From: Beth Wright <bethlibrarian>
Date: Sun, 19 Feb 2006 07:36:53 -0800 (PST)

I certainly appreciate Criss Cross as a creative, distinctive, beautifully written book, and after this discussion I see even more to admire in this year's Newbery winner. However, I felt very little emotional repsonse to the book; for me, it's not the kind of book that makes me begin my descriptions with a heartfelt "I LOVED this book."
 I think this is because the deliberately laid-back, summery pace of the book, plus the wealth of characters and formats, kept me from developing a strong emotional investment in either the characters or the story. So be it; a title doesn't have to move every reader, or even any reader, to tears or hysterical laughter or nail-biting fright in order to be a great book. However, I have noticed that the titles that move young readers emotionally, through sadness or humor or fear or whatever, seem to be the ones that they themselves describe as "great books."

So here is my question, and I apologize for asking it so late in the discussion, but it has taken me this long to formulate my thoughts: a lot of CCBC-Net subscribers, and a lot of other adults too, do LOVE this book. Is it because you love the craft and construction of this immensely innovative novel, or because the characters and their stories have moved you? I'm asking this partly because I'm wondering which young readers will love it: the smaller group who love truly unusual books, or the larger group who love books that engage their emotions from the first page? Or is it really a book for both groups, and I'm just missing something?

Thanks,

Beth Wright

Beth Wright Youth Services Librarian Fletcher Free Library Burlington, Vermont
(802) 865-7216 bethlibrarian at yahoo.com

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Received on Sun 19 Feb 2006 09:36:53 AM CST