Let's Read

Children's Literature

Authors & Illustrators

Book Reviews

Graphic Novels
Chn's Literature Journals
Booking Agencies
Reluctant readers
Bookweek Resources
Reading Programs
 
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Children's Literature
Challenged library materials appeal - sample form
Use this to deal fairly with challenges of material in the library collection. It facilitates objective appraisal for all parties.
Children's Book Council of Australia
The foremost Australian authority on all matters involving children's literature.

Focus on Fiction
CMIS the WA Dept of Education authority are not to be missed as a source of curriculum support - this includes fiction.

YABBA
A children's choice book award presented annually for the categories of picture story book, fiction for younger readers, fiction for older readers.

Books and Reading for Young People
Resources assembled by Australia School Library Association. comprehensive.

Booktalks Quick and Simple
Booktalking tips, reviews, author, title and subject indexes. A great tool for TLs.

Carol Hurst's Children's Literature Site
Book reviews and using literature in the classroom. Free newsletter.

Children's Literature Web Guide - D. Brown
One of the best sources of information about children's and adolescent books on the web.

Latrobe University - Children's Literature
Interesting collection of quality resources from Australia and intenationally. Well worth checking.

Literature Learning Ladders
Online resources related to literacy, themes, literature circles, webquests, technology, and learning.
Social history of children's literature
This site has wide scope, is very informative, well-documented and well-illustrated. By Kay E. Vandergrift
Kay E Vandergrift special interest page
Sharing ideas and information with all those interested in literature for children and young adults.
Database of Award Winning Children's Literature
This amazing site has a search strategy enabling you to specifically search according to your own requirements. It's designed for use by teachers or librarians to be used as a tool to assist students with reading selection.
Authors & Illustrators
Penguin Books Australia - Author profiles
More than 300 biographical profiles of authors and illustrators, published by Penguin Books Australia

Allen & Unwin
Numerous detailed biographical profiles of A&E authors. Study guides also available.

Scholastic Authors & Illustrators
Find out about your favourite authors and illustrators here.
Focus on Fiction
Australian & international authors and illustrators of children's and young adult literature.
OzLit Books & Writers
Database Database is only part of this extensive Australian literature resource.
Authors & Illustrators on the Web
From Children's Literature Web Guide site of Canadian David Brown. Lots for you here.
Book Reviews
Writing with writers
Use these steps to work through the process of writing your own book review

How to write a book review
Comprehensive detail explaining difference between the descriptive and the critical review. Suitable for tertiary students.

Book reviews, annotation & web technology - lesson plan
Includes writing a group book review, note taking throughout the reading and discussion process, writing short research papers as annotations for reviews, and posting them to the Web demonstrating the synchronicity of hypertext. Incorporates use of Storymaker tool.

Story Mapping Tool
Online graphic organiser tool for story analysis. Great support to writing a review. Need to print immediately as it doesn't save online.

Book Talk Tally Sheet
Produced by Phillipa Ryan, this tally sheet/ reading log is available from downloading from the WA Dept of Education & Training.

Wired For Words
This Canadian website features book reviews within age groups, current and archived lists. Students are encouraged to submit their own review or use the available reviews to assist in selection of a novel.

Graphic Novels

Build it and they will come: Graphic Novels for your collection Volume 23, Issue 3, 2004
School Libraries in Canada online article. . Great explanation of the role of graphic novels in school libraries. If you ever needed convincing, read this.

What Teens Want
American Library Journal (ALJ)article. Thirty graphic novels you can't live without by Michele Gorman -- 8/1/2002

Using graphic novels to attract reluctant readers
Article from Library Media Connection, Feb 2004. Written by Library Director Philip Crawford from experience of using graphic novels to address literacy problems over ten years.

Graphic Novels, Seriously
Another ALJ article.
Why this emerging genre belongs in both public and school libraries by Evan St. Lifer -- 8/1/2002
Getting graphic at the school library
Article fri Library Media Connection, April/May 2003. Written by columnist Kan Kan, this article reviews recommendations for resourcing a middle school collection.
Graphic experiment pays dividends
Feature article in ALIA Incite journal, December 2003. Robin Tonks, library manager, Singleton Council.
Graphic Novels Roundup
A page on School Library Journal online. Updates as new articles are written for the journal. (Select link from Section heading)
GNLIB Discussion List & GNLIB on the Web
Graphic novels in libraries. Join a community through the discussion list and share ideas, issues with others also links to stacks of resources.
Graphic Novels: :Tired of Superman? How about trying something new?
First off, graphic novels are NOT comics! This site is adamant about the value of graphic novels, and don't we agree!
Recommended Graphic Novels for Public libraries
Arranged by genre, this is a good starting point. If you can't afford many, try starting with the Bone Series

Recommended Graphic Novels for Public Libraries
Another well developed list.

Graphic Novels and Comic Trade Paperbacks - An Annotated List
Prepared by Dawn Imada, a young adult services librarian with the San Jose Public Library System, California.
Graphic Novels Gain Popularity with American Teenagers
ALA article by Nancy Beardsley, Washington. 19 Oct 2002.
Artbomb.net
A graphic novel explosion.

Comic books for young adults: a guide for librarians
Extensive range of issues relating to addressing issues regarding graphic novels are clearly addressed on this site.

