Readers Advisory and the
School Library Media Specialist
Illinois School Library Media
Association Conference
St Charles, IL October 2010
Jessica E. Moyer
University of Minnesota
Jessicaemilymoyer.pbworks.com
Laws of Leisure Reading
“Never apologize for your reading tastes” - Rosenberg’s
First Law of Reading
“Every reader his [or her] book. Every book its reader” - S. R.
Ranganathan’s 2nd and 3rd Laws of Library Science
The Rule of 50: If you’re under 50 years old, read the first 50
pages [of a new book]. If you’re over 50, subtract your
age from 100, the result is the number of pages you
should read before deciding whether or not to continue”
Exception: Finish it, if the book is for a bookclub or a
school assignment. - Nancy Pearl’s Rule for Reading
“ No two people ever read the same book.” Diana Herald,
RAO Blog, 5/9/2008
What is Readers’ Advisory?
“[A] patron-centered library service for adult leisure readers. A
successful readers’ advisory service is one in which
knowledgable, nonjudgemental staff help fiction and nonfiction
readers with their leisure reading needs.” (Saricks, pg 1,
emphasis added)
“Quite simply, it is the act of putting people together with the
books they love. Librarians, booksellers, literature teachers—
anyone in the business of helping readers find the books they
love—are readers' advisors”. Diana Herald, Genreflecting
website
"An exchange of information between two people with the
purpose of one person's suggesting text for the other's later
reading interest."—Kenneth Shearer
Appeal Factors: Pacing
How quickly are character/plot revealed?
Dialogue v. Description
Short sentences, short paragraphs, short
chapters?
Multiple plotlines, flashbacks, different points of
view, straight line plot?
Is the ending open or closed?
Appeal Factors: Characterization
Are characters fully developed or are they one
dimensional stereotypes?
Is focus on a single character or several who
intertwine?
Is characterization or characters the most
important aspect of story?
Is character developed during the series or in
one book?
Are there memorable or important secondary
characters?
Appeal Factors: Storyline and Frame
Storyline
Does the story emphasize people or events?
Is the focus interior/psychological or
exterior/action?
What is the author’s intent? Serious v. light;
comedy v. drama?
Frame
Is the background detailed or minimal?
How does the book make the reader feel? What
mood does the book evoke in the reader?
Is a special background integral to the story?
How To Read A Book in 10 Minutes:
A quick way to familiarize yourself with new books
1. Cover: What does it tell you? Is it embarrassing or dated?
2. Jacket blurb: What does it tell you about the book/author?
3. Typeface: How easy is it to read? Better for younger or
older readers?
4. Heft - Can they carry it? Open and read it easily?
5. Read a sample: First and last chapters, pages in the
middle
6. Evaluate--genre/type; pace; clarity. How does it fit into the
appeal factors?
7. What is the format? Hardcover, paperback, illustrated, etc.
8. Connect this book to other books.
9. Who will enjoy this book?
Activity Time: Read a Book in 10 Minutes
1. Pick out a book that you have not read before, and
preferably by an author you don’t know
2. Follow the steps on the previous slide. You have only 10
minutes so use your time wisely.
3. Make notes as you evaluate your book
4. Prepare to share your book with your classmates in a 30
to 60 second summary.
--What is the book about?
--What other books are like it?
--What kind of reader would enjoy it?
5. Share books with class
Do My Students Read Outside
of School Texts?
YES!! Children and teens consistently choose
leisure reading as an out of school activity
Teens would like to read more if they had easy
access to books they would like
Children and teens read the most over school
breaks, especially summer vacation
Children and teens are motivated to read books
that are about topics in which they are interested
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When Do Teens Read?
2007
1,800
1,600
1,400
1,200
1,000
800
600
400
200
-
What Do My Students Choose to
Read?
Children and teens like popular (i.e. “trashy”)
books just as much as adults
Series books are not only popular but an important
step in leisure reading development
Girls are more likely to select narrative fiction
books or graphic novels
Boys are more likely to prefer comic books,
graphic novels (fiction and nonfiction), gaming
manuals, magazines and newspapers.
Boys are less likely to consider these real
“reading” and more likely to describe themselves
as “nonreaders” to adults and teachers
Research Review: Conflicting
Results
NEA Report 2004 – Reading At Risk
Less than half of American adults read literature, from
56.9% (1982) to 46.7% (2002)
Over the past 20 years, young adults (18-34) have declined
from being those most likely to read literature to those least
likely
The decline in reading correlates with increased
participation in a variety of electronic media, including the
Internet and video games
Research Review: Conflicting
Results
2007 NEA Report – To Read or Not to Read
Less than one-third of 13-year-olds are daily readers, a 14
percent decline. Among 17-year-olds, the percentage of
non-readers doubled, from nine percent in 1984 to 19
percent in 2004.1
Americans ages 15 to 24 spend almost two hours a day
watching TV, and only seven minutes of their daily leisure
time on reading.
