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Thoughts on Some of the Printz Award Books
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From: Sheila A Welch <sheilawelch>
Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2004 13:11:23 -0600
Hello,
I've read three of the Printz books (A Northern Light, First Part Last, and Keesha's House) and will offer a few comments here. Since I'm not a librarian or teacher (any more), I read these books as library copies and no longer have them in my possession, so I can't recheck my memories of them.
First, I recall vividly the covers of A Northern Light and First Part Last. Lovely photographs! I wonder if anyone else would like to comment on the trend I've noticed with the use of photographs, often computer enhanced, for dust jackets on middle grade and YA books. I can recall several others published in recent years off the top of my head. Olive's Ocean, Pictures of Hollis Woods, and True Believer were all standout covers, in my opinion. As a sometimes illustrator, I wonder if this trend will make it even harder for illustrators to break into the field. I believe some picture book illustrators make their start doing middle grade book cover art. Any publishers on the list care to comment?
Of the three books, I appreciated A Northern Light and First Part Last above Keesha's House. While I can understand Megan's comments about using the latter in classrooms, the characters just never came alive for me. And I didn't feel the sort of emotional involvement that truly connects me to a book. I don't think my lack of connection was due to the structure--the multiple viewpoints and use of poetry forms. Other books with many viewpoints have worked for me quite successfully, Seed Folk being a good example. I loved that book! And the free verse poetry of Make Lemonade I found wonderful. Obviously, the Printz award committee didn't share my reservations. I always enjoy hearing how others view books. There's no doubt in my mind that this whole "judging" thing has its subjective moments!
I could hardly put A Northern Light down. I loved the "then" and "now" construction, and felt the movement of time, sweeping the reader and the characters forward to a point of convergence and beyond, was handled very well. At the moment, I'm working on a novel with a similar structure and am well aware of how difficult it can be to write such a story. I have to admit, I felt a certain tug toward Mattie staying on the farm! (Am I a traitor to all adult readers?) I guess, having spent the majority of my life living in the country, I have a great appreciation for that life.
(Obviously, not the hard scrabble life of back then, however!) I think Mattie's decision to leave was made easier because her boyfriend really did have designs on her land, not just on her. But didn't she promise her mother she'd stay? As I mentioned, I don't have the book, but my recollection is that I felt a twinge of regret when she decided not to keep her promise. Am I remembering the story incorrectly? Of course, characters are "human" and don't have to keep promises. I felt that Mattie's relationship with the black boy character (can't recall his name) was a little stretched. I just didn't feel that such a friendship would have existed at that time in that place. However, I believe the story was based partially on the author's family history, and maybe she knew of a real situation like that. Altogether, I felt it was a strong book and a "good read."
Having raised five black sons, I felt an emotional connection with this story from the first page. The characters were realistic, and I've always loved the way Angela Johnson writes. I thought it was interesting that she, too, used a "then" and "now" construction--quite successfully. What a great way to include foreshadowing! Comparing this book to the one whose title I can't recall (Hanging Onto Max, maybe?), would be an interesting exercise for high schoolers. What were the differences in the two boys' lives? Why did one keep his child and the other not? The books are also very different in writing style. Both books probably appeal to teens and could be used to open up discussions of teen parenting . . . along with writing styles.
I only planned to make a few quick comments . . . Sheila
On Thu, 26 Feb 2004 08:52:43 00 "Megan Schliesman"
writes:
Received on Thu 26 Feb 2004 01:11:23 PM CST
Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2004 13:11:23 -0600
Hello,
I've read three of the Printz books (A Northern Light, First Part Last, and Keesha's House) and will offer a few comments here. Since I'm not a librarian or teacher (any more), I read these books as library copies and no longer have them in my possession, so I can't recheck my memories of them.
First, I recall vividly the covers of A Northern Light and First Part Last. Lovely photographs! I wonder if anyone else would like to comment on the trend I've noticed with the use of photographs, often computer enhanced, for dust jackets on middle grade and YA books. I can recall several others published in recent years off the top of my head. Olive's Ocean, Pictures of Hollis Woods, and True Believer were all standout covers, in my opinion. As a sometimes illustrator, I wonder if this trend will make it even harder for illustrators to break into the field. I believe some picture book illustrators make their start doing middle grade book cover art. Any publishers on the list care to comment?
Of the three books, I appreciated A Northern Light and First Part Last above Keesha's House. While I can understand Megan's comments about using the latter in classrooms, the characters just never came alive for me. And I didn't feel the sort of emotional involvement that truly connects me to a book. I don't think my lack of connection was due to the structure--the multiple viewpoints and use of poetry forms. Other books with many viewpoints have worked for me quite successfully, Seed Folk being a good example. I loved that book! And the free verse poetry of Make Lemonade I found wonderful. Obviously, the Printz award committee didn't share my reservations. I always enjoy hearing how others view books. There's no doubt in my mind that this whole "judging" thing has its subjective moments!
I could hardly put A Northern Light down. I loved the "then" and "now" construction, and felt the movement of time, sweeping the reader and the characters forward to a point of convergence and beyond, was handled very well. At the moment, I'm working on a novel with a similar structure and am well aware of how difficult it can be to write such a story. I have to admit, I felt a certain tug toward Mattie staying on the farm! (Am I a traitor to all adult readers?) I guess, having spent the majority of my life living in the country, I have a great appreciation for that life.
(Obviously, not the hard scrabble life of back then, however!) I think Mattie's decision to leave was made easier because her boyfriend really did have designs on her land, not just on her. But didn't she promise her mother she'd stay? As I mentioned, I don't have the book, but my recollection is that I felt a twinge of regret when she decided not to keep her promise. Am I remembering the story incorrectly? Of course, characters are "human" and don't have to keep promises. I felt that Mattie's relationship with the black boy character (can't recall his name) was a little stretched. I just didn't feel that such a friendship would have existed at that time in that place. However, I believe the story was based partially on the author's family history, and maybe she knew of a real situation like that. Altogether, I felt it was a strong book and a "good read."
Having raised five black sons, I felt an emotional connection with this story from the first page. The characters were realistic, and I've always loved the way Angela Johnson writes. I thought it was interesting that she, too, used a "then" and "now" construction--quite successfully. What a great way to include foreshadowing! Comparing this book to the one whose title I can't recall (Hanging Onto Max, maybe?), would be an interesting exercise for high schoolers. What were the differences in the two boys' lives? Why did one keep his child and the other not? The books are also very different in writing style. Both books probably appeal to teens and could be used to open up discussions of teen parenting . . . along with writing styles.
I only planned to make a few quick comments . . . Sheila
On Thu, 26 Feb 2004 08:52:43 00 "Megan Schliesman"
writes:
Received on Thu 26 Feb 2004 01:11:23 PM CST
