CCBC-Net Archives
Sibert and Complexity
- Contemporary messages sorted: [ by date ] [ by subject ] [ by author ]
From: Megan Schliesman <Schliesman>
Date: Tue, 06 Mar 2001 09:38:31 -0600
I agree with those who've commented on how deftly Marc Aronson wove information and understanding of the times in which he lived into his biography of Sir Walter Ralegh. This is what I expect from an oustanding biography, however. How can you write successfully about a person and not put them in the context of their times--there is no way to understand Ralegh, or most individuals (in my opinion), without knowing something beyond the person, without knowing the social, and in some cases political, context of their lives.
I'm not saying this to lessen the achievement of Sir Walter Ralegh, which is so very skillfull and so very intriguing and is truly as much about the times as the man.
One of the things I greatly appreciate about Jim Murphy's Blizzard is it's same complex treatment of its subject. I especially appreciated Murphy's discussion of class--which I think could have been so easily overlooked in a treatment of this great storm. To have it laid out--many went to work because they had no choice and no protection--no guarantee that their jobs would be waiting for them if they missed a day--was important information to present about those times, and important to understanding one of the reasons why this storm was so devastating.
I envy the task of the Sibert Committee, because I find nonfiction writing, when done well, is among the most fascinating reading there is And I admire choices that (the comment about the common use of expository writing among most of these books aside) collectively show how diverse outstanding nonfiction can be. I doubt this was the committee's deliberate intention, but I appreciate it nonetheless. If anyone from the committee would like to comment on this, please do!
(to the extent that you can, given the confidential nature of actual discussions on the award committees).
Monica has shared the response of 7th graders to Pedro and Me. Who else has stories about sharing any of these books with young readers?
Megan
Megan Schliesman, Librarian Cooperative Children's Book Center School of Education UW-Madison 608&2?03 schliesman at education.wisc.edu
Received on Tue 06 Mar 2001 09:38:31 AM CST
Date: Tue, 06 Mar 2001 09:38:31 -0600
I agree with those who've commented on how deftly Marc Aronson wove information and understanding of the times in which he lived into his biography of Sir Walter Ralegh. This is what I expect from an oustanding biography, however. How can you write successfully about a person and not put them in the context of their times--there is no way to understand Ralegh, or most individuals (in my opinion), without knowing something beyond the person, without knowing the social, and in some cases political, context of their lives.
I'm not saying this to lessen the achievement of Sir Walter Ralegh, which is so very skillfull and so very intriguing and is truly as much about the times as the man.
One of the things I greatly appreciate about Jim Murphy's Blizzard is it's same complex treatment of its subject. I especially appreciated Murphy's discussion of class--which I think could have been so easily overlooked in a treatment of this great storm. To have it laid out--many went to work because they had no choice and no protection--no guarantee that their jobs would be waiting for them if they missed a day--was important information to present about those times, and important to understanding one of the reasons why this storm was so devastating.
I envy the task of the Sibert Committee, because I find nonfiction writing, when done well, is among the most fascinating reading there is And I admire choices that (the comment about the common use of expository writing among most of these books aside) collectively show how diverse outstanding nonfiction can be. I doubt this was the committee's deliberate intention, but I appreciate it nonetheless. If anyone from the committee would like to comment on this, please do!
(to the extent that you can, given the confidential nature of actual discussions on the award committees).
Monica has shared the response of 7th graders to Pedro and Me. Who else has stories about sharing any of these books with young readers?
Megan
Megan Schliesman, Librarian Cooperative Children's Book Center School of Education UW-Madison 608&2?03 schliesman at education.wisc.edu
Received on Tue 06 Mar 2001 09:38:31 AM CST
