MORE POSTS
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 […]
Jonathan’s post on sentence-level style reminds me of Monica’s "Thoughts on Newbery" posts over at Educating Alice, most of which she posted while serving on the committee (with me) that ultimately selected Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! This level of discussion–about exactly what identifiable qualities in an eligible book make it "distiguished"–is the type of discussion […]
Style is one of the Newbery criteria. Defining it can be a challenging thing, but we often know it when we see it. See if you can spot which sentence–all very similar in meaning–is distinguished for its style. (You may recognize these examples from THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE by Strunk and White.) 1. Times like these try […]
I’ve been running (or getting someone else to run :), thanks Sharon ) a live Mock Newbery discussion in Oakland CA since 2003. Predicting the "winners" has never been the main point for me…it’s the experience of the process, and the sharing of that experience. But when our Mock winners correlate with the actual ones, I […]
I’m sure we’re not done with A Season of Gifts, but I’m sure exhausted and fried by this discussion, and need to take a break. Meanwhile: I’ve seen in comments here and also at Debbie Reese’s blog, many people who–symphatetic to "my camp"–suggest they now have no desire to read the book. That was never […]
I have now finished rereading A SEASON OF GIFTS and all of the posts and comments that we have written about it. I enjoyed my second reading and found it as distinguished as ever, but I hope that I have gained some insights into why Nina and I have diametrically opposed views on this book. I […]
Wendy pointedly asked the following question: "If a book is racially insensitive does that affect its distinguishedness? The very best literature aims to explore what it means to be human, and since the human condition includes being racially insensitive, it stands to reason that the very best literature will challenge us to think and […]
So we’ve had some back and forth on Peck’s Season of Gifts this week. Jonathan’s heading out of town, but I don’t think he’ll mind me stirring the pot a little, at least to collect some of the great thoughts that have popped up in the comments. Jonathan suggests I’m making a moral argument about […]
First of all, I do think the previous books affect A SEASON OF GIFTS in a negative way as much as a positive one. Sure, some readers will already have a comfortable relationship with Mrs. Dowdel, but I think that the first book, A LONG WAY FROM CHICAGO, is clearly the superior book of the trio, and, too, both […]
I know how much Jonathan likes this book because he wrote the starred Horn Book review. Other reviews rave as well. Besides great characters, it boasts a deceptively strong voice that wants to be read aloud. The sort of voice you just disappear into so you forget it’s a voice, and not the events transpiring before […]
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