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Books & Journals for Professional Reading

Reviews of books and journals for professional reading of interest to those involved in promoting reading of fiction to children and young adults.




About Authors and Illustrators
CALLIL, Carmen and TÓIBÍN, Colm
The Modern Library: The Two Hundred Best Novels in English Since 1950
London : Picador, 1999. 259 p.
ISBN 0 330 34182 0
SCIS No: 971991

Senior students, teachers of English, librarians and anyone with an interest in modern literature will welcome this fascinating annotated bibliography.

The underlying premise is that 'the novel survives and flourishes' despite the prevailing view that the book is passé. The authors' purpose is:
...to celebrate the writers we have loved best and to proselytize on behalf of their novels: sources of entertainment and enjoyment as satisfying as any Hollywood movie, football match, computer game or rock video.
Their aim is also to inform readers about the hidden treasures of English language fiction. Included are books from many countries, from both male and female novelists, who have written in the English language during the last fifty years. Writers from Australia, Africa, Canada, the Caribbean, England, Hong Kong, Ireland, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland and the USA are represented.

A full page is devoted to each main entry incorporating a plot summary, a discussion of style and theme and short biographical information about the author. Australia is well represented. However, it is the inclusion of less well-known writers from other parts of the world, that will send readers to their library shelves and bookstores to expand their literary diet.

Rita Blackburn, CMIS, Department of Education (WA)
Extract from Fiction Focus Vol. 13 No. 2 1999


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Back to Books
Back to Books: Creating a Focus on Fiction
Edited by Susan La Marca.
Richmond, Vic : School Library Association of Victoria Inc, 1999. 2 v.
ISBN 0909978204
SCIS No: 993820

Published late in 1999 and aimed in particular at secondary teacher-librarians, these two volumes are already recognised as indispensable references for school library staff and English teachers. The editor's purpose is to draw attention back to a fundamental role of the teacher-librarian, that is 'to promote a love of literature and reading'.

Designed to be complementary, the two volumes provide a rationale for introducing students to literary experiences, background information on the wealth of children's and young adult literature currently available and practical strategies for incorporating literature into the curriculum.

Volume 1 contains an examination of why students should be given opportunities to read and explore literature, and an indication of what to include in the school library collection. Chapters written by teachers, librarians, authors and experts in the field of children's literature include:
The Essential Luxury of Literary Experiences, Susan Clancy;
The Reading Environment and the Teacher-Librarian, Susan La Marca;
Twinning History and Literature: the New Young Adult Fiction, Hermina Burns;
Cultural Diversity and ESL, Judy Blyton;
Reading our Culture, Stella Lees;
Boys and Reading, Warwick Barry;
Popular Fiction: Catering for the Culture, Margaret Clark.

Volume 2 intended to help teacher-librarians and teachers put their knowledge into practice, is divided into three sections: Promotion, Lists and Directions, and Organisations. Each section is packed with practical and interesting strategies for fostering a love of literature in your students. Included are guidelines for author visits and other ways of connecting readers with authors; sample literature programs; quizzes to encourage students and teachers into the library; genre and thematic lists; pathways; book clubs; picture books for older readers; plus a comprehensive list of useful Australian and International literature-related web addresses.

Prepared for the members of the School Library Association of Victoria (SLAV) there is a Victorian bias, notably in the second volume. Whole chapters are devoted to the Children's Book Council of Australia, Victorian Branch; The State Library of Victoria Children's Literature Collections and Services; Dromkeen; Victorian Regional Public Library Services and The Victorian Association for the Teaching of English. Furthermore, Victorian teachers submitted most examples of literature programs and strategies.

Nevertheless, there is enough generic information to make the purchase of these books worthwhile for Western Australian school libraries. Teacher-librarians and teachers will be motivated to reflect upon and debate issues raised. They will be encouraged to review the promotion of literature in their schools and, when searching for ideas to revitalise their programs, will find Back to Books an essential reference. Unfortunately, the high cost of $150.00 may put this useful resource out of the reach of some school libraries.

