Tag Archives: YHBA

Reluctant Readers

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It’s summer and we really want to keep the kids reading so they don’t experience the “Summer Slide” (when academic skills decline without practice). Some children just love to read and it’s hard to keep them out of a book – but for many others, it’s like pulling teeth to motivate them. Reading is very challenging for many students so you have to be strategic in finding materials that will entice them to read. Books that we have found to be popular are: the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, Captain Underpants series (and anything by Dav Pilkey), graphic novels like Smile and Baby Mouse. Nonfiction titles that draw kids in are books that contain short interesting factual information like Ripley’s Believe it or Not andGuinness World Records.  Joke books are a great immediate gratification read. Many boys like war books and we have a plethora of these in graphic novel format. Two of our hottest series are the I Survived series by Lauren Tarshis which covers exciting times throughout history and the You Wouldn’t Want to Be series which has a fun, factual, easy-to-read boxed layout.

A tip that has worked well for me: READ TOGETHER. I will read a page and the child will read the next page aloud or perhaps only the next paragraph. In this way the child is not overwhelmed by the text and by hearing the story and discussing the story together, vocabulary and comprehension are enhanced. Also, don’t count out audio books! The slogan, “Audio Books are Not Cheating” is TRUE! Children gain vocabulary, comprehension, and background information from listening to audio books! This choice is especially wonderful for family vacations! GPL has a wide selection of wonderful audio books and my most recent favorite is Restart by Gordon Korman which just won the YHBA Intermediate Award!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our GPL staff will be delighted to select appropriate fun materials for your children. Call 317-885-5035, and we will pull books that we will tailor especially for your family.

Young Hoosier Book Award

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Voting Open until June 1st

The Young Hoosier Book Award is a program that encourages students to read books for their own enjoyment. Every year Indiana teachers and librarians get together and read hundreds of books to find the best 20 books that students will enjoy reading on their interest level. The first category is for Kindergarten to Third Grade and is made up of picture books.  The YHBA Intermediate for 4-6th graders. 

To vote students need to read at least 12 of the picture books and 5 of the intermediate books and then click on the Voting Link. 

YHBA Picture Voting 

YHBA Intermediate Voting

These books will be available for curbside delivery by placing them on hold or through our online resource: Libby. Students may listen to audio books or have the books read to them. I have served on the Intermediate Committee a number of years so I can suggest my favorites for this year:

Restart by Gordon Korman

This was my very favorite book of the year!!! It has great humor and is thought provoking. A boy falls off his roof at home and then awakens from a coma with amnesia. He doesn’t even remember his family. When he returns back to school he realizes that everyone is afraid of him and that he was a jock/bully with a bad reputation. The mystery unfolds as to why he was on the roof and if he will decide to make changes in his new life.

 

Superstar by Mandy Davis

This book has great Indiana appeal. A young boy with high functioning autism has to move back to Indiana since his astronaut father was killed in a space accident. He has been home educated but must go to public school so his mother can return to work as a librarian. See how he adapts to all the changes in his life and contends with a mother who has great fears about his future.

 

Unlikely Story of a Pig in the City by Jody Kendall

A great story about a big family in a small city apartment who rescues and tries to raise a baby pig.

 

 

 

Chester and Gus by Cammie McGovern

Chester has failed to pass the canine service dog test and goes to live with a young boy with severe autism.

 

 

 

 

I hope you will enjoy some of the books for this year’s award and participate in voting!

 

Young Hoosier Book Award

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It is my honor to be able to serve on the Young Hoosier Book Award Committee again this year for the intermediate level books. Every year a group of teachers and librarians read through about 80 newly published books and then get together in September to select the 20 titles they believe children in grades 4-6 will enjoy reading. Unlike the Newbery Award which tends to look at different criteria, these books are selected with an eye towards recreational reading. Students in grades 4-6 across the state read at least five of the twenty books on the list and then vote for the one they enjoyed the most by May 1st.

The last two years both winners have been graphic novels: Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson and Smile by Raina Telgemeier. Grades K-2nd grade read 12 of the 20 picture books and then cast their votes. Winners for the past two years have been: Tuesday Tucks Me In by Luis Montalvan and Dog Vs. Cat by Chris Gall.

Look at the past winners of YHBA to find some excellent “KID CHOICE” books: https://tinyurl.com/y3pfw64

Next year’s books are found at: https://tinyurl.com/y3jr4fkp