DEALING WITH A DEMAND FOR CENSORSHIP

1. Don't discuss the issue until you are prepared.



Are you fully prepared? What have you done to prepare? What do you have left to do? Have you given the person who is seeking to censor a book a form for "reconsideration of a book"? Have you made an appointment to discuss the book?





2. Write out a rationale for choosing and using the book with children if you have not already done so.



What was your rationale for choosing and using the book with children?





3. Make copies of reviews of the questioned book from professional reviewing journals.



Have you made copies of reviews? What sources have you checked for reviews? Why are they appropriate sources to use? Are there any sources you still have to check?





4. Notify your principal of the expressed concern. Give her or him copies of the reviews and of your rationale.

Have you provided all necessary information and material to your principal? Is there anything you still need to provide? Did the principal request any additional information, and have you provided it?





5. At your conference, explain the school's selection policy and present copies of the reviews of the book and the rationale explaining your reasons for selecting it.



What is your school's selection policy? What reviews and rationale best explain your reasons for choosing the book? How will you present this information to the concerned party?





6. Listen to the stated concern as objectively as possible.

Have you considered the issue from the other person's point of view? Can you objectively understand and address the person's stated concern? What is the person's concern, as you understand it? Is there another way to look at the issue?





7. Inform the person that the material will be reconsidered by the selection committee if he or she wishes it to be.

Does your school's selection committee reconsider material if someone objects to it? What steps does the committee follow?





8. Submit the reconsideration form to the book selection committee of librarians, teachers, and parent representatives for their discussion and decision.



Have you submitted the necessary forms to the book selection committee?





9. Inform the person expressing the concern what the committee decided and why.

How can you best explain the committee's decision to the concerned party? What concerns or reactions is the person likely to have? What questions should you be prepared to answer? Can the person choose to appeal to anyone else? Do you have all necessary contact information?

EVALUATING CHILDREN'S GROWTH AS READERS

1. Does the child love one book, many books, reading in general? List some of the child's favorite books.




2. Does the child become easily involved or easily distracted in reading a book? Explain.




3. Does the child predict, question, and confirm his way through a book? Is the child stronger or weaker in any of these skills?




4. Does the child prefer one genre, author, or illustrator over others? Is she aware of her preference? Can she recognize characteristics of genre, author, or illustrator? What are the child's preferences or dislikes?




5. Is the child a flexible reader who reads easily in several genres, who reads often and quickly? What genres does the child read? How often does the child switch between genres?




6. Can the child select books that satisfy him? Is he open to suggestions from other readers? What is the child's response to suggestions versus self-selections?




7. What kinds of understandings and awareness do the child's products reveal?




8. Does the child visualize, identify with, become involved with, or understand the motives of characters? Is the child stronger or weaker in any of these skills?




9. Does the child visualize settings? How does the child express the visualizations?




10. What connections does the child make between a particular book and others by the same illustrator or author? Of the same genre? With the same theme? What patterns does she see?




11. What kind of thematic statements does the child make? Can he see a book title as a metaphor for a larger idea? Explain.




12. What connection does the child make between literature and life?




13. What questions does the child's reading raise for her?




14. What literary elements, such as prologues, unique dedications, interesting chapter titles, language use, or narrative style, does the child notice? What literary elements does the child ignore?




15. How are these reading patterns changing as the school years progress?




16. Is the child voluntarily reading more at school? At home?




17. Is the child responding to a greater range and complexity of work? How is the child's reading range expanding?

EVALUATING A LITERATURE PROGRAM

Availability of Books and Other Media

• Is there a school library media center in each elementary school building? Does it meet American Library Association standards for books and other media? Which standards does it meet? Which standards still need to be met?




• Is there a professionally trained librarian and adequate support staff in each building? How many librarians and support staff are available? How many are needed?




• Does every classroom contain several hundred paperbacks and a changing collection of hardbacks? How many paperbacks are in every classroom? How often do hardback collections change?




• Are reference books easily accessible to each classroom? Where are the reference books located? How do classrooms access the books? What steps must teachers follow?




• May children purchase books in a school-run paperback bookstore?




• Do teachers encourage children to order books through various school book clubs? To which school book clubs do teachers subscribe? Are there any clubs that should be added?




