CCBC-Net Archives
RE: Crossover Books
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From: Nancy Bo Flood <wflood_at_hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 08 Oct 2009 06:52:16 -0700
Yes, do include nonfiction and poetry. Thank you, Marc Aronson.
This discussion has caused me to look at the question from the opposite sid e. A truly good book, whatever kind - a book of poems, nonfiction, f ables or true tales - is a cross-over book. A good book speaks to all ages . A story-teller snags the attention of old and young and creates a world that engages the listener.
Each reader hears what is needed, even from a simple poem: Lee Bennett Ho pkins, Langston Hughes ("Hold fast to dreams"), Myra Cohn Livingston, Robert Louis Stevenson and even Edward Lear.
I echo, no, shout, this same sentiment for nonfiction. To quote Milt on Meltzer "Books make their greatest mark when they reach readers in their growing years. The young look everywhere for that ground of truth on whic h they can stand before they commit the power of their body and mind to the world as it is, or as they might wish to remake it."
Good books are reached for by readers of all ages because they speak to our yearning to understand.
Nancy Bo Flood
wflood_at_hotmail.com www.nancyboflood.com
author of Navajo Year, Walk Through Many Seasons, A Children's Choice and Arizona Book of the Year
Sand to Stone, the Life Cycle of Sandstone
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 2009 14:53:53 -0400 From: bookmarch_at_aol.com Subject: Re:
Crossover Books To: bagencoconsulting_at_gmail.com; anichamich@aol.com; ccbc-net@lists.wis c.edu
Moves was originally conceived of as an adult book, as were The Chocolate War and Weetzie Bat.
The obvious category of books for younger readers that adults read (but in secret) is nonfiction.
Marc Aronson
Message-----
From: Barbara A. Genco
To: 'Ani Chamichian' ; ccbc-net_at_lists.wisc.edu
Sent: Wed, Oct 7, 2009 2:46 pm
Subject: RE:
Crossover Books
Many of Bruce Brooks early books could have easily been published ‘on the adult side’ of the house. I am thinking (most par ticularly) of his MOVES MAKE THE MAN (c1987) and later NO KIDDING (c1989). bg
Barbara A. Genco
Editor, Collection Management, Library Journal
Consulting~Seeking Creative Solutions
170 Prospect Park West #2R
Brooklyn, NY 11215
718.499.8750
347.238.6384 Mobile
BAGencoConsulting_at_Gmail.com
www.libraryjournal.com
"To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan and not quite e nough time." Leonard Bernstein
From: Ani Chamichian
Sent: Wednesday, October 07, 2009 2:06 PM
To: ccbc-net_at_lists.wisc.edu
Subject: Re:
Crossover Books
I am writing here as a civilian who has spent my ad ult life in book publishing.
As a teen, I had graduated from YA's by the time I got to high school. Bu t then the YA's of my era were nothing like the YA's now. Go Ask Alice was one of the books that changed that. Many women in my circle read YAs. I con fess to being surprised when I first discovered this but they tell me they find the books very satisfying. Which may say more about 'adult' fiction t han it does about YA fiction.
Ani Chamichian
Frances Lincoln LLC
749 Guerrero
San Francisco, CA 94110
415 647 1812
Message-----
From: Nancy Silverrod
To: ccbc-net, Subscribers of
Sent: Wed, Oct 7, 2009 10:58 am
Subject: RE:
Crossover Books
I think books more easily cross from adult to teens, or sometimes childre n than
the other way around, as young people's reading skills and interests expand. I
think most adults don't expect to find something of interest in the childre n's
or teen sections of a library or bookstore, and there are books that are being
overlooked by adults. One that especially comes to mind is "The Book Thief. " I
have suggested it more than once to our adult city-wide book program. I thi nk
trying it as a title for a parent/child book club would help publicize it a s a
good adult read.
The Harry Potter books seem to have been a big exception to all this, alt ho ugh I
wonder how many adults who weren't generally fantasy readers and didn't hav e
children actually read them.
