Creating and sustaining readers is challenging in today's world where test scores are emphasized over developing a love of reading. Some key strategies discussed for public libraries include providing choice in materials, maintaining engaging displays and sections for tweens, hosting author visits, and promoting summer reading programs to prevent summer learning loss. Building trust with young readers and providing guidance and enthusiasm are important for targeting readers and sustaining lifelong reading habits.

1. Creating and Sustaining Readers
Teri S. Lesesne
Sam Houston State University
Department of Library Science

3. Here is the real problem…
People are so desperate to raise test
scores that we could well end up with a
nation full of kids who can pass tests but
can neither read critically nor enjoy the
act of reading itself.
P. David Pearson
February 2003

4. Some Important Notes
 Twitter
 @professornana
 Email
 terilesesne@gmail.com
 YAPP
 http://my.yapp.us/CA8H6B

5. http://my.yapp.us/CA8H6B

6. Why Naked Reading?
 A naked child
 A drive with an author
 Some great research findings
 A late night inspiration

7. The naked child in question

8. A drive with an author

9. The research?
 Vickey Giles, 2006
 Karen Sue Gibson, 2003
 Replicating Livaudais, 1982

10. The questions?
 What could someone do BEFORE you
read to make you WANT/HATE to read?
 What could someone do AFTER you
read to make you WANT/HATE to read?

11. The late night inspiration?
T-A-R-G-E-T

12. T-A-R-G-E-T
 TRUST
 ACCESS
 RESPONSE
 GUIDANCE
 ENTHUSIASM
 TWEEN AND TEEN APPEAL

13. Starting with the Basics

14. • a happy memory from when you were 10 years old
• a sad memory from when you were 11 years old
•an embarrassing memory from when you were 12
years old
• a great memory from when you were 13 years old
•a “traumatic” memory from when you were 14 years
old

15. How different were your memories
from the person next to you? They
may have been very different or
there may have been some
similarities.

17. Defining Tweens
 Tweens is a fluid definition  meaning
that different cognitive, emotional, and
social developments happen at different
rates in different adolescents. Some 10
year olds may have begun physically
developing while others may not see
these changes until they are 13.
Anderson, 2007

19. Some Physical Basics
 Tweens and early teens are being
bombarded by hormones and begin to
develop reproductively (i.e. breasts,
pubic hair, etc.)*
 Many experience a growth surge. Guys
get taller, and girls get rounder.
 Many experience a hormonal
rollercoaster – becoming moody and
seemingly different over night.
Pruitt, 1999

21. Some Psychological Basics
 Their reasoning capabilities rise to new
levels of complexity.
 The adolescent is learning how to
handle adult responsibilities.
 By age 12, he or she will be able to think
about possibilities, consider hypotheses,
think ahead, consider the thought
process, and think beyond conventional
limits.
Pruitt, 1999

22. More Psychological Basics
 Increased ability to use abstract verbal
concepts.
 Increased ability to engage in abstract
thought to engage in issues like politics,
religion and morality.
 During the middle school years, moral
development continues to evolve as the
adolescent becomes more aware the
relationship between the individual and
society.
Pruitt, 1999

24. Social Development Basics
 Expected increase in freedom
 Move away from family toward peers
 Likely to have best friends of the similar
social and ethnic backgrounds.
 In 7th grade, the above holds true PLUS
they want friends with similar attitudes
and values.
 Peer approval and acceptance grows
more important.
Pruitt, 1999

25. Social Development Basics
 Rely on friends for everything from
companionship to understanding.
 In middle school, the more a child is
pressured by peers, the greater the
chance he or she will go along or join in.
Pruitt, 1999

28.  Anderson, S. (2007). Serving young teens and „tweens. Westport, CT:
Libraries Unlimited.
 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. (1999). Your
adolescent: Emotional, behavioral, and cognitive development from early
adolescence through the teen years. New York: Harper Collins.
 Zuckerman, D. (2001). When little girls become women: Early onset of
puberty in girls. The Ribbon, 6(1).

29. So…
 List at least 2 ways you believe tweens
and teens are different.
 How do these differences, then, affect
what you will do in terms of meeting
those differences?

30. CREATING AND SUSTAINING
READ ALOUD IN LISTEN TO AUDIOBOOKS
EXCITING VOICE

31. CREATING AND SUSTAINING
MEET THE AUTHOR “SPECIALIZE” IN
AUTHOR

32. CREATING AND SUSTAINING
LET ME PICK ANY BOOK I USE READING LADDERS
LIKE TO HELP THEM DEVELOP

33. CREATING AND SUSTAINING
HAVE A CLASSROOM TAKE THEM TO THE
LIBRARY LIBRARY

34. CREATING AND SUSTAINING
 http://professornana.
livejournal.com/
 http://tinyurl.com/
dlelcc
SEE THE MOVIE BASED HAVE THEM CREATE
ON THE BOOK BOOK TRAILERS

35. CREATING AND SUSTAINING
READING BOOKS WITH STUDYING GNs and
PICTURES IN THEM MANGA

37. The questions?
 What could someone do BEFORE you
read to make you WANT/HATE to read?
 What could someone do AFTER you
read to make you WANT/HATE to read?

