From Morgan Doane
The TARGET acronym is full of great recommendations for how to deal with tweens. Personally, I find Tween Appeal the most important aspect into getting tweens into a PUBLIC library. It might be a different story for school libraries. After Tween Appeal, I'd say Access is next important. We need to have the books that "appeal" to them. Two such books are the two I've read for the class, The Magician's Elephant and Season of Gifts. These books are both from noted tween authors and frankly, they couldn't be more dissimilar. However, they were both fabulous reads and I will be giving them to my tweens as often as possible.
That thought beings about another TARGET aspect, guidance. And I personally believe guidance goes hand in hand with enthusiasm. Don't try and recommend a book you aren't enthusiastic about. At the very least, be enthusiastic in knowing that you are recommending a good fit.
I loved both of these books. I am not sure how tweens wioll react. I actually think both beg to be read aloud. Good booktalks should help as well. I will be interested to see how tweens respond to them. teri
From Rory T.
The two books I read where 11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass and Adventures in Cartooning by James Strum. The main reason I picked these two titles was that these were the only two my library actually had among that whole list!
Each of these books is very different from each other. 11 Birthdays is a fiction book about Amanda and Leo, two soon-to-be 11-year-olds who get stuck reliving their 11th birthday over and over again, while Adventures in Cartooning is a nonfiction book that shows kids how to turn their doodles into cartoons.
I think both books have appeal to tweens but for different reasons. At my library, both of these are placed in the children’s area as we have no separate section for tweens. We follow the rule that readers read up and not down. So we put all the younger stuff (elementary and under) in children’s and all the middle school and higher in the teen section because children would be more apt to read something from the teen section whereas teens wouldn’t want to “step down” and pick up a book from the children’s section. Of course, some titles, like the Harry Potter books have copies in both locations since they are so popular for all ages.
I think 11 Birthdays would appeal to tweens as the book is a realistic fiction with a sense of magical whimsy. I also think teens would enjoy it too if they can get over the fact that the protagonists are only 11. Half the time while reading it I forgot how “young” they were. The thing that draws you into the book is the character development. It is so good it keeps your attention and makes you care for the characters’ well-being.
I think Adventures in Cartooning doesn’t have much appeal to older teens. It is definitely a more child-orientated instruction manual in drawing. While the book is cute many children and tweens might pass over it since it is a nonfiction book and would get shelved away from the chapter books and novels. I find that most of the time nonfiction is checked out only because of homework needs, not for pleasure reading. The book is cute in that a magical cartooning elf visits a princess who can’t draw and teaches her how to turn her simple doodles (“You can draw a tree, right? You can draw a cloud, right?”) into actual cartoons. I don’t really like the term “cartooning” since, to me, that implies actual animation and this book was really more geared towards comic book making. So I think the title might be misleading. While the story within a story is cute and entertaining, the book itself doesn’t really present much. You learn some basics to comics like what panels and speech balloons are and how different lines can show things (speed, anger, etc.), but other than that there wasn’t really much instruction to actually drawing comics. It was a very, very basic introduction. I’m sure there are much better books out there that would appeal to tweens.
I have not read either of these though I am a fan of Wendy Mass' books and suspect I will read hers. Interesting observation about the cartooning book. There are better books on this topic out there for sure. teri
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From Gail Tobin:
T-A-R-G-E-T = reenergizing readers. The acronym illustrates critical attributes that professionals who work with tweens should aim for. I think programs can be included along with books in achieving this goal. Furthermore, these are all qualities that can be looked at from both the professional’s point of view as well as the tweens.
· Trust - Professionals need to gain the trust of the tweens they serve as well as trust the opinions of the tweens when they are offered. For instance, if you want to be more effective and inspiring to your tweens, they need to be able to trust that you will listen to them and act on their opinions/likes/dislikes.
· Access - Professionals need to provide access to a variety of materials and programs as well as be accessible themselves. Physically, they need to be in the library ready to help, and emotionally, they need to be welcoming and someone the tweens can talk to - not treat them as if they are a nuisance. This also goes for the materials and programs offered. Books teens want to read need to be readily available and cover a wide range of tastes and topics. Some might like fantasy, while others prefer realistic fiction. Programs need to be offered at times and locations that are convenient for teens.
