How about if we move to where our target audience lives?  “… first get the kids into the library for them to find an interesting book” is an antique notion, to them at least.  First get the kids hooked on one good story, then another, and then a third.  (Notice, I said story, NOT book, cause I’m thinking online magazines, on-topic articles, poetry … to paraphrase a famous line, “Sell it right and they will read it.”)  Use the 21^st century forms of technology this audience has so creatively embraced to send out info bursts and links every day, a couple of times a day. 

Try this.  Tweet (or email or add to fb) “Gilt!  Hot book for a hot summer night.  Romance, desire, & intrigue btw. the covers. ♥♥♥♥♥  Free download at (your or a regional library’s e-book collection’s URL). 

Or try this:  Day One:  “Like to sleep?  Then this book is NOT for you!  Divergent.  Free download at (URL).”  Day Two:  Did you download it yet?  Divergent. “  Day Three:  Divergent already in use?  Try (name local bookstore) before it sells out or order online.  Don’t be left out!  Day Six:  Need to talk about Divergent?  Go to (your library’s YA booktalk page). 

Remember being 14, 15, 16 …  You’re miserably hot.  Your friends are at work, on family vacations (or worse, you’re on a family vacation).  You have those dumb, boring books you have to read for school hanging over your head.  Summer is already becoming a drag. 

Offer them an escape.  Or a way to share something with friends, online of course!   Use all the PR tricks you can think of – maybe we can brainstorm a list?!  Add graphics and trailers whenever possible.  Create awesome ways for them to react to what they’re reading and share suggestions for more reads. 

Then, once you’ve got them hooked on audio and/or e-books, let them know that there are even more like these at your library, that they’re not available electronically yet, but wow, are they equally terrific reads. 

Then have a MeetUp night at your library.  Connect with your friends, trade good reads, play cards (poker lessons provided) or games, and music, of course … plus food for sale, cheap!  No adults allowed. 

Just an idea. 

Kate Brown, Consultant

imkateb@gmail.com

Sent to the News-Gazette (Champaign, IL), May 29, 2012

 

The summer reading programs in Champaign for high school students have a worthy and sensible goal: Increase interest in recreational reading.  This goal, however, can be achieved far more efficiently.
The new program described by the News-Gazette (“Champaign high schools now require summer reading,” May 28) requires high school students to select among a small set of books on a given theme and read one over the summer. (Students can read a book not on the list, but it must be related to the assigned theme.) Research consistently shows that self-selected reading of books of genuine interest is much more effective in stimulating literacy development than assigned reading.
The program requires written responses to questions about the book when students return in the summer. Research consistently shows that writing summaries and book reports does not increase literacy development and can turn students off to reading.
Another summer program in the Champaign area, the Teen Summer Reading program, awards prizes for reading. Research consistently shows that rewarding people for activities that are inherently pleasurable can result in less interest in doing the activity. Rewards send the message that the activity is not pleasurable and nobody would do it without a bribe.
There is an easier and more effective way. Research also consistently shows that when interesting books are available, teenagers do indeed read them, as demonstrated by the success of  Harry Potter, Twilight, and Hunger Games. This means that we need to make a greater investment in public libraries, often the only source of books during the summer for those living in poverty, with the goal of providing students with a wide choice of books to read, with no written reports required.
With the increase in poverty in East Central Illinois over the last decade (“Changes in poverty and how schools are affected,” News-Gazette, January 15, 2012), well supported libraries are of more importance than ever.
Stephen Krashen
Professor Emeritus
University of Southern California

Original article: http://www.news-gazette.com/news/education/2012-05-28/champaign-high-schools-now-require-summer-reading.html

Some sources:
Self-selected reading is more effective: Krashen, S. 2004. The Power of Reading. Heinemann Publishing Company and Libraries Unlimited; Lee, S.Y. 2007. Revelations from three consecutive studies on extensive reading. RELC Journal 38 no. 2, 150–70. For a report of a successful summer reading program based on self-selected, see: Shin, F. and Krashen, S. 2007. Summer Reading: Program and Evidence. New York: Allyn and Bacon.
Writing summaries and book reports; Krashen, S. 2004. The Power of Reading. Heinemann Publishing Company and Libraries Unlimited; Mason, B. 2004. The effect of adding supplementary writing to an extensive reading program. International Journal of Foreign Language Teaching 1 (1): 2-16; Smith, K. 2006. A comparison of “pure” extensive reading with intensive reading and extensive reading with supplementary activities. International Journal of Foreign Language Teaching 2 (2): 12-15.
Prizes for reading: Kohn, A. 1997. Punished by Rewards.  Boston: Houghton Mifflin.  McQuillan, J. 1997.  The effects of incentives on reading, Reading Research and Instruction 36: 111-25.Krashen, S. 2003. The (lack of) experimental evidence supporting the use of accelerated reader. Journal of Children’s Literature 29 (2): 9, 16-30.
Tennagers do read them: Krashen, S. 2001. Do teenagers like to read? Yes! Reading Today 18(5): 16.  Krashen, S. 2011. Why we should stop scolding teenagers and their schools: Frequency of leisure reading.  Language Magazine 11(4): 18-21.
Library the only source of books: Neuman, S. and Celano, D. 2001. Access to print in low-income and middle-income communities. Reading Research Quarterly 36 (1): 8-26. Krashen, S. Power of Reading.