MORE POSTS
While I scour my library for picture books to hold against Hook for discussion, here’s some thoughts on possible poetry Newbery contenders. Marilyn Nelson’s Sweethearts of Rhythm has made some people’s lists of favorites. Nelson is an astonginshly adroit poet, and here she takes poems about music and weaves them into an arc that speaks […]
It seems that as we consider whether or not picture book texts are worthy of Newbery recognition we are confronted with two issues. The first one seems to be the interdependence between the text and the illustrations (something that affects not only picture books, but graphic novels, nonfiction, and the occasional mold-breaker like HUGO CABRET). The second issue is one […]
In her excellent article, "Alive and Vigorous: Questioning the Newbery," Martha Parravano asks this pentrating question: Looking back at the books of 1963, for instance, what would you choose as “the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children”? The novel that won the 1964 Newbery Medal, IT’S LIKE THIS, CAT? Or WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE? To […]
As promised, here is the first half of the list of titles we’ll be discussing at the live Mock Newbery in Oakland CA on January 10th. As you can see, we’ve decided to go with nonfiction titles for at least half of the discussion, each of which will prove for interesting and fruitful debate: Almost […]
STITCHES AND THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD There has been a fair amount of whining and whinging online about the selection of STITCHES as a National Book Award finalist in the Young People’s Literature category. Now I am probably in the minority on this (yet again!), but I find it all completely misguided. The National Book Foundation […]
Jonathan’s just posted on the range of National Book Award nominees, and the Newbery Committee process for narrowing down to nominations. In recent comments, "A Teacher" remarks "I get the feeling through reading these comments that "distinguished" to lots of people means "historical fiction". And Jane "One last discussion question: is PC policing going on to […]
The National Book Award finalists were announced yesterday with some surprises that sent the children’s book community into a tizzy. The NBA finalists always tend to skew older, favoring YA to children’s books by a two to one ratio, and this year is no exception. Thus, it’s not that surprising that WHEN YOU REACH ME, A SEASON OF GIFTS, and THE […]
Monica notes that we’ve not yet talked about When the Whistle Blows here. It does bear comparison to The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate and A Season of Gifts. It is episodic, historical, and told from an adult-perspective looking back [sic, see comments] . It took quick a while to draw me in, but I tried to tell myself […]
We recently discussed the slower pacing of THE EVOLUTION OF CALPURNIA TATE, how it may have just as many events as other historical fiction titles (RIOT, A SEASON OF GIFTS, and THE BROTHERS STORY), but how the author uses at least twice as many words. She does use beautiful language, but it slows the story considerably. We also already […]
THE EVOLUTION OF CALPURNIA TATE does have that nice Southern and/or country voice that we often associate with the Newbery, not to mention a spunky heroine, but . . . don’t you think it’s too long and boring to win the Newbery? Several years ago Vicky Smith bemoaned the fate of Disappearing Children’s Books. I think […]
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