Article Alert!

*NOTE: Another of my internship requirements is to read articles and provide abstracts/comments in my blog. When you see an entry entitled "Article Alert!" it's going to feature an article abstract.

Smith, Vicki. Disappearing Children's Books (2006). School Library Journal. 1 June 2006. School Library Journal. 24 June 2009 .

• Vicki Smith's article discusses the lack of good fiction novels written for children ages 8-12. Smith also tries to get readers (specifically those who evaluate children's literature) to define what a children's book really is. The article discusses the fact that many recent releases seem more directed to the young adult audience or to young reader's with a higher reading or comprehension level. What are we to do to keep the attention of reader's who aren't quite part of this group?
• This is an issue I noticed while compiling lists of books for this age range for a couple of class assignments over the past few semesters. Many of the novels that claimed they were suitable for ages 8-10 didn't seem like they were and I could not for the life of me figure out how a novel could be suitable for ages 7-18. Children not only read at different levels but mature at different rates too, and the two things may not correspond at all. This is an issue I'll continue to think about and keep an eye on.