Rita Blackburn, CMIS, Department of Education (WA)
Reviewed in Fiction Focus Vol. 14 No. 1 2000. p. 9.


Available from: School Library Association of Victoria (SLAV)
Ph: 03 9428 4173
Fax: 03 9427 8270
Email:
slav@netspace.net.au

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Books Up Front
Books Up Front: Investing In the Value of Reading
Edited by Susan La Marca.
Richmond, Vic : School Library Association of Victoria Inc, 2001. 264 p.
Book & 1 computer disk.
ISBN 0 9099978 22 0
SCIS No: 1051688
  • Are you are a primary school teacher, teacher librarian, resource teacher or administrator?
  • Is student literacy a high priority in your school?
  • Do you want students to develop their creative and critical thinking skills?
  • Are you seeking practical, easy-to-implement ideas to help and inspire children to read with confidence and for enjoyment?
  • Do you need a rationale for incorporating literature into the curriculum when there are pressures to invest time and money in other areas?
  • Are you constantly looking for theme lists for fiction and useful literature-related websites?
  • Do you want reading to be valued throughout the whole school community?
If any of these questions are relevant then you will find Books Up Front: Investing in the Value of Reading, an invaluable resource. It complements Back to Books: Creating a Focus on Fiction, an earlier School Library Association of Victoria, publication, which is aimed at teacher librarians and English teachers in secondary schools.

Books up Front will help you affirm the importance of providing your students with opportunities to sample literature in all its diversity. With contributions from teacher-librarians, librarians, classroom teachers, experts in the field of children's literature and teacher educators the arguments and suggestions proffered are both valid and useful.

This readable book is divided into three sections: Inspiration, Conversation and Direction. Section one provides background information on the enduring merit of integrating literature into the curriculum in this technological age; the role of the teacher librarian in the literacy development of students and the use of picture books to foster children's visual literacy skills. There are chapters on using Australian stories to build a sense of identity and on reading and writing poetry. A very practical chapter provides ideas on how to set up attractive library and classroom displays and another lists useful literature-related Internet sites.

Section two comprises interviews with a highly respected group of writers and illustrators: Paul Jennings, Morris Gleitzman, Elizabeth Honey, Dyan Blacklock, Ann James, and Boori Pryor and Meme McDonald.

The final section contains extensive genre lists relevant to primary school students. As well, there are classroom activities and programs, which have been used successfully by teachers and teacher librarians to bring students and books together to help children move towards the achievement of learning outcomes in many areas. The inclusion of a computer disk containing the genre/theme lists and the web addresses is a timesaving and useful addition to the text, allowing you to modify the lists to suit your particular needs, to print them without trouble and to access the websites with ease.

While the cost of $75.00 may seem prohibitive, in a time when student literacy is a primary concern of all educators Books up Front is a worthwhile resource. Not only is it practical, incorporating useable ideas and highlighting links between library and classroom, but it is also motivational. The contributors draw attention back to the importance of nurturing a love of reading in young children to ensure, as teacher Sarah Mayor Cox declares, that our students 'not only can but choose to read...and continue to read and write long after they have left school.' (p. 230). Books up Front, with its emphasis on reading and literature, without ignoring the usefulness of the new technologies, will help you in your endeavour to encourage students to become confident, multi-skilled, life-long learners.

Rita Blackburn
, CMIS, Department of Education (WA)
Reviewed in School Matters, Edition 16 October 17, 2001

Available from: School Library Association of Victoria (SLAV)
Ph: 03 9428 4173
Fax: 03 9427 8270
Email:
slav@netspace.net.au

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Boys and Books
MOLONEY, James.
Boys and Books: Building a Culture of Reading.
Sydney : ABC Books, 2000. 224 p.
ISBN 0 7333 0846 5
SCIS No: 1023498

James Moloney being a male, a father of two young boys, an ex-teacher and teacher librarian offers some very convincing insight into boys and masculinity and ways of nurturing a positive attitude to books and reading. His straightforward writing, contains practical ideas and examples, many from his own experiences growing up as a male, and as a teacher and teacher-librarian.

