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[CCBC-Net] Sibert thoughts
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From: Hunt, Jonathan <Hunt.Jo>
Date: Tue, 14 Mar 2006 11:49:12 -0800
HITLER YOUTH was not only one of my most favorite books of the year, but clearly one of the best--arguably *the* best, and when it was announced as the lone Sibert Honor book, I thought that surely JOHN LENNON had won the Sibert Medal, and I don't think I was alone in thinking that.
I think many of us were also disappointed that, in what was widely considered to be an exceptionally strong year for nonfiction, there were not more Sibert Honor books, but then I wanted more informational Newbery Honor books, too, so who am I to complain.
Having now read SECRETS OF A CIVIL WAR SUBMARINE, I think it is a worthy winner. I'm not sure I personally like it as much as HITLER YOUTH, but I am a sucker for books which mix science and history and this book does that exceptionally well. HITLER YOUTH has an obvious emotional pull, not exploitative, but understated and very powerful. It takes a very brave committee, indeed, to resist the human interest of this book in favor of a more science-oriented title, so I applaud them for that.
SECRETS OF A CIVIL WAR SUBMARINE and HITLER YOUTH are like apples and oranges, really, and I can't fault the committee for liking apples while I like oranges. No, I'll save my ire for those committees that like inferior oranges. I worship Russell Freedman as much as anybody, and think CHILDREN OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION is an outstanding and worthy title, really and truly I do, but when you are comparing oranges to oranges and social histories to social histories, I just don't understand how the Orbis Pictus and Golden Kite committees can see CHILDREN OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION as a better, more deserving book than HITLER YOUTH. Nope. I don't see that one at all.
Jonathan
Received on Tue 14 Mar 2006 01:49:12 PM CST
Date: Tue, 14 Mar 2006 11:49:12 -0800
HITLER YOUTH was not only one of my most favorite books of the year, but clearly one of the best--arguably *the* best, and when it was announced as the lone Sibert Honor book, I thought that surely JOHN LENNON had won the Sibert Medal, and I don't think I was alone in thinking that.
I think many of us were also disappointed that, in what was widely considered to be an exceptionally strong year for nonfiction, there were not more Sibert Honor books, but then I wanted more informational Newbery Honor books, too, so who am I to complain.
Having now read SECRETS OF A CIVIL WAR SUBMARINE, I think it is a worthy winner. I'm not sure I personally like it as much as HITLER YOUTH, but I am a sucker for books which mix science and history and this book does that exceptionally well. HITLER YOUTH has an obvious emotional pull, not exploitative, but understated and very powerful. It takes a very brave committee, indeed, to resist the human interest of this book in favor of a more science-oriented title, so I applaud them for that.
SECRETS OF A CIVIL WAR SUBMARINE and HITLER YOUTH are like apples and oranges, really, and I can't fault the committee for liking apples while I like oranges. No, I'll save my ire for those committees that like inferior oranges. I worship Russell Freedman as much as anybody, and think CHILDREN OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION is an outstanding and worthy title, really and truly I do, but when you are comparing oranges to oranges and social histories to social histories, I just don't understand how the Orbis Pictus and Golden Kite committees can see CHILDREN OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION as a better, more deserving book than HITLER YOUTH. Nope. I don't see that one at all.
Jonathan
Received on Tue 14 Mar 2006 01:49:12 PM CST
