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Belpre Award Books
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From: Megan Schliesman <Schliesman>
Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2002 14:59:07 -0600
I want to very briefly interrupt this discussion of the Belpre Award books with a correction and a request: first, yesterday, in my opening message, I incorrectly identified the author of Belpre Illustrator Honor Book Juan Bobo Goes to Work as Pam Ryan. The correct author is Marisa Montes. I apologize to Ms. Montes, and to all, for the misinformation!
Second, we've just found out that Joe Cepeda, illustrator of the Belpre Illustrator Honor Juan Bobo Goes to Work, will be able to particpate in the CCBC-Net discussion later next week. So even though we did not "schedule" the discussion of the author award books to take place first, that discussion is already off to a terrific start and so I propose that we continue talking about the author books until next Tuesday and then look at the two books recognized by the Belpre committee for illustration.
We've had a wondeful start to the discussion with an offer from Belpre chair Eliza Dresang to answer any questions about the award. Eliza also commented on the wondeful books the committee had to work with, but the few number of books by and about Latinos published each year in relation to the overall number of new children's books each year. (In response to Eliza's statistics and commentary, Randall Wright asked "why?" when this seems such a constrast to the population statistics. Why is an important question [one that we can also ask about multicultural literature in general], one that I think we all need to be asking.)
Eliza also noted that the Belpre Award books "are all supposed to
'celebrate, portray, and affirm" the Latino cultural experience. Do you think they do? ' "
I appreciate all three books the committee selected for the author award for their insight into Latino experience, and also for their literary merits. Recently, one of my favorite poems to share with teachers and librarians is "Ode to Buena Vista Bilingual School" in Iguanas in the Snow and Other Winter Poems / Iguanas en la nieve y otros poemas invierno." I only recently read Breaking Through--in one sitting because I was so compelled and so moved by Jimenez's narrative in which his coming of age and pursuit of his dreams causes a rift between him and his father. Francisco's father has such a difficult time reconciling his own values with those of his son, who inevitably has been changed by the experience of growing up in America. That the teenage Francisco so clearly loves his family, and that his hardworking father so clearly cannot see, or perhaps ackowledge, that the child has not really strayed so very far from family and culture and is only pursuing the opportunities that brought the family to the United States, was heartbreaking. Francisco's triumph, and his mother's calm, courageous support, are a counterpoint, however.
As for Esperanzna Rising, like Monica, I appreciate it as a work of historical fiction offering a not-often-seen perspective on the immigrant life in this nation (as does Breaking Through). One aspect that I found particularly important in Esperanza was its exploration of labor issues both as they pertain to all exploited workers during the Depression, and also to the specfic traumas faced by Mexican and Mexican American workers, who worked under constant fear of deportation, even if U.S. citizens! I could understand Esperanza's struggle and resistance to getting involved with the worker's movement so vividly did the author make me realize that fear.
This leads me to the other thing I liked so much about the book: Esperanza's transformation as she goes from a privileged girl who almost literally never lifted a finger to a compassionate, hard-working young woman. I remember when we discussed this book at the CCBC in late 2000, one or two people thought maybe Esperanza became a little too accomplished. I found her determination believable enough to carry her through, however.
Megan
Megan Schliesman, Librarian Cooperative Children's Book Center School of Education UW-Madison 608&2?03 schliesman at education.wisc.edu
Received on Fri 22 Feb 2002 02:59:07 PM CST
Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2002 14:59:07 -0600
I want to very briefly interrupt this discussion of the Belpre Award books with a correction and a request: first, yesterday, in my opening message, I incorrectly identified the author of Belpre Illustrator Honor Book Juan Bobo Goes to Work as Pam Ryan. The correct author is Marisa Montes. I apologize to Ms. Montes, and to all, for the misinformation!
Second, we've just found out that Joe Cepeda, illustrator of the Belpre Illustrator Honor Juan Bobo Goes to Work, will be able to particpate in the CCBC-Net discussion later next week. So even though we did not "schedule" the discussion of the author award books to take place first, that discussion is already off to a terrific start and so I propose that we continue talking about the author books until next Tuesday and then look at the two books recognized by the Belpre committee for illustration.
We've had a wondeful start to the discussion with an offer from Belpre chair Eliza Dresang to answer any questions about the award. Eliza also commented on the wondeful books the committee had to work with, but the few number of books by and about Latinos published each year in relation to the overall number of new children's books each year. (In response to Eliza's statistics and commentary, Randall Wright asked "why?" when this seems such a constrast to the population statistics. Why is an important question [one that we can also ask about multicultural literature in general], one that I think we all need to be asking.)
Eliza also noted that the Belpre Award books "are all supposed to
'celebrate, portray, and affirm" the Latino cultural experience. Do you think they do? ' "
I appreciate all three books the committee selected for the author award for their insight into Latino experience, and also for their literary merits. Recently, one of my favorite poems to share with teachers and librarians is "Ode to Buena Vista Bilingual School" in Iguanas in the Snow and Other Winter Poems / Iguanas en la nieve y otros poemas invierno." I only recently read Breaking Through--in one sitting because I was so compelled and so moved by Jimenez's narrative in which his coming of age and pursuit of his dreams causes a rift between him and his father. Francisco's father has such a difficult time reconciling his own values with those of his son, who inevitably has been changed by the experience of growing up in America. That the teenage Francisco so clearly loves his family, and that his hardworking father so clearly cannot see, or perhaps ackowledge, that the child has not really strayed so very far from family and culture and is only pursuing the opportunities that brought the family to the United States, was heartbreaking. Francisco's triumph, and his mother's calm, courageous support, are a counterpoint, however.
As for Esperanzna Rising, like Monica, I appreciate it as a work of historical fiction offering a not-often-seen perspective on the immigrant life in this nation (as does Breaking Through). One aspect that I found particularly important in Esperanza was its exploration of labor issues both as they pertain to all exploited workers during the Depression, and also to the specfic traumas faced by Mexican and Mexican American workers, who worked under constant fear of deportation, even if U.S. citizens! I could understand Esperanza's struggle and resistance to getting involved with the worker's movement so vividly did the author make me realize that fear.
This leads me to the other thing I liked so much about the book: Esperanza's transformation as she goes from a privileged girl who almost literally never lifted a finger to a compassionate, hard-working young woman. I remember when we discussed this book at the CCBC in late 2000, one or two people thought maybe Esperanza became a little too accomplished. I found her determination believable enough to carry her through, however.
Megan
Megan Schliesman, Librarian Cooperative Children's Book Center School of Education UW-Madison 608&2?03 schliesman at education.wisc.edu
Received on Fri 22 Feb 2002 02:59:07 PM CST
