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[CCBC-Net] Octavian
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From: Elsa Marston <elsa.marston>
Date: Mon, 1 Dec 2008 18:15:37 -0500
As usual, I'm trying to squeeze under the wire.... But I do want to record my vote for *Octavian. *I got it from the library partly because I wanted to see how he handled the 18th-century diction and the acceptance of slavery in New England at that time (both concerns in my own long-on-the-back-burner historical novel). Then I rushed out and bought my own copy because the whole book is so good.. A masterpiece, in my opinion.
I can certainly see how it would quickly turn off some adults, and maybe a lot of literate kids. It's not for everybody, by a long shot. But that's no reason to squelch quality and difference--and it would have been a crime to hide a gem like this on the grounds that it "might not sell enough copies." As Lynn Rutan pointed out, young people need to be challenged with tough stuff now and then.
May I make a brief announcement here? An online viewing of "Santa Claus in Baghdad," the film made from the title story of my book (*Santa Claus in Baghdad and Other Stories About Teens in the Arab World*) will be made available specifically to educators on December 9th. For information and to sign up and get the special link, go to the website ( www.santaclausinbaghdad.com) or email the filmmaker directly: filmmaker at rcn.com. Your interest--and any spreading of the word you may be able to do among other librarians and teachers (especially social studies and language arts) --would be much appreciated.
Elsa Marston
Received on Mon 01 Dec 2008 05:15:37 PM CST
Date: Mon, 1 Dec 2008 18:15:37 -0500
As usual, I'm trying to squeeze under the wire.... But I do want to record my vote for *Octavian. *I got it from the library partly because I wanted to see how he handled the 18th-century diction and the acceptance of slavery in New England at that time (both concerns in my own long-on-the-back-burner historical novel). Then I rushed out and bought my own copy because the whole book is so good.. A masterpiece, in my opinion.
I can certainly see how it would quickly turn off some adults, and maybe a lot of literate kids. It's not for everybody, by a long shot. But that's no reason to squelch quality and difference--and it would have been a crime to hide a gem like this on the grounds that it "might not sell enough copies." As Lynn Rutan pointed out, young people need to be challenged with tough stuff now and then.
May I make a brief announcement here? An online viewing of "Santa Claus in Baghdad," the film made from the title story of my book (*Santa Claus in Baghdad and Other Stories About Teens in the Arab World*) will be made available specifically to educators on December 9th. For information and to sign up and get the special link, go to the website ( www.santaclausinbaghdad.com) or email the filmmaker directly: filmmaker at rcn.com. Your interest--and any spreading of the word you may be able to do among other librarians and teachers (especially social studies and language arts) --would be much appreciated.
Elsa Marston
Received on Mon 01 Dec 2008 05:15:37 PM CST
