Chapter 4 in Teri Lesesne’s Naked Reading presents the TARGET method (Trust, Access, Response, Guidance, Enthusiasm, and Tween Appeal) as a way to get tweens to (re)discover a love for reading. It is obvious that Lesesne has ample experience working with this age group and truly enjoys it. Lesesne provides easy, concrete suggestions for each of the six steps in the TARGET process. I don’t want to repeat Lesesne’s recommendations verbatim, so I will highlight just a couple of my favorites:
• “Do not try to find books that address problem students might be having in class.”
This was a timely reminder for me, as I was completing the review below on Ida B., about a young girl whose mother is diagnosed with cancer. My first inclination was that Ida B. would be an invaluable choice for tweens who have had similar experiences in their own families. But after reading Lesesne’s suggestion, I realized that the last thing children dealing with a terminal illness in their family want is a heart-wrenching story. They would most likely prefer something light and humorous instead.
• “Print out a master list of possible questions and have students keep that list in their notebooks.”
In addition to a list of broad questions for students to consider as they read, I would also suggest keeping a blank sheet of paper directly in the book and keeping a pencil handy. That way, if the student has a favorite quote, a question about something that happened in the book, or an idea for a paper or project, they can quickly jot it down and continue reading. Of course, if a book is completely for pleasure and there is no reporting required upon completion, then these suggestions should be ignored! As Lesesne also suggests, not every book kids read should have a paper or project connected to it. Sometimes, it is okay to finish a book and just move on.
Although Naked Reading is aimed primarily at teachers, parents and librarians can apply these suggestions in the home or library, since Lesesne stresses the importance of having books everywhere. Have books available in the classroom, at home, and even in the car. Families can find great audio books for road trips and discuss the story together. Also, parents and teachers should constantly demonstrate reading for pleasure.
Finally, as a side note, I recently completed a group project on the effects of teen comic books in libraries. We came across a great case study in our research (Gorman, M. (2009). Comics in the Curriculum: Math, Science and History. Library Media Connection, 28(3), 36), demonstrating one teacher’s use of the graphic novel version of Beowulf alongside the traditional version. In one of her reading lists, Lesesne recommends the graphic novel based on Kafka's The Metamorphosis. Although I still am not sure there is ever a replacement for actually reading “The Canon,” bringing these new techniques and formats into the classroom seems like an excellent idea for getting tweens excited about reading.
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