800s: Skill Sets: Personal and Academic

Writing is an important part of most curriculums, but there is little for students in terms of interesting how-to books. One of the series discussed below aims to help them in this endeavor, whether they pursue it on their own or as part of an assignment. Another series targets school projects in general, while a third discusses a more serious issue: dealing with personal problems, including bullying, that affect so many children today.

Gr 2-5–These titles feature a selection of fictional case studies. After a child (and sometimes her friends or family members) explains the problem and her reaction, the author provides a list of choices the girl could make, followed by an explanation of what she chose and why. Although each book includes a few pages of background information about its topic, the emphasis is on the case studies, inviting reader participation. Each scenario addresses a slightly different situation; for example, When People Die includes children dealing with the death of parents, siblings, friends, and grandparents. Divorce, Stepfamily, and New Baby focus mostly on the emotions (sadness, anger, fear, guilt, uncertainty, loneliness, and jealousy) that kids experience with family changes. Hewitt is careful to show multiple perspectives; Bullying and Racism, for example, tell stories from the point of view of both victims and perpetrators. Each title ends with a dialogue between two kids explaining how they successfully coped with the issue. The large font size, inviting layout, and color photos (with a multicultural cast of characters) will attract students, including reluctant readers, though the format is also ideal for use by teachers or counselors who want to encourage classroom discussion. Unfortunately, the kids' voices in the scenarios don't always sound authentic, and the solutions are covered so briefly they sometimes seem simplistic. In addition, the word “gang” is used in the British sense (meaning a group of friends), and, though defined in the glossary, this may confuse American readers.

Gr 7 Up–Young writers of fiction can build their skills with the helpful advice and exercises in these books. Each title introduces the basics of one or two aspects of writing, followed by illustrative passages from literature. Most examples are taken from classics, but some come from contemporary authors such as J.K. Rowling and Barbara Kingsolver. In Dialogue, young authors learn the importance of showing, rather than telling, when developing a character, as well as creating well-developed protagonists and antagonists, memorable minor characters, and natural-sounding dialogue. Crafting a vivid fictional world is the focus of Imagery, which highlights the use of images that appeal to the senses, word choice, and figurative language. Wording encourages authors to find their own voice, explaining the difference between literary and direct styles and detailing the importance of rhythm, tone, and atmosphere in fiction writing. Narration covers the choice of a narrator and viewpoint, including multiple and unreliable narrators. Each volume concludes with several suggested exercises. Bodden's clear, readable texts turn what could be dry topics into engaging narratives. Although the stock photos and clip-art illustrations are unlikely to draw browsers, young writers who pick up these works will find valuable guidance. English teachers may also wish to utilize the series; the exercises are ideal for classroom use, and the information on writing fundamentals is as helpful to readers as it is to authors.

Gr 4-6–These titles introduce the qualities emphasized in the “Character Counts” program, used in many schools around the country. Each title is divided into three chapters; the first defines the trait and gives examples of kids, famous people, or organizations that demonstrate it–for example, Caring highlights Princess Diana. The second chapter explains the importance of the characteristic in both history and contemporary society; Citizenship, for instance, discusses the Boston Tea Party and today's voter turnout. The final section shows how the quality under discussion is important in students' own lives, explaining what steps they can take to develop it. Each book has the same introduction by the founder of Character Counts, as well as an identical section on decision making at the end. Some topics, such as the responsibility for the Holocaust, are definitely aimed at older readers, and it is disappointing that there are some punctuation and capitalization errors, and misspellings. All titles are illustrated with color photos and contain lists of recommended Web sites and fiction and nonfiction books related to the pillars that teachers will appreciate. Although the format and writing style are unlikely to attract students on their own, the books could be useful in schools that employ the Character Counts program.

Gr 4-7-Students looking to complete a variety of school assignments successfully will find the help they need in these well-organized, visually-appealing guides. Each title breaks the task into small steps and provides checklists at the end of the chapters so that students can track their progress. Oral Reports and Written Reports contain similar information on choosing appropriate topics, researching, choosing visual aids, organizing facts and preparing the final product. In Studying, readers first determine how they learn best and then use that knowledge to set up an ideal study space, discover how to get the most out of reading textbooks and other sources, and find out how to study for and take tests. Anyone who does group work will appreciate the tips in Team Projects, which gives hints on choosing an assignment, collaborating as a unit, doing library research, and pulling together the final product. A list of sample project ideas is included. Each title stresses the importance of time management and encourages students to use graphic organizers to structure their work. Readers are advised to use the library before getting online, though it is disappointing that the books several times refer to card catalogs, with no mention of their computer counterparts. The texts are broken up with helpful hints, color photographs, sample charts and organizers, and even fun items like puzzles and tongue twisters. This series will not only be useful to students wanting to improve their skills, but also to teachers guiding their classes through the preparation of school projects.

Most libraries should consider “School Projects Survival Guides” and “The Art of Creative Prose.” Those in need of additional bibliotherapy titles (or who are interested in the participatory format) will want to look at the “How Can I Deal with…” series, especially Bullying and Racism. Given its hit-or-miss presentation, “The Six Pillars of Character” should only be considered by schools using the “Character Counts” program.

Research, Writing, and Arithmetic: Series Nonfiction on the New Three R's (Spring 2009)