From: Cindy Dobrez <dobrez>
Date: Wed, 15 Mar 2006 05:43:58 -0500

Benita,

I think the Sibert Award has encouraged everyone in the children's reading community to take informational books more seriously, publisher's included. I'm compelled, this morning, to defend the publishers just a bit, in light of your comments blaming them for the fact that you still don't have Hitler Youth in your library. The book was published in April of 2005 and received six (?) starred reviews very early in the year and received buzz and praise on every youth literature listserv of which I'm a member. Full page ads ran in all the major book selection journals. Scholastic sent out preview and finished copies of this title to selection committees and they are very generous in sending appropriate non-fiction titles to us as well and I would guess that they do not neglect the major jobbers and book sellers. I understand that budgets play a part in every librarian's acquisition of materials, and some librarians have less direct input into the selection and cataloguing process than I might have as a school librarian with personal control over my purchasing and processing, but I can't fathom waiting to purchase a title with six stars until after the awards are announced. There is no way that publishers can be prepared for every award winner, and while I am not a marketing person, I would guess that the demand for a Newbery Honor compared with the Newbery Medal compared with a book that doesn't receive either citation is quite different and impossible to anticipate by publishing the exact number of books that will be needed when the orders start coming in.

You have a treat waiting for you when your copy arrives. I truly don't mean this to sound as snarky as it probably does via email, but I heartily suggest you reexamine your purchasing policy if it is within your power to do so. A few years ago ALA had the slogan "Kids Can't Wait." By not providing this book when it was first published, you've denied a whole year's worth of reading on this title, including the ability for patrons
(and yourself) to read along with the selection committees and conduct their own personal mock award winners or to simply consume the ideas and brilliant writing of the author.

The Sibert winner has been very popular in my middle school library. The dual subjects of submarines and the Civil War are of natural interest to this age group. My only disappointment this year was in not having more Sibert honor titles. It was such a fine year for informational titles, but I did not examine them as closely or with such expertise as the committee so I am only left to wonder...

Cindy Dobrez West Ottawa Public Schools Holland, MI 49424 dobrez at chartermi.net
Received on Wed 15 Mar 2006 04:43:58 AM CST