· Response - Response to the tween’s opinions and suggestions, within reason, is critical to winning their trust. This can be achieved by talking directly to tweens and asking their opinions or indirectly through surveys and then actually following through and implementing their suggestions. Some kids will be more honest if they are anonymous rather than face-to-face. Surveys can be an effective tool to allow tweens to feel involved and be included as part of the process of choosing the books and programs aimed at them. Their response to you will be evident in visits to the library and programs, and in circulation statistics.
· Guidance - The humor and graphic novel “ladders” illustrate how you could guide a tween who likes one type of book to more sophisticated books with a similar theme once you know what that reader likes. This kind of reading guidance can be done through face-to-face book suggestions when the tween asks for help finding a “good” book. You could also use a more indirect method such as having the books accessible for tweens to discover themselves, or perhaps create a display or a themed booklists or bookmarks. Some tweens prefer not to ask for help, so displays could be an effective way to help kids discover these “ladders” without direct intervention.
· Enthusiasm - Enthusiasm is something the tweens will be able to sense from the professionals working with them. They will also sense lack of enthusiasm when they don’t feel welcomed and that will be reflected in their response to library programs and reading. Surveys can also help give tweens ownership and enthusiasm when they see their suggestions are acted on.
· Tween-appeal - Programs and books suggested by tweens would have guaranteed tween-appeal. Tween appeal is greatly influenced by what is “cool” with your tween audience. The lastest popular movies or trends can help you find books with tween appeal – think vampires right now! You also need to look at book covers – a bad cover could turn someone off a fantastic book and would likely require a little more selling on your part. The age of the main characters in a story can also make a difference. Not all books with tween appeal have to have tween characters, but that can help the reader to connect with the book.
The books I read for class are:
Week 1 - Heroes of the Valley by Jonathan Stroud (recommended reading list for teens, 2009) see reflecting on tween book 1 for summary.
Week 2 - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (YALSA’s 2009 Teens’ Top Ten) which takes place in a future North America, where 16 year old Katniss voluntarily takes the place of her beloved younger sister in the annual brutal televised survival competition used to maintain control of the 12 districts.
Other books I have previously read from YALSA’s 2009 Teens’ Top Ten) that I thought I would include in my refections are:
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. A toddler wanders into a graveyard after the brutal murder of his parents the occupants agree to raise him.
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart, where Frankie attends boarding school and has started to be accepted by the “popular” kids when she decides to break tradition and join the all-boy’s secret society she is excluded from by creating an online personality and manipulating their pranks so she can prove she is as powerful as any of them, even though she’s a girl.
Graceling by Kristin Cashore. Katsa is “graced” with a unique talent for fighting and killing and is forced to be a henchman for her cruel, manipulative king. She joins with other like-minded individuals to carry out missions to promote justice and learns maybe her “grace” isn’t such a curse after all.
These all have strong teen appeal. The only one I didn’t really like that much was “The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks”, but I blame that on my personal preference for fantasy and I can still see the teen appeal of the strong female character who is a little odd. All of them have tween or teen characters that grow and mature in the course of the books and have feelings readers can relate to, even if they can’t relate to their situation. How many of us will find ourselves in a literal survival of the fittest/fight to the death? None have too much romance/sex (except maybe Graceling toward the end-but not gratuitous!) or gory violence, but they all have plenty of suspense and action. Three of these books are from the teens top ten list, which is voted on by the teens so you know teens like them. Including them in your collection is important for all the reasons stated above – it not only gives them access to what other teens are reading and enjoying, but shows that you pay attention to their opinions and tastes, which encourages enthusiasm about reading in your tweens.
I think older tweens and younger teens will find something to like in HEROES OF THE VALLEY. it does take a dedicated reader, though, to make it through both this book and HUNGER GAMES. I certainly enjoyed the other two books you mention in the discussion. teri
Posted by Fran Jackson
CLAUDETTE COLVIN: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose
(Farrar Straus and Giroux)
Summary
Nine months before Rosa Parks defied the Montgomery segregation laws for public transportation Claudette Colvin a fifteen-year-old high school junior, refused to get out of her seat for a white passenger. On March 2, 1955 the Highland Gardens bus driver summoned the police and they dragged Claudette off the bus and into civil rights history.
THE GRAVEYARD BOOK by Neil Gaiman (HarperCollins)
Summary
After the grisly murder of his entire family, a toddler wanders into a graveyard where the ghosts and other supernatural residents agree to raise him as one of their own.
