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Re: Reviewing Nonfiction
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From: Stohr-Hunt, Tricia <pstohrhu_at_richmond.edu>
Date: Sun, 15 Nov 2009 20:53:59 -0500
Dear Lisa and All,
I have been following this conversation with much interest. As someone who reviews a lot of nonfiction, particularly of the picture book genre, I find many to be without source notes. As to the new book about marsupials, I ca n only guess that the book you speak of is Nic Bishop’s. In my review I w asn’t bothered by the lack of source notes, largely because I know Bishop has a PhD in biology and a lifelong history of studying this topic and ani mals firsthand. I wasn’t dissatisfied with the lack of pictures of the yo ung animals because in many cases it was extremely difficult to get photos of the adults. I think Bishop did a fine job describing his work in the fie ld and just how he managed to capture animals rarely captured on film. (Is it film these days?) My review noted that while marsupials are defined as a nimals that raise young inside a pouch, yet later in the book some marsupia ls without pouches are identified. Bishop never resolves this contradiction , and that bothered me. I also made note
of the design and the fact that I found darkly colored pages with dark text hard to read.
I am not a librarian and I don’t review for folks who might be building a collection. I write largely for teachers who are looking for books to use in the classroom. Someone in an earlier post suggested that book reviews sh ould not be book reports, yet summary constitutes a large portion of my rev iews. Critical analysis is also important, though I hope I point out what I find to be strengths and weaknesses in a considered and considerate fashio n.
When I am looking for books to add to my own teaching collection I read re views at Kirkus, Booklist, SLJ, the Horn Book, the Bulletin of the Center f or Children's Books, and others. (BTW, what someone earlier called edgier r eviews (re: Kirkus), I often find mean-spirited. I think reviews can point out weaknesses without being nasty.) I also look to lists generated by prof essional organizations (NSTA, NCTM, NCSS, NCTE) and read blogs that I trust .
I am grateful that I don’t have to write reviews constrained by word-coun t. I haven’t developed the art for brevity when it comes to discussing bo oks I’ve read. This isn’t to say that I don’t find reviews of this ty pe helpful, just that not everyone who comes to a review is reading for the same thing.
Best, Tricia
----------
Dr. Patricia M. Stohr-Hunt Chair, Education Department 28 Westhampton Way University of Richmond, VA 23173
My Blog: http://missrumphiuseffect.blogspot.com/ My Home Page: http://blog.richmond.edu/pstohrhu/
Teachers open the door, but you must enter by yourself. -- Chinese Proverb
________________________________
From: Lisa Von Drasek Date: Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:11:37 -0500 To: "ccbc-net_at_ccbc.education.wisc.edu" , "sully@sully-writer.com" Subject: Re:
Reviewing Nonfiction
Dear Rogue Librarian and all
I do think that non-fiction/information books are take more time in what on e would call the review process. In part it is the time consuming process of fact-checking. Whether a picture book format or fourteen chapters, facts must be checked- it might be as simple as "Did she really say that?" to g osh I better send this off to an expert in the field. That is where multipl e years of observing Notable Children's Book Committee and serving on the B ank Street Book Committee have given me the courage to say," I don't know b ut who does" The community of readers whose advice I turn to include psycho logists (Is the subject of this book developmentally appropriate?) and math professors (Does this make sense to you?) I have passed books to iron work ers, horse trainers, historians and naturalists. As a result of this train ing, I am never afraid to ask for help. As an informed librarian, I don't n eed to fact check the new book about marsupials to know that I was dissatis fied with the lack of pictures of the ani mals' young and source notes.
One form of reviewing that has not been brought up in this discussion IS co mmittee work. The gift of sharing one's thoughts aloud in front of a group of colleagues. To prepare one's presentation and sometimes advocacy of a t itle. To have an extended network of experts as a result is also valuable- this one knows a Civil War buff, that one knows a scholar of the bus boycot t. If I am struggling for a way to put my thoughts into words, I do not hes itate to bring a book to the table. A second read is not something all revi ewers have the luxury of. (of course sometimes there is just that darn dead line clarifying my thoughts) The YALSA and ALSC committee lists, The Best B ooks from the Children's Book Committee, CCBC, Capitol Choices, Best Books for the Teenaged, NYPL One Hundred Best Children's Books are all selection aids that I value when decided to spend my limited resources.
