From: E Berrie <eberrie>
Date: Sat, 1 Feb 1997 20:55:43 -0500 (EST)

Your invitation to respond is irrestible although I am a "lurker" (retired library media specialist) --- and thoroughly enjoying the discussions.

Lois Lowry's books are so well crafted they are deceiving. I am a little surprised no one has mentioned the Anastasia series ---- which I found very useful with students who were not as intellectually ready for the more profound titles at their level. Lowry handles contemporary issues and young people's issues with insight and humor but nontheless imparts a very positive message.

It was a bit surprising to me that "Number the Stars" was considered simplistic. I thought it was a wonderful introduction to the world in which the characters found themselves ---- nothing evenly remotely suspected, let alone understood by my elementary students! The Holocaust is real to those of us who went through WWII, but it has been years since my own children have explained patiently to their friends "my mother means WW II" when I mentioned THE WAR. All they know about is Vietnam and Korea!

Lowry's ability to give immediency and reality to events and characters is a wonderful gift. The two titles which have been under discussion here are no doubt her most important contributions for serious discussion, but I think she has said much of value to our readers in all her writing.

Ellen Berrie Library Media Specialist MSAD 75 (elementary), Retired

P.S. To Jane Kurtz: there has always been a furious competition in my district for which books are used in which grades. You are absolutely right, there should be some method of selection --- by appropriate content.
Received on Sat 01 Feb 1997 07:55:43 PM CST