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Re: Reading Realism
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From: Barbara Binns <bab9660_at_yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2014 19:39:39 -0700
I notice Merri said this was an adult problem. I agree. It's seldom a kid issue. If they find something they feel is too dark for them, they either put it down and get a different book or ask someone to help them understand. And frankly they often see things even darker in the school around them and in the news. A lot of contemporary YA is dark, but then so is a lot of fantasy/paranormal or historical and what else is dystopian except dark? A lot of adult fiction is dark too.
At another school visit I asked students in three different classes how many of them had ever felt alone and isolated, the theme of my current book. Almost half either waved or nodded or gave some other body language signal, and not just the nerdy types. I remember high school and it was not paradise (college was so much nicer) As much as I liked the occasional light fantasy sometimes I needed to see someone else in situations as bad or worse than I was in.
If I'm going to be real I need to reflect reality. Kids see through hypocrisy fast even if parents romanticize the time period.
Does it bother me as a writer?
YES. Parents are the first line of censorship and often result in books not being bought or read. Sometimes parents are afraid of the questions the real/dark books might generate. questions they may be uncomfortable answering. It's easier if the book features vampires or ghosts or aliens instead of contemporary human beings in bad situations - no explanation is necessary.
NO, because parents are not my primary audience. And because I have been in enough classes, talked to enough teachers and librarians, to know that kids will self-censor. If a kid hits a book or scene they are not ready for they will bypass it or change to another book. And the book is still there for kids who do need and/or appreciate the subject matter.
It also bothers publishers and booksellers. Because if realistic books that tackle realistic these books don't sell, no matter what they might mean to some readers, they won't continue to be published.
I will say some of the stuff I've seen recently goes a little far even for me, including one about a teen boy spy with a license to kill with he does on the pages more than once. But in its own way that's also a bit of fantasy. (I hope)
B. A. Binns What if you were the only one of your kind? Find out in Minority of One from AllTheColorsOfLove press 2010 National Readers Choice Award Winner 2012 YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers 2012-13 Eliot Rosewater Indiana High School Book Award Nominee Stories of Real Boys Growing Into Real Menwebsite - http://www.babinns.com
On Tuesday, July 15, 2014 12:15 AM, CCBC-Net digest <ccbc-net_at_lists.wisc.edu> wrote:
CCBC-NET Digest for Monday, July 14, 2014.
1. Reading Realism
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Reading Realism From: Merri Lindgren <mlindgren_at_education.wisc.edu> Date: Mon, 14 Jul 2014 17:35:20 -0500 X-Message-Number: 1
I appreciate both Barbara and Meg's posts about teens readers wanting realistic fiction that is unvarnished and reflects their lives honestly. It reminds me of the CCBC-Net conversation a few months ago about sex and sexuality in YA books and some of the refreshingly frank portrayals of that subject that we've seen in recent books of realistic fiction like *The F-It List* by Julie Halpern. It also makes me think of a recurring topic of concern, usually heard among adults, that young adult fiction is too dark and depressing, especially when it comes to contemporary realism.
Where do those two avenues intersect, and what happens when they do?
Merri
Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2014 19:39:39 -0700
I notice Merri said this was an adult problem. I agree. It's seldom a kid issue. If they find something they feel is too dark for them, they either put it down and get a different book or ask someone to help them understand. And frankly they often see things even darker in the school around them and in the news. A lot of contemporary YA is dark, but then so is a lot of fantasy/paranormal or historical and what else is dystopian except dark? A lot of adult fiction is dark too.
At another school visit I asked students in three different classes how many of them had ever felt alone and isolated, the theme of my current book. Almost half either waved or nodded or gave some other body language signal, and not just the nerdy types. I remember high school and it was not paradise (college was so much nicer) As much as I liked the occasional light fantasy sometimes I needed to see someone else in situations as bad or worse than I was in.
If I'm going to be real I need to reflect reality. Kids see through hypocrisy fast even if parents romanticize the time period.
Does it bother me as a writer?
