From: Nina Lindsay <nlindsay>
Date: Fri, 16 Feb 1996 08:37:00 -600

What Jamie Saw, by Carolyn Coman, was reviewed in this past Sunday's (2/11) New York Times Book Review. The reviewer (I'm sorry, I can't recall who it was, and don't have a copy -- can anyone help?) gave the book high marks for quality, but suggested that the writing style was too sophisticated for readers the age of the protagonist, and that readers old enough to enjoy the story might not read it because the protagonist would be too young for them. This is a comment I've heard several times about this book, and while I agree that this book won't be for all readers, I wanted to counter the suggestion that younger readers won't be able to appreciate it. I think we so often underestimate the depth of understanding of child readers, especially when the understanding is of issues we wish we could "protect" them from a little longer. As for the concern that the voice in the narration is not realistic for a child Jamie's age, I think it's important to realize that the intrinically crafted narration serves to describe Jamie's thoughts and feelings -- not to record his own voice. I think certain readers will appreciate this book tremendously for just that reason -- the sophistication of the inner workings of a child their age, which they probably don't find reflected in other books.

The New York Times reviewer also made a comment about this being a
"problem" or an "issue" book. The reviewer suggested that in the last few years, as more and more of these types of books have been published, the need for them has lost some of its urgency. The reviewer concluded that, while they'd hold up the book for its literary quality, they didn't think it would be very popular, or necessary serve to fill an "issue" hole in a library collection. I'd like to think that an "issue" book could be more than just its issue. What Jamie Saw, in my view, certainly offers much more than just a view on child abuse. The relationship between Jamie and his mother, Jamie and his baby sister, Jamie and the different adults around him (and the ways in which he either fears or is able to trust these adults) are dealt with so well in this book that they easily transcend the "issue".

This makes me think about what Ginny said about book awards -- that it's so important to be able to call wide public attention to books for their literary quality -- not just for their market value (and that, in the Newbery and Caldecott awards cases, market value can be based on literary quality). I doubt, I have to say, that What Jamie Saw would have been able to find its way very far without the Newbery Honor. There are many other books published in 1995, which did not receive medals, that I can also say that about, unfortunately. "Protecting Marie", by Kevin Henkes, which we discussed, doesn't seemed to have been much discussed elsewhere. I'm also disappointed not to have heard Frances Temple's "Tonight by Sea" more talked about, or "Slot Machine" by Chris Lynch (which we will discuss next month, I recall). In any case, I'm thrilled to see that "What Jamie Saw", with its small, pastel cover that could be so easily overlooked, won't be.



Nina Lindsay Student -- School of Library and Information Studies University of Wisconsin, Madison nlindsay at mail.soemadison.wisc.edu
Received on Fri 16 Feb 1996 08:37:00 AM CST