From: Susan Daugherty <kdaugherty>
Date: Sat, 26 Sep 1998 13:18:55 -0500

I can't really go along with this, Walter, although I agree that the Booklist review seemed more mean-spirited in tone than necessary. Why can't we have a discussion of the pros and cons of a book in the reviewing press? Actually, I feel that on CCBC-NET people sort of pull their punches too because you never know who might be reading, and you don't want to offend anyone. I said something somewhat negative about a book once and one person felt she needed to respond to me off list. (She agreed but apparently didn't want to say it to everyone.) Reviews and our comments here should be about the books, not about the people who wrote them, and we should be able to say what we think. HOWEVER, couching it in friendly terms is difficult, and I realize that to the authors, illustrators, and editors of books, these books are like their children. No one wants to here anything even slightly negative about their children.

Susan Daugherty



Susan Daugherty Librarian Franklin Elementary School Madison, WI 53505

kdaugherty at madison.k12.wi.us
Received on Sat 26 Sep 1998 01:18:55 PM CDT