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[CCBC-Net] Criss Cross
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From: Susan Lempke <slempke>
Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2006 13:56:38 -0600
I agree, John! As a reviewer I suppose I am prejudiced, but I have also been on the Caldecott Committee and the Boston Globe Horn Book Award, and while I avoided reading reviews before I read the book myself, I certainly factored in what the reviewers had to say later on in the process. Without keeping a database of starred reviews for the BGHB Awards, there's no way on earth we could have sorted out all of the ones that were worth reading since that award is birth through young adult and isn't restricted to the US.
I was lucky this year--both Criss Cross and The Hello, Goodbye Window are two of my very favorites. Lynne Rae Perkins can write about the deepest feelings and thoughts with an incredibly light touch. And I think Raschka's work in The Hello, Goodbye Window is remarkable in the way he captures the style of a child's artwork but with such grace and joy. By the way, I had the startling experience of talking with Norton Juster's wife and suddenly realizing with a shock that I was talking with Nana from the book! It was a character from a book brought to life
(except of course really it worked the other way around).
--Susan Dove Lempke
-----Original Message----- From: ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
[mailto:ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu] On Behalf Of Mason, John (NY) Sent: Friday, January 27, 2006 1:32 PM To: ccbc-net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu Subject: Re: [CCBC-Net] Criss Cross
As a marketing director at a publishing company, I am finding this most interesting! I totally respect the obligation of award committee members not to be swayed by advertising. However I'm a little more puzzled by the statement that committee members should avoid reading any reviews. As Carole Fiore said (below), committee members "share the books under consideration with peers, parents, and children to help clarify their thoughts and opinions." If they seek the feedback of peers, parents, and children, then why would they avoid reading reviews in respected journals, most of which are written by their peers as well?
John Mason Director of Library and Educational Marketing, Trade Books Scholastic, 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012-3999 Phone: (212) 389-3770 Fax: (212) 389-3063 Email: jmason at scholastic.com
Received on Fri 27 Jan 2006 01:56:38 PM CST
Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2006 13:56:38 -0600
I agree, John! As a reviewer I suppose I am prejudiced, but I have also been on the Caldecott Committee and the Boston Globe Horn Book Award, and while I avoided reading reviews before I read the book myself, I certainly factored in what the reviewers had to say later on in the process. Without keeping a database of starred reviews for the BGHB Awards, there's no way on earth we could have sorted out all of the ones that were worth reading since that award is birth through young adult and isn't restricted to the US.
I was lucky this year--both Criss Cross and The Hello, Goodbye Window are two of my very favorites. Lynne Rae Perkins can write about the deepest feelings and thoughts with an incredibly light touch. And I think Raschka's work in The Hello, Goodbye Window is remarkable in the way he captures the style of a child's artwork but with such grace and joy. By the way, I had the startling experience of talking with Norton Juster's wife and suddenly realizing with a shock that I was talking with Nana from the book! It was a character from a book brought to life
(except of course really it worked the other way around).
--Susan Dove Lempke
-----Original Message----- From: ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
[mailto:ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu] On Behalf Of Mason, John (NY) Sent: Friday, January 27, 2006 1:32 PM To: ccbc-net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu Subject: Re: [CCBC-Net] Criss Cross
As a marketing director at a publishing company, I am finding this most interesting! I totally respect the obligation of award committee members not to be swayed by advertising. However I'm a little more puzzled by the statement that committee members should avoid reading any reviews. As Carole Fiore said (below), committee members "share the books under consideration with peers, parents, and children to help clarify their thoughts and opinions." If they seek the feedback of peers, parents, and children, then why would they avoid reading reviews in respected journals, most of which are written by their peers as well?
John Mason Director of Library and Educational Marketing, Trade Books Scholastic, 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012-3999 Phone: (212) 389-3770 Fax: (212) 389-3063 Email: jmason at scholastic.com
Received on Fri 27 Jan 2006 01:56:38 PM CST
