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[CCBC-Net] American Indian Youth Book Awards 2008
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From: Santangelo, Michael <M.Santangelo>
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2008 17:05:36 -0500
For me, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian represents the best of YA literature. As much as I love it now, I have a feeling it would have meant even more to me if I was reading it as a young adult. It certainly would have cut through all the cultural garbage about American Indians I was fed through textbooks, television, and the movies. It made me think of one of my favorite books, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, in that the world it describes is so real and the voice is so authentic that not only can I picture it, I feel it. The voice would lose credibility without the referenced scenes. Alexie made the right choice on not holding back and by crediting young adults with the ability to see the events in Junior's life in context and to see in his story pieces of their own family histories, family dreams, societal pressures, grapplings with sexuality, and general attempts to make sense of your immediate world and the larger world. To have pulled these scenes or softened them would have been to reject their power in our lives and to have written a half truth novel or a semi realistic story. Writing teachers always tell writing students to write what you know, and I think Sherman Alexie has done this brilliantly.
-----Original Message----- From: ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
[mailto:ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu] On Behalf Of Patricia L. Jarrach, Esq. Sent: Friday, January 18, 2008 3:24 PM To: ccbc-net at ccbc.ad.education.wisc.edu Subject: Re: [CCBC-Net] American Indian Youth Book Awards 2008
Okay, time for an unpopular opinion...
I finished reading ABSOLUTELY TRUE last week and I can not support this book for the YA age group. I believe a lot of it is inappropriate for a YA book. If the reader is old enough to read about having to shoot a dog because there is no money and someone's sister being burned to death because she was too drunk to get out, they should be reading adult books, not YA. Where's the firestorm over the "n" word? Appropriate in its' useage, but not a peep about it? And, I just can't see it winning the American Indian Youth Award because it casts American Indians in a horrible light. They're all drunk or have given up. Sure there is some inspiration in the main character "breaking out", but that is overshadowed by how the rest of the community is cast. In fact, one of the women at work said her daughter (whose 11 and a major reader) asked her to get it for her. When I started telling her what was actually in the book, she was horrified that it would be listed as a YA. She read some of the reviews of the book, which included plot points, resulting in her refusing to let her daughter read it.
I understand there are a lot of people on this list who enjoyed this book, but I'm not one of them. It is well written and I can appreciate it for that; however, in my opinion, it's not a YA book.
Okay...don't throw too many stones at once! ;)
Patricia L. Jarrach, Esq., CFE
-----Original Message----- From: ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
[mailto:ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu]On Behalf Of Mary Ann Gilpatrick Sent: Friday, January 18, 2008 2:56 PM To: ccbc-net at ccbc.ad.education.wisc.edu Subject: Re: [CCBC-Net] American Indian Youth Book Awards 2008
Yep, I was surprised. I cannot understand why it was not even an honor book. Second-guessing the Committees will always be with us.
Mary Ann Gilpatrick Walla Walla Public Library 238 E. Alder Walla Walla WA 99362 509-524-4435 mgilpatrick at ci.walla-walla.wa.us
Was it just me, or was it a bit of a shock to others, too, that ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY wasn't even an honor book for the Printz? If you win the National Book Award, are you still eligible for the Printz? Just curious... -Sam
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sam Bloom
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Received on Fri 18 Jan 2008 04:05:36 PM CST
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2008 17:05:36 -0500
For me, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian represents the best of YA literature. As much as I love it now, I have a feeling it would have meant even more to me if I was reading it as a young adult. It certainly would have cut through all the cultural garbage about American Indians I was fed through textbooks, television, and the movies. It made me think of one of my favorite books, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, in that the world it describes is so real and the voice is so authentic that not only can I picture it, I feel it. The voice would lose credibility without the referenced scenes. Alexie made the right choice on not holding back and by crediting young adults with the ability to see the events in Junior's life in context and to see in his story pieces of their own family histories, family dreams, societal pressures, grapplings with sexuality, and general attempts to make sense of your immediate world and the larger world. To have pulled these scenes or softened them would have been to reject their power in our lives and to have written a half truth novel or a semi realistic story. Writing teachers always tell writing students to write what you know, and I think Sherman Alexie has done this brilliantly.
-----Original Message----- From: ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
[mailto:ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu] On Behalf Of Patricia L. Jarrach, Esq. Sent: Friday, January 18, 2008 3:24 PM To: ccbc-net at ccbc.ad.education.wisc.edu Subject: Re: [CCBC-Net] American Indian Youth Book Awards 2008
Okay, time for an unpopular opinion...
I finished reading ABSOLUTELY TRUE last week and I can not support this book for the YA age group. I believe a lot of it is inappropriate for a YA book. If the reader is old enough to read about having to shoot a dog because there is no money and someone's sister being burned to death because she was too drunk to get out, they should be reading adult books, not YA. Where's the firestorm over the "n" word? Appropriate in its' useage, but not a peep about it? And, I just can't see it winning the American Indian Youth Award because it casts American Indians in a horrible light. They're all drunk or have given up. Sure there is some inspiration in the main character "breaking out", but that is overshadowed by how the rest of the community is cast. In fact, one of the women at work said her daughter (whose 11 and a major reader) asked her to get it for her. When I started telling her what was actually in the book, she was horrified that it would be listed as a YA. She read some of the reviews of the book, which included plot points, resulting in her refusing to let her daughter read it.
I understand there are a lot of people on this list who enjoyed this book, but I'm not one of them. It is well written and I can appreciate it for that; however, in my opinion, it's not a YA book.
Okay...don't throw too many stones at once! ;)
Patricia L. Jarrach, Esq., CFE
-----Original Message----- From: ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
[mailto:ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu]On Behalf Of Mary Ann Gilpatrick Sent: Friday, January 18, 2008 2:56 PM To: ccbc-net at ccbc.ad.education.wisc.edu Subject: Re: [CCBC-Net] American Indian Youth Book Awards 2008
Yep, I was surprised. I cannot understand why it was not even an honor book. Second-guessing the Committees will always be with us.
Mary Ann Gilpatrick Walla Walla Public Library 238 E. Alder Walla Walla WA 99362 509-524-4435 mgilpatrick at ci.walla-walla.wa.us
Was it just me, or was it a bit of a shock to others, too, that ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY wasn't even an honor book for the Printz? If you win the National Book Award, are you still eligible for the Printz? Just curious... -Sam
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sam Bloom
_______________________________________________ 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 No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.19.6/1231 - Release Date: 1/18/2008 11:55 AM
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_______________________________________________ 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 Fri 18 Jan 2008 04:05:36 PM CST
