Amazing Jane

What comes to mind when you think of Jane Yolen?

Owl Moon? How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? (Or one of the other 14 books in that series?) Perhaps you are better acquainted with one of her other titles. After all, she has published more than 400. And this prolific writer, now 85 years old, is still writing every day and selling her work.

The first thing that comes to mind for me is the stab of pain I felt when I learned her father never read one of her books. He told her they weren’t real books because they were for children.

Gasp.

It seems unfathomable, doesn’t it? The world of children’s literature is vast, enriching the lives, understanding, and vocabulary of readers of any age. (For example, I just finished the new middle-grade novel Ferris by Kate DiCamillo and loved it.)

Unfortunately, I run into similar misconceptions at school. A second grader informs me their mom wants them to practice chapter books and they aren’t allowed to bring picture books home anymore. Or a third grader tells me their teacher won’t allow them to select graphic novels. I feel the same sting that I did above.

What can we do?

1. We can be voracious readers of a wide variety of children’s literature ourselves. This deep immersion prepares us to select perfectly timed read-alouds, no matter what form they come in. It also prepares us to help instill a lifelong love of reading by helping us match students with books.
2. We can share wonderful, rich, deep picture books as read-alouds with every age group. One book I like to share with older students is Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by Jeff Gottesfeld. This March was the 98th anniversary of having soldiers guard this sacred and iconic memorial. How sad it would be if our 12-year-olds were denied this title because it is a picture book.  
3. We can book-talk picture books, novels, nonfiction, and graphic novels to pique interest among our readers. I would hate for students to miss out on When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed because someone thought graphic novels were not real books.

If you are curious about the amazing Jane Yolen, check out her books and learn more about her.