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BATCHELDER CRITERIA
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From: Ginny Moore Kruse <gmkruse>
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 16:17:08 -0600
Brenda, it's precisely because of the reasons you state so eloquently and passionately that I join you in being pleased to see Hostage to War brought to visibility through the Batchelder Award process. I hope you and your colleagues in publishing will continue to seek books in other languages. Regardless of their publishing history in other nations, I hope you'll find ways to bring into English the books that readers in this nation deserve to discover.
The CCBC pays attention to translated books each year, period - not only the books that come to attention through the Batchelder Award process, but other books, as well. We'll notice the translated books you publish, regardless of whether or not they receive the Batchelder Award or starred reviews. The CCBC hosts an annual discussion of translated books of substantial length in order to bring this aspect of publishing to the attention of education students, library school students and others in the university and surrounding community who want to find out about excellent books - period.
The 1998 Batchelder Award Committee members probably cannot discuss their deliberations. However, individual members are always free to share their personal observations about specific books. They had substantial books from which to choose, too, and this was because publishers such as you and Marc and others took a chance on a book or books worthy of attention beyond national boundaries. For this we all thank you. Sincerely, Ginny
************************************************ Ginny Moore Kruse (gmkruse at ccbc.soemadison.wisc.edu) Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) A Library of the School of Education University of Wisconsin - Madison
Another word about the Batchelder!
I'm so distressed to see the comments about the elgibility of HOSTAGE TO WAR. We at Scholastic Press submitted HOSTAGE TO WAR precisely because it was "originally published in a foreign language (Russian) in a foreign country (Russia) and subsequently pub
lished in the United States." That it has also been translated into German, and that the translation is from the German, violates neither the letter nor (I believe) the spirit of the award. Remember, too, that as responsible translation publishers, we submitted the US edition to the author (in Russia) for her approval.
As Ginny Moore Kruse herself pointed out earlier, the award is to recognize a publisher who makes the effort to uncover and promote a book that would otherwise not reach children in this country. It is especially important to shed light on books published in former Soviet-bloc countries, and right now we may have to go through Germany or other European countries to do it. (Russian publishers don't go to many international trade shows!) If you read the list of criteria of the Batchelder award, you'll see that it allows for this kind of cross-cultural pollination, which, to me, is the whole point of publishing translated books.
If the Batchelder were an award for first original translation, the book would have been ineligible, but as the criteria are written, it appears that the Batchelder intends to be inclusive of this kind of book.
I would be very interested to hear from the Batchelder committee on this issue. Thanks! Brenda Bowen
Received on Mon 16 Mar 1998 04:17:08 PM CST
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 16:17:08 -0600
Brenda, it's precisely because of the reasons you state so eloquently and passionately that I join you in being pleased to see Hostage to War brought to visibility through the Batchelder Award process. I hope you and your colleagues in publishing will continue to seek books in other languages. Regardless of their publishing history in other nations, I hope you'll find ways to bring into English the books that readers in this nation deserve to discover.
The CCBC pays attention to translated books each year, period - not only the books that come to attention through the Batchelder Award process, but other books, as well. We'll notice the translated books you publish, regardless of whether or not they receive the Batchelder Award or starred reviews. The CCBC hosts an annual discussion of translated books of substantial length in order to bring this aspect of publishing to the attention of education students, library school students and others in the university and surrounding community who want to find out about excellent books - period.
The 1998 Batchelder Award Committee members probably cannot discuss their deliberations. However, individual members are always free to share their personal observations about specific books. They had substantial books from which to choose, too, and this was because publishers such as you and Marc and others took a chance on a book or books worthy of attention beyond national boundaries. For this we all thank you. Sincerely, Ginny
************************************************ Ginny Moore Kruse (gmkruse at ccbc.soemadison.wisc.edu) Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) A Library of the School of Education University of Wisconsin - Madison
Another word about the Batchelder!
I'm so distressed to see the comments about the elgibility of HOSTAGE TO WAR. We at Scholastic Press submitted HOSTAGE TO WAR precisely because it was "originally published in a foreign language (Russian) in a foreign country (Russia) and subsequently pub
lished in the United States." That it has also been translated into German, and that the translation is from the German, violates neither the letter nor (I believe) the spirit of the award. Remember, too, that as responsible translation publishers, we submitted the US edition to the author (in Russia) for her approval.
As Ginny Moore Kruse herself pointed out earlier, the award is to recognize a publisher who makes the effort to uncover and promote a book that would otherwise not reach children in this country. It is especially important to shed light on books published in former Soviet-bloc countries, and right now we may have to go through Germany or other European countries to do it. (Russian publishers don't go to many international trade shows!) If you read the list of criteria of the Batchelder award, you'll see that it allows for this kind of cross-cultural pollination, which, to me, is the whole point of publishing translated books.
If the Batchelder were an award for first original translation, the book would have been ineligible, but as the criteria are written, it appears that the Batchelder intends to be inclusive of this kind of book.
I would be very interested to hear from the Batchelder committee on this issue. Thanks! Brenda Bowen
Received on Mon 16 Mar 1998 04:17:08 PM CST
