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From: Sharron L. McElmeel <mcelmeels>
Date: Wed, 22 Jun 2005 14:12:57 -0500
I personally find all the body function books to be tasteless. And a previous poster who made the analogy that cocaine, and other drugs SELL but we still don't condone them made a good comparison. If we are chasing the almighty dollar -- publish p__nography (letters left out to get through the filter gods) it sells too.
Lee your comment below is right on target -- for example this season's novel Boy Meets Boy is a love story but while it does include a gay relationship the real story is between on of the boys who has a relationship as best friend with a girl -- who is in an abusive relationship and has shut down the relationship with her best friend. It is truly a "love" story about staying true with friendships rather than a gay book. It is a book for all readers. I don't remember any "sex" at all.
Did you ever notice that Louis Sachar managed to write an authentic book about boys in a juvenile facility without filling it with profanity? My YA students mentioned that there was one or two swear words -- but I can't find them in the book OR the dvd. Ummmm!
I mentioned in an article I wrote for Library Media Connection that
"Good Intentions are NOT enough" in relation to promoting multicultural books (Native American titles in particular) the same arguments can be made -- if we believe in some sort of decorum than WE must do more than just beboan the fact that others are outselling them. We must ask booksellers for the quality books, we must give them as gifts, we must promote them in book talks etc. Outside of our life as an educator and in our own personal life as well.
Sharron McElmeel p.s. Lee will you be at ALA? Always enjoy seeing you and your NEW books.
At 2:13 PM 00 06/22/05, Lbhcove at aol.com wrote:
Date: Wed, 22 Jun 2005 14:12:57 -0500
I personally find all the body function books to be tasteless. And a previous poster who made the analogy that cocaine, and other drugs SELL but we still don't condone them made a good comparison. If we are chasing the almighty dollar -- publish p__nography (letters left out to get through the filter gods) it sells too.
Lee your comment below is right on target -- for example this season's novel Boy Meets Boy is a love story but while it does include a gay relationship the real story is between on of the boys who has a relationship as best friend with a girl -- who is in an abusive relationship and has shut down the relationship with her best friend. It is truly a "love" story about staying true with friendships rather than a gay book. It is a book for all readers. I don't remember any "sex" at all.
Did you ever notice that Louis Sachar managed to write an authentic book about boys in a juvenile facility without filling it with profanity? My YA students mentioned that there was one or two swear words -- but I can't find them in the book OR the dvd. Ummmm!
I mentioned in an article I wrote for Library Media Connection that
"Good Intentions are NOT enough" in relation to promoting multicultural books (Native American titles in particular) the same arguments can be made -- if we believe in some sort of decorum than WE must do more than just beboan the fact that others are outselling them. We must ask booksellers for the quality books, we must give them as gifts, we must promote them in book talks etc. Outside of our life as an educator and in our own personal life as well.
Sharron McElmeel p.s. Lee will you be at ALA? Always enjoy seeing you and your NEW books.
At 2:13 PM 00 06/22/05, Lbhcove at aol.com wrote:
-- ==================================Sharron L. McElmeel University of Wisconsin - Stout School of Education Teaching Children's Literature in the Classroom http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/childrenslit/ Teaching Young Adult Literature in the Classroom http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/yalit/ 3000 N Center Point Rd Cedar Rapids, IA 52411?48 ph. (319) 393%62 mcelmeel at mcelmeel.com http://www.mcelmeel.com Author of Best Teen Reads: 2005 (Hi Willow), Children's Authors and Illustrators Too Good to Miss (Libraries Unlimited); 100 Most Popular Children's Authors (Libraries Unlimited), 100 Most Popular Picture Book Authors and Illustrators (Libraries Unlimited), Character Education: A Book Guide for Teachers, Librarians, and Parents (Libraries Unlimited) and other titles (http://www.mcelmeel.com/writing). Forthcoming: Authors in the Kitchen: Recipes, Stories, and More and Authors in the Pantry: Recipes, Stories, and More (Libraries Unlimited) ================Received on Wed 22 Jun 2005 02:12:57 PM CDT
