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[CCBC-Net] Nature books, Favorite Characters, and Beirut Conference
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From: Elsa Marston <elsa.marston>
Date: Tue, 2 Jun 2009 14:29:23 -0500
I think April Pulley Sayre's nonfiction picture books, about a wide variety of nature subjects, are superb. She takes a striking, imaginative approach to the subject, researches to the nth degree, and writes with humor and grace,
Lola Schaefer has also produced some delightful picture books about nature. Not long ago I attended her presentation about her recent book ARROW HAWK, which held a library floor packed full of 1st-3rd graders absolutely mesmerized for almost an hour--and these were kids from the most underprivileged, undereducated layers of Bloomington (IN) society. Nary a wiggle nor a whisper. It was sheer magic.
April is also a wonderful speaker. I strongly recommend the books and the author-appearances of both these writers.
As for favorite characters--heavens! That's going to take some thought. I'm going to be in Lebanon for much of June, thinking about this question, and will try to put in my two bits after I return on the 28th.
While in Lebanon, I'll be speaking at an international conference on children's literature, held in Beirut, June 12-14. I think this is the first time anything quite like this, at least with this scale and scope, has been done in the Arab countries, although there are IBBY chapters in Lebanon and Palestine and probably elsewhere. The preliminary program looks very interesting. With any encouragement, I could forward the program (in English) to any interested person, or to the whole list, just to give an idea of some of the concerns that are gradually starting to take hold in tthe literature of that part of the world. Up till very recently, literature for children and teens consisted mostly of translations of European fairy tales and simplified western novels, and Arabian Nightsy stories. The idea that fiction for young people could reflect the lives of those young people and their societies had not quite caught on. (It must be admitted, the same thing was true here with respect to the Middle East, until about a dozen years ago! And that's basically what I'll be talking about.)
Elsa www.elsamarston.com
Received on Tue 02 Jun 2009 02:29:23 PM CDT
Date: Tue, 2 Jun 2009 14:29:23 -0500
I think April Pulley Sayre's nonfiction picture books, about a wide variety of nature subjects, are superb. She takes a striking, imaginative approach to the subject, researches to the nth degree, and writes with humor and grace,
Lola Schaefer has also produced some delightful picture books about nature. Not long ago I attended her presentation about her recent book ARROW HAWK, which held a library floor packed full of 1st-3rd graders absolutely mesmerized for almost an hour--and these were kids from the most underprivileged, undereducated layers of Bloomington (IN) society. Nary a wiggle nor a whisper. It was sheer magic.
April is also a wonderful speaker. I strongly recommend the books and the author-appearances of both these writers.
As for favorite characters--heavens! That's going to take some thought. I'm going to be in Lebanon for much of June, thinking about this question, and will try to put in my two bits after I return on the 28th.
While in Lebanon, I'll be speaking at an international conference on children's literature, held in Beirut, June 12-14. I think this is the first time anything quite like this, at least with this scale and scope, has been done in the Arab countries, although there are IBBY chapters in Lebanon and Palestine and probably elsewhere. The preliminary program looks very interesting. With any encouragement, I could forward the program (in English) to any interested person, or to the whole list, just to give an idea of some of the concerns that are gradually starting to take hold in tthe literature of that part of the world. Up till very recently, literature for children and teens consisted mostly of translations of European fairy tales and simplified western novels, and Arabian Nightsy stories. The idea that fiction for young people could reflect the lives of those young people and their societies had not quite caught on. (It must be admitted, the same thing was true here with respect to the Middle East, until about a dozen years ago! And that's basically what I'll be talking about.)
Elsa www.elsamarston.com
Received on Tue 02 Jun 2009 02:29:23 PM CDT
