Written by Joyce Grant
Illustrated by Kathleen Marcotte
Kids Can Press
978-1-5253-0322-7
56 pp.
Ages 9-12
June 2022
With young people returning to schools soon here in Ontario, educators will be scrambling for great resources for teaching media literacy. Toronto's Joyce Grant has just that resource in Can You Believe It? How to Spot Fake News and Find the Facts.
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| From Can You Believe it? How to Spot Fake News and Find the Facts by Joyce Grant, illus. by Kathleen Marcotte |
Using the best features of non-fiction texts, such as info boxes, labelled diagrams, a glossary, and important terms bolded, Joyce Grant covers everything from using critical thinking skills to search for clues of authenticity, looking for bias and understanding the importance of perspective, differentiating between facts, opinion, satire and ads, and clarifying new threats to credibility like clickbait, deepfakes and the proliferation of bots. First she introduces middle-graders to the concepts, giving them samples of news meant to sensationalize and draw in readers, before inviting them to practise their critical thinking skills. Can You Believe It? is a comprehensive examination of how to differentiate between the fake and the authentic, a tough endeavour with today's bombardment of news from all sources, including social media. To end, Joyce Grant offers lists of trustworthy sources, including websites and games, to help young people navigate the deluge of news offered on different platforms.
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| From Can You Believe it? How to Spot Fake News and Find the Facts by Joyce Grant, illus. by Kathleen Marcotte |
The idea of fake news is a disheartening one as readers are manipulated or deceived for various purposes, especially for young people who have less experience with authenticating sources of information. (With the proliferation of fake news in recent years, we know how difficult it is for all adults to do the same.) But Joyce Grant adopts a positive take on this endeavour, encouraging young people that they can sieve through the detritus of fake news and highlight the real. She does it with a bit of humour–a few headlines like "Dog Lovers WAY Dumber than Cat Lovers: Study" or "Kids Are Better than Adults at Everything, New Study Shows" offer a chuckle or two–and thoroughness, and Kathleen Marcotte, an artist from Ohio, gives the text that added lift of colour, diversity, and scaffolding with her digital illustrations.
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| From Can You Believe it? How to Spot Fake News and Find the Facts by Joyce Grant, illus. by Kathleen Marcotte |
Joyce Grant, co-founder of Teaching Kids News, has been talking to kids about the news for years, whether in the classroom or online. She offers links to legitimate sources and stories and proposes lessons to help build critical media literacy skills. Can You Believe It? How to Spot Fake News and Find the Facts is just one more fine tool in her arsenal to help educators develop a foundation for teaching media literacy and for kids to be empowered to read the news with confidence.
Thank you, Helen! As always, you get exactly what we are trying to do. Appreciate these smart, thoughtful reviews SO much!
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome, Joyce. With school just starting, teachers and parents will find "Can You Believe It?" a valuable and timely resource.
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