This is from YAttitudes, issue 9, no 4: May 2010. Those libraries with active teen book clubs may be interested in applying for the YA Galley and your teens could participate in selecting YALSA’s Teens’ Top Ten and get free books!

Your Teens Could Help Choose YALSA’s Teens’ Top Ten

YALSA is accepting applications for the 2010-2012 round of YA Galley! YA Galley is an ongoing project in which publishers of young adult books provide free copies of their recent titles to teen book discussion groups in libraries. In exchange, teen readers evaluate books for the publishers.

Young adult book discussion group leaders who wish to be considered for YALSA’s YA Galley/Teens’ Top Ten project can learn more online at the Teens’ Top Ten website.  Applications are due June 1, 2010. The YA Galley committee will select 15 groups during the ALA’s Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. this June. Each selected group will serve a two-year term beginning in November 2010.

Beginning in August 2011, these select groups will nominate titles for the 2011 Teens’ Top Ten. Teens across the country will choose their favorite books of the year by voting on these nominations. Learn more at www.ala.org/teenstopten.

Children’s librarian wanting to start a book group for third to fifth graders are headed for a fun and exciting ride! I included links to discussion questions, teacher’s guides and activities as I could find them. Add your suggestion in the comments!

Getting Boys to Read

Boys
Getting Boys to Read: The information is very useful. You will see on his site that recommends books with gross humor, magazines, and non-fiction.

Michael Sullivan’s Books for Boys. A great list!

Tales Told Tall - Michael Sullivan

Non-Fiction Subject Areas

•    Animals: the deadlier the better
•    Bugs: finding them, identifying them and keeping them
•    Planes: from war planes to fighter jets, identifying them, building them, paper planes, flying model planes
•    Trains and automobiles: how they run, the design, collecting, building models
•    Gross things the human body does: well, you already know
•    Racing cars: designing, building model cars, car races
•    Magic: card tricks, illusion
•    Building just about anything – Lego’s or any other building materials
•    Mechanical equipment (taking it apart to see how it works and either putting it back together or making something new from the pieces)

Bookclub Books

Oklahoma Sequoyah Children’s books, the masterlists (2010) and winners (2009)

Kids Read : List of upcoming and popular kids books.

Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies

Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies. Discussion questions can be found here and here (PDF).

Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko, and it’s sequel, Al Capone Does My Shoes.  Activities and discussion questions can be found here (PDF) and here.

Tale of Desperaux by Kate DiCamillo. Activities and questions here.

Hoot by Carl Hiaasen. Activities and questions here.

Because of Winn-Dixie by Joan Bauer. Activities and questions from Read, Write, Think.

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine. Discussion guide.

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White. NPR story about the writing of the book. Activitiy (PDF).

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

Roald Dahl books. September is Roald Dahl Month!

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson. Activities and questions from Read, Write, Think.

City of Ember and it’s sequels, by Jeanne DuPrau. Collected links to free printable activities from Associated Content.

Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll – movie directed by Tim Burton starring Johnny Depp opens March 5, 2010 -  — Chances are they had the book read to them, but have not read it themselves. Activities and questions.

Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordian. Teacher’s guides.

Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer.

American Girl stories and mysteries

Mistmantle Chronicles by M.I. McAllister

The Mistmantle Chronicles by M.I. McAllister,

Spy! by Anna Myers. Contact author for teacher’s guide.

Bone series by Jeff Smith. A teacher’s guide on Bone and graphic novels.

Bone by Jeff Smith

39 Clues series

If you haven’t read Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins get your hands on a copy if you can find one on the shelf, that is. This popular book has been gaining momentum and readers the past year. The sequel Catching Fire will be available September 1, 2009.

To extend your reading pleasure Scholastic has activities, a discussion guide (PDF) and downloads. YouTube has trailer and wishes from fans on who would be in the movie.

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Are you wanting to start a book club for boys in your area? There a several well done resources available online to start a boys reading group. Here’s what I’ve gleaned so far…

• When you approach the kids about the group, ask them what they like to read, keep a record of what they mention and read those books or books similar if you can’t get the ones they want.
• Let them name the group. It gives them a sense of ownership and involvement that you will listen to them and incorporate their ideas when appropriate. You can’t promise you’ll do everything, but that you will listen.
• Establish group rules at the beginning. This lets you maintain control, and a chance for everyone to be heard and their opinions expressed freely without criticism.
• It’s okay if you don’t have enough copies for everyone, they can share. It’s a good idea to plan several weeks/months ahead so the boys can read the books available while they are waiting.
• Don’t worry about good/bad literature; the last thing you want to be is like school, and they will branch out to other topics when they’re ready.
• Have activities that can go along with the books. Example: a book on Ford Mustang cars could lead to a showing or library display of either their drawings of their favorite Mustang or their own collection.
• Consider getting parents, especially dad, involved in the book group. Boys are more likely to read if they see other men reading. Encourage the parents, mom/dad, to read aloud. Reading aloud isn’t just for little kids, older kids still like it.
• Don’t be too discouraged if turnout waxes and wanes. The kids are busy with everything else in the world competing for their attention and even the big libraries have trouble getting kids to come to every meeting.

Websites to help you get started:

Getting Boys to Read, http://www.gettingboystoread.com – if you Twitter, you can follow the author: @MrMLibrarian – he has a lot of good advice and ideas for boys and reading. A few highlights: never underestimate the  joke books, boys can tend to read for information (think non-fiction books), they like any world records books and, if your teens are into them, graphic novels/comics rule.

Guys Read, http://www.guysread.com – Jon Scieska is the Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. He has an antholgy, Guys Write for Guys Read. That book can help get your group off the ground or unstuck if you run out of ideas.

Book Club 4 Boys, http://bookclub4boysinfo.blogspot.com – a mother of four boys, she has tips on starting a book club for boys of all ages.

Oklahoma Sequoyah Book Award winners and masterlists. They are all available for download online: http://www.oklibs.org/sequoyah/masterlists.htm

YALSA’s site on award winning/best books for teens. Especially: Best Books for Young Adults, Great Graphic Novels for Teens, Popular Paperbacks, and Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/booklistsbook.cfm.

Riveting Reads Plus: Boys into Books 5 -11, http://www.boysintobooks.co.uk/primary/pdf.php by School Library Journal.

Oh! And, food! Food in important. Have snacks for them. Kids love, love, love food. And, are more likely to show up.

It’s time to vote for December’s discussion book.

For children’s the nominated titles are:

• Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
• Adventures of Polo
• Clementine
• Rules

For young adult the nominated titles are:

• Hattie Big Sky
• Life As We Knew It
• Looking Glass Wars

There are two days left to suggest a titles for the children’s and young adult’s OK Book Club. Visit the forums to nominate your favorite title!
ps

Did you know…

When you are visiting a forum topic, you can click “Watch this Topic” and when there is a post in that topic an e-mail will be sent notifying you? Give it a try!

If you haven’t visited in awhile, I’ve done some updating to the CYA:Forums. I’ve deleted those forums that had no postings in them, and added a whole new section. Melissa and I have are periodically going through the forums and posting any and all information that looks good. Take a look!
What’s new:

CYA:Bookclub! I’ve started forums for children’s and young adult’s book selection and discussion.

The selection forums are where nominate or make your suggestions as to what book we all should read. On the 15th of each month, I’ll gather those titles together and post a poll for voting. The book with the most votes by the end of the month will be what we all read and discuss in the discussion forums.

Visit the forums and nominate a book for all of us to read and discuss!