YES. Parents are the first line of censorship and often result in books not being bought or read. Sometimes parents are afraid of the questions the real/dark books might generate. questions they may be uncomfortable answering. It's easier if the book features vampires or ghosts or aliens instead of contemporary human beings in bad situations - no explanation is necessary.
NO, because parents are not my primary audience. And because I have been in enough classes, talked to enough teachers and librarians, to know that kids will self-censor. If a kid hits a book or scene they are not ready for they will bypass it or change to another book. And the book is still there for kids who do need and/or appreciate the subject matter.
It also bothers publishers and booksellers. Because if realistic books that tackle realistic these books don't sell, no matter what they might mean to some readers, they won't continue to be published.
I will say some of the stuff I've seen recently goes a little far even for me, including one about a teen boy spy with a license to kill with he does on the pages more than once. But in its own way that's also a bit of fantasy. (I hope)
B. A. Binns What if you were the only one of your kind? Find out in Minority of One from AllTheColorsOfLove press 2010 National Readers Choice Award Winner 2012 YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers 2012-13 Eliot Rosewater Indiana High School Book Award Nominee Stories of Real Boys Growing Into Real Menwebsite - http://www.babinns.com
On Tuesday, July 15, 2014 12:15 AM, CCBC-Net digest <ccbc-net_at_lists.wisc.edu> wrote:
CCBC-NET Digest for Monday, July 14, 2014.
1. Reading Realism
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Reading Realism From: Merri Lindgren <mlindgren_at_education.wisc.edu> Date: Mon, 14 Jul 2014 17:35:20 -0500 X-Message-Number: 1
I appreciate both Barbara and Meg's posts about teens readers wanting realistic fiction that is unvarnished and reflects their lives honestly. It reminds me of the CCBC-Net conversation a few months ago about sex and sexuality in YA books and some of the refreshingly frank portrayals of that subject that we've seen in recent books of realistic fiction like *The F-It List* by Julie Halpern. It also makes me think of a recurring topic of concern, usually heard among adults, that young adult fiction is too dark and depressing, especially when it comes to contemporary realism.
Where do those two avenues intersect, and what happens when they do?
Merri
-- Merri Lindgren, Librarian Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) School of Education / UW-Madison 608-263-3930 mlindgren_at_education.wisc.edu Address through July 31: 4290 Helen C. White Hall 600 N. Park Street Madison, WI 53706 Beginning August 1: Room 401 Teacher Education 225 N. Mills Street Madison, WI 53706 --- END OF DIGEST ==== CCBC-Net Use ==== You are currently subscribed to ccbc-net as: bab9660_at_yahoo.com. To post to the list, send message to... ccbc-net_at_lists.wisc.edu To receive messages in digest format, send a blank message to... digest-ccbc-net_at_lists.wisc.edu To unsubscribe, send a blank message to... leave-ccbc-net_at_lists.wisc.edu ==== CCBC-Net Archives ==== The CCBC-Net archives are available to all CCBC-Net listserv members. The archives are organized by month and year. A list of discussion topics (including month/year) is available at... http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/ccbcnet/archives.asp To access the archives, go to... http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/ccbc-net ...and enter the following when prompted... username: ccbc-net password: Look4Posts ==== CCBC-Net Use ==== You are currently subscribed to ccbc-net as: ccbc-archive_at_post.education.wisc.edu. To post to the list, send message to... ccbc-net_at_lists.wisc.edu To receive messages in digest format, send a blank message to... digest-ccbc-net_at_lists.wisc.edu To unsubscribe, send a blank message to... leave-ccbc-net_at_lists.wisc.edu ==== CCBC-Net Archives ==== The CCBC-Net archives are available to all CCBC-Net listserv members. The archives are organized by month and year. A list of discussion topics (including month/year) is available at... http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/ccbcnet/archives.asp To access the archives, go to... http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/ccbc-net ...and enter the following when prompted... username: ccbc-net password: Look4PostsReceived on Tue 15 Jul 2014 09:43:09 PM CDT
