Using Subject Headings in NoveList K-8

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To support you in constructing your search, here are some general rules. You are not limited to these rules but they may help you find titles that interest you more quickly.

Quick List

Genre: mystery, fantasy, science fiction, horror, westerns, adventure

Character: boys, teenagers, African-Americans, teachers, Latinos, detectives, artists, catholic girls, young men, father and daughter, Stephanie Plum

Setting: europe, north africa, california, northwest, canada, arctic ocean, new york

Time: time travel, 17th century, future, colonial period, fifties, nuclear age, stone age, world war II

Subject/Theme: butterflies, seasons, courage, survival, relationships, school, civil war, revolution, grandparents, soccer, space travel, Latin America, gold rush, girls and horses

Genre: A book's genre is indicated in both NoveList K-8's subject headings and in reviews. You should consider using a genre heading as part of your search. If you are teaching the concept of genre to a fifth grade class, you can search for "science fiction" or "fantasy" books to use as examples. For additional ideas about genres in NoveList, browse through the Explore Fiction section of NoveList K-8. (top)

Character: Being able to identify a book's characters is a standard language arts skill. Use NoveList K-8 to help students grasp this fundamental concept. Locate titles about characters of interest (Latinos, cowboys, girls, police) or favorite characters (Cam Jansen, Arthur, Berenstain Bears). Information about a book's characters is contained in NoveList's subject headings and in reviews. You can find books that contain characters that interest you by using a character's name, occupation, age, nationality or ethnicity. (top)

Setting: Stories can add another dimension to our understanding of a different country or culture. You can search for books set in a particular country, a state or province, or a city. All of these are contained in subject headings and reviews. For example, a reader who enjoys adventure stories and has always wanted to travel to France could find books that would take her there by entering: adventure stories france. (top)

Time: Stories can add a personal perspective on a time period or historical event and allow young readers to more effectively experience "what it was like" to live during that period or event. Readers who enjoy reading about the days of yore can find books they will enjoy by entering a time period (medieval period), a century (16th century or sixteenth century), or a historical event (world war II).

NOTE: When searching books set in the past, you might construct your search by using a country and the word "history". For example, entering "France history" will retrieve books that deal with all of that country's historical periods. You can then narrow your search by focusing on a particular century or event: "France history revolution" (for novels that take place during the French revolution). (top)

Subject/theme/topic: Helping students and teachers find stories that relate to an instructional unit can be a challenge. NoveList's subject headings can help you find fiction titles that enhance a particular unit of study. Topics covered in NoveList's subject headings and reviews include relationships, sports, life events, or almost anything you can name from everyday life. Examples of headings that involve relationships in NoveList K-8 include: mother daughter relationships, brothers, girls and horses. Science fiction fans could enter space travel, alien invasion, nanotechnology. (top)

 

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