Nancy Silverrod, Librarian
San Francisco Public Library
100 Larkin St.
San Francisco, CA 94122-4733
nsilverrod_at_sfpl.org
415-557-4417
Our heads are round so that thoughts can change direction. -Francis Picabia ,
painter and poet (1879-1953)
Our memories are card indexes consulted and then returned in disorder by
authorities whom we do not control. -Cyril Connolly, critic and editor
(1903-1974)
A closed mind is like a closed book: just a block of wood. -Chinese Proverb
Message-----
From: Megan Schliesman
Sent: Tuesday, October 06, 2009 1:32 PM
To: ccbc-net, Subscribers of
Subject:
Crossover Books
Let's turn our attention to the discussion topic for the first part of
October: Crossover Books, Part II.
We first visited the topic of crossover books-titles that are marketed
to b oth children and adult audiences, in June 1999. That discussion was
inspired in part by the ever-growing popularity of "Harry Potter," which
was already having noticeable crossover appeal. Today, it seems we think
about crossover less in terms of marketing and more in terms of how the
lines between children's/young adult and adult literature are not always
easily defined, at least when it comes to appeal. From "The Book Thief"
to "American Born Chinese" to "Twilight" and beyond, we'll revisit the
topic of "crossover books" in light of the past ten years of publishing
During our discussion in 1999 it was noted that fantasy and science
fiction have always been genres that draw readers of all ages to
individual titles. (Today, we would no doubt add a particular
format-graphic novels/comics to that list.)
It seems the definition of crossover is something that is blurring as
much as the books themselves blur the lines between youth and adult
titles. Is a crossover book a book published for adults that
children/te ens find? (In which case, as Kathleen Horning noted in her
introduction to the topic in 1999, all books read by children before the
advent of children's pbulishing were crossover books ). (e.g, "The
Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon). Is it a
children's/ya title that is also claimed by adults (a la "Harry Potter,"
"Twilight," and others). What about books whose publishing histories
vary? Markus Zusak's "The Book Thief" was published for adults in
Australia, for young adults here.
We invite your thoughts about books from both sides of the crossover street .
Megan
//
Megan Schliesman, Librarian
Cooperative Children's Book Center
School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison
600 N. Park Street, Room 4290
Madison, WI 53706
608/262-9503
schliesman_at_education.wisc.edu
www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/
Date: Thu, 08 Oct 2009 06:52:16 -0700
Yes, do include nonfiction and poetry. Thank you, Marc Aronson.
This discussion has caused me to look at the question from the opposite sid e. A truly good book, whatever kind - a book of poems, nonfiction, f ables or true tales - is a cross-over book. A good book speaks to all ages . A story-teller snags the attention of old and young and creates a world that engages the listener.
Each reader hears what is needed, even from a simple poem: Lee Bennett Ho pkins, Langston Hughes ("Hold fast to dreams"), Myra Cohn Livingston, Robert Louis Stevenson and even Edward Lear.
I echo, no, shout, this same sentiment for nonfiction. To quote Milt on Meltzer "Books make their greatest mark when they reach readers in their growing years. The young look everywhere for that ground of truth on whic h they can stand before they commit the power of their body and mind to the world as it is, or as they might wish to remake it."
Good books are reached for by readers of all ages because they speak to our yearning to understand.
Nancy Bo Flood
wflood_at_hotmail.com www.nancyboflood.com
author of Navajo Year, Walk Through Many Seasons, A Children's Choice and Arizona Book of the Year
Sand to Stone, the Life Cycle of Sandstone
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 2009 14:53:53 -0400 From: bookmarch_at_aol.com Subject: Re:
Crossover Books To: bagencoconsulting_at_gmail.com; anichamich@aol.com; ccbc-net@lists.wis c.edu
Moves was originally conceived of as an adult book, as were The Chocolate War and Weetzie Bat.
The obvious category of books for younger readers that adults read (but in secret) is nonfiction.
