INTRODUCTION TO MYSTERY FOR CHILDRENFunding provided through an IMLS/LSTA grant administered by the MA Board of Library Commissioners; additional funding is provided by the Friends of the Boxford Town Libraries.

READER’S ADVISORY RECAP

• Finding the right book for the right person at the right time.

• Helping readers find the best (most enjoyable!) reading that matches their needs, interests, and reading level.

• Connecting readers and authors/writers.

Source: Francisca Goldsmith, from Reader’s Advisory on the Web, an Infopeople Traininghttp://infopeople.org/training/past/2004/readers_adv2004/

APPEAL FACTORS OF BOOKS

• Pacing• Characterization• Storyline• Frame• Language• Setting

Source: Saricks, Joyce and Nancy Brown. “Articulating a Book’s Appeal.” Readers’ Advisory Service in the Public Library. 2nd ed. Chicago : ALA , 1997.

Nancy Pearl, MLA

REFERENCE INTERVIEW ESSENTIALS Discover what the reader already knows

desire for a genre? a mood? a read-alike?

Clarify what’s important to this readerstay with the known? meet the unknown?

Tune your suggestions to the patron, not to your personal biases Give direction to next place to go

shelf? booklists? Internet? alternate library?

Source: Francisca Goldsmith, from Reader’s Advisory on the Web, an Infopeople Traininghttp://infopeople.org/training/past/2004/readers_adv2004/

REFERENCE INTERVIEW TECHNIQUES

Welcoming body language, tone, attitude

Open ended questions Suggest, don’t recommend Co-browse Don’t judge Follow up!

ROLE PLAY!

In these scenarios, you don’t need to have specific books for an answer. Just practice asking open ended questions and having a conversation about books!

Group 1: A student comes up to you and says, “I just finished the Sammy Keyes books! Is there another series like that I can read?”

Group 2: A child comes to you and says, “How can I find all of Donald J. Sobol’s books?”

Group 3: A student says, “I have to do a book report on a mystery book. Can you suggest something?”

MYSTERY GENRE OVERVIEW

"Often, even for reluctant readers, the short, chapter, mystery-based book is the key that turns the lock of turning children on to reading!”

~Carole Marsh

MYSTERY MOTIFS

1. Puzzles2. Special character types3. Curiosity4. Clues5. Red herring6. Setting7. Supernatural elements

EVALUATING MYSTERY

• Plot

• Character

• Theme

• Style

• Believability

• Consistency

• Creativity

4 TYPES OF MYSTERY FOR YOUTH

• Supernatural

• Kid Detective

• Suspense/Thriller

• You Solve It

SUPERNATURALMARCH 18, 2010

KID DETECTIVEAPRIL 15, 2010

SUSPENSE/THRILLERMAY 20, 2010

YOU SOLVE ITJUNE 24, 2010

TIP: USE MEDIA AS A PROMPT

INSTEAD OF: What authors do you like to read? What are the last 3 books you read and enjoyed? What did you like about them?

ASK: What movies do you like? What TV shows do you watch? What games do you play?

TIP: TURN TO AWARDS

Edgar Awardhttp://theedgars.com/

Newbery Awardhttp://bit.ly/newbery

YOUR TURN! In this exercise, break up into

groups of three groups of three.

Each group is assigned a franchise

Identify appeal characteristics of the franchise, and suggest titles that might be appealing to a fan of the franchise Group 1: Scooby-Do Group 2: Inspector Gadget Group 3: Mystery Hunters

QUESTIONS? CONCERNS? Beth Gallaway

informationgoddess29@gmail.com

http://informationgoddess.info