Lisa
Edward T. Sullivan, Rogue Librarian Author, The Ultimate Weapon: The Race to Develop the Atomic Bomb (Holiday House, 2007) Visit my web site, http://www.sully-writer.com Visit my blog, Rogue Librarian: All About Books and Reading http://sullywriter.wordpress.com Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/sullywriter
Date: Sun, 15 Nov 2009 20:53:59 -0500
Dear Lisa and All,
I have been following this conversation with much interest. As someone who reviews a lot of nonfiction, particularly of the picture book genre, I find many to be without source notes. As to the new book about marsupials, I ca n only guess that the book you speak of is Nic Bishop’s. In my review I w asn’t bothered by the lack of source notes, largely because I know Bishop has a PhD in biology and a lifelong history of studying this topic and ani mals firsthand. I wasn’t dissatisfied with the lack of pictures of the yo ung animals because in many cases it was extremely difficult to get photos of the adults. I think Bishop did a fine job describing his work in the fie ld and just how he managed to capture animals rarely captured on film. (Is it film these days?) My review noted that while marsupials are defined as a nimals that raise young inside a pouch, yet later in the book some marsupia ls without pouches are identified. Bishop never resolves this contradiction , and that bothered me. I also made note
of the design and the fact that I found darkly colored pages with dark text hard to read.
I am not a librarian and I don’t review for folks who might be building a collection. I write largely for teachers who are looking for books to use in the classroom. Someone in an earlier post suggested that book reviews sh ould not be book reports, yet summary constitutes a large portion of my rev iews. Critical analysis is also important, though I hope I point out what I find to be strengths and weaknesses in a considered and considerate fashio n.
When I am looking for books to add to my own teaching collection I read re views at Kirkus, Booklist, SLJ, the Horn Book, the Bulletin of the Center f or Children's Books, and others. (BTW, what someone earlier called edgier r eviews (re: Kirkus), I often find mean-spirited. I think reviews can point out weaknesses without being nasty.) I also look to lists generated by prof essional organizations (NSTA, NCTM, NCSS, NCTE) and read blogs that I trust .
I am grateful that I don’t have to write reviews constrained by word-coun t. I haven’t developed the art for brevity when it comes to discussing bo oks I’ve read. This isn’t to say that I don’t find reviews of this ty pe helpful, just that not everyone who comes to a review is reading for the same thing.
Best, Tricia
----------
Dr. Patricia M. Stohr-Hunt Chair, Education Department 28 Westhampton Way University of Richmond, VA 23173
My Blog: http://missrumphiuseffect.blogspot.com/ My Home Page: http://blog.richmond.edu/pstohrhu/
Teachers open the door, but you must enter by yourself. -- Chinese Proverb
________________________________
From: Lisa Von Drasek Date: Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:11:37 -0500 To: "ccbc-net_at_ccbc.education.wisc.edu" , "sully@sully-writer.com" Subject: Re:
Reviewing Nonfiction
Dear Rogue Librarian and all
I do think that non-fiction/information books are take more time in what on e would call the review process. In part it is the time consuming process of fact-checking. Whether a picture book format or fourteen chapters, facts must be checked- it might be as simple as "Did she really say that?" to g osh I better send this off to an expert in the field. That is where multipl e years of observing Notable Children's Book Committee and serving on the B ank Street Book Committee have given me the courage to say," I don't know b ut who does" The community of readers whose advice I turn to include psycho logists (Is the subject of this book developmentally appropriate?) and math professors (Does this make sense to you?) I have passed books to iron work ers, horse trainers, historians and naturalists. As a result of this train ing, I am never afraid to ask for help. As an informed librarian, I don't n eed to fact check the new book about marsupials to know that I was dissatis fied with the lack of pictures of the ani mals' young and source notes.
One form of reviewing that has not been brought up in this discussion IS co mmittee work. The gift of sharing one's thoughts aloud in front of a group of colleagues. To prepare one's presentation and sometimes advocacy of a t itle. To have an extended network of experts as a result is also valuable- this one knows a Civil War buff, that one knows a scholar of the bus boycot t. If I am struggling for a way to put my thoughts into words, I do not hes itate to bring a book to the table. A second read is not something all revi ewers have the luxury of. (of course sometimes there is just that darn dead line clarifying my thoughts) The YALSA and ALSC committee lists, The Best B ooks from the Children's Book Committee, CCBC, Capitol Choices, Best Books for the Teenaged, NYPL One Hundred Best Children's Books are all selection aids that I value when decided to spend my limited resources.
Lisa
Edward T. Sullivan, Rogue Librarian Author, The Ultimate Weapon: The Race to Develop the Atomic Bomb (Holiday House, 2007) Visit my web site, http://www.sully-writer.com Visit my blog, Rogue Librarian: All About Books and Reading http://sullywriter.wordpress.com Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/sullywriter
---Received on Sun 15 Nov 2009 08:53:59 PM CST