Moloney begins by explaining why boys need to read books and how reading fiction can enhance future careers and even relationships. He stresses the importance of encouraging literacy skills in children from birth. Moloney believes that early language and reading experiences/activities such as listening to stories being read, encouragement and positive male parent role-modelling, all help to make boys feel comfortable with the printed word.

He says that literacy skills in early childhood are greatly enhanced by parents maintaining 'their half of the under-recognised partnership between home and school.' In the middle and upper primary years, Moloney explains that boys although becoming more independent in regard to reading, still need encouragement from home. Teacher-librarians also, with their specialist knowledge can help boys to access appropriate reading material.

The remaining chapters cover adolescent male readers and reluctant readers and the ways that parents and teacher-librarians can continue to encourage and support them through positive practices and approaches. Types of teenage male readers and the reading materials that appeal to them are also covered.

Suggested fiction and nonfiction titles for boys from a range of age levels, are listed in the appendices.

Teacher-librarians as well as parents, will find Boys and Books an interesting and worthwhile guide to developing and maintaining positive reading experiences for boys.

Carol Townsing, CMIS, Department of Education (WA)
Reviewed in Fiction Focus Vol. 15 No. 1 2001


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Children's Literature
HUNT, Peter
Children's Literature
Oxford : Blackwell, 2001. 334 p.
ISBN 0 631 21141 1
SCIS No: 1036977

Written by Peter Hunt, Professor of English at Cardiff University and expert in the field of children's literature, this is a very approachable, balanced and useful introductory text. Hunt discusses English language children's literature, including Australian examples, from the eighteenth century to 2000.

The concise preliminary chapters cover theory, definition and history. There is a chronological list of books organised under headings such as Early Australian, Canadian and New Zealand Landmarks; Fairy-tales and Folk-tales in English; Key Translations; Commercial Publishing for Boys; and The First Golden Age. The bulk of the book is devoted to key writers and key texts, selected not only for their individual importance but also because they are exemplars of genres, modes, types and so on (p. x). These include authors from Louisa May Alcott, Enid Blyton, Lewis Carroll and Mary Grant Bruce to Robert Cormier, JK Rowling, Dr Seuss and Patricia Wrightson. Classic texts such as The Magic Pudding, Charlotte's Web, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Hobbit and Seven Little Australians among many others, are placed in their historic context. Topics fundamental to the study of children's literature are also raised, for example censorship, gender, literacy, picture books, fantasy, school stories and war.

English teachers, teacher librarians, librarians and anyone interested in the field of children's literature will find this an engrossing read.


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Critical Literacy
Critical Literacy: A Collection of Articles from the Australian Literacy Educators' Association.
Edited by Heather Fehring and Pam Green.
Newark, Del : International Reading Association, 2001. 174 p.
ISBN 0 87207 286 X
SCIS No: 1039296

I have always believed that one of the most important skills a teacher of English can give to students is the ability to deconstruct a text. In doing so students are empowered by their ability to see how they are being positioned, what groups are marginalised, what ideology is being favoured, what aspects of gender are being constructed and adfinitum.

This collection of articles is timely in that the 'Literacy debate' has in some ways shifted the focus, yet it would seem imperative that being literate means being critically literate. The articles show how important it is to continually refresh one's knowledge of what critical literacy is and how it can be used to make your students better interrogators of texts rather than just receptors.

There are twelve articles and a review section. Pam Green's Critical Literacy Revisited does just that and provides a concise look at in part 'What a critical literacy perspective entails.' Writers such as James Paul Gee, Ann Kempe, Carolyn Baker, Peter Freebody and Pam Gilbert are featured just to mention a few. The credentials of those writing are above question and the editors have excelled in providing theoretical, practical and cross cultural perspectives. Articles range from 1993 through to 2000, the most recent being Literacy and New Technologies in School Education: Meeting the L(IT)eracy Challenge by Cal Durrant and Bill Green. Even if you are a member of ALEA this compilation of articles is an important resource, if you are not a member then this is a must. It made me revisit my teaching practice, challenged me and in many ways affirmed what we are trying to do for our students to ensure they are not manipulated by texts but can 'read' for all the voices present and missing.

