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Writing and Editing Simple Science
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From: Megan Schliesman <Schliesman>
Date: Thu, 07 Jul 2005 16:40:24 -0500
We've heard from Lisa Westberg Peters, as well as Pamela Turner and Kelly Milner Halls, about approaches to writing about science for younger children.
Lisa and others, I'm wondering what you see as the greatest challenges in tackling science topics for children? Is it the fact-gathering, or the actual writing/shaping of the text? Or do the challenges change from book to book? Do you ever worry that in crafting a narrative the line between science and art will blur?
(As a reader, for example, I know I find it potentially problematic in an informational book about animals when they are imbued with human emotions.)
Several days ago Norma Jean Sawicki talked about her experience as an editor working with Seymour Simon and Patricia Lauber, two other terrific creators of science books for children. I appreciated Norma Jean's perspective on having to trust Pat Lauber on thee "hard-core science" in a book for older children (that she couldn't comprehend) while applying her editing skills in other ways. But this makes me wonder--do editors approach editing non-fiction differently from fiction? Obviously there is the issue of factual accuracy to address (although that is certainly an issue in fiction as well). How do editors and publishers make sure the science is accurate in a simple science book? And do they approach editing a simple science book differently than a picture book or novel, beyond the issue of fact-checking? Are there special challenges to editing non-fiction, or non-fiction for younger children? (I'm not assuming there is only one answer to this question--but I'm curious!)
Megan
Megan Schliesman, Librarian Cooperative Children's Book Center School of Education, UW-Madison 600 N. Park St., Room 4290 Madison, WI 53706
ph: 608&2?03 fax: 608&2I33 schliesman at education.wisc.edu
Received on Thu 07 Jul 2005 04:40:24 PM CDT
Date: Thu, 07 Jul 2005 16:40:24 -0500
We've heard from Lisa Westberg Peters, as well as Pamela Turner and Kelly Milner Halls, about approaches to writing about science for younger children.
Lisa and others, I'm wondering what you see as the greatest challenges in tackling science topics for children? Is it the fact-gathering, or the actual writing/shaping of the text? Or do the challenges change from book to book? Do you ever worry that in crafting a narrative the line between science and art will blur?
(As a reader, for example, I know I find it potentially problematic in an informational book about animals when they are imbued with human emotions.)
Several days ago Norma Jean Sawicki talked about her experience as an editor working with Seymour Simon and Patricia Lauber, two other terrific creators of science books for children. I appreciated Norma Jean's perspective on having to trust Pat Lauber on thee "hard-core science" in a book for older children (that she couldn't comprehend) while applying her editing skills in other ways. But this makes me wonder--do editors approach editing non-fiction differently from fiction? Obviously there is the issue of factual accuracy to address (although that is certainly an issue in fiction as well). How do editors and publishers make sure the science is accurate in a simple science book? And do they approach editing a simple science book differently than a picture book or novel, beyond the issue of fact-checking? Are there special challenges to editing non-fiction, or non-fiction for younger children? (I'm not assuming there is only one answer to this question--but I'm curious!)
Megan
Megan Schliesman, Librarian Cooperative Children's Book Center School of Education, UW-Madison 600 N. Park St., Room 4290 Madison, WI 53706
ph: 608&2?03 fax: 608&2I33 schliesman at education.wisc.edu
Received on Thu 07 Jul 2005 04:40:24 PM CDT
