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Nonfiction (was RE: ccbc-net digest: January 26, 2010)
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From: Hunt, Jonathan <Hunt.Jo_at_monet.k12.ca.us>
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 2010 08:20:30 -0800
Maggi,
I get the list in the digest form so please excuse my tardy response.
While I agree that the larger trim size of CLAUDETTE COLVIN would convert to more pages in the smaller trim size more typical of fiction, I also think that if you subtract the back matter and the photographs the book would still be roughly half to a third the size of the other Newbery books.
In my school, students have to read nonfiction at great length in their English, social studies, and science textbooks so they are well equipped for the pleasures and challenges of nonfiction. Moreover, I think the same skill set they use in fiction can be used in a book like CLAUDETTE COLVIN. Certainly, students accustomed to reading first person narratives in fiction, for example, should have absolutely no problem following Claudette's narrative threads.
On SLJ's Heavy Medal blog, we have been discussing how the length of fiction and nonfiction color our perception of whether or not books are sufficiently distinguished for ALA award recognition. I think this would be an interesting topic to revisit here when we discuss the Sibert books which include a mix of long books (ALMOST ASTRONAUTS and CLAUDETTE COLVIN) and short books (THE DAY-GLO BROTHERS and MOONSHOT).
Jonathan
Received on Wed 27 Jan 2010 08:20:30 AM CST
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 2010 08:20:30 -0800
Maggi,
I get the list in the digest form so please excuse my tardy response.
While I agree that the larger trim size of CLAUDETTE COLVIN would convert to more pages in the smaller trim size more typical of fiction, I also think that if you subtract the back matter and the photographs the book would still be roughly half to a third the size of the other Newbery books.
In my school, students have to read nonfiction at great length in their English, social studies, and science textbooks so they are well equipped for the pleasures and challenges of nonfiction. Moreover, I think the same skill set they use in fiction can be used in a book like CLAUDETTE COLVIN. Certainly, students accustomed to reading first person narratives in fiction, for example, should have absolutely no problem following Claudette's narrative threads.
On SLJ's Heavy Medal blog, we have been discussing how the length of fiction and nonfiction color our perception of whether or not books are sufficiently distinguished for ALA award recognition. I think this would be an interesting topic to revisit here when we discuss the Sibert books which include a mix of long books (ALMOST ASTRONAUTS and CLAUDETTE COLVIN) and short books (THE DAY-GLO BROTHERS and MOONSHOT).
Jonathan
Received on Wed 27 Jan 2010 08:20:30 AM CST