Every English Faculty should have a copy of Critical Literacy. The Bibliographies for each article are invaluable as is the Review section. It is a great text to give to your student teachers, easily read in an afternoon and will show them what informs your practice.

Marie Evans, Casuarina Senior College (NT)
Reviewed in Fiction Focus Vol. 15 No. 2 2001


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The Dromkeen Book of Australian Children's illustrators
The Dromkeen Book of Australian Children's Illustrators
Compiled by Susan Scobie.
Sydney : Scholastic, 1997. 176 p.
ISBN 1 86388 695 8   pbk
SCIS No: 899826

Teachers and students interested in children's book illustration will be delighted with this exquisite publication; full of arresting illustrations in a diversity of styles and mediums supported by a concise, informative text.

Featured are seventy-nine illustrators from the early 1900s to the present day, providing a useful historical perspective. Included are Ida Rentoul Outhwaite, Pixie O'Harris, Norman Lindsay, May Gibbs, Jeannie Baker, Bronwyn Bancroft, Ron Brooks, Alison Lester, Craig Smith and Julie Vivas. Two to four pages are devoted to each illustrator. The pages are dominated by the illustrations showing the characteristics and range of the artist's work. A short biography, photograph of the illustrator and interesting comments explaining how the illustrator approached the text and/or the techniques used, provide valuable insight into world of picture book illustration.


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The Eye of the Soul
MATTHEWS, Stephen
The Eye of the Soul: Interviews with Seventeen of the Younger Generation of Australians Writing for Children and Young Adults.
Grange, Qld : Magpies, 1998. 223 p.
ISBN 1875249 02 8
SCIS No: 935917

How the current crop of young Australian authors writing for children and young adults view the state of children's literature and reading today, forms the basis of this compilation. Authors such as Isobelle Carmody, Brian Caswell, Sonya Hartnett, James Moloney, Garth Nix and Glyn Parry talk openly and candidly about the creative process, imagination, their own personal journeys on becoming writers and how they write. They also reflect on the state of children's literature in Australia today, the responsibilities of authors to their audience and the perception that technology is taking over from the book.

The Eye of the Soul is recommended for all teachers and parents who may be feeling superceded in the wake of the technological revolution. It reaffirms the belief that the book will always have a special place in the way we communicate with each other, and as a medium for exploring the boundaries of our humanity and ingenuity - or in other words, our imagination.

Barbara Combes, CMIS, Department of Education (WA)
Extract from Fiction Focus Vol. 12 No. 3 1998


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Kids Best
Kids Best: Australian Books for Children and Young Adults 1996-2000
Newtown, NSW : Primary English Teaching Association, 2000. 208 p.
ISBN 1 875622 36 5
SCIS No: 1006729


This useful reference contains a list of the notable books from the Children's Book Council Book Awards from 1996 to 2000. A compilation of the CBCA annual Notable Book List based on the judges comments, the book is organised into the Book Award categories: Fiction for Older Readers, Fiction for Younger Readers, Picture Books and Information Books.

Bibliographic details are given for each title plus a succinct paragraph which outlines plot and theme, and provides apt evaluative comments about the author's style, characterisation, accessibility and illustrations where applicable. Shortlisted, honour and winning books are noted. Kids Best is a valuable selection tool for teachers and librarians and is also an accessible reference for young readers wanting find something to read next.


Available from: Primary English Teaching Association (PETA)
PO Box 3106 Marrickville, NSW 2204
Fax: (02) 9565 1070
Ph: (02) 9565 1277
Email:
info@peta.edu.au

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Learning & Leading with Technology
Learning & Leading with Technology
Eugene, Oregon : International Society for Technology in Education
ISSN 1082-5754
SCIS No: 1000446

Available from: EBSCO Australia
$140.39 [journal]
$196.50 [journal & membership of ISTE]
Note: It may be worthwhile to join as a member of ISTE because you then have access to all sections of the website, including supplementary information for teachers.

