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From: Steven Engelfried <sengelfried>
Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2005 20:48:08 -0700 (PDT)
Someone has mentioned "The Gospel According to Larry" and "Larry for President" by Janet Tashjian, and these both fit the "politically-personally empowered beings" Maia refers to, but I'm at a loss to name other recent titles. My son recently admitted he 'd had enough of the good vs. evil ya fantasy books that he's liked for a while, and loved the Larry books. He now either wants non-fiction or books like these, that give him ideas and encourage him to think about things that are relevant to him (he has reduced his possessions, as Larry does, but simply can't reach the 75 item goal: too many books he can't give up). I think many teens are really concerned about current world issues, and it would be nice to see more protagonists in ya fiction who also do...but maybe I've just missed them?
- Steven Engelfried, Beaverton City Library (OR)
sengelfried at yahoo.com
Maia Cheli-Colando wrote: Today's Sierra Club currents included this quote:
"Since the election of Ronald Reagan, the nation has approached energy policy in the same ambivalent way it has approached sex education: some people think it is indispensable; others think it is none of the government's business."
L. Wald in the New York Times
It seems to me that writing about teens as politically-personally empowered beings is seen as going too far. There appears to be a prevalent idea that teens can't (or shouldn't) do anything about "it" (social/economic/environmental/racist/misogynist prob lems) until they are grown up... and I wonder, would a publisher who showed teens breaking these rules be seen as going much too far?
It seems to me that adherence to law and "order" regardless of the rightness of that law and order is much more strongly observed than the more social taboos such as
"underage" drinking, sex, etc. The which makes sense, I suppose -- sex and drinking are legal and encouraged for adults, while thinking for oneself and taking action against local/national/global "powers" are not.
Opinions? Or books that prove me wrong? (I would love to read them if they are out there!)
Maia
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Received on Tue 28 Jun 2005 10:48:08 PM CDT
Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2005 20:48:08 -0700 (PDT)
Someone has mentioned "The Gospel According to Larry" and "Larry for President" by Janet Tashjian, and these both fit the "politically-personally empowered beings" Maia refers to, but I'm at a loss to name other recent titles. My son recently admitted he 'd had enough of the good vs. evil ya fantasy books that he's liked for a while, and loved the Larry books. He now either wants non-fiction or books like these, that give him ideas and encourage him to think about things that are relevant to him (he has reduced his possessions, as Larry does, but simply can't reach the 75 item goal: too many books he can't give up). I think many teens are really concerned about current world issues, and it would be nice to see more protagonists in ya fiction who also do...but maybe I've just missed them?
- Steven Engelfried, Beaverton City Library (OR)
sengelfried at yahoo.com
Maia Cheli-Colando wrote: Today's Sierra Club currents included this quote:
"Since the election of Ronald Reagan, the nation has approached energy policy in the same ambivalent way it has approached sex education: some people think it is indispensable; others think it is none of the government's business."
L. Wald in the New York Times
It seems to me that writing about teens as politically-personally empowered beings is seen as going too far. There appears to be a prevalent idea that teens can't (or shouldn't) do anything about "it" (social/economic/environmental/racist/misogynist prob lems) until they are grown up... and I wonder, would a publisher who showed teens breaking these rules be seen as going much too far?
It seems to me that adherence to law and "order" regardless of the rightness of that law and order is much more strongly observed than the more social taboos such as
"underage" drinking, sex, etc. The which makes sense, I suppose -- sex and drinking are legal and encouraged for adults, while thinking for oneself and taking action against local/national/global "powers" are not.
Opinions? Or books that prove me wrong? (I would love to read them if they are out there!)
Maia
__________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
Received on Tue 28 Jun 2005 10:48:08 PM CDT
