The Gateway Readers Award
How to Hook Kids on Reading with
Great Books
Margaret Sullivan, Librarian --Rockwood Summit High School – Fenton, MO
Jenni George, Librarian – Ft. Zumwalt South High School – St. Peters, MO
Lois Parker, Librarian – Greenfield High School– Greenfield, MO
Why Have Choice in the Language Arts
Classroom?
•Readers bring their interests, personal
backgrounds, and prior experiences to the
reading process.
•Research related to self-selection of reading
materials shows that through this shift in power,
learners take greater ownership in their learning
process and their motivation to read increases.
Choi, Cynthia. “Benefits of Self Selected Reading Materials.” Academic
Exchange Quarterly 22 June 2005. Free Library. Farlex. 2005. 23
Feb. 2009 < http://www.thefreelibrary.com/
Benefit+of+self-selecting+reading+materials-a0136071117>.
What can you do to keep
kids reading?
Help your students learn to find books
they like on their own.
Broz, Bill. “Supporting and Teaching Student Choice: Offering Students SelfSelected Reading.” ALAN Review Fall 2003. bnet. CBS Interactive. 2009.
23 Feb. 2008 <http://findarticles.com/p/articles/
mi_qa4063/is_200310/ai_n9253866>.
You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby –
Young Adult Lit. is Growing Up
•The average Barnes & Noble Booksellers has 74 shelves
dedicated to young adult. literature. Religion, meanwhile,
averages 110 shelves.
•Almost every major publishing house has a teen imprint
•Sales of young adult fiction has increased 25% from 1999
and 2005.
•We are in the second golden years of YA publishing,
according to such diverse sources as Michael Cart and
David Levithan.
• YA books are better written and more diverse.
•More books are being written for older teens.
"Harry Potter has made kids trust the book as a source of
information that is exciting, not just a school assignment.
But teens, like adults, live in the real world. And I get the
sense that they appreciate fiction that's honest and might
give them a glimpse of what awaits them as adults.“
~Jack Martin, assistant coordinator of YA services at the
New York Public Library
"With all the stressful things about school and sports and
getting into college, it's really relaxing to get into bed and
read about kids that are experiencing the same things but
also are more interesting than your own life."
~Madison Springgate, 17
Reno, Jamie. “Generation R (R Is for Reader).” Newsweek. 14 May 2008
<http://www.newsweek.com/id/136961/page/1>.
Hutkin, Erinn . “Who says teens don't read?” Roanoke.com 23 Oct. 2007 <http://www.roanoke.com/entertainment/
wb/xp-136866>.
History of the Gateway Award
• Prior to 2003, the Missouri Association of School
Librarians sponsored two readers’ incentive award
programs: the Show-Me-Readers’ Award and the
Mark Twain Readers’ Award.
• In 2000, the program was piloted by Missouri high
school librarians under the leadership of Sally Hatton.
•The program was officially recognized and
sponsored by MASL in 2003.
Goals of the Program
• To
encourage Missouri young adults in grades 9
through 12 to select and read quality literature that
appeals to their needs, interests and reading levels.
• To recognize and honor outstanding works in young
adult literature.
• To develop a cooperative relationship among schools,
libraries and teens.
• To encourage the development of school and public
library services to teens.
How the Award Works
• Committee of nine librarians (8 MASL members and 1 MLA
member)
• Committee members read as many books as possible from
August-May
• List is narrowed down to 50 titles in early May
• List is narrowed to 25 titles in early August
• Reader/Selectors determine final 15 titles in early December
• Committee works two years ahead (e.g. – we are currently
reading c2008 books for 2010-2011 list
• Student votes determine the winning book. Any student who
read 3 or more of the 15 nominated titles is eligible to vote for
his/her favorite book. Votes must be submitted by the school
librarian by March 10 each year.
Guidelines for Choosing
Gateway Books
• Books should interest teenagers in grades nine through
twelve.
• Books should be written by an author living in the United
States.
• Books should be of literary value which may enrich teenager's
personal lives. Books should be published two years prior to
nomination on a Master List of 15 Nominees.
• Some consideration should be given to genre diversity, gender
representation, range of reading level (avoiding elementary
levels), racial diversity, and diversity of social, political,
economic, and religious viewpoints. Books should be
appropriate for teenagers.
"Breakneck
pace and
dizzying
emotion."
“a funny and
touching first
novel about
family--both the
one we are born to
and the one we
create ourselves.”
"A thrilling,
multifaceted
adventure story... A
winner at every
level."
“…challenges
readers' ideas about
life -- not just where
life begins, and
where it ends, but
what it truly means
to be alive. “
“a shocking
and fast-paced
thriller …
ripped from
the headlines”
If your past were
a blank, what
would your
future be?
“Thoughtprovoking and
heartwrenching."
Faerie intrigue, mortal
love, and the clash of
ancient rules and
modern expectations
swirl together
More, More, More!
Book Suggestions Hotspots
•Book blogging sites
•Reading Rants
•Boys Blogging Books
•3 Evil Cousins
•Guys Read
•Teen Review Sites
•Teens Read
•Flamingnet
•Book Prize Lists
•Printz Award
•BBYA
•Quick Picks
•Publications
•VOYA, Book Forum
•Teen Ink
•Browsing
•Bookstores
•Library shelves
Involving Students
• Encourage students to select Gateway titles for novel of
choice or lit circle reading
• Set up a blog for students to discuss Gateway titles
• Create a wiki for students to post reviews of books
• Assign a multimedia project that allows students to promote
the program
• Encourage students to create booktalks & podcasts promoting
Gateway books
• Read some of the Gateway titles yourself and talk to students
about them
• Offer extra credit opportunities for students who read
Gateway books
• Work with your librarian to create a community of Gateway
readers
...a chillingly accurate
portrayal of the highschool social scene, in
which morals, perceptions
and conceptions of truth
are continually...challenged
CAN ONE UNLIKELY
FRIENDSHIP SAVE A
LIFE?
Living with a
secret isn't
easy….
a no-holds-barred
look at what
happens when life
doesn't go as
planned
Part thriller, part
historical novel,
Tallgrass is a
riveting
exploration of the
darkest---and best--parts of the
human heart.
I used to be Kyle
Kingsbury, the guy
you wished you
were, with money,
perfect looks, and
the perfect life. And
then, I'll tell you
how I became
perfectly . . .
beastly.
Todd Strasser reveals
what really goes on in
highly secretive -- and
notoriously dangerous -boot camps, a stealth
prison system where any
teenager under the age of
eighteen can be
imprisoned at his parents'
whim.
Want to get in touch with us?
Margaret Sullivan
sullivanmargaret@rockwood.k12.mo.us
Jenni George
jgeorge@fz.k12.mo.us
“A book is the only place in which you can
examine a fragile thought without breaking it, or
explore an explosive idea without fear it will go
off in your face. It is one of the few havens
remaining where a man's mind can get both
provocation and privacy. ” ~Edward P. Morgan