Published by the International Society for technology in Education, this journal aims to help K-12 classroom teachers and administrators share effective methods for enhancing student learning through the use of new classroom technologies.
  • Every issue includes articles about using technology in specific areas of the curriculum with lesson plans and reproducible worksheets.
  • Most issues have articles designated as Language Arts, and many of the Multidisciplinary articles are also of interest to English teachers although they are not necessarily literature based.
  • Many journal articles have online supplements that are only available if your subscription includes membership of the association.
Examples of Useful Articles
  • Teach a Novel Without the Internet? Never Again!
    Elaine Insinnia [English teacher], Eileen Skarecki [Technology coordinator], and Jarnail Tucker [Student]
    in Learning & Leading with Technology, Vol 27, No 8, May 2000, p. 28-35
    Early to Late Adolescence.

    While reading a novel set in Auschwitz during the Holocaust, students were encouraged to use the Internet for background research. They soon turned up information about the author, including a recorded interview, maps and photos of the death camps, and stories of other survivors. The teacher found that interaction with this information enriched the reading of the novel. As a response to reading the book and working with the related online information, the class developed a website containing student's thoughts about the book, a poem written by a student and a link to the website of the author.

    Ideas in this article could be applied to many novel studies, especially those where there is a mass of historical background readily available in digital form.

  • Technology Takes on Fairy Tales and Folktales
    Rose Reissman and Elizabeth Gil
    in Learning & Leading with Technology, Vol 27, No 5, February 2000, p. 18-21
    Middle Childhood to Late Adolescence

    Using short fairy and folk tales as a source, students who otherwise might not participate in reading discussions or writing activities, were engaged by translating a familiar tale into a digital version using Storybook Weaver and Kid Pix Studio Delux.

  • The Dreaded Book Report
    Jessica Kahn
    in Learning & Leading with Technology, Vol 28, No 1, September 2000, p. 18-21
    Early Childhood to Early Adolescence

    Kahn suggests a number of alternatives to the handwritten book report using familiar programs such as PowerPoint, Inspiration and Student Writing Center.

  • Electronic Texts in the Classroom
    Glen Bull, Gina Bull, Laura Blasi and Paula Cochran
    in Learning & Leading with Technology, Vol 27, No 4, December/January 1999/2000, p. 46-56
    Middle Childhood to Late Adolescence

    The authors propose imaginative ways of using some of the thousands of literary texts now available online.
For full article see Fiction Focus Vol. 15 No. 1 p. 6-7

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Literature Circles: Reading in Action
DAWSON, Darelyn and FITZGERALD, LEE
Literature Circles: Reading in Action.
Wagga Wagga, NSW : Centre for Information Studies, Charles Sturt University, 1999.
90 p. (Occasional Monographs)
ISBN 0 949060 92 5
SCIS No: 997833

Published in 1999 and aimed at upper primary and secondary students, this resource will be valuable to both teachers and teacher librarians in their quest to promote the love of reading.

The first two chapters elucidate the many benefits of Literature circles. Following on from this, chapters cover areas such as putting them into practice, a step by step guide to designing your own and some excellent examples of Literature circles in operation at Trinity Grammar School (NSW).

Literature Circles: Reading in action emphasises the important relationship between teachers and teacher librarians. It illustrates links to the information process as well as learning outcomes. Literature circles involve the principles of higher thinking skills, student-centred learning and Bloom's taxonomy. The circles adapt to suit multiple intelligences and learning styles, role play and cooperative learning. There are also suggestions in the book for incorporating technology into Literature circles and how to adapt them into other learning areas. In theory, Literature circles cover a large spectrum of modern teaching styles, although the authors state that there appears to be little research as yet on the use of Literature circles in education.

Text is well spaced, easy to read and information is concise. Examples of Literature circles at the end of the book provide lots of ideas on how to get started. Upon reading this reference, teachers and teacher librarians may be inspired to revitalise the promotion of literature in their school.

