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Russell Freedman
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From: Kathleen Horning <bogus_at_does.not.exist.com>
Date: Sat, 11 Apr 1998 09:01:11 -0600
Thanks to all of you who responded to my question about children's responses to Russell Freedman's books. It seems everyone has had a slightly different experience with these books!
It is true that, given a choice, many children prefer nonfiction over fiction for recreational reading. They're lucky to have books by writers such as Russell Freedman, Milton Meltzer, and Jim Murphy from which to choose. It always seemed there was at least one child every year who, when faced with the dreaded Newbery assignment, was visibly relieved to be offered "Lincoln: A Photobiography."
A couple of years before "Lincoln" was published, we sometimes heard children's book editors say that children's nonfiction was an endangered species because sales were declining and they certainly weren't going to continue to publishing it if no one was going to buy it. Nonfiction made a comeback after "Lincoln" was awarded the Newbery. But it had changed ? there were more pictures, fewer words, and often, very little substance. It was if they had borrowed the outward appearance of
"Lincoln" but had neglected to notice Freedman's fine writing and scholarship.
Next week we'll begin our discussion of poetry in honor of National Poetry Month. If any of you have any other comments about the books of Russell Freedman, now is the time to make them.
Kathleen T. Horning
Cooperative Children's Book Center School of Education University of Wisconsin-Madison Room 4290 Helen C. White Hall 600 N. Park St Madison, WI 53706 Telephone: 608&3720 FAX: 608&2I33 ccbcinfo at mail.soemadison.wisc.edu www.soemadison.wisc.edu/ccbc/
Received on Sat 11 Apr 1998 10:01:11 AM CDT
Date: Sat, 11 Apr 1998 09:01:11 -0600
Thanks to all of you who responded to my question about children's responses to Russell Freedman's books. It seems everyone has had a slightly different experience with these books!
It is true that, given a choice, many children prefer nonfiction over fiction for recreational reading. They're lucky to have books by writers such as Russell Freedman, Milton Meltzer, and Jim Murphy from which to choose. It always seemed there was at least one child every year who, when faced with the dreaded Newbery assignment, was visibly relieved to be offered "Lincoln: A Photobiography."
A couple of years before "Lincoln" was published, we sometimes heard children's book editors say that children's nonfiction was an endangered species because sales were declining and they certainly weren't going to continue to publishing it if no one was going to buy it. Nonfiction made a comeback after "Lincoln" was awarded the Newbery. But it had changed ? there were more pictures, fewer words, and often, very little substance. It was if they had borrowed the outward appearance of
"Lincoln" but had neglected to notice Freedman's fine writing and scholarship.
Next week we'll begin our discussion of poetry in honor of National Poetry Month. If any of you have any other comments about the books of Russell Freedman, now is the time to make them.
Kathleen T. Horning
Cooperative Children's Book Center School of Education University of Wisconsin-Madison Room 4290 Helen C. White Hall 600 N. Park St Madison, WI 53706 Telephone: 608&3720 FAX: 608&2I33 ccbcinfo at mail.soemadison.wisc.edu www.soemadison.wisc.edu/ccbc/
Received on Sat 11 Apr 1998 10:01:11 AM CDT