TARGET Reflections
Both books have been honored. THE GRAVEYARD BOOK is the 2009 Newbery Award winner and a 2009 TEENS TOP TEN honoree, and to date CLAUDETTE COLVIN has been selected as a finalist for the 2009 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. It would be remiss, if the public library did not acquire books of merit. What is interesting in our library the books were selected by different departments? YA had the Gaiman title, while Children’s acquired Hoose. If nothing else, location of books for Tweens is subjective.
Do they have tween appeal; I know The Graveyard Book does. The books are still out and have been out, since they were book talked to the sixth grade classes last June. Will the Claudette Colvin book have tween appeal? Only, if it will answer homework questions, it is full of primary sources including pictures and quotes from Colvin, herself. I would be happy to recommend this title for homework and for recreational reading, Mildred Taylor’s ROLL OF THUNDER, HEAR MY CRY and Christopher Paul Curtis’ THE WATSONS GO TO BIRMINGHAM – 1963.
The Colvin bio is so well written; it is as if Colvin is speaking directly to me as a reader. THE GRAVEYARD BOOK was also a fabulous audiobook. teri
Katie Anderson, Oregon State Library
Tween Books:
Burg, Ann. (2009). All the Broken Pieces. New York: Scholastic Press.
A 12 year-old boy is one of the children adopted from Vietnamese airlift during the war. At this age, he remembers his mother and brother who remained in their war-torn village. He remembers the bombs and soldiers, and feels responsible for his Vietnamese brother who stepped on a mine. Now in a loving American family, he struggles to deal with his classmates who see him as responsible for their lost, disfigured, or traumatized brothers and fathers. Through baseball, piano, loving adoptive parents, and participating in a support group for Vietnam Vets, he begins to help the Vets and deal with his own past and present.
Riordan, Rick. (2005). The Lightning Thief: Percy Jackson and the Olympians Book. New York: Miramax Books/Hyperion Books for Children.
Synopsis at: http://professornana.pbworks.com/REFLECTING-ON-TWEEN-BOOK-1
Trust: Gaining tweens’ trust through readers’ advisory. The Lightning Thief is a popular no-brainer for tweens who like Harry Potter, fantasy, adventure, and fiction in which you also learn something about such as Greek gods and goddesses. This would be a fairly safe book to recommend while getting to know a tween, and beginning to establish trust. If the tween has already read it (which is likely), then it opens conversation around the book to learn more about each other. I would probably not recommend All the Broken Pieces until I have gained the trust of a tween because it doesn’t have obvious tween appeal. It is written in verse, which some love and others hate, it doesn’t have a lot of action nor does it explore friendship among peers. It delves into some serious issues around adoption, trauma, and war that are very sensitive. If recommended to the right tween at the right time, this could be the book that makes all the difference—the book that establishes trust and gets them coming back for more recommendations. However, it could also be a book that upsets them or their parents and breaks the trust.
Access: A tweens’ ability to understand and/or appreciate a given book. The Lightning Thief is extremely accessible because it follows well-established elements of quest fantasy, the story telling is fast-paced, and tweens can identify with the protagonist. What makes it a little different from other fantasy, what tweens appreciate is the introduction of Greek mythology. All the Broken Pieces is not nearly as accessible because it is written in verse which may be challenging for some readers to understand and appreciate in general, the story slowly unfolds, and the protagonist is unique. However this style may be appealing to kids looking for a high-quality easy/quick read or who really appreciate the verse style. Also, the issues of war, trauma, and adoption may not be addressed in a way that all kids can understand or appreciate.
Response: The way tweens react and/or respond to a given book. The Lightning Thief gets people jazzed up! Tweens want to discuss the book, the characters, the situations, etc. with everyone. They are inspired to learn more about Greek mythology, and is excellent for developing life-long, independent learners. All the Broken Pieces has the potential to be the book that becomes a life-line to tweens dealing with trauma and war. Matt be the first character in a book that they can actually identify with. This book may help them understand what is going on in their lives, and the lives of those around them who are also effected by war and trauma. This could be a great bibliotherapy title. It could be a great title for teachers to use during units on war, it would be a book that would show the effects of war through tween eyes.
