From: Ginny Moore Kruse <gmkruse>
Date: Tue, 16 Mar 1999 16:30:37 -0600

Thanks to everyone who contributed directly to the brief examination of 1999 ALA/SRRT Coretta Scott Award Winners and Honor Books. Even if you didn't directly write to the entire community, you're a participant in whatever discussion exists. I'll repeat what I've often written: there's no such person as a "lurker" in the CCBC-Net community - you're signed up for CCBC-Net, which means you're getting the messages, reading some or most of them, possibly filing or forwarding some of them, and maybe discussing a few of them with co-workers, students or someone else in your life. You are NOT a lurker!

However, the subject of each announced discussion is richer each time someone else contributes directly to it. We invite everyone to contribute whenever you wish and whenever you can. We realize that many of you - perhaps most of you - have not had a chance to see or read the books recently made visible through a formal awards process. We hope our discussion will encourage you to give them a first or second look or new consideration. Meanwhile, if you can, please step forward within the CCBC-Net community1

Let's begin our consideration of the 1999 Mildred L. Batchelder Award Winner and Honor Book by stating that the formal honors actually go to the publisher of each book:

1) The 1999 ALA/ALSC Batchelder Award goes to Dial Books for publishing James Skofield's translation of the German edition of Thanks to My Mother by Schoschana Rabinovici

2) The 1999 ALA/ALSC Batchelder Honor Certificate goes to Viking Books for publishing Gill Rosner's translation of the French edition of Secret Letters from 0 to 10 by Susie Morgenstern

We always say - and it bears repeating - that this type of publishing is a huge financial investment for the U.S. publisher of any newly translated book of substantial length, an investment rarely realized through subsequent U.S. sales. It's essential to pay special attention to each and every such book, because each year these are few and far between. According to CCBC records regarding translated books published in the U.S. during 1998, those of substantial length last year numbered nine. We probably overlooked one or two. However, even if the number nine is correct, 1998 was a banner year in terms of numbers. Believe it or not! Attention must be given. The ALA/ALSC Mildred L. Batchelder Award does exactly that each year, and so does CCBC-Net.

First we'll pay attention to the short novel Secret Letters from 0 to 10. (This gives those of you who have intended to complete your reading of "Thanks to My Mother," a few more days to finish that longer autobiographical work for young adults!)

To begin, I want to underscore something Violet Harris pointed out a few days ago about "Heaven" by Angela Johnson. Violet remarked that "a human problem is explained through a particular culture, yet [one] is not constantly reminded of that." That was a keen observation about that specific book. It's also an apt way to consider fiction in translation.


The fiction might involve an historical or contemporary African American protagonist, or the fiction might be a story about a modern French schoolboy and the girl who flies into the middle of his linordinately sheltered life, as is the situation in the novel "Secret Letters from 1 to 10." As I recall, there's just enough detail about home, food, and school in this book to make me certain it doesn't take place in the U.S. Good, because that's one of the criteria for the Batchelder Award. It must be clear to readers that the book doesn't take place in the U.S. However (and this is yours truly speaking), the book should not be a thinly disguised travelogue or seem to readers as if facts about people or events in another nation are being "taught." That holds true for any well-written book. In addition, the translation should be smooth, not calling attention to itself but also not Americanizing details so as to lose unique qualities, vocabulary, etc.

Perhaps members of the 1999 Batchelder Award Committee will want to chime in here regarding the criteria or comments on "Secret Letters..." or the winning book. Our discussion is definitely not limited to people who were on this year's Batchelder Award Committee. It's open to all. We want to know what you think about this highly original, fresh, funny, endearing, fast-paced novel. There, I've tipped my hand as to what I think about "Secret Letters..." (but I didn't give away the meaning of the title, did I?) Agree? Disagree? Why? What do you have to say about
"Secret Letters from 0 to 10?)" ...Ginny
********************** Ginny Moore Kruse (gmkruse at ccbc.soemadison.wisc.edu) Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) A Library of the School of Education (www.soemadison.wisc.edu/ccbc/) University of Wisconsin - Madison Public Service Hours: Monday-Thursday 9:00-7:00 & Friday-Saturday 9:00-4:00 (CST)
Received on Tue 16 Mar 1999 04:30:37 PM CST