Sue C. Kimmel

Critical Literacy Performances in Online Literature Discussions

In today’s media-laden environment, the ability to read text from a critical literacy perspective is imperative, particularly for librarians who influence children’s reading choices and behaviors. This study examines the critical literacy performances of students in an online, asynchronous, graduate-level children’s literature course using a qualitative approach to content analysis. The findings indicate that students performed critical literacy in four ways: (1) they unpacked the social identities and norms evident in the books, (2) considered characters and events from multiple viewpoints, (3) interrogated issues of power, authority, and agency and (4) analyzed the historical, cultural, and sociopolitical contexts of the books. While the findings reveal critical literacy can be enacted in the context of online courses, students’ critically literate thinking was sometimes limited and superficial, suggesting students’ understanding of critical literacy could be deepened with additional instruction and scaffolding.

Common Core and Common Good: Educational Standards and the Future of Libraries

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) initiative for K–12 education has been adopted by 45 states and will have a broad impact on American educational institutions, including libraries. The CCSS focus on close reading of informational texts, inquiry learning, and college and career readiness with an emphasis on assessment and accountability. This research study used a focus-group approach to provide a framework for asking school librarians from two states about the future of teaching and learning and the types of challenges they envision for the future. The data collected were then aligned with CCSS to better understand the potential impact for patrons of all types of libraries.

“It Was . . . the Word ‘Scrotum’ on the First Page”: Educators’ Perspectives of Controversial Literature:

Preemptive censorship occurs when educators avoid particular books because they dislike the ideas or values the books contain or fear the controversy the books may evoke. Although not as blatant as other forms of censorship, preemptive censorship has the unfortunate consequence of restricting children’s access to ideas and information. Moreover, preemptive censorship violates students’ intellectual freedom and right to read. In this study, we employ critical discourse analysis to examine discussions by preservice teachers and school librarians as they responded to a controversial children’s book. Our analysis of the discussions revealed that many preservice educators maintain a protective view of children, fear the negative reactions of parents, and would choose to engage in preemptive censorship rather than create controversy in their classrooms and schools. We conclude by recommending ways that teacher educators can support preservice teachers and school librarians in their efforts to promote the professional value of intellectual freedom.

“Immigrants of Us All”: Experiencing Migration and Movement through Batchelder Award-winning Translated Books

How do cultural identities such as religion, social class, and gender enable or restrict the freedom of characters in award-winning translated books for children? The movement of characters within a set of recent books recognized with the Batchelder award provides a global perspective on freedom and human rights and calls attention to contemporary and historical struggles of people around the world. This study suggests high quality titles that may help librarians and teachers develop children’s understanding of other cultures and the physical and metaphorical borders that constrain freedom of movement.

The Cultural Commons of Teen Literacy

While we have placed an emphasis on identifying the skills we should teach teenagers to become information literate (Standards for the 21st century learner, American Association of School Librarians/American Library Association, 2007), there is a gap in our understanding of what literacies teens immersed in an age of unfiltered Internet, cell phones, and social media, already possess. In this study, we looked at teen behaviors in public spaces outside of school. Twenty-one students who were enrolled in a graduate school library course were asked to unobtrusively observe teens in various public locations outside of school. This study analyzed those “snapshots” to uncover patterns regarding teen behaviors. Results present new findings on how teens communicate with each other and the world around them.

Trends in Translations: The Mildred L. Batchelder Award from 1997-2013

The Mildred L. Batchelder Award is given to United States publishers who have published English translations of books originating outside the US. This study analyzes characteristics of Batchelder titles from 1997-2013 including format, genre, original language, and setting. Our findings reveal a predominance of Western European languages and settings and a preponderance of fiction novels with serious subjects. These findings raise questions about the availability and diversity of translated books for children in the US.