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From: Sharon Grover <sgrover>
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 97 7:05:11 EST
As long as we seem to be on the thread of the decidely un-funny books out there for young readers this year, I thought I would share some of the remarks I've had from my Teen Advisory Board kids (mostly middle school, but a couple of high schoolers, too). These are all good readers who participate in a special reading program our library has set up with the schools in our county. One of our most thoughtful readers has told me that he's sick of reading books where somebody dies. He was particularly angry about Mama's death in Moving Mama to Town, feeling that Freddy could have learned just as much if his mother had lived. A young woman said she'd stopped reading books for young adults because she's "tired of all these teen problem novels."
The books my kids have most appreciated are: Ella Enchanted, which they describe as fun to read, with a happy ending; The Iron Ring, a great story with fantasy and romance; Seedfolks, liked because of the way the community figured things out for itself and remade itself into something worthwhile; and Sun & Spoon, because Spoon was a regular kid who worked out his own problems (when I mentioned to this 6th grade Henkes fan that many adults felt the book was too quiet and introspective, she responded with: "Everything doesn't have to be so dramatic!").
I am waiting to see what kids think of Habibi, which is one of my favorites this year, although I also like those mentioned above, for the same reasons the kids liked them. Habibi, to me, includes elements of thoughtful insight into a continuing cultural problem, as well as some of the most lyrical writing of the year and a little romance, too.
Out of the Dust is, of course, a literary tour de force, but very grim. For older readers looking for something a bit different, Bowman's Store is a very readable piece of autobiography (I am not a non-fiction reader and this drew me right in) that explores the search for cultural self by Joseph Bruchac.
It's great to read what others have enjoyed this year -- this is one of my favorite ccbc-net discussions.
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 97 7:05:11 EST
As long as we seem to be on the thread of the decidely un-funny books out there for young readers this year, I thought I would share some of the remarks I've had from my Teen Advisory Board kids (mostly middle school, but a couple of high schoolers, too). These are all good readers who participate in a special reading program our library has set up with the schools in our county. One of our most thoughtful readers has told me that he's sick of reading books where somebody dies. He was particularly angry about Mama's death in Moving Mama to Town, feeling that Freddy could have learned just as much if his mother had lived. A young woman said she'd stopped reading books for young adults because she's "tired of all these teen problem novels."
The books my kids have most appreciated are: Ella Enchanted, which they describe as fun to read, with a happy ending; The Iron Ring, a great story with fantasy and romance; Seedfolks, liked because of the way the community figured things out for itself and remade itself into something worthwhile; and Sun & Spoon, because Spoon was a regular kid who worked out his own problems (when I mentioned to this 6th grade Henkes fan that many adults felt the book was too quiet and introspective, she responded with: "Everything doesn't have to be so dramatic!").
I am waiting to see what kids think of Habibi, which is one of my favorites this year, although I also like those mentioned above, for the same reasons the kids liked them. Habibi, to me, includes elements of thoughtful insight into a continuing cultural problem, as well as some of the most lyrical writing of the year and a little romance, too.
Out of the Dust is, of course, a literary tour de force, but very grim. For older readers looking for something a bit different, Bowman's Store is a very readable piece of autobiography (I am not a non-fiction reader and this drew me right in) that explores the search for cultural self by Joseph Bruchac.
It's great to read what others have enjoyed this year -- this is one of my favorite ccbc-net discussions.
-- Sharon Grover Arlington County (VA) Dept. of Libraries sgrover at leo.vsla.eduReceived on Wed 10 Dec 1997 06:05:11 AM CST
