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[CCBC-Net] celebrity books
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From: Steward, Celeste <csteward>
Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2007 14:28:09 -0700
Thanks! This is very helpful.
But I didn't mean to suggest there isn't a lot of good non-fiction for children out there...I actually think the situation is better than ever. When I first became interested in children's literature (20 years ago), the non-fiction situation was dismal...
Now---it's fabulous. Many well-written, entertaining and graphically pleasing non-fiction kids' books have appeared in the past 15 years or so.
I am concerned about children's perception that most research, including homework help materials can be found exclusively on the Internet. And more and more teachers are assigning web-friendly projects too. Whether this is because libraries simply couldn't meet students' needs for multiple print sources and multiple copies, I don't know. But something has happened in the last few years to change the manner in which homework is being assigned and handled.
"A bad book and a good book (however one chooses to judge them!) cost the same to the customer. If they were given equal visibility, equal reporting, equal attention and love from the publisher and press and sellers, would good books rise above?" Now there's an interesting proposition!
"Libraries have historically been given permission to have good books, whether or not they were glamorous. Some of this is changing as libraries (like most public services) are being starved for dollars, and are being told to "compete" for attention in the public service market and to "prove" their usefulness. Likewise, schools (for whatever else they might be damned) were once expected to create libraries for children's pleasure, delight, education and edification. Their main function was not seen as to bribe unwilling media-saturated non-readers into reading and regurgitating something, anything. Who is changing the rules and purposes, and why?"
Who indeed, or is it what is changing the rules? Technology? The economy? The media? Or all of the above?
Celeste Steward, Collection Development Librarian Alameda County Library 2450 Stevenson Blvd. Fremont, CA 94538
-----Original Message----- From: ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
[mailto:ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu] On Behalf Of Gerber Daniel T Sent: Wednesday, June 13, 2007 1:44 PM To: Sugoodman at aol.com; A.Hendon at BrooklynPublicLibrary.org; CCBC-Net at ccbc.ad.education.wisc.edu Subject: Re: [CCBC-Net] celebrity books
While we are on the non-fiction children's book subtopic, there are many great non-fictions books out there and awards too. The Siebert was already mentioned however, Science Books and Films (SB&F) has an award for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) books called the SB&F Prize Winners which you can access at http://www.sbfonline.com/prizes
SB&F also puts out a Best Books for Children list which is put out every year which you can access at http://www.sbfonline.com/bestlists.htm The 2006 winners are not online yet, however, you can access the 2006 winners if your library has a subscription to SB&F. Each annual list comes out in the Jan/Feb issue.
The National Science Teachers Association also puts out an Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children at http://www.nsta.org/publications/ostb/
The trick is putting the trade books together with teacher information which we have done at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. We have combined these outstanding non-fiction trade books with information from STEM professional societies which have educational information at http://www.uwlax.edu/murphylibrary/departments/curriculum/stem/index.htm l
Click on "The Living Environment" for example. The trade books
(primarily at the PK-8 grade level) listed are related to life and environmental sciences. Scroll to the bottom and there are related websites which give teachers, school LMC, librarians, etc more information on specific topics.
-----Original Message----- From: ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
[mailto:ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu] On Behalf Of Sugoodman at aol.com Sent: Wednesday, June 13, 2007 3:05 PM To: A.Hendon at BrooklynPublicLibrary.org; CCBC-Net at ccbc.ad.education.wisc.edu Subject: Re: [CCBC-Net] celebrity books
In a message dated 6/13/2007 2:26:53 PM Eastern Daylight Time, A.Hendon at BrooklynPublicLibrary.org writes:
As for the decrease in non-fiction (particularly science) off publisher
>lists: "One reason is that kids are doing homework using the internet
for their research instead of books."--this is an area of serious concern for
>librarians as well as teachers.
I find the decrease in nonfiction disturbing. On the one hand, we are told that boys, especially, may read nonfiction where they don't/won't read fiction. On the other hand, there seem to be fewer "fun" nonfiction titles, especially for teen readers.
As some who writes nonfiction for children exclusively, I can't agree with you more. Another huge problem for nonfiction is that Barnes and Noble and Borders won't buy much of it, even titles that seem both fun and commerically viable. I've spoken to many editors who say that once even great nonfiction picture books are shelved in the nonfiction section, it's the kiss of death. How do we deal with that? One way some major houses are dealing with it is by cutting way, way back.
It's too bad. Relatively new national awards like the Siebert are beginning to help people see that nonfiction involves creativity as well as good information. And I see a lot of interesting, beautiful stuff coming out. But without the budgets in schools and the access in stores...
While I was writing this, Marc Aronson announced his nonfiction blog. Congrats! It will be great to have someone bring more attention to the genre.
Susan Goodman
Susan Goodman 5 Oakview Ter. Jamaica Plain MA 02130 617-522-0158 www.susangoodmanbooks.com
************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.
_______________________________________________ CCBC-Net mailing list CCBC-Net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe... http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
_______________________________________________ CCBC-Net mailing list CCBC-Net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe... http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
Received on Wed 13 Jun 2007 04:28:09 PM CDT
Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2007 14:28:09 -0700
Thanks! This is very helpful.
