Andrew Johnston

Nonfiction Resource Evaluation

LIS532

Social Issues in Literature Series

Cheektowaga Central School District
Middle School and High School Library
Cheektowaga, NY
Grades 9 - 12
Johnson, V. E. (Ed.). (2009). Coming of age in William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet. New York, NY:
Greenhaven Press.

1.
What is your assessment of the readability level of the nonfiction book or series?
According to a Fountas and Pinnell, what is the readability of the text? How do you know?
This informational text is primarily for high school students, specifically grade 9. In the Common
Core grade 9 ELA Module 1, which studies William Shakespeares play Romeo and Juliet.
According to a Fountas and Pinnell Text Level Ladder of Progress chart, this text is at level Z+
(http://www.heinemann.com/fountasandpinnell/handouts/TextLevelLadderOfProgress.pdf).
The Gale Cengage/Greenhaven online product catalog lists the grade level for this text as 10-12+
(http://assets.cengage.com/pdf/fs_Soc-Iss-in-Lit.pdf). Although the library received a Lexile
service recently for its entire collection, this title does not have a Lexile number. The book is given
an Interest Level of Young Adult from Follett Library Resources.
Using two free online readability resources, (http://read-able.com and https://readabilityscore.com/), the sample text from the book is at a level that may be challenging to grade 9
students. From read-able.com, the sample text received a Flesch Kincaid Grade Level of 14.8 and
a Flesch Kincaid Reading Ease score of 42.8. The site determined that this text is difficult to read
and recommended for graduate level students. Readability-score.com also gave the sample text
a difficult rating, with a level of 14.7 and 45.1 on the Flesch Kincaid scales.
Although the readability scores show that the sample text is difficult to read, the book should be
suitable for high school level and be valuable as an informational text in support of the ELA
Module on Romeo and Juliet.
2.
What is the number of unfamiliar words a student would encounter on each page?
How does/ Does the print resource address vocabulary words? (new or content specific)
Provide some examples.
Students may be familiar with most words in the majority of the text found in this book. The book
does not provide a glossary to define unfamiliar words. Students should be familiar with the text
of the play and aware of the difficulty in reading Shakespeare. Students may want to keep a

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Nonfiction Resource Evaluation

LIS532

dictionary at hand or be prepared to use online dictionaries to look up unfamiliar words or

difficult to understand. Below is a sample sentence that has a few difficult or unfamiliar words:
with her combination of easy sentiment and deep-rooted cynicism, her belief, at once
normal and senile in its discursive presentation, that love is a prompting of the flesh (p. 53).

3.

How complex is the sentence structure? Provide some examples.

The sentence structure is highly complex within this series. Many of the articles are scholarly and
at a high level of readability. Below are statistical details of text structure based on the sample
text and the online readability websites:
From read-able.com:

Text Statistics
No. of sentences
No. of words
No. of complex words
Percent of complex words
Average words per sentence
Average syllables per word

13
395
62
15.70%
30.38
1.57

From readabilityformulas.com
Total # of words: 395
Total # of unique words: 235 (59% of total text)
Total # of repeat words: 160 (41% of total text)
Average # of words per sentence: 30
Total # of sentences: 13
Total # of characters: 1837
Average # of characters per word: 4.7
Average # of syllables per word: 2
Total syllables in text: 607
Total # of words with double syllables: 72
Percent of double syllables in text: 18%
Total # of words with single syllables: 261
Percent of single syllables in text: 66%
Percent of 3+ syllables in text: 16%
Total # of words with 3+ syllables: 62

These statistics show a very complex sentence structure, with 16% of the words having three or
more syllables and an average of 30 words per sentence.

Andrew Johnston

4.

Nonfiction Resource Evaluation

LIS532

In your opinion, is the vocabulary interesting for students? Why or why not?

The vocabulary of the text may not be interesting to students. The scholarly content of the
articles contained within the book is difficult and with the subject focused on the work on
Shakespeare, which students may presume to be uninteresting right from the start. Although,
the titles of the articles may be of interest for students doing research on the play, with titles
such as Young Love in the Twenty-First Century, Growing Up in a Violent World.

5.
What is the overall text structure presented in the resource? (Refer to PPT on text
structure)
The overall text structure presented in Coming of Age in Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet is basic
scholarly article format. The articles divide into 3 chapters each relating to a different theme
connected to Shakespeare and the play. The basic text structure of the articles is a compare and
contrast.

6.
How complex is the text according to the Informational Text Complexity Rubric?
(attach completed rubric)
According to the attached Information Text Complexity Rubric, Coming of Age in William
Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet is Complex Test. See attached rubric.

7.
Are there graphics that relate to the content? Do they add to the text or are they
superfluous? Provide examples
The book contains minimal graphics, with simple black and white photographs appearing in a few
of the articles. These photographs give some enhancement to the themes of the articles, but do
not provide much else. Below are some examples:

Andrew Johnston

8.

Nonfiction Resource Evaluation

LIS532

Is the layout appealing to the students at the selected grade level? Provide examples.

The layout of the book is straightforward and simplistic. The table of contents provides a list of
chapters and articles. Each chapter provides a theme that the articles follow. Also provided is a
brief summary of the article and its contents. The layout is very similar to a database results list.
Students can open to the table of contents and scan the listing of chapters and articles to find
information related to a topic of research or inquiry. Below is the table of contents.

