Library Survey (Summer School group) Subject C How old are you? 14 Are you a boy or a girl?

? Boy Do you like to read? No What kind of books do you like to read when you read for fun? I dont What is your favorite book? Wide Open (motorcycle magazine) Do you have a favorite author? If so, whats their name? No Do you go to the library at school? Not really Do you go to the public library? No What do you visit the library for? Internet What do you like best about the library? Internet What do you like least about the library? The smell (Aric couldnt tell me what specifically about the smell he did not like just the smell in general)

Library Survey (Summer School Group) Subject C How old are you? 14 Are you a boy or a girl? Girl Do you like to read? No What kind of books do you like to read when you read for fun? Black ones (Ones written about black people by black authors). Whats your favorite book? Any book by Zane (Oh my gosh! Upon further research, Zane is pretty close to soft porn why is an 8th grade girl reading this and where are her parents?) Do you have a favorite author? If so, whats their name? Zane Do you go to the library at school? No, never Do you go to the public library? Only if I have to What do you visit the library for? Projects, duh. What do you like best about the library? Nothing What do you like least about the library? Everything

Library Survey (Summer School Group) (Subject C) How old are you? 14 Are you a boy or a girl? Boy Do you like to read? Every now to then What kinds of books do you like to read when you read for fun? Stephen Kings books Whats your favorite book? From a Buick 8 Do you have a favorite author? If so, whats their name? Stephen King Do you go to the library at school? Not really Do you go to the public library? No What do you visit the library for? Look stuff up on computers What do you like best about the library? Computers What do you like least about the library? Books that Im not interested in

Library Survey (Summer School Group) Subject C How old are you? 14 Are you a boy or a girl? Boy Do you like to read? No What kind of books do you like to read when you read for fun? Dr. Seuss Whats your favorite book? One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish Do you have a favorite author? If so, whats their name? Dr. Seuss Do you go to the library at school? No Do you go to the public library? Sometimes What do you visit the library for? Magazines What do you like best about the library? Magazines What do you like least about the library? You have to be quiet

Library Survey (Summer School Group) Subject C How old are you? 14 Are you a boy or a girl? Boy Do you like to read? Love to read What kind of books do you like to read when you read for fun? Cat in the Hat, Drama books Whats your favorite book? Forged by Fire Do you have a favorite author? If so, whats their name? Sharon Drapor Do you go to the library at school? Yes Do you go to the public library? Yes What do you visit the library for? Books, movies, computer, and silence What do you like best about the library? How quiet it is What do you like least about the library? Nothing

Library Survey (Summer School Group) Subject C How old are you? 14 Are you a boy or a girl? Boy Do you like to read? No What kind of books do you like to read when you read for fun? None Whats your favorite book? Touching Spirit Bear Do you have a favorite author? If so, whats their name? No Do you go to the library at school? Yes Do you go to the public library? Yes What do you visit the library for? Books What do you like best about the library? AC (Jamals family does not have AC at home) What do you like least about the library? You have to be quiet

Library Survey - Subject A How old are you? 18 Are you a boy or a girl? Girl Do you like to read? Voraciously What kind of books do you like to read when you read for fun? Nora Roberts, Danielle Steele, Harry Potter, Linda Howard, Whats your favorite book? I have tons Do you have a favorite author? If so, whats their name? J.K. Rowling I cant wait for the next Harry Do you go to the library at school? Yes Do you go to the public library? Yes, at least once a week What do you visit the library for? To check out books What do you like best about the library? The choices What do you like least about the library? The wait for new titles to become available.

Library Survey Subject B How old are you? 12 Are you a boy or a girl? Boy Do you like to read? YES What kind of books do you like to read when you read for fun? Teen books Whats your favorite book? I really like series books Do you have a favorite author? If so, whats their name? I have a bunch Anthony Horowitz is probably my favorite right now. Do you go to the library at school? Yes Do you go to the public library? Yes What do you visit the library for? To check out books and read magazines What do you like best about the library? All the books What do you like least about the library? Nothing