Vanessa Rankin-Hume, Allanson PS.
Reviewed in Fiction Focus Vol 14 No. 2 2000 p 9


Available From:
Centre for Information Studies
Charles Sturt University
Locked Bag 660
Wagga Wagga, NSW 2678
Ph (02) 6933 2325, Fax (02) 6933 2733
Email: cis@csu.edu.au


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Literature Circles
DANIELS, Harvey
Literature Circles: Voice and Choice in the Student-Centred Classroom
York, Maine : Stenhouse, 1994. 200 p.
ISBN 1 57110 000 8
SCIS No: 843033

Students, not the teacher, pick their reading materials and set assignments when they use the literature circle strategy.

This useful book, written for teachers of all Phases of Development from Early Childhood to Late Adolescence, explains why and how literature circles work. The theoretical base stems from the author's observation that readers love, and need to talk about what they are reading. Literature circles combine the two approaches of independent reading and cooperative learning. Each circle is a small, temporary discussion group whose members have chosen to read the same piece of text. They set discussion questions, take responsibility for particular aspects of the discussion and, when they have finished their reading and discussion, present the highlights of their reading to a wider group such as the rest of the class.

Many aspects of the strategy are not new, but Harvey Daniels provides an easy-to-implement, structured approach through twelve features that have been identified as making the process successful.

The text is very easy to read and provides practical support, including photocopiable sheets, so that teachers can implement the strategy. The first five chapters cover theoretical background and implementation. Of the remaining chapters, one outlines five secondary case studies, and the others deal with record keeping and evaluation as well as problems, questions and variations. A final brief segment on teaching teachers about literature circles could be used as the basis for a professional development session.

Jill Midolo, CMIS, Department of Education (WA)
Reviewed in Resource Focus English Secondary. 1997. p.9-10.

Available From: Eleanor Curtain Publishing
906 Malvern Rd, Armadale VIC 3143
Ph (03) 9822 0344, Fax (03) 9824 8851
Email:
ecurtain@ozemail.com.au

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Reading the Visual
ANSTEY, Michele and BULL, Geoff
Reading the Visual: Written and Illustrated Children's Literature
Sydney : Harcourt, 2000. 278 p.
ISBN 0 7295 3602 5
SCIS No: 1011625

If you are involved in helping students to achieve Viewing outcomes and developing their broader critical thinking skills, or interested in your own professional development then Reading the Visual is an essential reference.

Written by two Associate Professors in the Faculty of Education at the University of Southern Queensland, the book is comprehensive, academic and practical. Although aimed at tertiary students, it is equally relevant to practising teachers, especially those in English and The Arts Learning Areas and all library specialists.

There is a good balance between theory and practice. Discussion ranges from an examination of the evolution of the picture book, focusing on the changes in the role of the illustrative and written text to a detailed analysis of the illustrative process. The final section explains how to develop multiple and critical readings of the illustrations followed by practical suggestions on how to use picture books in the classroom.

The emphasis throughout is constructing meaning from the illustrative text. Hundreds of examples from familiar picture books are used to demonstrate how the pictures can be analysed and interpreted from various perspectives. Elements of the illustrative text: shape, line, colour, perspective, media, layout and texture are described in detail. As well, important concepts such as symbolism, intertextuality, point of view and context are all explored. Together, these provide the reader with the tools needed to become analytical and critical viewers. While the final chapter, Pedagogy and Picture Books: Using Picture Books in the Classroom is of particular interest to teachers, the preceding chapters are also useful in helping teachers to hone their own visual and critical literacy skills.

The layout and overall design of this text caters for different reading styles and purposes. Each chapter contains a graphic overview; questions for reflection; activities, suggestions or comments in highlighted boxes which help the reader clarify concepts; tables or diagrams, an extensive reference list and a multitude of black-and-white illustrations. A detailed glossary, bibliography and four pages of coloured reproductions are included at the end of the book.

Highly recommended, Reading the Visual will inspire and assist teachers to use picture books more effectively with their students.

Rita Blackburn, CMIS, Department of Education (WA)
Reviewed in Fiction Focus Vol. 15 No. 1 2001.


Available from: College Division
Harcourt Australia
Reply Paid 65, St Peters NSW 2044
Ph: 1800 263 951
Fax: (02) 9517 2249
Email:
service@harcourt.com.au

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