From: Carol Harris <chghwat>
Date: Wed, 3 Apr 2002 13:55:38 -0500

A compelling discussion as I was a working librarian in the 70's when the famous Childhood of Famous Americans (the orange books) were being discarded. Children loved them but educators decided they were not realistic enough, and painted too rosy a picture of life, "misleading" young readers about the actual lives of famous people. Interestingly, they're back again, this time in paperback and the age level is listed as 9, where years ago children of 7 were reading them, and then going on to more advanced biographies. There was a call for strict non-fiction with no fictional aspect at all, yet now some publishers present this same "creative" non-fiction in picture book format with "dialogue". Obviously a subject with many differing opinions again. I vote with the children! If they're reading "biographies" at age 7, chances are they'll go on to more factual ones as they mature and won't be "harmed" at a tender age by thinking only good of Washington, Jefferson etc.
"A Place for Joey" www.carolflynnharris.com
Received on Wed 03 Apr 2002 12:55:38 PM CST