So how do you keep the kids reading through the distractions of a long summer? Education professor Violet Harris studies children's literature, with specific interests in multicultural literature, African American literacy, and trends in children's book publishing. She also is co-chair of a first-of-its-kind Youth Literature Festival, coming to Champaign-Urbana and the surrounding area in early October. (More than 20 authors and illustrators are scheduled to attend and visit area schools over two days, followed by a day of family activities on the U. of I. campus and in the community.) Harris was interviewed by News Bureau education editor Craig Chamberlain.
The main goal of your upcoming festival is "putting literature at the heart of our lives." Why do you believe the love of reading and literature is so important in a child's life and development?
Literature provides children with chances to revel in language, grapple with ideas, ponder age-old themes, slip into a mood evoked by imagery, and quite simply, a chance to spend time in another's world. Enjoyment is the key, though that does not mean that each book or story ends happily-ever-after or without the possibility of producing many different emotions.
In an age of television, the Internet, video games and other distractions, how can parents encourage reading for the fun of it?
Accept and value children's choices and look for ways to make connections to new media and technologies. Relax. Books have been challenged by many technologies - radio, phonographs, television - yet the number of books published for children remains at approximately 5,000-plus per year. Look for book adaptations of popular films and television shows. Share audio versions of books. Explore authors' Web sites. Look at sites like noflyingnotights.com, which caters to the interest of many youth in manga, animae and graphic novels. Lastly, try to discover the kinds of characters and/or themes that are prevalent in television shows and other media and find comparable literature with the help of local librarians, who are always eager to help.
What can you do with a child who doesn't like to read at all?
You must find out as much about the child's interests as possible and share materials that relate to those interests. A child may be totally mesmerized by boats, for instance. There are numerous books for children about boats and ships. Share and read those books to the child, or have them listen to audio versions on CD. As they become more comfortable with the books, you may notice a change in attitude.
Should parents worry about the child who only reads comic books or teen magazines?
No, they shouldn't. Children who are not interested in reading novels or informational books, or who have reading difficulties, often enjoy this type of material. The offerings are quite varied, including teen heartthrobs, fashion and sports, but also religious themes, and dozens of other topics. I often recommend comic books for boys who are reluctant readers, and they are often surprised and quite happy to have something that appeals to them. Parents can gently encourage other types of reading as the child requests it, or as they discover books with parallel themes or characters.
You've done extensive study on multicultural children's literature. Why are these books important?
No culture or group of people has a monopoly on creativity. Each group is capable of creating wonderful or mediocre art, music and literature. One common element in all is that the artist wishes to share her/his perspective with others. I believe that it is vitally important for each child to develop the understanding that they can enter into the fictive, artistic or musical world of any artist, and can expect to respond to the work on many levels.
What do you look for in a children's book and how do you judge that it's a good one?
Language and the writer's use of language is a major factor for me. Characterization comes next, along with theme. These are fairly traditional criteria. But I also enjoy unique ways of telling age-old stories.
What are some good online resources for finding the best books?
Some excellent resources include the S-Collection at our campus's Education and Social Sciences Library; the Center for Children's Books, also at Illinois; the Cooperative Children's Book Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as well as sites for Reading is Fundamental, the American Library Association, the International Reading Association, the National Council of Teachers of English, and publishing company sites.