From: Ginny Moore Kruse <gmkruse>
Date: Wed, 01 Dec 1999 08:26:17 -0600

We've come to the end of the November discussion, both in calendar time and in our collective capacity to maintain a civil, respectful exchange of information and observations about the November discussion topic. Thanks to everyone within the CCBC-Net community whose comments were framed within the topic - especially during the past three days. A special thank you to everyone who "speaks" on CCBC-Net just as they might if they were not in a "virtual" environment. Can we adults expect children and teenagers to be civil to each other (and to us) if we cannot model civility? We're all still exploring how to effectively use this electronic medium. Would we attempt to argue about personal belief systems if we were all in the same physical room for professional reasons? Please remember to write individually to an individual with whom you feel the need to conduct a personal conversation so that the rest of us don't receive personal exhanges.

According to the unprecedented number of individual messages sent directly to me while I was away from my computer for only 26 hours on Monday and Tuesday, the CCBC-Net community expects a professional discussion based on the pre-announced topic. We can easily "fix" any future lack of civility by technically turning CCBC-Net into the kind of electronic discussion in which all messages are sent first to someone who will then "decide" which messages or parts of messages are worthy of being sent to the entire community. This is a procedure we chose long ago NOT to use in administering CCBC-Net, but it's always a technical possiblity. That's how some electronic discussions are administered, similar to a publication with an editor who decides which submissions will be published. We have confidence that the CCBC-Net community can continue to exchange ideas without having them monitored.

It's possible that some of you have already sent messages I have not yet received, so my message won't be the final one in the current stream. Katy Horning plans to send one final message with helpful information about the Harry Potter books. Other than than waiting for Katy's brief message, let's move on from the discussion of the three books that represent an unprecedented publishing phenomenon: 1) Boys and girls from eight to thirteen who read well and love to read are reading the Harry Potter books; 2) Girls and boys who read well but usually choose to do something with their time other than read are reading the Harry Potter books; 3) Boys and girls who do not read well and usually do not choose to read for pleasure are reading the Harry Potter books; 4) Most adults encourage the reading of the Harry Potter books, and this has not dampened the kids' enthusiasm for the books; 5) Some adults are reading and enjoying the Harry Potter books even if they have no family or professional reason to do so. Special printings with book jackets designed for adults (HP1 & HP2) were published in England; 6) The Harry Potter Books have been featured and/or reviewed in general news magazines such as "Time," (cover story), they have been featured more than once in the New York Times Business section, and they were reviewed in a full-page essay in the New York Times Book Review general section (see Katy's message to arrive shortly); 7) New printings of the U.S. hardcover editions of the three Harry Potter books continue to be produced with the same high quality page and cover stock as the first printing. Usually the paper becomes cheaper and tackier in subsequent printings. We've noticed, and we thank you, Arthur Levine and Scholastic!; 8) The three Harry Potter books have remained on top of the general best seller list of the NYT for almost two months; 9) Someone on one of the many TV interviews with J.K. Rowling stated that the books are distributed in 26 other nations. That was in September, and so the number has probably increased since then.

We could continue with such evidence of the pheonomenon. And we could continue with observations, such as observing that the annual New York Times Children's Book Section published at the beginning of Children's Book Week in November didn't contain an article about the biggest children's book news of the year, or decade - or century? Regardless of what we think professionally or personally about the Harry Potter books, we're living within the phenomenon of their publication. This is publishing history, folks. No one knows how either the stories will end or how the phenonemon will play out. Let's resume the discussion after the fourth Harry Potter book is published. Meanwhile, Peace! ...Ginny

Ginny Moore Kruse (gmkruse at ccbc.education.wisc.edu) Cooperative Children's Book Center (www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/) A Library of the School of Education, University of Wisconsin Madison
Received on Wed 01 Dec 1999 08:26:17 AM CST