Guidance: As librarians, we have the power to guide tweens in many ways through literature. We can guide them to develop a love of reading, expand their interests, improve their reading skills, and learn about themselves. I would recommend The Lightning Thief to guide tweens who are perhaps reluctant, but capable readers to help foster a love of reading. If tweens read and loved it, I would then guide them delve into Greek mythology to expose them to nonfiction, and to foster a love of learning. I would recommend All the Broken Pieces to teachers interested in classroom reading around the topic of war and/or trauma. I would also recommend it to parents with tweens dealing with war and/or trauma, letting them decide if they think it is or is not appropriate for their child. And, I would recommend it to tweens I established trust with, and knew fairly well. The purpose would be to either guide them to see the world from a different perspective, guide them to learn about how war effects tweens and others, guide them to a new writing style, or guide them to a story and character they may relate to that could help them reflect on, process, and understand their own situation.
Enthusiasm: Programming to create or expand enthusiasm around books and reading. Programs such as Battle of the Books, book talks, art/science/culture activities, and summer reading help create enthusiasm around books to get tweens interested and create enthusiasm around books. For example, a library in Oregon developed an India program where they invited a henna tattoo artist, sampled Indian food, listed to Indian music, watched a Bollywood film, etc. At this event, they set up a display with a variety of books—nonfiction about Indian culture, geography, cooking, arts, etc. and fiction titles that take place in India or have Indian characters and themes. The program generated enthusiasm around a topic, the hope was that it would get them reading about it too! Another approach is to create programs around books that tweens are already enthusiastic about—how many libraries have had Harry Potter and Twilight parties? I bet Percy Jackson parties are already starting to pop up all over the country! These programs get tween in the library, talking with other tweens about literature, and continue to foster the love of reading. Also, they get kids in the library where they might just find another book to get enthusiastic about!
Tween appeal: Having a good grasp of teen psychology and the Five Cs, and following trends is key to understanding tween appeal. Percy Jackson and the Olympians comes right off the Harry Potter band wagon and introduces Greek mythology. Most of us cover Greek mythology in high school, and many teens really get into it. However, it isn’t something teens necessarily talk a lot about because it is typically associated with the scifi-fantasy scene. Mix good understanding of tween psychology and the Five Cs in with a trendy genre/writing style and a relatively popular topic with teens, and bingo—tween appeal!
ALL THE BROKEN PIECES touched me as an adult reader. I am not sure how tweens and teens will react. I hope it finds an audience among them. The Rick Riordan books are spot-on perfect for this age group: humor, fantasy, action and adventure. teri
Reflections on T-A-R-G-E-T
From Lynne Ring/George Memorial Library/Richmond, Texas
The books I have read for class have been Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan and Peace, Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson. Both these books have Teen-Appeal because they are short in length, and they have covers that would sell to the right readers.
Peace, Locomotion, told through a series of letters from one sibling to another living in separate foster care, has an authentic tween voice that would speak to the right reader, perhaps even providing comfort and understanding to a tween struggling with issues.
In general, when talking about reaching tweens, by hitting our _target_ of tweens, with books and literature, the acronym T-A-R-G-E-T (Trust/Access/Response/Guidance/Enthusiasm/Tween-Appeal) seems very apropos.
· Trust: Obviously, an essential characteristic necessary in reaching anyone, but especially tweens given all of the transitions they are experiencing. In a public library setting, where I work, trust is needed to start conversations, develop dialogs and establish relationships with students you might not see as often as in a school setting, so friendliness is critical since they don’t know us like they do their teachers at school. Through conversation we are able to talk with our visiting tweens and, hopefully, talk books. As we get to know them, and they get to know us, the opportunity presents itself for us to match their needs and interests to appropriate books or materials. Over time, hopefully, we will become viewed as a trustworthy source for books for them.
· Access: The challenge for public librarians is getting our kids to the library, getting the books in their hands, and then making it possible for them to check those books out. So, awareness is a preliminary to access: outreach is helpful in this effort. Literacy nights at schools, summer reading club promotion, and all types of opportunities to encourage parents to enable their children by allowing them to have library cards of their own or by accompanying to the public library to check out books. My library system does two annual library card drives at the schools. Often, approaching the family as a unit facilitates getting books home and interests more than one family member in a title. Finally, it is also important that we make sure the books are available (part of the collection) and easily obtained (can be found in the catalog) when requested.