Marc Aronson
Message-----
From: Barbara A. Genco
To: 'Ani Chamichian' ; ccbc-net_at_lists.wisc.edu
Sent: Wed, Oct 7, 2009 2:46 pm
Subject: RE:
Crossover Books
Many of Bruce Brooks early books could have easily been published ‘on the adult side’ of the house. I am thinking (most par ticularly) of his MOVES MAKE THE MAN (c1987) and later NO KIDDING (c1989). bg
Barbara A. Genco
Editor, Collection Management, Library Journal
Consulting~Seeking Creative Solutions
170 Prospect Park West #2R
Brooklyn, NY 11215
718.499.8750
347.238.6384 Mobile
BAGencoConsulting_at_Gmail.com
www.libraryjournal.com
"To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan and not quite e nough time." Leonard Bernstein
From: Ani Chamichian
Sent: Wednesday, October 07, 2009 2:06 PM
To: ccbc-net_at_lists.wisc.edu
Subject: Re:
Crossover Books
I am writing here as a civilian who has spent my ad ult life in book publishing.
As a teen, I had graduated from YA's by the time I got to high school. Bu t then the YA's of my era were nothing like the YA's now. Go Ask Alice was one of the books that changed that. Many women in my circle read YAs. I con fess to being surprised when I first discovered this but they tell me they find the books very satisfying. Which may say more about 'adult' fiction t han it does about YA fiction.
Ani Chamichian
Frances Lincoln LLC
749 Guerrero
San Francisco, CA 94110
415 647 1812
Message-----
From: Nancy Silverrod
To: ccbc-net, Subscribers of
Sent: Wed, Oct 7, 2009 10:58 am
Subject: RE:
Crossover Books
I think books more easily cross from adult to teens, or sometimes childre n than
the other way around, as young people's reading skills and interests expand. I
think most adults don't expect to find something of interest in the childre n's
or teen sections of a library or bookstore, and there are books that are being
overlooked by adults. One that especially comes to mind is "The Book Thief. " I
have suggested it more than once to our adult city-wide book program. I thi nk
trying it as a title for a parent/child book club would help publicize it a s a
good adult read.
The Harry Potter books seem to have been a big exception to all this, alt ho ugh I
wonder how many adults who weren't generally fantasy readers and didn't hav e
children actually read them.
Nancy Silverrod, Librarian
San Francisco Public Library
100 Larkin St.
San Francisco, CA 94122-4733
nsilverrod_at_sfpl.org
415-557-4417
Our heads are round so that thoughts can change direction. -Francis Picabia ,
painter and poet (1879-1953)
Our memories are card indexes consulted and then returned in disorder by
authorities whom we do not control. -Cyril Connolly, critic and editor
(1903-1974)
A closed mind is like a closed book: just a block of wood. -Chinese Proverb
Message-----
From: Megan Schliesman
Sent: Tuesday, October 06, 2009 1:32 PM
To: ccbc-net, Subscribers of
Subject:
Crossover Books
Let's turn our attention to the discussion topic for the first part of
October: Crossover Books, Part II.
We first visited the topic of crossover books-titles that are marketed
to b oth children and adult audiences, in June 1999. That discussion was
inspired in part by the ever-growing popularity of "Harry Potter," which
was already having noticeable crossover appeal. Today, it seems we think
about crossover less in terms of marketing and more in terms of how the
lines between children's/young adult and adult literature are not always
easily defined, at least when it comes to appeal. From "The Book Thief"
to "American Born Chinese" to "Twilight" and beyond, we'll revisit the
topic of "crossover books" in light of the past ten years of publishing
During our discussion in 1999 it was noted that fantasy and science
fiction have always been genres that draw readers of all ages to
individual titles. (Today, we would no doubt add a particular
format-graphic novels/comics to that list.)
It seems the definition of crossover is something that is blurring as
much as the books themselves blur the lines between youth and adult
titles. Is a crossover book a book published for adults that
children/te ens find? (In which case, as Kathleen Horning noted in her
introduction to the topic in 1999, all books read by children before the
advent of children's pbulishing were crossover books ). (e.g, "The
Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon). Is it a
children's/ya title that is also claimed by adults (a la "Harry Potter,"
"Twilight," and others). What about books whose publishing histories
vary? Markus Zusak's "The Book Thief" was published for adults in
Australia, for young adults here.
We invite your thoughts about books from both sides of the crossover street .
Megan
//
Megan Schliesman, Librarian
Cooperative Children's Book Center
School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison
600 N. Park Street, Room 4290
Madison, WI 53706
608/262-9503
schliesman_at_education.wisc.edu
www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/
---Received on Thu 08 Oct 2009 06:52:16 AM CDT
