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This Land Was Made For You and Me (and other stuff)
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From: Jonathan Hunt <jhunt24>
Date: Fri, 03 Jan 2003 17:28:53 +0000
I've really enjoyed the sidebar on documentation. Here are some further thoughts and questions.
1. I'm curious to know what, if any, guidelines the NBA judges follow in picking the nominations and winner. Is there a set of criteria (as there is for the ALA awards)? Or is it just presumed that the award is given for excellence and distinction and the judges hash it all out? And if there are set criteria, I'm curious to know what they are, and what specifically they dictate about informational writing, particularly documentation.
2. The reason I ask the last question is because the criteria for the Newbery and Printz do not specifically address documenation, and the Sibert asks only for "appropriate documentation." I'm sure we all have our pet peeves. I cannot tolerate undocumented quotes. Others may not tolerate undocumented thoughts and feelings. How do informational authors navigate between all these adult expectations and still create a text for child readers that is both accurate and accessible? It seems like an impossible task, and I don't think we submit our fiction to such a rigorous set of hoops to jump through.
3. I wonder if award committees are ever allowed to consult with authors and/or specialists, either directly or via a third party. It seems to me that, if not, this might not be a bad idea. I know it really has helped me see things not readily apparent when Amy Cohn, Pam Munoz Ryan, and Elizabeth Partridge have shared their insights into ABRAHAM LINCOLN, WHEN MARIAN SANG, and THIS LAND WAS MADE FOR YOU AND ME.
4. Aside from scoring a National Book Award nomination, THIS LAND WAS MADE FOR YOU AND ME also won the BG-HB Award for Nonfiction, has made Horn Book Fanfare, SLJ Best Books, BCCB Blue Ribbons, and Publishers Weekly Best Books. The only dissenting review journal appears to be Booklist which noted the undocumented thoughts and feelings. Clearly this is one of the best books, if not *the* best book, of the year and I do think it will be an embarrassment if the Printz committee, at least, does not recognize it as such.
Jonathan, trying, as ever, to bully his favorite books into award contention
;-)
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Received on Fri 03 Jan 2003 11:28:53 AM CST
Date: Fri, 03 Jan 2003 17:28:53 +0000
I've really enjoyed the sidebar on documentation. Here are some further thoughts and questions.
1. I'm curious to know what, if any, guidelines the NBA judges follow in picking the nominations and winner. Is there a set of criteria (as there is for the ALA awards)? Or is it just presumed that the award is given for excellence and distinction and the judges hash it all out? And if there are set criteria, I'm curious to know what they are, and what specifically they dictate about informational writing, particularly documentation.
2. The reason I ask the last question is because the criteria for the Newbery and Printz do not specifically address documenation, and the Sibert asks only for "appropriate documentation." I'm sure we all have our pet peeves. I cannot tolerate undocumented quotes. Others may not tolerate undocumented thoughts and feelings. How do informational authors navigate between all these adult expectations and still create a text for child readers that is both accurate and accessible? It seems like an impossible task, and I don't think we submit our fiction to such a rigorous set of hoops to jump through.
3. I wonder if award committees are ever allowed to consult with authors and/or specialists, either directly or via a third party. It seems to me that, if not, this might not be a bad idea. I know it really has helped me see things not readily apparent when Amy Cohn, Pam Munoz Ryan, and Elizabeth Partridge have shared their insights into ABRAHAM LINCOLN, WHEN MARIAN SANG, and THIS LAND WAS MADE FOR YOU AND ME.
4. Aside from scoring a National Book Award nomination, THIS LAND WAS MADE FOR YOU AND ME also won the BG-HB Award for Nonfiction, has made Horn Book Fanfare, SLJ Best Books, BCCB Blue Ribbons, and Publishers Weekly Best Books. The only dissenting review journal appears to be Booklist which noted the undocumented thoughts and feelings. Clearly this is one of the best books, if not *the* best book, of the year and I do think it will be an embarrassment if the Printz committee, at least, does not recognize it as such.
Jonathan, trying, as ever, to bully his favorite books into award contention
;-)
_________________________________________________________________ STOP MORE SPAM with the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page?atures/junkmail
Received on Fri 03 Jan 2003 11:28:53 AM CST