· Response: The response that we can expect at the public library comes in the form of return visits and feedback. If we did a good job in matching the book to our reader and made the experience a positive thing, we can expect positive feedback with a request for another title. That is ideal, and it does happen. More challenging, is a reader that you have difficulty keeping up with because they read quickly and because they are outstripping your collection. Often, more extensive interviews are needed to guide them to books that remain appropriate, content-wise, but that have interest for them.
· Guidance: I had an experience this week with a student that I have been friends with for a few years. He is a good reader who has been pulling himself up, tier-by-tier, with books on a variety of topics, crossing multiple genres. He asked me for recommendations, as always, and when I raised my eyebrows with a “let’s see,” because he has read so much of my young adult collection, he said, “anything … any good books you have read.” And I realized that there were good things that I could recommend to him, that were appropriate for him, that he would like. I had an opportunity to guide him, and I did. I guide other readers, too, who are not near where that reader is, but who can be gently nudged to the next tier, while still keeping a foot on that rung that feels safe.
· Enthusiasm: Enthusiasm is another essential ingredient needed to make that connection, to sell that book, to hook that reader up with their book.
· Tween-Appeal: Other Tween-appeal issues that come into play in finding books for our tweens, besides brevity and cool covers, are almost sure-fire: funny; scary; and romantic (for some/more tween girls/The Serious Kiss); action-packed (usually, for boys).
I love how different TALES FROM OUTER SUBURBIA is from Tan's THE ARRIVAL. Did you see the two distinct covers (one from British version and the other is the American one)? I hope folks share that book with tweens and teens. PEACE LOCOMOTION might be a harder sell as it is "historical" from a tween's perspective. teri
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Posted by Meg 10/30/09
Reflections on Tween Book 2
The two books I have read for this course were Heroes of the Valley, by Jonathan Stroud, and A Season of Gifts, by Richard Peck. I also read Geektastic; Stories from the Nerd Herd, edited by Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci, however there is underage drinking (almost condoned) and a tiny bit of sex in it so I decided that it was more appropriate for the older teens.
· TRUST – The tweens and teens within the library setting must be able to trust our judgment when we recommend books for them. This is especially true with reluctant readers or skeptical readers “This library has nothing but boring books.” We need to choose our books wisely and offer them a variety of titles that would appeal to them.
The books- Both of my books are what I would consider “Clean Reads”, neither had over sex or drugs or violence in them. In Strouds book the violence was fantasy, and the pranks that Halli pulls are largely harmless (although they do lead to a very bad outcome). Peck’s book is a wonderful read for a tween that is highly sensitive to controversy.
· ACCESS- We should never deny a book to anyone, even if it is onewe might not choose for ourselves. We should educate the tween and him or her know the contents and advise them (without judgment) but never, ever censor their reading. For the large majority of tweens, if a book is out of their league and makes them uncomfortable they will stop reading it. We should also use this principle in our collection development and offer the widest range possible for our young adults.
The books-I suppose some parent might have an issue with the fantasy element of Stroud. And there is a bit of violence between Halli and the Trows. There is also some very mild attraction between Halli and Aud that might raise some eyebrows. However we should still keep these books on the shelf.
· RESPONSE- When they ask we should deliver. And if we can’t deliver because of budget/time/manpower constraints we should give them the reason why. I am very open with my tweens and teens when we are planning our activities about the budget. Sometimes I think that they think the library is a bottomless pit of money. Hah! I believe that when they know what they have to work with they learn how to plan and budget. If we work with the tweens and try to get the resources they want they will keep coming back to us. The more books/CDs/video games, what have you, we have in the collection, the more desirable we will be in the eyes of the tweens.
· GUIDANCE- Because their brains are still maturing, sometimes tweens and teens do not make the wisest decisions. In our roles as mentors and teachers we can give the tweens tools (books) to make the wise decisions. As role models we can model the behavior we desire in the library and in the larger world.
The books- Both of these books have teen antagonists that have to make choices and are put in uncomfortable positions. They learn from their mistakes and can act as positive role models for the reader.
· ENTHUSIASM- We must be excited about what the tweens are excited about. We need to keep up on tween culture and reflect that in our collection development and activity planning. It’s fun to talk with them about the hottest book or movie or band. And when we share their enthusiasm they know that we are listening.
· and TWEEN-APPEAL- Make our spaces as tween friendly and inviting as possible. Ask for their opinions on decorations and arrangement.
