
I feel lucky, but luck has little to do with it.
It is not random, and her passion for learning
goes well beyond family influence. This love
of books is fostered by deliberate, purposeful
engagement on a daily basis.
Like any student, my daughter is
surrounded by educators who are influencing
her in ways she doesn’t realize, like the teacher
she had last year who recognized her interest
in science and steered her toward books other
girls her age weren’t interested in. This year, the
librarian is always ready with recommendations
and even holds books specifically for her. There
are others—and I know there will be more—
and I’m already thankful for what they will help
teach her about our world.
Those lessons are what our Children’s
Literature Issue is all about. There’s a unique
power in children’s and YA lit that is worthy
of celebration. It provides the foundation for
all learning and can set our children up to be
well-rounded, empathetic global citizens.
My top recommendation: Have a pen and
paper handy. There are more than 100 titles
mentioned in this issue, and they’re all worthy
of celebrating. Start by adding them to your
summer reading or your fall library. Then
watch as students reap the benefits.
Warmly,
WORTHY OF
CELEBRATION
Take a sneak peek inside all
of ILA’s journals – for FREE!
� Sample issues of The Reading Teacher, Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, and Reading
Research Quarterly
� Virtual issues on key themes in literacy education
� Peer-reviewed open access articles by leading researchers in the literacy field
� Additional free articles in Wiley Education Collections
Discover these free resources and more at literacyworldwide.org/journalresources.
To add a journal to your current membership, contact ILA Customer Service at
customerservice@reading.org, 800.336.7323 (U.S. and Canada), or 302.731.1600 (all other countries).
2
May/June 2016 | LITERACY TODAY
Inspire young writers with
KWAME ALEXANDER
Video-supported lessons allow you to bring the
Newbery Medal winner into your classroom!
To place an order, visit scholastic.com/pagetostage
or call 1-800-387-1437
“Shows us how to
MOVE STUDENTS
from ideas, to drafts,
���������������������
to a published work—
THIS BOOK
IS A GIFT!”
-Kylene Beers,
past president of NCTE
Kwame Alexander’s
Page-to-Stage Writing
Workshop
Awakening the Writer, Publisher,
and Presenter in Every Student
978-1-338-02681-8 • $89.99
176 pages plus poster and
companion website
Valdosta State University (VSU) in
Georgia hosted its 10th annual Read Fest
celebration in April to recognize National
Library Week. The event brought some
240 prekindergarten students together
for a day of literacy-rich activities
including puppet shows, crafts, read-
alouds, and more—and each child was
sent home with a goodie bag packed
with a new book donated by the ILA
student council chapter at VSU.
LIT BITS
A Reading
Celebration
■ Registration for our Steps to Advance Literacy 5K on July 10 is now open! Join us in Boston
as we take to the streets to support local nonprofit Reach Out and Read and raise funds
for ILA’s literacy initiatives. This is a fun run/walk, so all fitness levels are encouraged to join.
(ilaconference.org/5k)
■ Tickets are now on sale for Literacy Night at the Ballpark on July 8. Join us and the
Boston Red Sox as we celebrate teachers and the work they’re doing to advance literacy.
(ilaconference.org/literacynight)
■ A free cross-journal virtual issue on multiliteracies—pulling some of the most popular articles
from The Reading Teacher, Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, and Reading Research
Quarterly—is now available. This comprehensive (and complimentary) resource can be
viewed through September. (literacyworldwide.org/multiliteracies)
What’s new?
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May/June 2016 | LITERACY TODAY
Professional resources, for less
As part of our commitment to provide members with
access to quality resources, we are proud to announce
our new Professional Books Discount Program. This
new member benefit enables you to purchase leading
professional development and research titles from top
publishers such as Routledge, Stenhouse, and Wiley
(including Jossey-Bass) at discounts of up to 35% off.
Now you can enhance your teaching skills, further your
career, help students succeed—and save money. Get
started at literacyworldwide.org/probooks.
BY THE NUMBERS
100th
The birthday celebrated
last month by beloved
author Beverly Cleary.
Fans around the world
celebrated, too, including
the New York Public
Library, which collected
100 stories from patrons
and librarians about their
love of her books.
108
Percent increase
of the number
of female public
school principals
from 1988–2012,
according to a new
demographics
report from the
National Center for
Education Statistics
11,000
Number of
classroom projects
funded through
Stephen Colbert’s
#BestSchoolDay
campaign, which has
led to $14 million in
funding for projects
in 47 states on
DonorsChoose.org
$10,000
First-place
Entrepreneurship Across
Yale prize awarded to
StoryTime, founded by
student Phil Esterman,
which sends free stories
via text messaging apps
to low-income families
to help close the early
literacy skills gap
18.2
Average number of extra
minutes of sleep per night
found to increase elementary
students’ academic
performance, according
to researchers at McGill
University and the Douglas
Mental Health University
Institute, in partnership with
the Riverside School Board in
Montreal
Leaders for
Literacy
Day 2016
A panel of
cross-sector
leaders came
together
at the
Institute of
International Education in New York
City on April 14 for ILA’s second annual
Leaders for Literacy Day, which focused
on literacy leadership as a critical
driver to advancing literacy around
the globe. Panelists included Steven
Duggan, Microsoft; Leslie Engle Young,
Pencils of Promise; Jody Spiro, The
Wallace Foundation; Christie Vilsack,
USAID; and Marcie Craig Post, ILA’s
executive director. For full coverage, visit
literacyworldwide.org/L4L.
