With the end of the year approaching many teachers will be
thinking long and hard over what book to choose for their next class read, next
guided text or simply a recommendation for their children to enjoy. However how
do we as teachers select our best books and what should our criteria be in the
process? We cannot physically read everything that is released, especially when
if you, like me, feel that we are currently living in the true golden age of
children’s literature. It is also worth acknowledging that a good class text
may offer different opportunities as a home read. Both may have value but may
simply lend themselves more to an independent read. Here we shall examine
selecting for your class. I will write about personal reads another day,
otherwise this will shift from blog to essay!
Quality Texts for
Reading Lessons
Now this does depend on how you deliver you reading
curriculum, however with many – dare I say most – of us now delivering our
reading session in a whole class format it is vital that we select our books
carefully especially as they may well be with us for a whole term. I currently
study a text and use it as a class read at the same time, so the pressure is
high to pick the right one. I tend to look for 5 key areas when selecting;
1.
A more ambiguous cover and blurb that lends
itself to inference and deduction.
2.
A broad range of different characters that have
different values, opinions and behaviours.
3.
A story that offers a shared feeling or emotion
that can be supported by the class as a whole and has many exciting and tense
moments.
4.
Moderate/high level of new vocabulary that can
be explored as a class.
5.
A context that offers wide opportunities to
explore values and opinions of the time.
The ambiguous cover and blurb are obviously essential during
those all-important opening discussions around a book when unpicking children’s
prior knowledge of the imagery included can in fact change the entire direction
of your planning. Here I am thinking of Journey to the River by Eva Ibbotson on
the cover of which is often a South American skiff. None of my classes have
known where this boat was likely to come from so therefore I have planned
accordingly to fill in that general knowledge gap early on.
Differing characters with different values and opinions are
a gold mind for comparative characterisation lessons. If one of the characters
holds a bigoted or controversial view then all the better. This opens up a
whole echelon of debates around context, previously held beliefs on a broader
scale and the morality of the character in terms of right and wrong. In school
we should be tackling such difficult topics and debating them in a safe and
respectful environment.
We all love a hero
and a class love a cause or character to rally around and cheer for during the
trials and tribulations of the text. If they happen to be ‘cool’ (think Hermes
from Who Let the Gods Out) then they are hooked and job done.
New vocabulary is vital but you don’t want them drowning in
unfamiliar words. You can only teach a certain amount of new vocab each week and
they can only hold a certain amount of it in their heads, so check how much is
new (obviously this may vary between children) and go with your gut.
Context is king and children need to be given the chance to
explore new worlds, times and feelings. Comparing the forward thinking and
understated fact that there are two male kings ruling together in Brightstorm
can be brilliantly juxtaposed with the soft racism that Magpie bears the brunt
of in Sky Chasers. Simply asking your children are these values acceptable
opens up a myriad of learning opportunities and discussions. Don’t be scared of
the controversial as long as it is still age appropriate.
So in no particular order my top 10 best classroom reads are
–
- Who Let the Gods Out by Maz Evans
- Brightstorm by Vashti Hardy
- Sky Chasers by Emma Carroll
- The Peculiars by Kieran Larwood
- Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q. Raúf
- The Last Wild by Piers Torday
- The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart
- Secrets of a Sun King by Emma Carroll
- City of Ghosts by V. E. Schwab
- The Light Jar by Lisa Thompson
So good luck in your quest to find that perfect text. If in
doubt look up books by authors that you have experience of, you will better know
the style and what to expect and it helps to root your starting point in
familiarity. Furthermore, skipping to Chapter 10 and reading a few pages will
also give you a good insight of content. Beware swallowing recommendations 100%
from other teachers (I am aware I have just give some above) teachers tend to
be lovely souls full of rainbows and sunbeams and say all books are wonderful.
Many are, but some aren’t and may in fact not fit with your cohort or catchment
so tread carefully.
But the number 1 rule through all of this is, does the book
excite you? Does your passion and delivery and energy and enthusiasm seep from
you? Do you live your book when you’re reading it and your children going to
cling to every tense word that you utter? If the answer is yes, well, you’re
half way there!
