From: HUMMINGRK at aol.com <HUMMINGRK>
Date: Thu, 17 Jul 1997 10:36:46 -0400 (EDT)

Classics once refered to works by the Ancient Greeks or Romans. I think in children's literature, one should be less concerned with the age of a piece and more with its agelessness.

Fifty years--in a field that really began to come into its own in the last 50 years--seems excessive. I'll agree that calling this year's Newberry Award winner a "classic" may not be correct (though I love A View From Saturday), but I beleive that Charlotte's Web, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Where the Wild Things Are, and even Maniac Magee should be included in any list of Children's Literature Classics. Being a "Classic" does not, however, assure that children will choose or even like reading a particular book. It's kind of like broccoli. You may hate it, but it's good for you and you'll probably grow to appreciate it as an adult. I found Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn hard to enjoy back in 9th grade, but rereading out loud to my children this year, I hated to put it down!

Age of a work and how much children like it are not necessarily criteria in selecting the best books of all time. Classics, to me, are the true great literary works which writers aspire to write and by which readers are changed forever.
Received on Thu 17 Jul 1997 09:36:46 AM CDT