But I didn't mean to suggest there isn't a lot of good non-fiction for children out there...I actually think the situation is better than ever. When I first became interested in children's literature (20 years ago), the non-fiction situation was dismal...
Now---it's fabulous. Many well-written, entertaining and graphically pleasing non-fiction kids' books have appeared in the past 15 years or so.
I am concerned about children's perception that most research, including homework help materials can be found exclusively on the Internet. And more and more teachers are assigning web-friendly projects too. Whether this is because libraries simply couldn't meet students' needs for multiple print sources and multiple copies, I don't know. But something has happened in the last few years to change the manner in which homework is being assigned and handled.
"A bad book and a good book (however one chooses to judge them!) cost the same to the customer. If they were given equal visibility, equal reporting, equal attention and love from the publisher and press and sellers, would good books rise above?" Now there's an interesting proposition!
"Libraries have historically been given permission to have good books, whether or not they were glamorous. Some of this is changing as libraries (like most public services) are being starved for dollars, and are being told to "compete" for attention in the public service market and to "prove" their usefulness. Likewise, schools (for whatever else they might be damned) were once expected to create libraries for children's pleasure, delight, education and edification. Their main function was not seen as to bribe unwilling media-saturated non-readers into reading and regurgitating something, anything. Who is changing the rules and purposes, and why?"
Who indeed, or is it what is changing the rules? Technology? The economy? The media? Or all of the above?
Celeste Steward, Collection Development Librarian Alameda County Library 2450 Stevenson Blvd. Fremont, CA 94538
-----Original Message----- From: ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
[mailto:ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu] On Behalf Of Gerber Daniel T Sent: Wednesday, June 13, 2007 1:44 PM To: Sugoodman at aol.com; A.Hendon at BrooklynPublicLibrary.org; CCBC-Net at ccbc.ad.education.wisc.edu Subject: Re: [CCBC-Net] celebrity books
While we are on the non-fiction children's book subtopic, there are many great non-fictions books out there and awards too. The Siebert was already mentioned however, Science Books and Films (SB&F) has an award for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) books called the SB&F Prize Winners which you can access at http://www.sbfonline.com/prizes
SB&F also puts out a Best Books for Children list which is put out every year which you can access at http://www.sbfonline.com/bestlists.htm The 2006 winners are not online yet, however, you can access the 2006 winners if your library has a subscription to SB&F. Each annual list comes out in the Jan/Feb issue.
The National Science Teachers Association also puts out an Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children at http://www.nsta.org/publications/ostb/
The trick is putting the trade books together with teacher information which we have done at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. We have combined these outstanding non-fiction trade books with information from STEM professional societies which have educational information at http://www.uwlax.edu/murphylibrary/departments/curriculum/stem/index.htm l
Click on "The Living Environment" for example. The trade books
(primarily at the PK-8 grade level) listed are related to life and environmental sciences. Scroll to the bottom and there are related websites which give teachers, school LMC, librarians, etc more information on specific topics.
-----Original Message----- From: ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
[mailto:ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu] On Behalf Of Sugoodman at aol.com Sent: Wednesday, June 13, 2007 3:05 PM To: A.Hendon at BrooklynPublicLibrary.org; CCBC-Net at ccbc.ad.education.wisc.edu Subject: Re: [CCBC-Net] celebrity books
In a message dated 6/13/2007 2:26:53 PM Eastern Daylight Time, A.Hendon at BrooklynPublicLibrary.org writes:
As for the decrease in non-fiction (particularly science) off publisher
>lists: "One reason is that kids are doing homework using the internet
for their research instead of books."--this is an area of serious concern for
>librarians as well as teachers.
I find the decrease in nonfiction disturbing. On the one hand, we are told that boys, especially, may read nonfiction where they don't/won't read fiction. On the other hand, there seem to be fewer "fun" nonfiction titles, especially for teen readers.
As some who writes nonfiction for children exclusively, I can't agree with you more. Another huge problem for nonfiction is that Barnes and Noble and Borders won't buy much of it, even titles that seem both fun and commerically viable. I've spoken to many editors who say that once even great nonfiction picture books are shelved in the nonfiction section, it's the kiss of death. How do we deal with that? One way some major houses are dealing with it is by cutting way, way back.
It's too bad. Relatively new national awards like the Siebert are beginning to help people see that nonfiction involves creativity as well as good information. And I see a lot of interesting, beautiful stuff coming out. But without the budgets in schools and the access in stores...
While I was writing this, Marc Aronson announced his nonfiction blog. Congrats! It will be great to have someone bring more attention to the genre.
Susan Goodman
Susan Goodman 5 Oakview Ter. Jamaica Plain MA 02130 617-522-0158 www.susangoodmanbooks.com
************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.
_______________________________________________ CCBC-Net mailing list CCBC-Net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe... http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
_______________________________________________ CCBC-Net mailing list CCBC-Net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe... http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
Received on Wed 13 Jun 2007 04:28:09 PM CDT
