The Reading Nook

7th Grade English/Library Assignment

Why Is This Book Notable?

You will be assigned, randomly, from a large selection of Fiction, Nonfiction, Biography, and Poetry books from the Children’s Notable Books lists of the past 10 years. You are to pretend that you are a member of the Notable Books for Children Committee and your task is to NOMINATE the book once you have finished reading it.

After reading your selection, you are to write the following:

1. An ANNOTATION of the book – in 35 words or fewer.
2. A short paragraph (between 80 to 120 words) delineating some reasons why this particular book is NOTABLE. (See attached examples from 2008 Notables Committee.)

Notable Books for Children Criteria

Notable is defined as: Worthy of note or notice, important, distinguished, and outstanding. As applied to children’s books, notable should be thought to include books of especially commendable quality, books that exhibit venturesome creativity, and books of fiction, information, poetry and pictures for all age levels (through age 14) that reflect and encourage children’s interests in exemplary ways. The evaluation criteria to be used are:

(1) literary quality;
(2) originality of text and illustration;
(3) clarity and style of language;
(4) excellence of illustration;
(5) excellence of design and format;
(6) subject matter of interest and value to children;
(7) the likelihood of acceptance by children.
Assignment Sheet:
Name: ______________________ English Section: ___________ Core, A B C

Notable Children’s Books Assignment

AUTHOR:

TITLE:

COPYRIGHT DATE:

(circle one)

FICTION GENERAL NONFICTION POETRY BIOGRAPHY

(You may hand-write or paste typed entries here.)

ANNOTATION

RATIONALTE
Here are some examples:

Author: Miller, Kristen
Title: Empress’s Tomb, The
Copyright Date: 2007

Annotation
The Bank Street Irregulars, a secret gang of girl geniuses fighting crimes in New York, are faced with life-threatening dangers, secrets, and betrayals in this second installment of the fast-paced, intelligent, and highly imaginative series.

Rationale
The adrenaline-inducing adventures in this story of an intelligent group of girl outcasts are only part of the fun. Add to the fast paced mysteries is the sassy and snappy tone of the narrator (Ananka, the bookworm and researcher,) and the always amusing list of “how-tos” at the end of each chapter. In the series’ first volume, the girls’ bickering was never addressed and left the reader wondering how they could work together as “best buddies” if they are so mean-spirited toward each other. In this volume, however, the verbal duels are dealt with in manners that reflect young teens’ reality. The important events in the first book are quickly and sufficiently summarized for those readers who have not read the first book and for those who need a memory refresher, reducing any confusion and making this a stand-alone reading experience.

Author: Park, Linda Sue
Title: Tap Dancing on the Roof
Subtitle: Sijo (Poems)
Classification: Nonfiction/Poetry
Illustrator(s): Banyai, Istvan
Copyright Date: 2007

Annotation
A collection of whimsical Sijo poems, accompanied by equally playful and often surprising illustrations, introduce readers and poets-to-be to this traditional Korean short poetry form.

Rationale
The fact that this collection introduces an unfamiliar (to most Americans) but traditional Korean poetic form and its basic construction rules is in itself of note. But this book is so much more: the elegant and yet child-like designs and illustrations make poring through the book a visually pleasing experience. Above all, the poems themselves are worth celebrating. Park’s sense of humor and understanding of a child’s life come through clearly and the range of subject matters, from school lunches, to tennis, to a summer day on the beach, will speak equally well to both boy and girl readers.
Author: Curtis, Christopher Paul
Title: Elijah of Buxton
Classification: Fiction
Copyright Date: 2007

Annotation
Elijah, spirited and intelligent first free born resident of Buxton, a 1850s settlement of former slaves, relates the colorful life of his hometown in humorous episodes before having to face a horrific turn of events.

Rationale
This is Curtis at his best. His brand of humor is more polished here with increasing depth as the story moves along. Elijah’s tale becomes a lot less funny the last fifth of it, but this drastic shift in tone makes the story more affective and powerful. No matter how the narrative tone shifts, the traits and characteristics of the intelligent, highly-spirited, and loveable Elijah remain consistent and true: whether he’s running into weird and humorous situations or life-changing, world-shattering events.

Author: Bishop, Nic
Title: Spiders
Classification: Nonfiction
Copyright Date: 2007

Annotation
Detailed color photographs and clear text present an international array of spiders, with information about how they eat, molt, fight, court, mate and lay eggs.

Rationale
Bishop’s extensive research and skill as a photographer shine in a treatment that’s miles above most books about spiders for children. Well-captioned, high-resolution photographs integrate beautifully with the child-focused text. A center gatefold depicts a jumping spider in action, and details of anatomy and behavior are both explicated and clearly illustrated throughout. Aftermatter includes an author’s note, index and glossary.

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