The books- I often look at the covers and ask myself if the book via the cover would appeal to tweens. Sometimes I am surprised about the cover art, and often wonder what the publisher was thinking when choosing a cover. I realize that authors (unless you are a VERY big seller) have very little say about their cover art, and I think that is a real shame.
Cover art continues to be a real challenge for so many good books. Loved HEROES OF THE VALLEY (and even that cover does not do much for me) and GEEKTASTIC. Story collections tend not to circ well without assistance from a caring librarian or teacher. teri
Submitted by Keira Digel Drake Athens, GA
The Lightning Thief: Percy Jackson and the Olympians Book. Riordan, Rick. Miramax Books/Hyperion Books for Children, 2005.
Trouble just seemed to follow Percy Jackson. He tried to keep his nose clean, but that didn’t stop him from getting blamed for canons exploding and fountains washing over classmates. Now, in his fifth school in five years, Percy is trying his best not to get expelled again. Before long, however, staying out of trouble becomes the least of his worries. During a class field trip, he is forced to fight Ms. Dodds, his Pre-Algebra teacher, who has turned into a monster!
We soon find out that Greek gods and mythical beasts are living among us and that Percy is a half-god, son of Poseidon. We also find out that the gods are about to start World War III because Zeus’s lightning bolt has been stolen. Blame for the deed is flying about and, unfortunately, Percy is being handed a large dose of it. It is up to Percy and his new friends to figure out what really happened and return the lost items before Zeus’ deadline is up. With traps and mythical monsters around every corner, this story keeps the attention of most readers.
The Lightning Thief is a popular series among so many different types of tweens – male/female, reluctant readers/strong readers, children reading up and older students reading for the pleasure of the story. It crosses so many groups that I think it makes a great TARGET book.
Trust – a great book to start a conversation with a student whose trust you are trying to gain and whose reading style and interests you are trying to learn.
Access – with the movie coming out, this book (and the series) are in high demand. Access to this title is essential in our library!
Response – as I noted in Trust, this book is choke-full of opportunities for discussion and open-ended questioning.
Guidance – our 5th curriculum includes a Greek Mythology section. In response to this and to capture the enthusiasm many of our students had for the topic, I created a Greek Mythology ladder (I know – a bit narrow in topic, but fun none-the-less!)
Base: D'aulaire's Book of Greek Myths by Ingri & Edgar Parin d'Aulaire
Step One: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (and the series)
Step Two: The Pig Scrolls by Paul Shipton (and the sequel The Pig Who Saved the World)
Step Three: Goddess of Yesterday: A tale of Troy by Caroline Cooney (and/or Singer to the Sea God by Vivien Alcock)
Step Four: The Night Tourist by Katherine Marsh (and the sequel The Twilight Prisoner)
Top Step: Troy by Adele Geras (and/or Ithaka by Adele Geras)
***I know this isn't perfect -- any suggestions or comments on this ladder are welcome!
Enthusiasm – it is hard NOT to be enthusiastic about the Percy Jackson series. Students are eager to talk about the books, the upcoming movie, gods and goddesses, and, of course, mythical beasts! I share their enthusiasm not only because I have a Percy Jackson reader at home, but because I really am enjoying the series!
Tween-Appeal – there is no hiding the appeal of this novel. Aside from action and adventure and a movie coming out, the Greek mythology theme helps sell these books.
Gina:
For my second book I read Peace, Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson. I hadn't read Locomotion but thoroughly enjoyed her book Feathers. This would be a book that I would recommend to either a student that I had already established Trust with, or a student that liked similar books, because it is pretty heavy. Woodson is an author that we definitely make sure to have on the shelves, so Access wouldn't be a problem. Because of the heavy content in this title, which is handled in an amazingly frank but delicate way, I think that it would be easy to get Responses from our Tweens. As far as Guidance, the subject of war is something that I feel it is important to address. This book is helpful to show tweens that life continues with a war--Lonnie still has to deal with the death of his parents and not living with his sister, while dealing with the injury of his new foster brother in Iraq. The letter style of novel has been very popular in our YA room, I think they see it as an easier read, so I think that this would be a book that I could easily show enthusiasm for and garner enthusiasm in the tweens. I believe that sometimes people underestimate tweens, they can handle much more difficult subjects than they are given credit for. Our tweens appreciate given difficult books, so this would have definite Tween Appeal for us..
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