Author of 40 books encourages children to love reading

A publisher called Jack Gantos' first children's tale "the most boring book" he'd read. Future attempts at getting published -- including a picture book about pigs, written entirely with 'oink' dialogue -- also failed.

From the rejection, and a thorough examination of successful books, Gantos developed a sense of what sells. Children want relatable characters with distinct personalities, he discovered.

And in a video-game society, librarians say children want books in an easy-to-digest, visual format.

Incorporating studied techniques, Gantos went on to pen three award-winning series. "Rotten Ralph" details the adventures of a wicked but lovable cat, the humorous "Joey Pigza" describes life with attention deficit disorder, and the semi-autobiographical "Jack Henry" narrates the challenges of middle school.

The author of 40 picture books, young adult novels and adult fiction titles spoke to cheering groups of Jackson students Wednesday, encouraging a love of reading and writing. On Monday, he spoke to Cape Girardeau students and conducted a writers workshop. His visit was sponsored by the Youth in Education for Literacy and Learning Foundation.

With No Child Left Behind's increasing mandates for reading proficiency, schools are pulling out all the stops to get reluctant readers engaged. Many were baffled when reading test scores decreased in several grade levels this year, putting more pressure on schools to raise scores next spring.

Often, teachers and librarians said, it only takes one special book to spark an interest. "It's the old saying of putting the right book in the right hands at the right time. It worked for me," Gantos said.

Author visits can provide an initial link, Jackson Junior High librarian Mary Pensel said. She said she is on a "continual" hunt to find books students will be interested in. Graphic novels -- sophisticated comic books -- have become widely popular, she said.

"This is a very visual generation. ... [Graphic novels] look more user-friendly," she said.

Last year, the junior high began incorporating time every day for silent reading, typical for an elementary school but somewhat unusual for eighth- and ninth-graders.

Central Junior High School in Cape Girardeau is also working to incorporate choice into reading. A consultant suggested establishing literature circles last year, where students select a book and work in groups of three or four, as opposed to a whole class reading the same novel, principal Roy Merideth said.

Teachers are also paying more attention to the role gender plays in learning. Blanchard Elementary School principal Barbara Kohlfeld said research shows boys typically are attracted to nonfiction work, so teachers are adding those books to their collections and lesson plans.

West Lane Elementary School third-grader Sammy Sammut loves books about Star Wars or cars, but also enjoys the "Rotten Ralph" series. Gantos' presentation got his approval.

"It was really exciting," he said.

lbavolek@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123

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