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Date: Fri, 18 Sep 1998 11:12:48 -0400 (EDT)
To: pubyac-digest@nysernet.org
Subject: pubyac V1 #443
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Date: Thu, 17 Sep 1998 09:00:59 PST
From: "Steven" <Steven@westlinn.lib.or.us>
Subject: Homeschooled characters in fiction list
A while ago I asked for suggestions of fiction books that include
characters who are homeschooled. Thanks to all who responded. Not
exactly a booming genre, but there are some books out there. Whether
they're good books or go beyond the homeschool stereotypes that I
noticed from the Berenstains and Richard Peck, I don't know. The
list of titles I received is below, with some comments by those who
suggested them following:
- -------------------------------------------------------
Steven Engelfried, West Linn Public Library
1595 Burns Streeet West Linn, OR 97068
ph: 503-656-7857 fax: 503-656-2746
e-mail: steven@westlinn.lib.or.us
- --------------------------------------------------------
Berenstain Bears and the Nerdy Nephew by Stan & Jan Berenstain
Home School Detectives (series) by John Bibee
How Do You Spell Geek? by Julie Anne Peters
Libby on Wednesday by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
Mandy Sue Day by Roberta Karim
Monster of the Month (series) by Dian Curtis Regan
Moose Tracks by Mary Casanova
Strays Like Us by Richard Peck
Under the Lilacs by Louisa May Alcott
Wolf Shadows by Mary Casanova
How do you spell geek? by Julie anne Peters
A previously home schooled girl starts school--the cool set think she
a geek, but the main character appreciates her sense of humor and her
friendship. She maybe dresses a little different without years of
peer pressure, but other than that she's a normal kid. She's in
school because her mother had to return to work for financial
reasons-I think she was a doctor. A nice story.
I asked my 8th grade daughter--Do girls at school really act like
this? (the cools set, that is) and she replied "Oh yes"
- --Ruth Van Stee, Grand Rapids Public Library
What about "How Do Spell Geek?" by Julie Anne Peters.
This is a JF book about 2 girls who have been spelling bee champs for
a while (they are 8th graders I believe). Enter a girl who has been
homeschooled for years but had to go to public school because Good
story. Great cover art.
Zilpha Keatley Snyder's book LIBBY ON WEDNESDAY(Delacorte 1990) is
about a girl who was homeschooled until her mother decided she needed
to be socialized. Then, of course, she didn't really fit in (does
anybody fit in at middle school?). She becomes part of a group of
talented and weird writers (kind of like The Breakfast Club), never
becomes a "real" middles schooler, and lives happily ever after, for
the most part. The author is actually very sympathetic to Libby's
position that six months in middle school is enough socializing for
anyone, and that school is pretty useless if you already know the
material. Home schooling is shown in a very positive light! Paula
Schaffner Ann Arbor District Library
MANDY SUE DAY by Roberta Karim, Clarion, 1994. Picture book.
Blind girl on farm. One reference to homeschooling. Focuses on her
day off from both work on the farm and her after lunch classes. Nice
text, seems like I remember it to be somewhat poetic; good
illustrations. Horse lovers would also like the book.
Dian Curtis Regan has written four books in her "Monster of
the month" series that feature a homeschooled main character. I don't
have the titles handy, but methinks the third is called "Monsters in
Cyberspace."
I think the title of the book I'm thinking of is "Monster of the Month
Club" or something to that effect--I don't think it's a really stellar
example of fiction featuring homeschooling, but I've read worse. If
you're really interested, I can provide you with the exact title and
author (I'm just too lazy to exit out of my email and look it up right
now). One thing that is a little different to me about this book (I
think it's one in a series) is that unlike most of the homeschooling
population I deal with, the kids in question do not seem to be taught
at home for religious regions. The parental figures fit more into the
"left of center" than "right of center" category. Anymore, I
see that
branch of homeschoolers less and less, and religious homeschooling
more and more.
I was homeschooled, myself, for the first couple of grades + I
have a sister who homeschools all her kids through high school, so I
always perk up my ears when I see homeschooling in a book. Mary
Casanova, who has a little experience homeschooling her own kids,
includes a homeschooled main character in MOOSE TRACKS and its sequel,
WOLF SHADOWS. Also look at the Monster of the Month Club books (four
of them) by Dian Curtis Regan.
--Jane Kurtz
Mary Gilbert, St. Joseph Co. Public Library, South Bend, IN
What about Under the Lilacs by Loiusa May Alcott? It's dated, of
course, but I seem to remember the characters being tutored at home
and planning their own lessons based on what interested them . . . may
fit your need.
- --Beth G. Haverhill Public Library
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Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 22:22:53 -0400
From: Jana Fine <janafine01@sprynet.com>
Subject: Teen Read Week update
These are the responses to the Teen Read Week request from PUBYAC.
