CCBC-Net Archives
Hole in My Life
- Contemporary messages sorted: [ by date ] [ by subject ] [ by author ]
From: Roxanne Feldman <fairrosa>
Date: Sat, 15 Mar 2003 08:50:37 -0500
I'm reading these posts WAY late -- but feel that I must chime in. I agree with Ed in his concern of A Hole in My Life receiving the Sibert Honor, based on its YA'esque quality.
I work in a 4-8 School Library and so far, I have not yet placed this book on my YA shelf -- although, I have "hand loaned" my own copy to a few kids that I think will be able to appreciate Gantos' late-teen/early-twenties angst and handle the prison scenes -- with graphic depictions of sexual assault and other hardships.
I've had heard so many times the same defense when a "borderline YA" or a YA title being given the Newbery or Newbery Honor, and now Sibert, because of this
"up and including 14" criterion.
My sincere question and puzzlement is this:
What is indeed the purpose of these awards?
I would argue that these awards are set up not to simply recognize authors talented in creating Distinquished Literatury Work, but to recognize those authors who are especially conscious, gifted and talented in creating Literature that Children as an entire audience -- not just a few of them -- would appreciate. (Why else do we need a "Children's Literature Award??")
Think of titles that have enjoyed broad and long-lasting fondness by children -Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, Wrinkle in Time, Holes, The Giver, His Dark Materials trilogy... most of them have very complex themes and each is excellent in its unique literary voice and style -- but what make them truly distinquished Children's Literature is that thousands of children (ages 9 for the previously cited titles) read and exclaim to their peers, "YOU HAVE TO READ THIS! IT IS SOOOO GOOOOOOD!" (Of course, I know that they say the same thing about many titles that are NOT good literature at all. I am not suggesting that "Popularity" should be the basis of such awards -- however, each title should display "respect for children's understandings, abilities, and appreciations." -- from the Newbery Terms and Criteria.)
The tone, choices of incidents, demand of life-experience, and style for A Hole In My Life all strike me as gearing toward a slightly (or greatly?) older audience and thus, in my mind, should have kept it out of running for Sibert which has very similar criteria to those of Newbery. It has nothing really to do with the fact that it is about drug-trafficking but with how the theme is presented.
-- fairrosa
Received on Sat 15 Mar 2003 07:50:37 AM CST
Date: Sat, 15 Mar 2003 08:50:37 -0500
I'm reading these posts WAY late -- but feel that I must chime in. I agree with Ed in his concern of A Hole in My Life receiving the Sibert Honor, based on its YA'esque quality.
I work in a 4-8 School Library and so far, I have not yet placed this book on my YA shelf -- although, I have "hand loaned" my own copy to a few kids that I think will be able to appreciate Gantos' late-teen/early-twenties angst and handle the prison scenes -- with graphic depictions of sexual assault and other hardships.
I've had heard so many times the same defense when a "borderline YA" or a YA title being given the Newbery or Newbery Honor, and now Sibert, because of this
"up and including 14" criterion.
My sincere question and puzzlement is this:
What is indeed the purpose of these awards?
I would argue that these awards are set up not to simply recognize authors talented in creating Distinquished Literatury Work, but to recognize those authors who are especially conscious, gifted and talented in creating Literature that Children as an entire audience -- not just a few of them -- would appreciate. (Why else do we need a "Children's Literature Award??")
Think of titles that have enjoyed broad and long-lasting fondness by children -Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, Wrinkle in Time, Holes, The Giver, His Dark Materials trilogy... most of them have very complex themes and each is excellent in its unique literary voice and style -- but what make them truly distinquished Children's Literature is that thousands of children (ages 9 for the previously cited titles) read and exclaim to their peers, "YOU HAVE TO READ THIS! IT IS SOOOO GOOOOOOD!" (Of course, I know that they say the same thing about many titles that are NOT good literature at all. I am not suggesting that "Popularity" should be the basis of such awards -- however, each title should display "respect for children's understandings, abilities, and appreciations." -- from the Newbery Terms and Criteria.)
The tone, choices of incidents, demand of life-experience, and style for A Hole In My Life all strike me as gearing toward a slightly (or greatly?) older audience and thus, in my mind, should have kept it out of running for Sibert which has very similar criteria to those of Newbery. It has nothing really to do with the fact that it is about drug-trafficking but with how the theme is presented.
-- fairrosa
Received on Sat 15 Mar 2003 07:50:37 AM CST
