Reading: AGES 7-14
Genre Guidance
Today's Snack: Books comes in "genres," and foods come in "food
groups." Today, eat one thing from each of the main food "genres" - meat,
dairy, fruit, vegetable and bread.
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Supplies:
Schedule a quick library tour with a
librarian at your school
or the local public library, to find
out where
the different kinds of books are
shelved
By now, you are reading
independently, both for school and for fun.
You probably have a favorite
genre, or type of book, and a few favorite authors. You're probably interested
in reading more books of this same kind.
That's great! It's a good
idea to "master" one particular genre of books. But it's an equally good idea
to look for new books that will excite you, expand your horizons, and improve your
vocabulary and reading comprehension skills.
Here's the lowdown on several
book genres. It might be a great goal, this school year, to read at least one
book from each of these. You can get some good advice from your school
librarian, or a professional at your local public library or bookstore:
Nonfiction and Biography
At this age, you are probably interested in learning how things work and about
people you can connect with, or whose lives interest you. Nonfiction books that
answer questions about any of your interests, with facts and information to
build your knowledge base, are great choices. So are life stories about people
in history, great athletes, great leaders, business successes, explorers,
medical experts, inventors and celebrities.
How-To Books
It is lots of fun to learn to do something interesting on your own. If you're
fascinated with the circus, get a book on magic or juggling. For gadget-lovers,
check out a book on how to make crystal radios or conduct simple home
experiments. Support after-school hobbies and interests with books that explore
the activity more in-depth, such as a book on glazing techniques for a ceramics
lover. A how-to book is a great way to practice following directions, and that
will help in schoolwork and your future career as well.
Neighboring Genres
A science fiction reader might enjoy a sideways leap
into a fantasy book. A baseball statistics fan might enjoy reading about
football, or maybe a fiction book with a character that plays baseball. If all
you've read lately are mysteries, try an adventure tale. If you're loving
stories about the great outdoors, try some stories about early explorers in the
American frontier. You can enjoy endless variety by making just a few moves in
different directions.
Award Winners and Series
The Newbery
Award-winning books are generally written for an older elementary and
middle-school audience. These are usually excellent, ground-breaking books. But
you run the risk of having them be too politicized or "edgy" for some young
readers to truly relax and enjoy reading them. Be wary, as some of the newer
titles might treat controversial themes or contain action that you consider too
mature, but here's a book list to
get your started. If you like the characters and stories in one book, and it's
part of a series, you can be off to the races with reading book after book by
that same author on that same topic.
Magazines and Newspapers
For a non-book option, you might enjoy a subscription to one or more magazines.
They are lots of fun to receive in the mail. As long as you're reading, it's OK
if the topic seems a little frivolous -- extreme sports, fashion, and video games
make popular magazine content. It's also a great idea to read the newspaper every
morning or evening, perhaps with a parent or older sibling. You can discuss
current events and help explain vocabulary as you build a great daily routine.
Clip favorite articles or funny pictures and post on your "fridgesite" - the
place on your family's refrigerator where things like that tend to be posted!
