Annotated Bibliography

This is the annotated bibliography that I found while doing my research.  It is some of the books that the author recommended for reluctant readers to read.
 Worthy, J. (1996). "A matter of interest: Literature that hooks reluctant readers and keeps them reading." Reading Teacher: Nov96, Vol 50, Issue 3, p.204. 9 p.

Aardema, V. (1981). Bringing the rain to Kapiti Plain. New York: Puffin Books.

A cumulative rhyme relating how Ki-pat brought rain to the drought-stricken Kapiti Plain. Verna Aardema has brought the original story closer to the English nursery rhyme by putting in a cumulative refrain and giving the tale the rhythm of “The House That Jack Built.”

Komaiko, L., (1988). Earl's too cool for me. New York:HarperCollinsPublis hing.

Earl's one cool guy. He lunches with movie stars and keeps monster eyes in a jelly jar. But would he hang out with just a regular guy? This second book by the team that created Annie Bananie combines a joyous text with delightfully jazzy pictures. Full color.

Zemach, H.(1988). The judge: An untold tale. New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux.

A horrible thing is coming this way
Creeping closer day by day--
Its eyes are scary,
Its tail is hairy...
I tell you, Judge, we all better pray!

Anxious prisoner after anxious prisoner echoes and embellishes this cry, but always in vain. The fiery old Judge, impatient with such foolish nonsense, calls them scoundrels, ninnyhammers, and throws them all in jail. But in the end, Justice is done--and the Judge is gone. Head first!
Harve Zemach's cumulative verse tale is so infectious that children won't be able to avoid memorizing it. And Margot Zemach's hilarious pictures are brimming with vitality as well as color.

Adoff, A. (1992). All the colors of the race. New York: HarperCollinsPublishing.
A celebration of multiethnicity, Adoff's loose, free-verse poems center on a girl of black-white parentage but extend their theme of tolerance to all races.
Agard, J. and G. Nichols. (1996). A Caribbean dozen: Poems from Caribbean poets. not available.

Mangoes and jelly coconut, garter snakes and speckled frogs. These are some of the many vivid memories of a Caribbean childhood from poets such as Valerie Bloom, Faustin Charles, Telcine Turner and Dionne Brand.

Bruchac, J. and J. Locker.(1992). Thirteen moons on turtle's back: A Native American year of moons. New York: Puffin Books.

In Native American legend, the thirteen scales on Old Turtle's back hold the key to the thirteen cycles of the moon and the changing seasons. These lyrical poems and striking paintings celebrate the wonder of the seasons, from the Northern Cheyenne's Moon of the Popping Trees to the Big Moon of the Abenaki.

Carlson, L.M. (1994). Cool salsa: Bilingual poems on growing up Latino in the United States. New York: Fawcett.
ere are the sights, sounds, and smells of Latino culture in America in thirty-six vibrant, moving, angry, beautiful and varied voices, including Alicia Gaspar de Alba, Ana Castillo, Sandra Cisneros, Luis J. Rodríguez, Gary Soto, and Martín Espada.
Presented in both English and Spanish, each poem helps us to discover the stories behind the mangoes and memories, prejudice and fear, love and life--how it was and is to grow up Hispanic in America
Cole, W. (1981). Poem stew. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.

Poem StewThrough the teeth
And past the gums
Look out stomach
Here it comes!A feast of hilarious peoms about food written by such popular writers as William Cole, Odgen Nash, John Ciardi, and Shel Silverstein. Seasoned with Karen Ann Weinhaus's comical illustrations, these poems are sure to hit your funny bone and whet your appetite for more.

 Feelings, T. illustrator. (1993). Soul looks back in wonder. New York: Puffin Books.

n this compelling collection of words and pictures, the voices of thirteen major poets, including Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, and Walter Dean Myers, rise in response to the dazzling vistas and emotionally vivid portraits of award-winning artist Tom Feelings. A unique and moving collaboration that celebrates the sustaining spirit of African creativity. 

 Giovanni, N. (1974). Ego-tripping and other poems for young people. Chicago: Chicago Review Press.

Insightful and fun, this collection of poetry captures the essence of the African American experience for young people.

Linthwaite, I. (1987). Ain't I a woman! A book of women's poetry from around the world.  New York: Wings Books.

One hundred and fifty poems from around the world and across the ages cover themes of motherhood and youth, race and loss, sex and love. Featured writers include Maya Angelou, Alice Walker, Sappho, Audre Lorde, Nikki Giovanni, and Marge Piercy.

 Prelutsky, J. (1980). Rolling Harvey down the hill. New York: Greenwillow Books.

Maybe you and the kids on your block are like Harvey and the kids on his block. Maybe you all live near a vacant lot. Maybe you all like to play ball. And maybe, just maybe, one of you has just eaten a worm.

Prelutsky, J.,(1984). The new kid on the block. New York:  Greenwillow Books. 

Open this book to any page to begin your exploration. Here are poems about things that you may never have thought about before. You'll be introduced to jellyfish stew, a bouncing mouse, a ridiculous dog, and a boneless chicken. You'll learn why you shouldn't argue with a shark, eat a dinosaur, or have an alligator for a pet. You'll meet the world's worst singer and the greatest video game player in history. You'll even find an invitation to a dragon's birthday party....Your friends are invited too.

Infograph

http://www.easel.ly/browserEasel/2951314

Strategies for reluctant readers

With the help of the 5^th grade reading teacher, I used two different strategies to help them to read.  The first strategy was using the book, In Tales of the Cryptids: Mysterious Creatures That May or May Not Exist by Halls, Spears, and Young.  I did two of the strategies that are mentioned in the article, “Alternative Book Topics Can Help Interest  Reluctant Readers”.

  Strategy #1- After the students read the book, they discussed it with each other. While discussing with another student, they can get different ideas about what the findings are and pick up ideas that they did not see in the book the first time it was read.  This helps with comprehension.  The teacher and I, as we walked around and listened to the conversations that were occurring, heard some really good interpretations from the book and some great discussion going on with the students who had not participated in a book discussion before.

Strategy #2- After the students discussed the book with each other, they were encouraged to create their own cryptids.  They were given free reign by letting their imaginations run wild. As the students were creating their own cryptids, they were still, very excitedly, discussing the book.  Not only was this exciting for the students, but it was exciting for the reading teacher and myself.

All of the 80 students were excited about the book, but about 50% of the students looked for more books on the monster topic.  It   showed me what the students are interested in reading and what I need to order for the next school year.

Halls, K. M. Alternative book topics can help interest reluctant readers. (Knowledge Quest). Mar/Apr 2011, Vol. 39 Issue 4,p 74-77.4 p. Color photographs.

reasons for reluctant readers

I researched the reasons why boys and girls are reluctant readers.  The reasons that I found are: boredom, poor comprehension, and they  don't like the books that are available.
Dierking, R. (2015). Using nooks to hook reluctant readers. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 58(5), 407-416. doi: 10.1002/jaal.366.
When I surveyed the fifth graders, I found that the main reason that they were reluctant to read was because they said that they were bored.  This was the same reason that the research has shown. When I asked  them why they answered that they were bored, they informed me that they couldn't sit still that long to read a book.  I told them to get a book that wasn't that long and they could get up to do something else when they finished reading.  The books that the reluctant readers checked out more often than other readers were the graphic novels. 
In the article, "Alternative Book Topics Can Help Interest Reluctant Readers", the author talked about a book that I have in my library.  In Tales of the Cryptids: Mysterious Creatures that May or May Not Exist by Halls, Spears, and Young, she mentioned that after reading this book, the students discussed the topics and created their own cryptids.