Andrew Johnston

Nonfiction Resource Evaluation

LIS532

9.
Does the nonfiction book or series contain points of reference such as an index,
glossary, table of contents, etc.?
The nonfiction resources contains a table of contents (see above), an index, a bibliography, and
a section for further reading materials. The item does not have a glossary, which would be useful
for some of the difficult or unfamiliar words and terms in the text.
10.
Are students provided any help, such as side notes, summary paragraphs, etc? Be
specific and provide examples.
The resource provides some assistance for students. The table of contents gives a short summary
of the article and how its relation to the chapter theme. Each article begins with a longer
summary paragraph and a brief author introduction.

11.

Are there activities directly related to the text? Give some examples.

The students have a section for Further Discussion (see example below). This area provides
questions and topics of research and discussion for students. Students use the articles within the

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Nonfiction Resource Evaluation

LIS532

book to cite and base their answers on. This is a good section for students who may have difficulty
determining a topic of inquiry or research topic.

12.
Does the nonfiction book or series contain any material that encourages students to
explore beyond the book itself, such as internet sites or bibliographies? Provide examples.
The nonfiction book and series does contain a For Further Reading section providing students
with a quick way to explore other resources that relate to the series topic. Unfortunately, the
resource does not provide students with online or Internet resources.

Andrew Johnston

Nonfiction Resource Evaluation

LIS532

13.
Does the nonfiction book or series include any primary sources? If so, give at least
one example.
The book does not provide primary sources, only secondary sources. The primary source for
Coming of Age in William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet is the play itself. The articles contained
with this series are secondary sources and criticism about themes and issues from the play Romeo
and Juliet.

14.
Does the nonfiction book or series have any special or outstanding features? Be
specific.
The series does not have any special or outstanding features. The most impressive feature of
this series is its ease of use and straightforward presentation. The presentation is similar to a
database results list, making it easy for students to find and article that will relate to their topic
of inquiry or research. The series is informative and allows for quick research.

15.

What is your overall assessment of the textbook?

Overall, the series Social Issues in Literature and the title Coming of Age in William Shakespeares
Romeo and Juliet is simple and straightforward informational text that will enhance a students
understanding. The series contains many different topics and covers many great plays and books
of literature. The book will be a great addition to the library and help ELA teachers align
informational text with the Common Core Standards and the NYS ELA Modules.

Andrew Johnston

Nonfiction Resource Evaluation

LIS532

Title/Author : Coming of Age in William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet Vernon Elso Johnson, book
editor.
Type of Text: Check one: X book _____ article _____ excerpt _____ primary source

document _____ other (identify here:__________________________________)

Informational Text Complexity Rubric
Directions: Read through all the indicators on this page. Highlight the indicators that best represent the
complexity of the text youve read.
Text Feature

Simple Text

Layout

Consistent
placement of text,
regular word and
line spacing, often
large plain font

Types of
Writing

Somewhat
Complex Text
May have longer
passages of
uninterrupted text,
often plain font

Language
Features

Very Complex Text

Longer passages of
uninterrupted text may
include columns or
other variations in
layout, often smaller
more elaborate font

Very long passages of

uninterrupted text
that may include
columns or other
variations in layout,
often small densely
packed print
Extensive, intricate,
essential integrated
tables, charts,
formulas necessary to
make meaning of text
Abstracts, footnotes,
citations and detailed
indexes, appendices,
table of contents,
bibliography
Includes sustained
sections that utilize
different types of
writing and/or hybrid
or non-linear texts

Graphics and
pictures that
directly support
and help interpret
the written text
Table of contents,
simple indexes,
glossaries,

Graphs, pictures,
tables, charts that
directly support the
text

Essential integrated
graphics, tables, charts,
formula (necessary to
make meaning of text)

Table of contents,
indexes, glossaries,
occasional quotes,
references

Quotes, concluding
appendices, table of
contents, indexes,
glossaries, bibliography

One type of
writing is evident

May include
different types of
writing

Includes smaller
sections that utilize
different types of
writing of varying
complexity

The organization
of the text is clear
or chronological
and/or easy to
predict

The organization of the

text may contain
multiple pathways
and/or more than one
thesis

The organization of
the text is intricate or
specialized for a
particular discipline

Connections
among events or
ideas are explicit
and clear

The organization of
the text may
include a thesis or
reasoned
explanation in
addition to facts
Connections among
events or ideas are
sometimes implicit
or subtle

Connections among
events or ideas are
often implicit or subtle

Connections among
events or ideas re
implicit or subtle
throughout the text

Mainly simple
sentences
Mostly Tier One
Words

Simple and
compound
sentences with
some more

Many complex
sentences, increased
subordinate phrases
and clauses or

Mainly complex
sentences, often
containing multiple

(e.g. argument,
expository,
opinion,
narrative)

Structure

Complex Text

Andrew Johnston

Nonfiction Resource Evaluation

Vocabulary is
mostly familiar

Informational
Knowledge
Demands

General topic is
familiar, with
details known by
reader
Simple, concrete
ideas

complex
constructions.
Some Tier Two
Words
Vocabulary includes
some unfamiliar,
context-depended
words
General topic is
familiar, with some
details new to
reader
Both simple and
more complicated,
abstract ideas

transition words.
Mostly Tier Two Words
with some Tier Three
Words
Includes much
academic vocabulary
and some domain
specific (content)
vocabulary
General
topic
is
somewhat familiar but
with many details
unknown to reader
A range of recognizable
ideas and challenging
abstract concepts

LIS532
concepts. Mostly Tier
Three Words

Includes extensive
academic and domain
specific (content)
vocabulary
General topic is
mostly unfamiliar with
most details unknown
to reader
Many new ideas
and/or complex,
challenging, abstract
and theoretical
concepts