• May children take books home? What are the rules for borrowing books? Do the children know and understand the rules?




• Are children made aware of the programs of the public library? How? Is the method effective? If not, what changes need to be made to fully promote the programs?

Time for Literature

• Do all children have time to reach books of their own choosing every day? How does the school provide this time? Who is responsible for making sure such opportunities exist?




• Do all teachers read to the children once or twice a day?




• Do children have time to discuss their books with an interested adult or with other children every day? How much discussion time is set aside for children every day? When is it scheduled?




• Are children allowed time to interpret books through art, drama, music, or writing? Are any of those options unavailable to children on a regular basis?




• Do children seem attentive and involved as they listen to stories? Do they ask to have favorites reread? Do they get to choose what books the teacher reads aloud?




• Is literature a part of all areas, across the curriculum? How?

Motivating Interest

• Do teachers show their enthusiasm for books by sharing new ones with children, reading parts of their favorite children's books, discussing them, and so on? How do the children respond to a teacher's enthusiasm or lack thereof?




• Do classroom and library displays call attention to particular books? How often do the displays change? Who decides what books to display?




• Are children encouraged to set up book displays in the media center, the halls, and their classrooms? How often?




• Does the media specialist plan special events—such as story hours, book talks, sharing films, working with book clubs? What events does the media specialist plan for children?




• Do teachers and librarians work with parents to stimulate children's reading? How? Is the collaboration effective? If not, are there ways to make it more effective?




• Are special bibliographies prepared by the librarians or groups of children on topics of special interest—mysteries, animal stories, science fiction, fantasy, and so on? List some special interest topics that have been covered or that could be covered.




• Are opportunities planned for contacts with authors and illustrators to kindle interest and enthusiasm for reading? How often? What authors and illustrators live or visit the area?

Balance in the Curriculum

• Do teachers and librarians try to introduce children to a wide variety of genres and to different authors when reading aloud? What genres are students introduced to?




• Do teachers share poetry as frequently as prose? What is the balance of poetry to prose reading in the classroom?




• Do children read both fiction and nonfiction? What is the balance of fiction to nonfiction reading in the classroom?




• Are children exposed to new books and contemporary poems as frequently as some of the old favorites of both prose and poetry? How often do children read contemporary literature, as opposed to old favorites?




• Do children have a balance of wide reading experiences with small-group, in-depth discussion of books? What reading experiences are offered to students?

Evaluating Children's Growth as Readers

• Do children keep reading logs or records of their free reading? What sorts of entries do they tend to write?




• Do older students (grade 3 and up) keep a response journal of their reading? What sorts of entries are they encouraged to write?




• Do teachers record examples of children's growth and understanding of literature as revealed in their play, talk, art, or writing? How often?




• Do students and teachers together create an assessment portfolio with samples of children's best work? How is this process accomplished?




• Are children allowed to respond to books in a variety of ways (art, drama, writing), rather than by required book reports? What response options do children have access to?




• Is depth of understanding emphasized, rather than the number of books read? How?




• Are children responding to a greater range and complexity of work? What progression have you seen?




• What percentage of the children can be described as active readers? Has this percentage increased?




• Are some children beginning to see literature as a source of lifelong pleasure? How can you tell?

Evaluating Teachers' Professional Growth

• Are teachers increasing their knowledge of children's literature? In what ways?




• What percentage of the staff have taken a course in children's literature in the past five years?




• Are some staff meetings devoted to ways of improving the use of literature in the curriculum? How often?




• Do teachers attend professional meetings that feature programs on children's literature? What opportunities are available?




• Are in-service programs in literature made available on a regular basis? What sorts of programs are offered?




• Are in-service programs, such as administering the running record or the Miscue Analysis, given regularly?




• Are such professional journals as New Advocate, Horn Book Magazine, Book Links, and School Library Journal available to teachers and librarians? Are any of these resources not available?




• Are professional books on children's literature available? Which books are available?




• Have the teachers and librarians had a share in planning their literature programs? What process is used to plan literature programs in the school? Who participates?




• Do teachers feel responsible not only for teaching children to read but also for helping children find joy in reading? Explain.