by Jack Humphrey

 

     The hype surrounding the Harry Potter books whips readers, young and not so young, into a frenzy.  Books fly off the shelves as the publishers (not to mention J.K. Rowling) kick up their heels in celebration.  Of course, the bottom line is money. After all, books are big, big business.

      No doubt, reading teachers everywhere would love to see their students reacting to other books as so many of them do to Ms. Rowling’s blockbusters. And, do you know, it’s entirely possible?  It’s all in the marketing. What we educators need to do is put our considerable imagination to work on ideas to pique students’ interest in books and make them fall in love with the excitement waiting in them as they anticipate Harry Potter and his adventures.  The possibilities for “selling” books to young readers are limited only by educators’ creativity.

           Everyone knows that publishers pour huge amounts of money into campaigns to persuade people to buy books.  Educators, of course, do not have the same financial resources, but what we do have is intelligence along with the keen awareness that the middle grades are critical for young adolescents as they make important life decisions that will either open or close many doors in their futures.

         Despite the fact that the School Library Printed Materials Grant was not funded by the state, schools absolutely must find ways to obtain and promote books.  Statistics prove students will read broadly and deeply if they are skillfully encouraged to do so and are provided with books that appeal to them.

      Every year the Association for Indiana Media Educators, a part of the Indiana Library Federation, selects 20 Young Hoosier Book Award nominees in three categories—primary, intermediate, and middle grades.  The books are simply wonderful, but a disturbing pattern is clear. Participation in the program drops steadily from primary to intermediate to middle grades. The total number of votes for the Young Hoosier Book Award picture book category (primary) was 59,960; intermediate 13,379: and middle grades 3,035. There were 243,720 students in grades six, seven, and eight in the 2006-2007 school year.  However, only 1.2 percent of Indiana’s middle grades students read a minimum of five of the books and then voted for their favorites.

      We need to pool our creative resources to reverse this abysmal trend. Indiana schools are so fortunate to have the Young Hoosier Book Award program available to them. It is imperative that we fund and vigorously promote it if we hope to encourage young people to embrace reading as pleasurable, exciting, and relevant. This means purchasing the necessary number of books for school libraries, promoting the books, and providing recognition for those students who participate and vote. Many schools have already ordered books, provided lists to parents, students, and teachers, and have enthusiastically jumped on the Young Hoosier Book Award bandwagon.  Let’s try to get this excitement sweep across the state.

            As evidenced by the voting for 2006-2007, the favorite title among Indiana middle grades students was Arrowhawk by prolific author, Peg Kehret.  With all due respect, let’s face the fact that J.K. Rowling is not the only appealing author writing for young people today. We need to find ways to create excitement among our students for the many enthralling books by talented writers on the Young Hoosier Book Award list … and beyond.

 

2007-2008 Young Hoosier Book Award Middle Grades Nominees For Freedom: The Story of a French Spy by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley The Warriors by Joseph Bruchac Code Orange by Caroline B. Cooney Dust to Eat: Drought and Depression in the 1930s by Michael L. Cooper Heartbeat by Sharon Creech The Black Canary by Jane Louise Curry The Missing Manatee by Cynthia DeFelice A House of Tailors by Patricia Reilly Giff The Old Willis Place: A Ghost Story by Mary Downing Hahn The Truth About Sparrows by Marian Hale Flush by Carl Hiassen Captured! A Boy Trapped in the Civil War by Mary Blair Immel Messenger by Lois Lowry Travel Team by Mike Lupica The Schwa Was Here by Neal Schusterman The Boys of San Joaquin by D. James Smith 101 Ways to Bug Your Teacher by Lee Wardlaw So B. It by Sarah Weeks Lonek’s Journey: The True Story of a Boy’s Escape to Freedom by Doris Bader Whiteman Each Little Bird That Sings by Debbie Wiles