From: Nina Lindsay <linds_na>
Date: Sat, 3 Mar 2001 09:29:07 -0800 (PST)

On Fri, 2 Mar 2001, Megan Schliesman wrote:


I was on the Sibert committee that chose these titles, and something that I noticed --looking at the list retrosectively-- which pleased me is that documentation was especially noteworthy in all of them. Aronson, Murphy, and Dash all chose slightly different ways to document, but all were effective. Aronson's notes are particularly noteworthy-- not only does he cite sources, but he describes them, and suggests which ones might be more accessible for younger readers. Webb and Winick had very different kinds of books, but they both had authorial authority (!), meaning that their texts were based on personal experience. They both made very clear their position in the narrative, and from where else they gathered input.

I just want to make a special plug for "My Season with Penguins", which came out very late in the year and which many people have not seen. Track it down! Spend some time with it-- it may not look spectacular, but it's a lovely reading experience. For that matter, do take the time to read each of these books. Probably the most valuable thing I learned on the committee is to be patient with non-fiction ... it develops at a different pace and in a completely different way than fiction, but if you stick with it, is at least as rewarding.

Nina


Nina Lindsay, Children's Librarian Oakland Public Library, CA linds_na at oaklandlibrary.org
Received on Sat 03 Mar 2001 11:29:07 AM CST