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[CCBC-Net] Criss Cross (long)
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From: Sheila A Welch <sheilawelch>
Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2006 10:15:22 -0600
I've been enjoying the discussion about Criss Cross. Many of my thoughts about the book have already been beautifully expressed by others. Thanks!
Criss Cross was one of about 25 books that a group of writers who belong to the IL chapter of SCBWI read and discussed via a group list. Below I'll copy the comments I made about Criss Cross shortly after reading it. Unfortunately, I sent it back to the library and haven't had a chance to reread it. This is the second year in a row that I've been thrilled with the Newbery committee's choice of winner. But, as my comments below suggest, I do have some reservations about how accessible the book is to young readers. However, Criss Cross will be appreciated by some children, and there is nothing about it that would make it inappropriate for the Newbery age range, so I don't think it's a book for adults only. I wonder if it was considered for the Printz. I found it emotionally engaging since it seemed to reflect so clearly the sorts of feelings and experiences I had when I was thirteen or fourteen.
Anyhow, below are my thoughts about the book--addressed to other children's writers. I made a few comments about the illustrations . . . anyone else care to talk about those? I think someone on this list wrote that they found them distracting. Also, several of the writers on our Mock Newbery list found time glitches in the book. I think they said that a computer was mentioned . . . that the part where Debbie is looking through her mother's things doesn't fit with the time frame, etc. I did not notice these problems with a first reading. Anyone else feel there were mistakes that bothered them?
Criss Cross: (Written late in 2005) I've come across one book so far that I'd like to reread. Has anyone else read Criss Cross? I'm looking forward to hearing how others react. It got a starred review in Booklist that I read right after finishing it, and my reaction to that review was a resounding "Yes!" With the exception of the episode when Mrs. Bruning gets sick, not much happens in this book; the plot sort of meanders along with the characters' lives. I mentioned this to my librarian daughter, and she immediately said, "Books like that are SO hard to booktalk." But I loved reading it. Now, the interesting thing is that I read and loved Perkins's All Alone in the Universe, but I can not recall much about it at all except that I think it concerned the loss of a friendship and the writing was lovely and the main character in that book was also Debbie. I wonder if this book will have more staying power in my memory.
The cover of Criss Cross and the interior art work are done by Perkins and match her unusual, quirky style of writing. I'm not sure the cover is one that will attract readers. Some of the depth of the textured painting is lost in reproduction. But maybe kids who'll enjoy the writing will also be the ones who will appreciate the cover. The main characters in the book are all fourteen or older, so maybe this book should be considered for the Printz not the Newbery. What do other readers think?
What I loved was the writing . . . It's different in a way that I find quite appealing. How many of us would write, "Chrissane wasn't there. She had gone off somewhere." The author is so "with" her character, Debbie, in this case, that we readers only know what Debbie knows. By writing in third person, the author is able to slip in and out of all of her characters' minds and hearts. I also appreciated the humor. The chapter where Debbie is helping her father fix the pipes under the sink is wonderful! So many parts of the book are unique, such as the "Japanese Chapter" or the "Wuthering Heights / Popular Mechanics" chapter.
I kept picturing a lot of different footprints in sand or snow, criss-crossing, sometimes overlapping, going on together or apart. Great book! I'm going to order it from Amazon so I can have my own copy. Definitely high on my list for the Newbery or the Printz.
Sheila Kelly Welch
Received on Mon 20 Feb 2006 10:15:22 AM CST
Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2006 10:15:22 -0600
I've been enjoying the discussion about Criss Cross. Many of my thoughts about the book have already been beautifully expressed by others. Thanks!
Criss Cross was one of about 25 books that a group of writers who belong to the IL chapter of SCBWI read and discussed via a group list. Below I'll copy the comments I made about Criss Cross shortly after reading it. Unfortunately, I sent it back to the library and haven't had a chance to reread it. This is the second year in a row that I've been thrilled with the Newbery committee's choice of winner. But, as my comments below suggest, I do have some reservations about how accessible the book is to young readers. However, Criss Cross will be appreciated by some children, and there is nothing about it that would make it inappropriate for the Newbery age range, so I don't think it's a book for adults only. I wonder if it was considered for the Printz. I found it emotionally engaging since it seemed to reflect so clearly the sorts of feelings and experiences I had when I was thirteen or fourteen.
Anyhow, below are my thoughts about the book--addressed to other children's writers. I made a few comments about the illustrations . . . anyone else care to talk about those? I think someone on this list wrote that they found them distracting. Also, several of the writers on our Mock Newbery list found time glitches in the book. I think they said that a computer was mentioned . . . that the part where Debbie is looking through her mother's things doesn't fit with the time frame, etc. I did not notice these problems with a first reading. Anyone else feel there were mistakes that bothered them?
Criss Cross: (Written late in 2005) I've come across one book so far that I'd like to reread. Has anyone else read Criss Cross? I'm looking forward to hearing how others react. It got a starred review in Booklist that I read right after finishing it, and my reaction to that review was a resounding "Yes!" With the exception of the episode when Mrs. Bruning gets sick, not much happens in this book; the plot sort of meanders along with the characters' lives. I mentioned this to my librarian daughter, and she immediately said, "Books like that are SO hard to booktalk." But I loved reading it. Now, the interesting thing is that I read and loved Perkins's All Alone in the Universe, but I can not recall much about it at all except that I think it concerned the loss of a friendship and the writing was lovely and the main character in that book was also Debbie. I wonder if this book will have more staying power in my memory.
The cover of Criss Cross and the interior art work are done by Perkins and match her unusual, quirky style of writing. I'm not sure the cover is one that will attract readers. Some of the depth of the textured painting is lost in reproduction. But maybe kids who'll enjoy the writing will also be the ones who will appreciate the cover. The main characters in the book are all fourteen or older, so maybe this book should be considered for the Printz not the Newbery. What do other readers think?
What I loved was the writing . . . It's different in a way that I find quite appealing. How many of us would write, "Chrissane wasn't there. She had gone off somewhere." The author is so "with" her character, Debbie, in this case, that we readers only know what Debbie knows. By writing in third person, the author is able to slip in and out of all of her characters' minds and hearts. I also appreciated the humor. The chapter where Debbie is helping her father fix the pipes under the sink is wonderful! So many parts of the book are unique, such as the "Japanese Chapter" or the "Wuthering Heights / Popular Mechanics" chapter.
I kept picturing a lot of different footprints in sand or snow, criss-crossing, sometimes overlapping, going on together or apart. Great book! I'm going to order it from Amazon so I can have my own copy. Definitely high on my list for the Newbery or the Printz.
Sheila Kelly Welch
Received on Mon 20 Feb 2006 10:15:22 AM CST
