From: MITCHOFF Kate Houston <kateho>
Date: Tue, 6 Apr 2004 13:18:07 -0700

I was a 2003 Sibert Committee member. Both poetry and folk/fairy tales are not considered for Sibert. The terms of the award clarifies that
"informational book" is defined as documentable factual material for children. sibertterms/sibertmedalterms.htm

I have always been a fan of informational books. As a child I was a slow reader but enjoyed reading science books because the world seemed full of fantasical events and characters - but were real! I read informational books for pleasure, though I didn't really think about it or know it. Today's quality informational books not only impart a wealth of information to the reader, but capture and spark the reader's imagination through quality, documented narrative and supplemental information (photos, maps, sidebar text), much like distinguished chapter books do.

I believe that many ALSC & other literary awards help bring recognition to a specific field of work. I feel that informational books for children have become more sophisticated in recent years but hadn't been seen as quality "good reads" the way Newbery and other awards books have. The Sibert introduces informational books as books that can also be enjoyable reads, as well as good resources for research. This award helps spotlight quality informational books for children and inadvertently, helps set the standard for quality informational books. So perhaps the publishing world sees a educational and financial benefit to supporting this type of informational book. And that just means more quality books for us to get into the hands of young readers!

Kate Houston Mitchoff School Corps Librarian 205 NE Russell Portland OR 97212 503.988.6012

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
           - Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759
  No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
           - Eleanor Roosevelt


 Message----From: Tanya Stone [mailto:tanyastone at tanyastone.com] Sent: Tuesday, April 06, 2004 11:04 AM To: Megan Schliesman; Subscribers of ccbc-net Subject: Re: [ccbc-net] Sibert WRap-Up


One final comment, which is really a question to pose, is this: Why do you think poetry is eliminated from being considered for a Sibert, and do you (anyone) feel this is in keeping with the spirit of the Sibert? Why or why not?

Please note, I am not challenging this point, I would simply like to know how others feel.



~ ~ ~ To send a reply to the entire CCBC-Net community,click on...
     mailto:ccbc-net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu To send a request to remove your address from the mailing list, click on...
     mailto:ccbc-net-unsub at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
Received on Tue 06 Apr 2004 03:18:07 PM CDT