Hello ,
Congratulations again to Erma Baude, winner of my latest drawing for new subscribers. She chose a gift certificate to Village Books in Bellingham, WA. I'm thrilled to support this terrific
bookstore.
All subscribers will be entered into the next drawing on on January 15, 2015. The winner will be announced in the January 20th newsletter and must be claimed within one month.
Sanitized Books for Young Readers? |
A firestorm erupted on twitter and in the blogsphere the past couple days after The New York Times published the article To Lure Young Readers, Nonfiction Writers Sanitize and Simplify, by Alexandra
Alter. At issue is Laura Hillenbrand's new edition of her best seller UNBROKEN. The Times wrote: Of all the horrors Louis Zamperini endured during World War II a plane crash into the Pacific, 47 days stranded at sea, two years in a prisoner-of-war camp the one experience that truly haunted him was when a Japanese guard tortured and killed an injured duck. The episode, recounted in Laura Hillenbrand's best seller Unbroken, also traumatized many readers, Ms. Hillenbrand said. So when she was writing a new edition aimed at young adults, she left that scene out. 'I know that if I were 12 and reading it, that would upset me, Ms. Hillenbrand said.'" A growing number of adult writers are writing cut down versions of their books for this market. Alter wrote "these slimmed-down, simplified and sometimes sanitized editions of popular nonfiction titles are fast becoming a vibrant, growing
and lucrative niche" The words "simplified and sometimes sanitized" caused much of the flack. YA Author Beth Kephart blogged: Let's first acknowledge what many young readers are capable of,
which is to say, books rich with moral dilemma and emboldened by ideas. Let's next acknowledge what young readers need, which is to say the facts of then and now. You can already get that sort of thing in novels written for younger readers. Certainly Patricia McCormick is not writing down, making it easy, simplifying when she writes about the sex trade or the Cambodian war....And certainly I, writing novels
for young adults, am not setting history down in burnished, skip-over-it slices. Librarian Liz Burns, who blogs for School Library Journal wrote:
"In a nutshell, my
response: There is nothing wrong, and actually much right, with writing age-appropriate nonfiction books for children and teens. When and how subject matter is introduced and discussed is, well, the reason fifth graders aren't sent to university classes (unless they're Doogie Howser, of course.)"In her longer response Liz Burns drew the distinction between books for children under 13, and books for teenagers. She also pointed to what I see as
the more fundamental and important issue-getting appropriate books to readers no matter what their age, and our lack of commitment to that end. "Schools are increasing their purchasing of nonfiction at a time when the resources to do so have been reduced. Funding for books is decreased; and professional librarians, who evaluate and find books, have reduced hours, increased responsibilities, or have been eliminated all together." Perhaps this is all just a flap over a few sensational words in the news, but even so, it's an opportunity to ask ourselves if we really mean it when we say we want kids to read more, and if they deserve quality books, and librarians to get the right book, at right time, into a child's hands. What do you think? I can't close without sharing The Washington Post's words about PURE GRIT. Farrell doesn't spare her young readers any grim details . . . She includes the challenges these women faced and the joy they felt on returning home. As awful as history can be, now
might be the right time to introduce the next generation to this important period. --The Washington Post On July 7, 1944, while fighting on Saipan, Richard Bean and his comrades faced the largest suicidal banzai attack of the war and, at 24, he was reported missing in action. Three years later, the military declared him dead. Posthumously, he was promoted to
sergeant and awarded the Bronze Star. Decades ago, his family gave up hope that his body would be recovered, but now, after seven decades, the soldier's remains returned to Virginia. Read more here... Thanks to the Allen County Public Library for
creating a mock-Newbery Awards list on Pinterest. And thanks from the bottom of my heart for pinning PURE GRIT on the mock-Newbery list. Definitely an honor.
Thank you for reading! I know your time is valuable and I appreciate you
spending a few minutes with me today. I am always happy to hear your thoughts If you know someone who might enjoy this newsletter, please forward this e-mail. I will never spam you or sell your email address, you can unsubscribe below anytime with a single mouse click. If you'd like to get your hands on a copy of PURE GRIT, here's the place! If you'd like a signed copy and I'm not coming to your neighborhood soon, let me know. I can send you a personally autographed book or a signed bookplate. To find out more about my books, how I help students, teacher and librarians, visit my website at www.MaryCronkFarrell.com. My best, Mary Questions? Comments? Contact me at MaryCronkFarrell@gmail.com. Click here to subscribe to this newsletter.
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