From: Jeff Moyer <moyerj>
Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2002 17:25:16 -0500

Thanks, Robin, for your passion about spreading the word for books we love. As a children's specialist in a large independent bookstore, I can assure you that we would love to have customers straighten our shelves and face out books that they care about. However, we do spend a large percentage of our time straightening and facing our favorite books, too, and we do not have stacks of commercial blockbusters ever.
   I would also add that I was pleased to see the Newbery crown given to A Single Shard, a book that was not hyped during the year, but steadily received high praise and rewarded its readers with its lyrical writing and thoughtful, uplifting story. There is so much to appreciate in that book. However, I also loved Amber Was Brave, Love That Dog, Zazoo, and Fighting Ruben Wolfe. As you say, it is up to us to keep those books selling and in print. I will hold up my end here!
   Regarding The Land, which I thought was also one of the best books of the year, I think we are seeing what Marc Aronson warned of in his controversial article in the Horn Book last year. I suspect that the Newbery Committee, probably unconsciously, thought to leave that great book for the Coretta Scott King Award. It deserved Newbery notice also in my opinion.
   Putting on my virtual bullet-proof vest, Carol Moyer
Received on Wed 23 Jan 2002 04:25:16 PM CST