From: Clark Underbakke <clarku>
Date: Wed, 3 Oct 2001 23:12:14 -0500

There was an excellent article in the May 1998 issue of Book Links entitled, First Novels. The article, by Bonnie Graves, is very informative. I took from it the great importance first novels, bride books, transitional books, etc. hold in the development of young readers. It details the "supports" these books so well provide...wide margins, the well placed illustration, etc. I have shared it with many a parent who was concerned at the quality of literature their child was reading.

My dear friend, and mother of my godchild, was aghast when her little one fell in love with Barney. A mutual friend gave her a Barney video her children had deemed "for little kids." Bemoaning the purple dinosaur's undeniable magnetism, my friend wondered if she was doing the right thing...by letting Mary Claire watch her newly expanded Barney video collection. Our mutual friend soothed the predicament by explaining that,
"The days of Barney are few...enjoy them while they last." Much like Barney, the days of bridge books are short lived before the reader fully blossoms...discovering the vastness literature encompasses.

Regards, Clark

P.S. I was going to include the link to the article, but the archives do not seem to go back that far at the Book Links website...
Received on Wed 03 Oct 2001 11:12:14 PM CDT