From someone who should know
Newbery Medalist and Librarian Susan Patron adds a refreshing perspective on the Newbery brouhaha.
With just over a week to go until the ALA Youth Media Awards annoucements, let me wish all the award committee members a happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day weekend and inauguration. Hope you can take the time to witness it.
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About Nina Lindsay
Nina Lindsay is the Children's Services Coordinator at the Oakland Public Library, CA. She chaired the 2008 Newbery Committee, and served on the 2004 and 1998 committees. You can reach her at ninalindsay@gmail.com
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I am one of those who are not enamored of The Higher Power of Lucky, but I was very moved by Susan Patron’s description of listening to Charlotte’s Web and having to hide her face from others because of the emotions it aroused in her, and by her description of how a librarian’s obvious love of books, and “reader’s advisory,” helped her to become a reader.
I’m rather bitter at the moment because my principal has just ordered me to stick colored dots denoting their Lexile ™ levels on all our library books. Apparently what is wanted is not someone who loves books and loves helping children find them, perhaps even helping find the one miraculous book that will turn a particular child into a reader; what is wanted is a someone who can read numbers and stick dots.
[sorry Leslie, once again I mis-set comments to “pending.”]