If you decide to do something - anything - please send a summary of
what you did to the YALSA office via either the YALSA website or to
Linda Waddle (lwaddle@ala.org) or to Esther Murphy (emurphy@ala.org)
They are very interested to kepp track of this event. And we want this
to become a very BIG event!!!
Thanks,
Jana Fine
Vice President, YALSA
Repsonses
1. I am going to be booktalking in the middle and high schools that
week. I am sharing our materials with the schools so as to make better
use of it, We will get out city to use the declaration and have pr
announcements in the paper. I send some tip sheet to certain reporters
that write about school aged children in the hope of getting ant
article. I am approaching our Friends group to host the contest for
next year, and have asked for a YA author - also for next year.
Jana Fine
Clearwater Public Library
CLearwater, FL
2. No big plans, but our new YA area will have its "official"
opening, with posters, balloons, and giveaways. Also, my Teen Advisory
Board is in the process RIGHT NOW of planning a story hour they will be
presenting to the 4-5-6 year olds on Saturday the 25th, which I think
will be a nice way of highlighting the "flip side" of teens reading...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ Lesley Knieriem ~
~ YA / Reference Librarian (516) 549-4411 ~
~ South Huntington Public Library fax (516) 549-6832 ~
~ Huntington Station, NY 11746 lknierie@suffolk.lib.ny.us ~
~ ----------------------------------------------------------------- ~
~ "What family doesn't have its little ups and downs?" ~
~ --Eleanor of Aquitaine in THE LION IN WINTER ~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
3. I am actually getting excited about Teen Read week-- even though I
am still wrapping up summer reading! I am hoping to start a Literary
Magazine in Sept and have the first issue ready to hand out during
TRWeek. Other ideas I am toying with: a read-in, a poetry slam and an
author visit. Seems like I should get plannin',eh?
Carol Reid
Bloomington IL
4. My Youth Friends group is hosting author Susan Fletcher. She
seemed appropriate given the theme of "Read for the fun of it."
Diane Adams Youth Services Librarian
Monmouth Public Library (503) 838-1932
P.O. Box 10 fax: (503) 838-3899
168 Ecols St. S. diane@monmouth.chemek.cc.or.us
Monmouth, OR 97361
5. We are planning on doing some book displays and a "You've Read the
Book, Now See the Movie" night. For the movie, we are going to show
the Outsiders mainly because it is on just about every summer reading
list here. Other than that I am hoping to get in to the middle and
high school to do some booktalks. If anyone has any other ideas, I
would love to hear them.
Ilene Lefkowitz
YA Librarian
Englewood Library
ILefkowitz@aol.com
6. We plan to run the art contest as suggested by Yalsa, and we are
also going to create posters and bookmarks that promote the idea if you
read a book for fun during Teen Read Week you will get a free
paperback book. They will contain the equation ...
1 to Checkout
+1 for Keeps
__________________
2 for Fun!
Nancy Magi
nmagi@acpl.lib.in.us
*******************************************************
Branch Youth Services Coordinator
Allen County Public Library
nmagi@acpl.lib.in.us
*******************************************************
7. I would like to plan something, since YA is my section of the
collection. I have considered using that week to visit the middle and
high schools in town for booktalks, and to talk up our services.
Pam Henley, Children's Librarian
Bozeman Public Library
220 East Lamme
Bozeman, MT 59715
8. We didn't get the information in time to plan any programs.....due
to the deadlines we have to get our monthly newsletter published. But,
we're going to use the bookmarks and posters and are encouraging our
library staff to cooperate with their schools and try to get something
going. If this is an annual event, we hope to be more "on the ball"
for next year.
Rosemary Moran <rmoran@tccl.lib.ok.us>
9. We're thinking of making up cards to give out during library sign
up week with four or five holes to punch. Every book checked out gets
and a hole punched. For all teens who have all holes punched they will
get a chance to enter a drawing to win a copy of Titanic. Our friends
will pay for it. However this idea wasn't really supported within our
system because of the PG-13 rating. I haven't decided if we'll go
through with it or not.
Other ideas tossed around the table at my systems workshop was a teen
"coffee house". We're a small library and I'm not sure that do-able
here.
Good luck!
Tammy Jones
Children's Librarian
Forest Public Library, Forest, MS
10. We're promoting Teen Read Week with a desert island theme. I
hoping to replace the furniture in my YA area with beach chairs and
palm trees (artificial - I'm in Ohio!) Then we're going to ask teens
to share with us their ideas for desert island "must-reads" - on other
words, if you were going to be on a desert island for a week, what 5
things would you want to have with you to read? We'll post their
answers all around the YA area for others to see. We'll give away a
prizes to random participants. For this first year, it will be fairly
low-key and focusing on FUN.
Tammy Daubner
Medina County District Library
Medina,OH 44256
tlvdinoh@hotmail.com
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End of pubyac V1 #443
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