From: McClelland, Kate <mcclelland>
Date: Fri, 14 Feb 2003 10:49:56 -0500

Dear CCBC members, My experience with CRISPIN's readers is similar to that of Kirstin. I booktalked it for my middle school youth review group (grades 6-8). In their reviews they all expressed loving the character of Bear, but the fact that they found "Asta's son's" identity predictable from the beginning kept the book from rising to the top for them. I believe CRISPIN may indeed be better appreciated by slightly younger readers... a theory which I am about to test with fourth and fifth graders.

Of the Honor books they have read, my middle schoolers have uncompromisingly enjoyed HOLLIS WOODS (they love the way the interesting structure allows the plot to unfold), HOOT (they love the humor but appreciated the subversive kids doing something to save the burrowing owls which they found quite adorable [pictures from the internet]), SURVIVING THE APPLEWHITES (they enjoy the humorous unlikely pairing of the outrageous Jake with the eccentric Applewhites which might lead to a "train wreck"), and they reserve their greatest appreciation for THE HOUSE OF THE SCORPION which they predicted would win the Newbery (they found the plot and characters riveting, the greater themes and issues fascinating).

A book which is somewhat off-topic proved to be the book they found the
"most important" book of the year, FEED. They talked about the way they feel the issues in this book are already echoing through their own lives. They purchased their own personal copies and insisted on sharing them, despite my warning that the books could become lost, because they believe in the book's urgency. Kate McClelland Perrot Library Old Greenwich, CT
Received on Fri 14 Feb 2003 09:49:56 AM CST