Grovel.org: the site for graphic novels
This site provides something lacking on many others ie. details of authors and illustrators. http://www.grovel.org.uk/

The Librarian's Guide to Anime and Manga
Looking for a translator to explain these terms? Try this link.
No flying, no tights: a website reviewing graphic novels for kids
This site is a bit busy but worth perservering with to become well informed.
Comics worth reading
Covers the full range of comics so look carefully.
Magnamaniacs.org
The goal for MangaManiacs.org is to create a website you can visit for all your manga information needs - reasonable.

Sealight Books (Australian)
Inger Fountain was a librarian in a previous life. Now she operates this Australian business specialising in quality comics and graphic novels for educational and public libraries. The regular quarterly brochure and online preview give you a look at what you're buying. She really knows her stuff and is happy to share with you.

Graphic Novel Reviews and other stuff
By D. Aviva Rothschild, this site hasn't been updated since 2002 but is still relevant.

Author Booking Agencies
Booked Out
Booked out can arrange for Australia's leading authors, illustrators, storytellers, performers & poets to visit your school, library or be part of your festival.
Lateral Learning
Sydney based speaker's agency booking authors, illustrators and educators.
Show and Tell Promotions
Represents a wide range of authors, illustrators, storytellers, poets and other artists - all listed on the website.
Authors and Illustrators Visits Database
The aim of this site is to provide a one stop place to support Australian schools, libraries and other groups in planning successful author and illustrator visits.  The list provided is generated by the authors and illustrators themselves.

Writersinschools.com
All writers have been published by a recognised Australian publishing house. They are avialable to visit schools and are individually responsible for the information on the site as well as their programs, fees, charges, etc.

Reluctant readers

International List of Fiction recommended for boys aged 12-16
Compiled from contributions to school librarianship listservs

Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
This is an American list so it will reflect publications popular in the US.

Books with high interest content to get 'em reading
US site but tremendous list of resources

Motivating reluctant adolescent readers
NWREL have done it again with this fantastic site. It talks about relationships, building confidence and connecting reading and writing plus lots more.

Education World - Motivating reluctant readers
A series of strategies that have been proven effective in the classroom.
All about reading - Scholastic
Whether your child has an underlying reading problem or simply lacks interest, look for ways to engage him in reading. Practice builds comfort and enjoyment.
Southern Scene Books - Galaxy
A softcover range of children's titles, published for the reluctant reader and the vision impaired child. Three titles are published monthly.

Show Us How: A School-wide Programme for Reluctant Readers
Interesting case study of students at a New Zealand school for whom the Silent Sustained Reading was designed, but for whom it was not working.

Bookweek Resources
Focus on Fiction - Children's Book Week
Fantastic resource. Publication you shouldn't be without.
EdNA Groups - Teacher Librarians: Books and reading
This page from EdNA is packed full of books and reading information (including Books Week) contributed from the Australian teacher-librarian community.
Childrens Book Council of Australia CBCA
Manages the annual book awards plus other activities supporting readers and readinng.

Ipswich District Teacher Librarian Network
Jenny Stubbs does a great job with these Book Week and other resources. Great resource.

Echelon Productions - Book Week performance
This is the Educational Theatre division of Melbourne based Echelon Productions Pty Ltd. Specialising in curriculum based Educational Musicals for Schools.

Reading Programs
Sustained Silent Reading' Helps Develop Independent Readers (and Writers)
This article by Gary Hopkins (5/1/2002) gives a good overview on SSR as "private reading" time for students. Students can read anything and they don't have to report on what they've read. The teachers role is to model the practice. Success depends on this last factor.

Secondary Literacy -Sustained Silent Reading Programme
Very brief overview from Aukland College of Education

'Teach your child to read in 100 easy lessons' & 'Reading Mastery'
These twophonics reading programs are related with the '100 lessons' being a simplified version of the latter. Attached is a clear overview from Dr Kerry Hempenstall (RMIT University)

A Sound way: phonic awareness program
One of a number of similar programs available in Australia. This one is included as it's used at my school so I can vouch for it.

SRA Corrective Reading
SRA Reading programs are designed to meet the needs of all kinds of students in a wide range of classroom settings. I have seen this direct instructional program used very successfully. Product of McGraw-Hill. Attached is a clear overview from Dr Kerry Hempenstall (RMIT University)

Reading Recovery
RR teaching is individual in a one-to-one setting. Each child has an intensive program of daily instruction which is additional to the classroom literacy program. Find out all about it from this Queensland Education site.
ClickN'READ
Designed as an intervention program, but a simple, phonics-based approach to reading.
Thinking Reader
By Tom Snyder. Combination of individualized and monitored instruction offering comprehension-building tool for middle school struggling or special needs readers.
Soliloquy Reading Assistant
A stand alone product for individual use to improve reading efficiency.
Lexia Reading Programs
Introducing phonics principles and focusing on conceptual reading skills. Variety of materials.
NSW Premier's Reading Challenge
South Australian Premier's Reading Challenge
Victorian Premier's Reading Challenge
Students are challenged to read 12 books by 16 August this year, 10 or more from the state premiers recommended booklists.

© Camilla Elliott, 2002
Last updated February 2007