Young Adult Interview Running head: YOUNG ADULT INTERVIEW

Young Adult Interview Summary Amy S. Crouse Emporia State University

Summer, 2007

Young Adult Interview

When we were first given this assignment in class, I immediately had two students in mind that I wanted to interview. The first is a girl that attends the church I am currently playing for. Every Sunday when I enter the sanctuary to warm up, Erin (Subject A) is reading. I am usually there at least 30 to 45 minutes early. Subject A is the daughter of the choir director. I have not been at this church very long and I do not know the people so I thought this interview would be the perfect excuse to get acquainted. I found out that Subject A just graduated from high school and that she just turned 18. The books that she reads vary from Sunday to Sunday. I assumed just by watching her that she enjoyed reading and during the interview, I found that to be true. The second student that I wanted to learn more about was Adam (Subject B). His family just moved in next door to me and every time I see him outside on the porch he is either playing a video game or reading a book. I assumed, also correctly, that he enjoys reading as well. For the third interview, I thought I would visit a friend who is teaching summer school to 8th graders. I was interested in speaking with someone who did not enjoy reading and figured that would be a good place to begin. Little did I realize what I was getting myself into. My single interview turned into a class discussion with six students on reading, why they did or did not enjoy it and the reasons behind the like or dislike. I have chosen to include all six of my field interview sheets because the commonalities were interesting and very helpful to my thoughts on this research. The group of six makes up subject C. Of the three students who enjoyed reading, all said that they had been read to as young children by their parents. All had brothers and sisters and mentioned family story time in the evenings before bed. Of the students who did not enjoy reading, when asked if they were read to Young Adult Interview 3

as children they either could not remember or said no, definitely not. Most mentioned television watching when asked what the family evening activities consisted of. I found it most interesting that of the six students in the summer school class, only one of them enjoys reading. All of them could name a favorite book or magazine and two chose Dr. Seuss as their favorite author. I found this rather strange for 14-year-old boys to tell me in person that Dr. Seuss was their favorite author. When questioned further, they told me that they enjoyed the celebrations at their previous elementary school celebrating Dr. Seuss birthday and 100s day (the 100th day of school). Apparently a large celebration was held building-wide celebrating these two activities. This supported our class discussion about the effect libraries/librarians have on young peoples lives and their thought processes later in life. Of the students who enjoyed reading, two had at least one parent and in one case both parents who are teachers. The three students who enjoy reading all said that their parents loved to read and spent a lot of time reading for enjoyment. This behavior was modeled for them. Subject Bs mother is very careful to make sure he notes the author and illustrator of the books he reads. He could tell me the author and illustrator of every book he has ever read. It is something that he was trained to pay attention to from an early age. The students who do not enjoy reading shared with me that they either did not know if their parents enjoyed reading or that no, they did not. Three of the students in the summer school group said that they had never witnessed their parents reading anything, not even a newspaper or a magazine.

Young Adult Interview

The book choices were varied and most interesting. Forged by Fire by Sharon Draper is an African American book that first appeared as a short story in Ebony Magazine in 1991. Wide Open is a motorcycle magazine. One 14 year old girl chose any book by Zane, which upon closer research opened my eyes to an entire new world of what is considered literature wow! Apparently her mother reads the books and leaves them laying around so Kesia reads them as well. Most definitely not appropriate for a young adult (or for myself for that matter). Stephen King was mentioned several times. From a Buick 8 was mentioned as a favorite book or a book that was enjoyed a lot. Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen was also mentioned several times as a book that was enjoyed. Even the students who said they do not enjoy reading could name several recent books that they had been forced to read for school. I chose to include their favorites among my selections for my reviews. I was curious to see what caught their interest. All were available in our local public library and good examples of quality literature for the most part. I learned many things about motorcycles that I was not aware of. I also read several authors that I was not previously familiar with. The thing that most liked least about the library was that you are expected to be quiet. Apparently the librarian at their school is a stickler for appropriate library behavior which includes whispering if you must talk at all. This was also one of the things that we discussed in class and would fit in the category of making students feel welcome and at home in the library. When I asked the group of summer school students if there was a place in their library that they could go to read and relax, they laughed that I would think they could relax and enjoy the library. Apparently they visit quickly, get what they need and leave quietly!

Young Adult Interview

I was not going to include all six summer school students interviews in this paper since the instructions were to include three. I went before school to interview a student and ended up with several standing in the hallway telling me what they hated about the library. The teacher invited me in and included himself in the discussion. These students are all very low in either math or reading and in some cases both. The teacher shared with me that of the the two who said they enjoy reading, one reads very well and the other does not. The two students interviewed in places other than summer school both enjoyed reading. They were also the two whos parents are teachers (although I did not know that when I chose to interview them). As an educator, I knew there was probably a connection between reading enjoyment and skill. I also understand that there is a connection between students who are read to early in life that become good readers and students who are given free use of the television and video games as entertainment. I did not expect to be treated with the duh mentality that I would dare to ask them such silly questions about the library and how they could possibly enjoy going there. I could not take the time or delve into each persons life to find where the dislike of the library and books in general came from. I did understand from a couple of the students that since their reading levels were not wonderful, why would they want to waste their time in a library with books when there were so many other things of interest to them. After reading the chapter in the text on outreach, I would really like to know how to get these kids started in the library at an early age and find something to interest their parents as well. This assignment was most interesting. Several ideas that I had when I started were totally and completely off base. I assumed that since the library is a place, everyone would enjoy going there. Wrong! I was very aware that some students do not enjoy books/reading. I did not know Young Adult Interview 6

that some felt so strongly about being asked to read a book and actually get something out of it. I learned many new things about young adult readers. I also found several new books of interest and several authors that I will be searching for and reading more of their books in the future.