Reading scores for 12th-grade readers fell significantly from
1992 to 2005, with the sharpest declines among lower-level
Research Review: Conflicting
Results
Reading is good for teens: for developing social skills
and empathy – Bookworms vs. nerds, Mar et al 2005
Fanfiction and “other” literacy activities
Surveys of teens in Europe, Canada, Australia and US
report: teens do choose to read books, newspapers,
magazines, more than 20% read at least 3 hrs a week
and YA books sell and circ
Girls tend to prefer narrative fiction books or graphic
novels. Adult fiction is also popular.
Boys are more likely to pick comic books, graphic novels
(F or NF), gaming manuals, magazines, newspapers or
any type of NF
Boys are less likely to consider these real “reading” and
more likely to describe themselves as “nonreaders” to
adults
How Do I Talk To My Students About
Leisure Reading?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Learn the basic appeal factors: Pacing,
characterization, storyline, and frame
Recognize the importance of mood in leisure
reading selections
Suggest not recommend
Know about the books and materials your
students will select for leisure reading
Share your own enthusiasm for leisure reading
and the value of leisure reading for students
Tips for Talking to Students
Determine leisure reading level - do they read outside of school a lot or a
little? Are they experienced with certain formats? Illustrated books,
adult popular fiction, manga, nonfiction, etc.?
If you need more info ask about other books they have read and liked or
hated, movies they like, hobbies or other recreational activities
Phrase your suggestions in terms of what other teens like not what you
like. Never, ever, lie about whether or not you liked a book
When suggesting books articulate the appeal factors; be specific about
why you are suggesting this book. Teens and children like specific info
Do mention any sex, language, violence, but more as an FYI than as a
warning, students know what they are ready to read and tolerate
Make several suggestions and leave it up to the student to choose - this
may mean leaving the student alone with the books
Make sure the student knows they can come back later and tell you what
they thought about the books and for more suggestions
Present a Book to a Student
Activity Time: Talk to a Student
1. Get in groups of 4
2. Assign roles: 1) student(s), 2) Teacher, 3)
Observer/Commentator(s)
3. Scenario: A Literature Circle class is ending just before
lunch period, a student(s) approaches you to say how
much s/he liked the assigned book and is interested and
reading something else like that for this weekend
4. Select the title the student liked and role play talking to the
student. Make at least 3 suggestions.
Examples of RA Interactions
Teen with Gossip Girls series (for the 3rd
time)
“Aren’t you ready to read something else?”
OR
“You’ve already read that, don’t you want
something better?”
“I’ve noticed how much you seem to enjoy
reading Gossip Girls, I thought you might
also be interested in this list of similar books”
OR
“Let me know when you might want some
Examples of RA Interactions
Teen reading Shakespeare GN
“We have the real book, here it is” (puts in hand)
“Did you know we have a GN collection with other
classic stories? Here are some of the others I’ve
heard are good (lays GNs on table)”
OR “Did you know there are several different
versions of that play in the library?”
Examples of RA Interactions
I recently read Outsiders in school and I
liked it, do you have anything else like
that?
“I LOVED Outsiders when I was a teen!!
It was my favorite book!! You must read
Annie on my Mind, that was my other
favorite book in high school”
“I’ve read that, it was pretty good, wasn’t
it? What was it about Outsiders that
made it so great for you?”
Examples of RA Interactions
“I’ve read all the Georgette Heyer books in
the adult section and they are pretty good,
but I don’t like a lot of other adult romances,
too much sex”
“You’ll want to read the original Regency
romance stories, by Jane Austen. They are
so much better than anything written now.”
“She’s a great author, isn’t she? Barbara
Metzger is an adult romance author who
writes stories that are lot like Heyer, you
might like them. Here’s a book that you
might like to browse for more ideas.” (Show
Guidelines for Teen RA: DO
• Stock popular materials and replace them when they wear
out or walk out
• Have nonfiction, graphic novels, magazines and audiobooks
in your YA collection
• Read nonfiction, graphic novels, manga, magazines and
adult fiction, and listen to audiobooks of all types, even if it is
only in “10 Minutes”
• Keep a journal to remember what you “read”
• Suggest nonfiction, graphic novels, manga, audiobooks, and
adult fiction
• Be specific, not abstract when describing your suggestions
• Admit your likes and dislikes when asked – be honest with
your teens!
Guidelines for Teen RA: DON’T
• EVER make any kind of judging statement when talking to
teen readers
• Suggest really old materials (as in I loved that when I was a
teen)
•
Push your favorite books
• Encourage teens to read “quality” books or “move them up”
to better books
•
Tell teens only books (or fiction) count as really “reading”
•
Read only YA books
•
Forget the Rules of Leisure Reading
Selected Resources
Research Based Readers’ Advisory Wiki
http://researchbasedra.pbwiki.com/
Booth, Heather and Michael Cox. RA4YA Wiki.
http://ra4ya.pbwiki.com/
Booth, Heather. Serving Teens Through Readers’ Advisory. ALA
Editions 2007.
Jessica E. Moyer, M.S., C.A.S.
Doctoral Candidate, Adolescent Literacy, U of Minnesota
jessicaemilymoyer@gmail.com, jessicaemilymoyer.pbworks.com