From: bookmarch_at_aol.com
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 2010 11:16:22 -0400 (EDT)

I'd just add this to Leda's post -- all of you here who are librarians coul d, if you wanted to, download just about any and every fairy and folktale, or endless pages of the world's poetry. But while you may have databases th at offer such selections, you also buy beautiful new versions of those tale s, or clever new interpretations of them, or glorious poems illustrated wit h photos, collages, etc. You buy the books because you realize that a book crafted by an artist is different from text on a site. It is exactly the sa me with nonfiction. A book is crafted by an author, shaped by a designer, g iven voice and life by its illustrations. It is offering you (and your kids ) an experience as different from web snippets as a Paul Zelinsky Rapunzel is from generic Rupunzel_at_ fairytales.com.(I assume I am making this address up, no offense if it is real).

Marc Aronson
Received on Wed 13 Oct 2010 11:16:22 AM CDT