Trade books are defined as “books published for distribution to the general public through booksellers. They have the potential to motivate students with intense involvement in a subject and the power to develop an in-depth understanding.” Vacca, Richard. Content Area Reading 2014

 

1. The five A’s when considering a tradebook:

   • Authority - This author does not give credit during the write up on each person, however the author does provide resources she utilized to obtain her information.  In addition, she provides further cites to research to gain a deeper understanding.

   • Accuracy - In the introduction to the book, the author states all people are real and information was gathered from facts.  Whether or not the text is accurate is unbeknownst to me as I do not know how the famous people's’ lives ended.  I researched online and came to the same conclusion as Georgia Bragg but some of the death’s still remain a mystery.

   • Appropriateness - The information is presented in an appropriate way to young readers.  The book is a very easy read with language students can understand.  Many lay terms are utilized such as farting and croaked which speak to the level of the audience.  The information is very effectively organized.  Each “chapter” is divided into a separate famous person.

   • Literary Artistry - The author frequently uses literary artistry by using analogies and adjectives to paint the picture in our minds.  For instance when describing King Tut’s body, Georgia said they smeared the body to make it feel less like jerky.  Also when referring to Marie Curie, Georgia said her body was running on her last tank of gas with no more fill-ups.

   • Attractiveness - The appearance will definitely attract readers because the book deals with death and disgust which are high interest areas for many young readers.