Prior to commencing my sixteen-week student teaching placement in Fort Wayne, I received a call from my Children’s Literature professor, Wenda Clement, at Indiana Wesleyan University.  She asked if I would be interested in participating in a Middle Grades Reading Network program throughout my student teaching semester.  Instantly, red flags began to wave, warning me not to jump in too deep.  Student teaching was a big deal, and I was reluctant to add another task to my load.  However, after an explanation of the Middle Grades Reading Network, I quickly accepted the assignment.  Delighted by the 50 wonderful hardback novels that arrived on my doorstep, I began flipping through the pages, searching for a creative way to present the books to my class.

            Quickly I remembered the Newbery release earlier in the year.  I was among several adults at the bookstore, anxious to purchase the award-winning novel A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park.  I thought it quite curious that there were very few students buying the novel.  Yet the novel was intended for young readers. This thought reminded me that students aren’t lured into buying or reading a book for the same reasons that adults are; instead, they use creative means to pick their next literature selections.

            Critics write their recommendations with adults in mind, not necessarily children.  How often does a student beg to go to a bookstore because Newsweek has claimed that the latest Christopher Paul Curtis novel is “marvelous . . . both comic and deeply moving”?  Admittedly, the answer is, Hardly ever.  Instead, students are more interested in reading books based on word of mouth.  They are intrigued by novels based on their personal experience as well as recommendations from their peers.  If a student has read a book by the same author in the past, he or she is more apt to pick up a new book by that same author.

            Using this thought, I created an idea called “And the Critics Say . . .” to incorporate the donated books into the classroom setting.  All of the books are available for students to read for pleasure.  Once books are read, students complete a critic form, which asks for a recommendation, main characters, plot, and a ranking from 1 to 10.  These critic forms are placed so all students have immediate access to them.  It has worked wonderfully thus far.  Students read the recommendations for various books based on what their classmates think, not a middle-aged man sitting in the Newsweek office in New York.  Recommendations from peers are much more powerful than those of individuals who are far removed from the students’ frame of reference. 

             Closer to the conclusion of my student teaching placement, I am planning to have a Critic Fest.  At this fest, the students will share their highly recommended book choices with the class, explaining why they think the book should receive an award.  We are looking forward to this activity, as well as the remainder of the semester with this wonderful gift of books!

            Students have received the books with open arms and are excited about the presence of “new books” in the classroom.  They are a phenomenal success, and we express our extreme gratitude for the honor of participating in this program.  As a teacher on the verge of graduation, I look forward to continuing this program in my future classroom.  Reading for pleasure takes on a whole new dimension when students are given an important role, such as being critics.  Overall, we give the Middle Grades Reading Network “two thumbs up!”