[CALIBK12] LAUSD Lit Circles titles

[Murphy, Nora]

Lausd had recently adopted a new mandate (surprise, surprise) for all 8th grade ELA teachers.  7th and 6th grade ELA teachers are soon to follow.  All ELA teachers in the 8th grade will begin holding literacy circles in their classrooms.  This, in itself, is a good thing in my opinion (although these down-from-the-top mandates are always a bit abrasive).
 
The titles on the attached list were chosen by someone at the district level for the 8th grade classes.  According to the Literacy Coaches at my school, these are the required titles for all middle schools.  I've done a small amount of digging, and I am pretty sure that Library Services was not consulted about what went on this list.
 
Take a look.  I think I could have made a better list in about 10 minutes.
For one thing, Love That Dog and Diary of A Wimpy Kid would have been more appropriate on the 6th grade list.  John Connelly's The Book of Lost Things is a cool book, but it's not for young kids.  Yes, the boy in the story is 12.  Yes, it's fantasy.  I  argue that it is still a book for adults, or maybe older teens, but I think the average 13-year old kid wouldn't make it to page 43 where the plot really thickens.  I love House of the Scorpion and Uglies, but I wonder if the length of these two titles would make using them for Lit Circles difficult. What if one group of kids is reading Scorpion and another is reading Love That Dog?  It seems chaotic.
 
I believe that a better list (better for the teachers, better for the students) could have been compiled if Teacher Librarians had been involved.  This list is passable (I guess), but shouldn't it be great?
 
I also believe that Literacy Coaches at each school site should be consulting Teacher Librarians when making major book purchases (my school spent $23,000 on this without my knowledge).
 
Has anyone else encountered an issue like this?  As a Teacher Librarian, I feel that my expertise in the field of YA Literature needs to be more fully recognized at a district level.  The coaches don't read YA lit. They've made that clear to me.  Yet their superiors at the district, rather than mine, are creating lists of reading material for our students and teachers.  It doesn't make sense to me.  
 
If you are in a middle school in LAUSD, look into this at your school.  Is it happening?
If you teach elsewhere, I urge you to make sure your district respects the expertise that TL's hold in the area of YA Literature and as instructional leaders.
 
Nora G. Murphy 
Teacher Librarian 
LA Academy Middle School 
323-238-1834
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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