BOOK SELECTION COMMITTEE

Committee Meeting & Book Submission Schedule:
To submit a book for review to the Book Selection Committee, please print off the Secondary Supplementary Fiction and Non-Fiction Referral Form and fill it out completely. Be sure to include detailed rationale of the curricular purpose of the book. Then send the completed paperwork to Rosanne Markham or Rebecca Simmons in the Teaching & Learning department at the District Office.

Fall 2008:
Book submission deadline: September 30, 2008
Joint committee meeting: October 23, 2008 3:30-5:00 GEC D-220
High School Fall Book Review: November 19, 2008 3:00-5:00 GEC D-206

Winter 2009:
Book submission deadline: November 21, 2008
Jr. High committee meeting: January 21, 2009 3:30-4:30 GEC D-202
High School committee meeting: January 22, 2009 3:00-4:00 GEC D-202

Spring 2009:
Book submission deadline: March 6, 2009
Jr. Hgh committee meeting: April 22, 2009 3:30-4:30 GEC D-220
High School committee meeting: April 23, 2009 3:00-4:00 GEC D-220

RATIONALE:
Complementary classroom reading materials carry powerful and important life lessons and have significant literary and historical import; therefore, complementary classroom reading materials are to be reviewed in accordance with this policy and thereafter adopted for general classroom use, use in literature circles, or use in whole group instruction, adopted with annotations, or not adopted for classroom use.

Complementary classroom reading materials are considered any reading material used in whole class instruction that are not included in an adopted textbook or anthology. It is the intent of this policy to ensure that the use of all complementary classroom reading materials in all areas of the curriculum be prior-adopted within the guidelines of this policy.

The practice of Granite School District in regard to book selection is to consider and select, through committee action, appropriate books to be placed on this district's Secondary Complementary Instructional Materials list. This list contains titles of approved fiction and biographies for in-class study in grades seven through twelve. In-class study is defined as total-class study, small-group study, and teacher read-alouds.br>

The purpose of this publication is to assist classroom teachers in grades seven through twelve and other district personnel in selecting books which support instructional goals and objectives. This listing is updated regularly and made available to all Secondary teachers of seven through twelve grades, administrators, and media specialists.

Before this list was published by the district, Secondary school committees reviewed and evaluated the books. Each school committee is composed of a classroom teacher, a student, a parent, an administrator, and the media specialist or another teacher in the school. The District Secondary Novels Committee consists of teachers from various Secondary schools representing each instructional network within the district, the Secondary Language Arts Curriculum Specialist, PTA and community representatives, and an administrator from the Curriculum Services Department.

REVIEW PROCESS:

The process for reviewing books is:

a. A teacher recommends a title by filling out a Teacher Referral Form (pink) and sends the form to the Secondary Language Arts Curriculum Specialist.
b. Copies of the book are purchased and given to school committees and PTA and community representatives.
c. School committee members and others review the books and record recommendations on evaluation forms.
d. At a regularly scheduled committee meeting, the total district committee reviews the recommendations of evaluators and votes to accept or reject the title for use in grades seven through twelve and adds any appropriate comments.
e. The recommending teacher is then notified of the decision.
f. Any responsible individual may request reconsideration of an approved title by completing Citizen's Request for Reconsideration of a Work form (green) and sending it
to the Secondary Language Arts Specialist.

INSTRUCTIONAL EXPECTATIONS:

Choose only listed books for read-aloud and group study. Read each selected book completely before presentation or recommendation to students. Follow guidelines set forth in the annotations. Consider curriculum needs, content of the book, student reading level, and student maturity when books are selected. Plan in advance an alternate, comparable book for a child to study if a parent objects to the title chosen for study. Remember that books on the novels list are supplementary to adopted textbooks.

We appreciate your thought and care in choosing reading materials for students. If you have questions about the list or these items, please contact the Secondary Language Arts Specialist.