38. What could someone do to make you want
to read BEFORE you read?
K-12
 Being allowed to choose any book
you want to read

40. What could someone do to make
you want to read BEFORE you
read?
K-12
 Having a classroom library

41. How does this translate to the
public library?
 Displays
 Separate section for tweens
 Carts or trucks or stacks reserved for
tweens
 Ideas?

42. Why is this important?

43. What could someone do to
make you want to read
BEFORE you read?
K-12
 Having the teacher read a book or
chapter a day

44. Include read alouds as part of
book talks

45. It takes minutes

46. What could someone do to
make you want to read
BEFORE you read?
K-12
 Having the teacher take you to the
library

47. PL Translation?
 Visit the school with library card
applications.
 Invite the class to come to the library on
a field trip.
 Host a teacher night and present all you
can provide for them.
 Do the same for parents.

48. Why the library?

49. Translation for PL?
 SRP
 Research shows slump during summer can
be ameliorated by kids reading books over
vacation.
 Need circ stats that show how kids are
accessing PL.

50. What could someone do to make
you want to read BEFORE you
read?
6-12
 Meeting the author

51. In person or via Skype

52. Father-Son effort

53. What could someone do to make
you want to read BEFORE you
read?
6-12
 Seeing the movie or television production of
a book.

54. Compare books to movies

56. What could someone do to
make you want to read
BEFORE you read?
6-12
 Being allowed to read books with lots
of pictures in them.

57. PSB for Older Readers

58. Tiny Lessons

59. Classics

60. Graphic Novels

61. T-A-R-G-E-TING
READERS

62. WE NEED TO BE THE EXPERTS
OR WE RUN THE RISK
OF PROGRAMS TAKING OVER

63. 63

64. 5th grade
Rank Boys Girls Both Level
1 WIMPY WIMPY WIMPY 5.2
2 WIMPY WIMPY WIMPY
3 WIMPY WIMPY WIMPY
4 HA TCHET NUMBER NUMBER 4.5
5.9 STARS STARS
5 NUMBER TWILIGHT HATCHET
STARS 5.7
64

65. 6TH GRADE
RANK BOYS GIRLS BOTH LEVEL
1 WIMPY TWILIGHT WIMPY
2 WIMPY NEW MOON WIMPY
3 WIMPY ECLIPSE TWILIGHT
4 HATCHET WIMPY WIMPY
5 NUMBER BREAKING HATCHET
STARS DAWN
65

66. 7TH GRADE
RANK BOYS GIRLS BOTH LEVEL
1 OUTSIDERS TWILIGHT TWILIGHT
2 WIMPY NEW MOON NEW MOON
3 WIMPY ELCIPSE ECLIPSE
4 GIVER BREAKING BREAKING
DAWN DAWN
5 TWILIGHT OUTSIDERS OUTSIDERS
66

67. 8TH GRADE
RANK BOYS GIRLS BOTH LEVEL
1 OUTSIDERS TWILIGHT TWILIGHT
2 GIVER NEW MOON NEW MOON
3 TWILIGHT ECLIPSE ECLIPSE
4 NEW MOON BREAKING BREAKING
DAWN DAWN
5 WIMPY OUTSIDERS OUTSIDERS
67

68. TRUST means knowing the
books they need and want

69. TRUST

72. A is for ACCESS

73. ACCESS

74. Accessing Archetypes

75. R IS FOR RESPONSE

76. Response

77. GUIDANCE

78. Nonfiction Reading
Ladder
Historical
Horizontal

79. 79

80. 80

86. 86

87. E IS FOR ENTHUSIASM

88. ENTHUSIASM

89. TWEEN AND TEEN APPEAL

90. Tween Appeal

91. WHAT WE HOPE TO DO:

92. 92

93. 93

94. 94

95. 95

96. 96

97. 97

98. 98

99. 99

100. 100

101. 101

102. 102

103. 103

104. 104

105. 105

106. 106

107. 107

108. 108

109. 109

120. TO DO THIS:

121. NEW RULES
 You have the right to read the last
chapter first.
 You have the right to read the last
chapter first and then put the book back
on the shelf.
 You have the right to refuse to read any
book where you don't like the picture of
the author.

122. NEW RULES
 You have the right to ignore all critics.
 You have the right to read the book spine
of the person sitting next to you, even on a
plane. And if you can't make it out, you
have the right to ASK.
 You have the right to stop reading a book
whenever you decide it's not worth the
effort, or that you simply don't like it.
 You have the right to refuse to read any
book anyone else picks out for you. Even if
it's a birthday present.
122

123. NEW RULES
 You have the right to ignore all of these
rules and do whatever you please as
long as it's civil.
 When you find that you're dawdling on
your way back to a book, ditch it.
123

124. Finally…
 You have the right to read a book and not
take a test or create a diorama or write a
report or do ANYthing.
124

126. ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE
AND