CCBC-Net Archives
Discussing the Batchelder Books: A Challenge
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From: Ginny Moore Kruse <gmkruse>
Date: Sat, 23 Mar 2002 15:11:03 -0600
The ALA/ ALSC Mildred L. Batchelder Award annually is won by the publisher of the outstanding book for young readers. Eligible books must have been written and published in another nation in a language other than English and published in English for the first time during the preceding year. You can find more information about the Batchelder Award on one of the pages of the American Library Association's web site: http://www.ala.org/alsc/batch.html
The 2002 Batchelder Award winner is Cricket Books / Carus Publishing for their book How I Became an American written by Karin G?ndisch and translated from the German by James Skofield.
The 2002 Batchelder Honor Book designation goes to Viking / Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers for the short novel A Book of Coupons written by Susie Morgenstern, illustrated by Serge Block, and translated from the French by Gill Rosner.
Some of you will remember several quite passionate CCBC-Net exchanges about the Batchelder Award shortly after the winners were announced in January. You might want to visit the CCBC-Net archives http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/netdex.htm Scroll to January 23 to reread these messages midst several others also sent to the CCBC-Net community that same day.
One of the 1/23/02 messages was sent by Arthur A. Levine, whose imprint at Scholastic Press won the 2001 Batchelder Award for the publication of Samir and Yonatan written by Daniella Carmi, an Israeli writer. Fortunately for U.S. readers Samir and Yonatan will be published in a Signature paperback edition in November. The sooner, the better, I say.
Let's take a look at what Arthur Levine wrote on Jan. 23. We need to be reminded, because he issued a quite a challenge to us.
From ARTHUR A. LEVINE:
"...my interest in translation is personal. It comes partly from a belief that ignorance is the root of hate, and that the more we know about each other, the less possible it is to demonize whole groups, cultures, countries. And it comes partly from my belief that all writing is a translation of some sort -- a translation of emotion, of event, of experience, into words.
"And we were so grateful to receive the Batchelder. It felt like a validation of my and Zehava Cohn's (the book's editor) efforts on Daniella Carmi's behalf. It definitely provided the encouragement to continue our translation efforts!
"Awards are important. We can take them as a moment to celebrate. We can take them as a moment to call attention to the honored book. Perhaps we can even, in the case of the Batchelder, take them as a moment to push our collective interests outward, and help readers to do the same.
"And if I have one suggestion/cheerleading shout/hope it's that we can start that push with this year's Batchelder discussion on CCBC. Interestingly enough, the timing of last year's Batchelder discussion was that it occurred as I was on my way to the 2001 Bologna Book Fair, to look for other great novels in foreign languages. I brought my computer with me, and eagerly checked in on the discussion. Well, let's just say that it was quiet. Like, pin drop quiet. Which was a little disappointing to me. It felt -- irrationally -- as if our book won an award and still nobody read it, which made me question what I was doing. If even the wonderful, passionate, opinionated members of the CCBC weren't going to read and comment on the Batchelder, who was?
"I hope I don't sound whiney. Of course there are lots of reasons why few people might not have shown up for that discussion, and I fully understand that many of those reasons would have nothing to do with the book itself (he wrote, optimistically!), or the membership's interest in translated literature. I only share that transitory dip in my spirits in the spirit of our collaboration. One thing we can all do to promote the translation of more books from abroad is read this year's Batchelder winners, and actively join in the discussion when the topic comes up. (And you can all write howlers to me if I'm not first in line with opinions when the time comes!)
"For those of us editors who are working on translations -- or hoping to work on them -- your discussion of the books is so necessary. We value your opinion so much, and we lean forward in our collective seats to listen for your feedback. It tells us that our interest is shared, and that we're not working in a vacuum. I would venture to say that it's even more important than the award itself..." - Arthur A. Levine 1/23/02
Arthur doesn't have to worry about getting howlers from any of us this week. He and many others are probably away enjoying a spring break without their computers at hand. Walking into all manner of cafes but not an internet cafe. However many of us are still "here," wherever "here" in a virtual community might be. Some in the CCBC-Net community are here and "leaning forward" between now and the end of March to find out what you think about this year's winners, about translated books, and about the Batchelder Award in general. I'm one of them. I'm leaning. Forward. - Ginny
Ginny Moore Kruse gmkruse at education.wisc.edu Director, Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/ A Library of the School of Education, University of Wisconsin - Madison Open seven days a week throughout the Spring Semester (Spring Break: Mon-Fri 9-4; Sat-Sun 12:30-4)
Received on Sat 23 Mar 2002 03:11:03 PM CST
Date: Sat, 23 Mar 2002 15:11:03 -0600
The ALA/ ALSC Mildred L. Batchelder Award annually is won by the publisher of the outstanding book for young readers. Eligible books must have been written and published in another nation in a language other than English and published in English for the first time during the preceding year. You can find more information about the Batchelder Award on one of the pages of the American Library Association's web site: http://www.ala.org/alsc/batch.html
The 2002 Batchelder Award winner is Cricket Books / Carus Publishing for their book How I Became an American written by Karin G?ndisch and translated from the German by James Skofield.
