From: Dean Schneider <schneiderd>
Date: Mon, 28 Feb 2000 12:09:10 -0600

I thought both Speak and Hard Love were excellent. I passed Speak on to many of my 8th and 7th grade students (the youngest I would give it to), and it quickly became the favorite independent reading book. Funny, it was Harry Potter last year with same age of students! Now that Harry is so popular with younger readers, the older students here don't seem interested at all, at least in public.
        Hard Love I see as for older readers still. My 15-year-old daughter loved it. In fact, other good books I've given to her are now compared to Hard Love as her basis of comparison, and few seem to measure up. Something about the story, even the feel of the book with pages that feel like the cheap "zines" and the fonts that are like those in the "zines" make the book such an engaging read.
        Both books are about high school and peer groups and making your way in the world, beyond the specific plots of the books. And these themes match young adult readers' interests. They are very well written, they challenge readers with the difficult themes they explore and the inventive writing styles they employ, and they end with full measures of hope.
        I thought all of the Printz Award books were great choices. When I do book talks to teachers and librarians, having this award and these books to talk about expands the range of literature I can discuss. They represent many of the exciting trends in young adult literature.


Dean Schneider Ensworth School 211 Ensworth Avenue Nashville, TN 37205
Received on Mon 28 Feb 2000 12:09:10 PM CST