Perry Meridian Middle School

            A great deal of attention has been paid to the needs of reluctant readers, and we all know that struggling readers need all the help we can give them. Let us not forget, however, that middle school students reading above grade level also need our help and resources. Through the Books for Advanced Middle Grades Readers project, we are meeting the important needs of a group of students, a group often overlooked in today’s educational climate. To that end, a committee of library media specialists, in cooperation with classroom teachers and advanced readers in grades six to eight throughout Indiana, collaborated to develop a list of recommended books for advanced readers in the middle school.  Begun in 2005, the committee’s work is ongoing, and the list is continually changing and evolving as the publishing world and advanced readers continue to change. The list of “Books for Advanced Middle Grades Readers” is available at <http://www.mgrn.evansville.edu/vocabulary.htm>.

     A major effort to meet the needs of advanced readers took root at a workshop I attended a few years ago during which several colleagues and I voiced our concerns about how difficult it was to find appropriate resources for middle grade students reading above grade level. Further discussion of the problem among many of Indiana’s library specialists and middle school teachers eventually led to action.

     Through the Middle Grades Reading Network (MGRN), I discovered a wealth of resources.  MGRN had already developed and posted a list of high interest/low readability  <http://www.mgrn.evansville.edu/5fall2005.htm> books for struggling readers in the middle grades. A high interest/high reader list could be an extension of those efforts.  The MGRN offered wholehearted support for our work to meet the needs of advanced readers.

     We began by soliciting volunteers to participate on our committee. Media specialists throughout Indiana also accepted the challenge to work not only with the committee but also with their teachers, classes, and students. The committee developed an initial reading list of books currently in print, mostly fiction, with an advanced reading level, high lexile or challenging intellectual content.

     Inspired by and adapted from a reader’s rubric developed by Denise Keogh, Tipton Middle School, the committee created and approved a post-reading assessment tool. Sharing the reading list, the participating schools’ media specialists collaborated with and also trained and taught teachers and students about the program. Advanced students read from the book list, completed an evaluation form, and then submitted it to the media specialists. Students could also recommend a book for consideration not found on the reading list.

     At the end of the semester, committee members turned in the completed reviews from their schools. Based on comments students offered on the evaluations and a numerical formula for a quantitative score, the reading list was narrowed to the nearly finalized list. This list was then reviewed by the committee. Committee members, using their own professional expertise, reviewed the list and participated in electronic discussion until we had a final list ready to post.

     The committee’s work extended beyond the posting of the list. Because the posted list of recommended books will require ongoing updates, we needed to go back to the beginning, starting the cycle all over again. During the school year’s first semester, we collected titles based on our own experiences, book reviews, and teacher and student recommendations. The committee updated and revised the reading list until we were satisfied with its readiness. During the second semester we would again work with teachers and students, turning in evaluations at the end of the semester. Evaluations would again be reviewed and used to revise and refine the posted list.

     It is the committee’s goal to provide intellectually stimulating and high reading level books that have been reviewed and recommended by students, educators, and committee members. Books were selected for review based on lexile, a published reading level, and/or the intellectually stimulating nature of the reading, which both stirs the imagination and intellect. If your school would like to be involved in the selection and review process, or if you would like to recommend a book or books (fiction and non-fiction) to be evaluated for possible inclusion in this list, please email me at <lpreddy@msdpt.k12.in.us>. Remember to check the website annually for an updated, revised list.

     When selecting a book for yourself, your students, or your child, please keep in mind that children mature at

different rates. Not every book is appropriate for every child at every age. When choosing a book, always rely on your wisdom and good judgment. Continue to encourage students and parents to read together as a family and enjoy lively discussions about what they are reading.

2006-2007 Advanced Readers’ Committee

Lesa Calleo, Rhoades Elementary

Lu Dayment, Greenwood Middle School

Peg DeMott, Lakeland Middle School

Karen Finney, Clay Middle School

Pamala Gasway, West Vigo Middle School

Susie Highley, Creston Middle School

Barbara Hult, Beech Grove Middle School

Jack Humphrey, MGRN

Denise Keogh, Tipton Middle School

Kym Kramer, ICAN Book Club

Jennifer Longgood, Northwestern Middle/Senior High Schools

John McDonald, Providence Jr. Sr. High

Kristina M. McGlaun. Jackson Creek Middle School

Leslie Preddy, Perry Meridian Middle School

Susan Robinson, Alexandria Middle School

Sarah Seligman, Zionsville Middle School

Beth Slightom. Fall Creek Valley Middle School