The 2002 Batchelder Honor Book designation goes to Viking / Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers for the short novel A Book of Coupons written by Susie Morgenstern, illustrated by Serge Block, and translated from the French by Gill Rosner.
Some of you will remember several quite passionate CCBC-Net exchanges about the Batchelder Award shortly after the winners were announced in January. You might want to visit the CCBC-Net archives http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/netdex.htm Scroll to January 23 to reread these messages midst several others also sent to the CCBC-Net community that same day.
One of the 1/23/02 messages was sent by Arthur A. Levine, whose imprint at Scholastic Press won the 2001 Batchelder Award for the publication of Samir and Yonatan written by Daniella Carmi, an Israeli writer. Fortunately for U.S. readers Samir and Yonatan will be published in a Signature paperback edition in November. The sooner, the better, I say.
Let's take a look at what Arthur Levine wrote on Jan. 23. We need to be reminded, because he issued a quite a challenge to us.
From ARTHUR A. LEVINE:
"...my interest in translation is personal. It comes partly from a belief that ignorance is the root of hate, and that the more we know about each other, the less possible it is to demonize whole groups, cultures, countries. And it comes partly from my belief that all writing is a translation of some sort -- a translation of emotion, of event, of experience, into words.
"And we were so grateful to receive the Batchelder. It felt like a validation of my and Zehava Cohn's (the book's editor) efforts on Daniella Carmi's behalf. It definitely provided the encouragement to continue our translation efforts!
"Awards are important. We can take them as a moment to celebrate. We can take them as a moment to call attention to the honored book. Perhaps we can even, in the case of the Batchelder, take them as a moment to push our collective interests outward, and help readers to do the same.
"And if I have one suggestion/cheerleading shout/hope it's that we can start that push with this year's Batchelder discussion on CCBC. Interestingly enough, the timing of last year's Batchelder discussion was that it occurred as I was on my way to the 2001 Bologna Book Fair, to look for other great novels in foreign languages. I brought my computer with me, and eagerly checked in on the discussion. Well, let's just say that it was quiet. Like, pin drop quiet. Which was a little disappointing to me. It felt -- irrationally -- as if our book won an award and still nobody read it, which made me question what I was doing. If even the wonderful, passionate, opinionated members of the CCBC weren't going to read and comment on the Batchelder, who was?
"I hope I don't sound whiney. Of course there are lots of reasons why few people might not have shown up for that discussion, and I fully understand that many of those reasons would have nothing to do with the book itself (he wrote, optimistically!), or the membership's interest in translated literature. I only share that transitory dip in my spirits in the spirit of our collaboration. One thing we can all do to promote the translation of more books from abroad is read this year's Batchelder winners, and actively join in the discussion when the topic comes up. (And you can all write howlers to me if I'm not first in line with opinions when the time comes!)
"For those of us editors who are working on translations -- or hoping to work on them -- your discussion of the books is so necessary. We value your opinion so much, and we lean forward in our collective seats to listen for your feedback. It tells us that our interest is shared, and that we're not working in a vacuum. I would venture to say that it's even more important than the award itself..." - Arthur A. Levine 1/23/02
Arthur doesn't have to worry about getting howlers from any of us this week. He and many others are probably away enjoying a spring break without their computers at hand. Walking into all manner of cafes but not an internet cafe. However many of us are still "here," wherever "here" in a virtual community might be. Some in the CCBC-Net community are here and "leaning forward" between now and the end of March to find out what you think about this year's winners, about translated books, and about the Batchelder Award in general. I'm one of them. I'm leaning. Forward. - Ginny
Ginny Moore Kruse gmkruse at education.wisc.edu Director, Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/ A Library of the School of Education, University of Wisconsin - Madison Open seven days a week throughout the Spring Semester (Spring Break: Mon-Fri 9-4; Sat-Sun 12:30-4)
Received on Sat 23 Mar 2002 03:11:03 PM CST
