From: lhendr at unm.edu <lhendr>
Date: Mon, 7 Jun 1999 19:28:02 -0600 (MDT)

The messages from Nina Lindsay and Art Levine remind me of the experience of many of my children's literature students. They find they absolutely love reading children's books, not just with an eye for what children will like, but for their own enjoyment. Many of them are surprised at how many good books there are, and that children's books aren't all "cute" and
"sweet." Furthermore they often report on getting their parents, husbands, or friends to read their favorite books. For many of them, my course in children's literature is the first time they have read for pleasure since they've become college students. And some admit that they have never been "readers." I suspect if more grown-ups knew about all the great children's books there are, we'd not only have more adults reading children's books, but more adults reading. I'll never forget having a Vietnam veteran who'd been everywhere and done everything tell me that
"Half a Moon Inn," which I read aloud to the class, was the best book he'd ever read.

Linnea

Linnea Hendrickson Albuquerque, New Mexico Children's Literature: A Guide to the Criticism (1987) at: http://www.unm.edu/~lhendr Lhendr at unm.edu
Received on Mon 07 Jun 1999 08:28:02 PM CDT