tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22559214.post89107180477643406..comments2024-03-28T14:09:51.885-04:00Comments on Ms. Yingling Reads: Big Nate Goes BananasMs. Yinglinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17805324364289597178noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22559214.post-43297557830488853802018-09-19T00:58:03.345-04:002018-09-19T00:58:03.345-04:00Would she be willing to try the Upside-Down Magic ...Would she be willing to try the Upside-Down Magic series (assuming your library has it)? As I recall, the main character can turn herself into kitten-like creatures, but she is human. <br /><br />Incidentally, I was like your student when I was in middle school, only my objection was to any story involving death. I wouldn't even read about orphans because the parents were dead! I remember rejecting many suggestions from my school librarian until finally I accepted Walk Two Moons, which had just come out. I loved that book and it became a favorite, and after that, I became less and less bothered by books involving death. So I do think there is definite value in gently pushing kids to read beyond the genres they most prefer, but if the student is reduced to tears over it, it's probably going to take some time with her. Katie Fitzgeraldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14580221549732983068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22559214.post-39455416580115091682018-09-18T22:25:00.402-04:002018-09-18T22:25:00.402-04:00This is super interesting to me because I ALWAYS c...This is super interesting to me because I ALWAYS come down on the reader's side, every time, and I ran into this often. My question for the teacher requiring the "human" protagonist is "Why?" I know as the school librarian, it is often not "ours to reason why..." but I have had my share of encounters with teachers who require certain novels because... "well, why exactly?" I gently ask. The same questions about a main character who is human could also be answered about Matthias in the Redwall books or Bilbo who, as a hobbit, is not human so The Hobbit would be out (or would it?) Applying critical literary thinking to a book she actually likes would be more productive than trying to make her eyeballs move through a book she isn't interested in. Poor kid. A book club read or a read aloud would be my idea of how to transition to something new--a group read with social aspects to it, maybe. I wonder if she would "try" a new series and then report back to you if it was grabbing her at all. Being able to articulate why we like or dislike a book is valuable. BookMoothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14269890583666523293noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22559214.post-78223510738447045192018-09-18T16:21:27.982-04:002018-09-18T16:21:27.982-04:00I don't really have any advice. My daughter ha...I don't really have any advice. My daughter has been utterly dedicated to graphic and notebook novels since she started reading on her own. Just now, in third grade, she's starting to inch her way into other books. But I find if I try to push that AT ALL she quietly resists. So I just keep the other books handy (in the car, etc.) and wait her out. I feel like eventually she'll have read all of the available notebook and graphic novels, and then will branch out. But I guess if a kid is a less prolific reader, they might not get there... Jen Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10343476550309656223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22559214.post-34776912970859603272018-09-18T12:46:50.943-04:002018-09-18T12:46:50.943-04:00My 13 year old son loves Big Nate and has read the...My 13 year old son loves Big Nate and has read these books since he was in 3rd grade. He thinks Big Nate is hilarious. This summer when I struggled to get him to read (no middle school summer reading assignment!), we went back to graphic novels to get him to finish five books. Graphic novels and notebook novels were how he got started reading for pleasure when he learned to read independently. I feel like this will be a lifetime of pleasure reading for him. I hope he will create his own someday!Miahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17692123101396750971noreply@blogger.com