Novels

ERAC's evaluation process

ERAC’s Recommended Novel Catalogue includes English and French novels that have been evaluated by BC specialist teachers trained to evaluate novels. The catalogue includes the titles that have been recommended for use in BC classrooms. French novels are identified as suitable for Immersion and/or Francophone programs. The BC Teachers’ Federation participates in the identification and selection of teacher-evaluators.

Teachers, working in pairs, read and evaluate every novel using a rigorous ERAC evaluation process, which was adapted from the existing learning resource evaluation process to address the unique requirements of novels. The selected novels receive “ERAC-Recommended” status. For more detail, please see ERAC’s Social Consideration Evaluation Guidelines for Novels and current Novel Evaluation Form documents.

Please note that ERAC does not offer novels for sale. Click here to access our links to vendors that provide comprehensive services for BC Recommended and locally approved resources.

Teachers may identify and submit novel titles for possible inclusion in ERAC’s evaluation process, using the ERAC Novel Submission Form.

Background

In 2005, the BC Ministry of Education clarified the requirement that all novels used in schools must be evaluated and approved through each school district’s local learning resource approval process. Starting in Summer 2006, ERAC has provided a novel evaluation service and catalogue to its members.

ERAC cannot evaluate every possible novel of interest to language arts teachers in BC and its catalogue is not intended to be the exclusive list or the sole means for BC school districts to identify and approve novels for classroom use. ERAC acknowledges the key role that teachers play in deciding what literature is most suitable to address the needs and interests of their students.

Some novels are not selected for ERAC’s catalogue, possibly because:

• the reading level may not be appropriate for the suggested grade level or intended audience;
• the content may not be appropriate to the emotional maturity of the suggested grade level or intended audience;
• the content may be non-engaging (e.g. a weak plot or undeveloped characters);
• the novel may be outdated, containing portrayals and stereotypes inappropriate in today’s BC society;
• the novel may include racism, extreme violence and/or explicit sexual situations that are inappropriate for the intended audience;
• the novel may be too long and therefore not useful for general classroom study.

Please note that novels that are not selected through ERAC’s process may be appropriate for a school library collection or for use in specific classrooms, with specific groups of students. Teachers will use their professional expertise to make these decisions for their students. ERAC does not publish a comprehensive report of these “not selected” novels.