Book selection, reading interests, and individualized reading programs.  Teachers are continually making text choices based on a range of criteria many of which are invisible that need to be made explicit in a methods course.  How then might we make these invisible criteria visible? They need to understand the influences of mandated textbooks, the high school canon, fear of censorship, students’ reading interests, and a recognition of their own and students’ valued authors. PTs need an understanding of various factors influencing adolescent’s book selection and reading interests, factors such as age, gender, knowledge of authors/topics/genres, attitudes, interests, and purposes for reading.

    PTs could analyze the required texts at different grade levels, noting the extent to which these texts reflect the high school literature canon constituting curriculum approaches.  They could also examine various literature anthologies in terms of the kinds of response activities employed and the texts included, addressing the issues of inclusion of what Russell Hunt (1992) described as “texttoids”—short excerpts or materials that may not engage students to the degree they would be engaged with longer texts, as well as the misinformation that may be included in textbooks (Stevens, 2006).   Moreover, the response prompts or discussion questions in some series may consist of “reading-check” correct-answer comprehension questions, as opposed to open-ended response prompts.

    PTs could also study differences in students’ ability to read and interpret different texts.  For example, some students may prefer to read fantasy or mystery novels because they enjoy being transported into a world distinct from their own familiar world (Blackford, 2004).  Other students may prefer realistic fiction because they can vicariously experience characters’ coping with challenges they assume they will face later in their adolescence, for example, having a serious love relationship, going off to college, facing competing allegiances to the peer group versus their own ethical beliefs, etc.   Other students may prefer nonfiction books or newspapers given a strong interest in current affairs.

    PTs could also survey students about their reading interests, particularly for use in setting up a free-reading program in which students select their own texts.  They could interview students, drawing on the questions in this chapter on students’ notions of reading, asking them to describe those strategies and processes they employ in reading their most versus least preferred types of texts.   They may find that their less preferred texts are those about which they lack confidence in using certain strategies or processes.

Book Talks and Text Set/Bibliography: Each student will give two book talks, and bring a text set of books (approximately 10 books both YA and picture books) with a bibliography (a copy for each classmate) that addresses the genre being discussed during that class session. A book talk is a short (5 minute) oral description of a book you have read for this class. Its purpose is to entice others to read the book. While the book talk is informal, it requires some planning to be effective. Consider beginning the book talk with a “hook” to gain the immediate attention of your audience. You might also want to include a brief excerpt (1-2 paragraphs) that reveals the flavor of the book. Finally, it’s a good idea to have the book on hand while you give your presentation. As much as possible, relate your book to other books with similar themes or plots and/or to other books by the same author. Note: Do not give the entire plot away in your book talk—remember, you are trying to encourage others to read the book! We will begin most class periods with these book talks; course participants should listen carefully and take notes on these books talks in order to build your classroom or school library.

    All of this points to the importance of attending to individual differences in students in selecting texts and planning literature instruction. Research on teaching literature finds that approaches that are based more on attention to students individual differences are more likely to results in increased book-reading over time (Verboord, 2005).

Further reading on book selection, reading interests, and individualized reading programs:

Atwell, N.  (2003).  In the middle: New understandings about writing, reading, and learning. Portsmouth, NH:

    Boynton/Cook.

Cavasos-Kottke, S.  (2006).  Five readers browsing: The reading interests of talented middle school boys. Gifted Child

    Quarterly, 50(2), 132-147.

Gillespie, J. T., & Barr, C. (2006).  Best books for high school readers, Supplement to the first edition: Grades 9-12.  Libraries

    Unlimited.

Gillespie, J. T., & Barr, C. (2006). Best books for middle school and junior high readers, Supplement to the first edition:

    Grades 6-9. Libraries Unlimited.

Keane, N. J. (2006).  The big book of teen reading lists: 100 great, ready-to-use book lists for educators, librarians, parents,

    and teens. Libraries Unlimited.

Koelling, H.  (2004).  Classic connections: Turning teens on to great literature.  Libraries Unlimited

Love, K., & Hamston, J.  (2003).  Teenage boys' leisure reading dispositions: Juggling male youth culture and family cultural

    capital.  Educational Review, 55(2), 161 – 177.

Van Schooten, E., De Glopper, K. & Stoel, R. D. (2004). Development of attitudes toward reading adolescent literature and

    literary reading behavior. Poetics, 32, 343-386.