QUICK LINKS Today's News News releases ISU homepage NEWS RELEASE 10-10-03 Contacts: Carol Fuhler, College of Education, (515) 294-3328 Cathy Curtis, College of Education, (515) 294-8175 Kevin Brown, News Service, (515) 294-8986 ISU EDUCATION PROFESSOR CONTRIBUTED CHAPTER TO "2003 GOLDEN LAMP AWARD FOR BOOKS" WINNING BOOK AMES, Iowa -- Carol Fuhler, associate professor of curriculum and instruction in Iowa State University's College of Education, is a chapter author in a book that has earned the highest honor for educational books. "Young Adult Literature in the Classroom: Reading It, Teaching It, Loving It," received the Golden Lamp Award for Books from the Association of Educational Publishers, a New Jersey-based professional association of educational publishers. More than 50 books vied for the honor. Judges rated each book's writing quality, design, content, and effectiveness in meeting its goals and objectives. The book also received the Distinguished Achievement Award for Excellence in Educational Publishing in the nonfiction adult book category. The book is a reference guide for school or home that examines young adult literature and how to use it to teach across cultures, genres, disciplines and grade levels. Fuhler's chapter, "Picture Books for Older Readers: Passports for Teaching and Learning Across the Curriculum," is about the relevancy and freshness of picture books for middle school students. "Teachers can enhance the love of reading in students of all abilities by providing access to picture books," says Fuhler. "Think about the fact that these books are motivating. You can't help but get the attention of middle school students when you walk into class carrying an armload of picture books. Once you move beyond the disbelief, you soon have readers hooked on text that is manageable for many reading abilities. Then, the artwork catches others as it ranges from amusing to stunning. Finally, the variety of topics teases the curious. Text moves beyond fuzzy little bunnies to slices of life during the Holocaust, a glimpse into the chaos surrounding September 11th, brief biographical snippets of historical figures, heroes from different cultures and popular athletes, or clever retelling of folktales. "These books are meant to be read and then read again," she said. "Students can use them in a number of ways -- such as a review of how various literary elements (setting, characterization, plot, etc.) work together -- to study different writing techniques and to note how authors work with words." Fuhler's research interests include literacy education, best practices in teacher education, using response journals in teacher education and strategies for teaching reading to children. She has been at Iowa State since 1999. -30- Ames, Iowa 50011, (515) 294-4111 Published by: University Relations, online@iastate.edu Copyright © 1995-2003, Iowa State University of Science and Technology. All rights reserved.