Now is the time for reform
To support literacy learning adequately, we must resist a
one-size-fits-all approach. To provide a roadmap toward
that goal, ILA released a new white paper—Frameworks
for Literacy Education Reform—which offers guidance
on developing and evaluating literacy education reforms.
Each of the suggested frameworks focuses on a specific
component of the education sector: literacy teaching
and teachers, schools
and schooling, student
support, and families
and community.
To view the
white paper, visit
literacyworldwide
.org/frameworks.
LITERACY TODAY | May/June 2016
nternational children’s and young adult books matter, and publishers, teachers,
and parents in the United States and Canada should be paying much more
attention to them.
Between the United States and Canada, approximately 6,000 books a year for
children and young adults come into the market. Among them are some of the best
books in the world. Thus, young people in these two countries are fortunate to
have access to works of such high literary quality, appeal, and lasting impact.
Why, then, should we care about books from other countries? This is a
question that calls for adults who serve as gatekeepers to what children read to
consider their roles in introducing works to children. And it is a question of what
our hopes and aims are for children’s literate and global lives.
International books are those originally published outside of the United States
and Canada and, if necessary, are translated from the original language. These
By Junko Yokota & William Teale
Why we all need access to more literature
from around the world
Junko Yokota
(junko.yokota@mac.com),
an ILA member since 1983,
is a professor emerita of
reading and language at
National Louis University
in Illinois, and the director
of the Center for Teaching
Through Children’s Books.
William Teale
(wteale@uic.edu) is a
professor in the Literacy,
Language & Culture
Program at the University
of Illinois at Chicago and
the director of the UIC
Center for Literacy. He is
president-elect of ILA’s
Board of Directors.
INTERNATIONAL
BOOKS MATTER
OUR VIEW
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May/June 2016 | LITERACY TODAY
books do something that those authored
and illustrated by domestic creators do
not: They provide stories, world views,
information, and images that arise from
cultures and contexts that have the
potential to enlarge the perspectives and
knowledge bases of children and youth
living in the United States and Canada.
The role we play
The call for including more international
literature in children’s lives has
important implications. Teachers and
librarians can strive to include more
international literature in their core
curriculum, book club activities, and
classroom and school libraries. It is also
important to realize that, unlike many
other countries that have 20%–35% of
their children’s books originating from
outside the country, less than 5% of
children’s books for sale in the United
States and Canada are international.
This means that teachers should
realize their students may not find
international literature easily on their
own; therefore, the more teachers are
aware of what is available, the better for
their students.
into new countries. Although the
primary goal of the fair is to conduct
business related to publishing, much
of the activity focuses on related
interests and goals. The fair is attended
by illustrators, authors, translators,
book advocates, critics, members of
the publishing community, and various
related organizations.
The number of educators who
attend is small, but their impact can
be significant. Teachers and librarians
who work directly with children
have an opportunity to broaden their
perspectives and understandings
about how literature from countries
outside their own can influence their
students’ awareness of the wider
world. If an educator can’t attend,
remote participation is made possible
through live webcasts and stored video
presentations, social media, and more.
Making a commitment to expand
the reading our students do means
continuously keeping our own
awareness and reading international.
In this way, we can broaden the global
perspectives of our students and give
them access to the best literary works
from around the world.
This also has profound implications
for publishers, who should be pressured
by all educators to be more assertive in
seeking out good children’s books from
other countries.
Raising awareness
What else can teachers and librarians
do? Become aware of the organizations
and activities that support international
books.
The United States Board on Books
for Young People (USBBY) and IBBY
Canada are the national sections of the
International Board on Books for Young
People (IBBY), a nonprofit devoted
to building bridges of international
understanding through children’s and
young adult books.
Since 2006, USBBY has selected
an honor list of outstanding books
published in the United States that
originated from other countries. The
list can be found at usbby.org.
Another venue to explore is the
annual Bologna Children’s Book Fair in
Italy. Each year, publishers from around
the world gather to introduce, sell, and
buy rights for books to cross boundaries
Spread the word about ILA and inspire others to join the movement.
Visit literacyworldwide.org/ilatoolkit today!
HELP US SPREAD THE WORD
ABOUT ILA!
It’s easy!
Visit literacyworldwide.org/ilatoolkit
to get everything you need to share
information about ILA in person and
with your social network.
Show your aspiring teachers,
administrators, council members, fellow
educators, friends, or community how
ILA transforms lives through literacy.
LITERACY TODAY | May/June 2016
luebird is the pseudonym my vivacious sixth-grade student chose for herself.
Bluebird is always happy, fluttering gracefully with her many friends. Her mother
is a literacy specialist. One morning, she stopped by my classroom. The term-end
Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) scores indicated her daughter’s scores were
below grade level, as they had been throughout her elementary years.
“Can you talk me off a cliff?” she said with tear-filled eyes. She described
testing and interventions she had done with Bluebird in an effort to improve her
scores. We discussed Bluebird’s progress and the work we were doing in school.
I described research on reading interventions using the Neurological Impress
Method (NIM), developed by R.G. Heckelman in the 1960s. NIM involves an adult
and a struggling reader, sitting side by side, simultaneously reading aloud at a
rapid rate using challenging text. This method was designed to expose readers to
correct reading and greater quantities of material while providing scaffolding for
difficult text.
By Lisa Trott ier Brown
Finding solutions for struggling readers
Lisa Trottier Brown
(pbslbrown@msn.com), an
ILA member since 2014,
has taught third and sixth
grades in the Davis School
District in Utah. She is
currently working toward
a PhD in curriculum and
instruction in literacy at
Utah State University.
LITERACY
LEADERSHIP
RESCUING
BLUEBIRD
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May/June 2016 | LITERACY TODAY