Literacy Expert Available to Talk About the Power of Novels, Mysteries and Fantasy

Newswise — Are books such as vampire novels, mysteries and fantasy “real” literature? Do they have a place in the education of today’s children? Boise State University English education professor Jeffrey Wilhelm can share insights from a current study about how passionate adolescent readers of non-traditional texts (such as graphic novels, manga, series books, video game novels, narrative video games, dystopian, vampire, horror and fantasy narratives) engage with such texts. He explores the deep psychological needs, satisfactions and uses these readers have for such texts, and the implications for psychological development, reading and learning inside and outside of school. He also examines the implications for parenting, instruction, reading programs, libraries and the like.

The findings of his study will be published in a forthcoming book from Scholastic Publishers tentatively titled “Let Them Read Trash: The Power of Marginalized Texts.”

Dr. Wilhelm is a professor of English education at Boise State. He is the founding director of the Maine Writing Project and the Boise State Writing Project, affiliates of the National Writing Project, and works in K-12 schools as part of a Virtual Professional Development Site Network. Wilhelm has authored or co-authored 23 texts about literacy teaching and learning, and has won the two top research awards in English Education.

Learn more about Wilhelm and a number of other Boise State University faculty experts at http://beyondtheblue.boisestate.edu/, Boise State’s award-winning website of podcast presentations on a wide range of relevant topics.