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Re: Reading Realism
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From: Hannah Gómez <hannahgomez_at_gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 16 Jul 2014 09:10:26 -0700
I am seeing this, too, which is nice, because I've grown tired of dystopian or fantasy trilogies. Realism hasn't displaced dystopia in our circ stats yet, but it is certainly popular. What I find interesting, though, is that the same kids who will devour just about any dystopia, regardless of particular themes or literary quality or type of worldbuilding, devour anything contemporary and realistic, not books that necessarily match the maturity or subject matter or writing style of the popular realistic books, like *The Fault in Our Stars* or *Eleanor and Park.* For me, I found the latter enjoyable and refreshing because of its voice, subject matter, and way with words. It doesn't mean I'm attracted to lighter, contemporary stories about prom dates or fights with best friends. There has to be an emotional or social quality in a book that I identify with or am strongly drawn to and want to learn more about, and yet "realism" as a genre, of course, incorporates light romance that may not be "realistic" as in "true to life" but is just "realistic" in the sense that it takes place in a real town in a real state, has no magic, and involves going to school, having goofy parents, and taking math tests just as much as it includes a serious story about juvie, and everything in between.
I see the genre as just as wide and varied as dystopia, which can be terribly derivative and dull or really fascinating in the way it grapples with some current political or social issue, but I can't quite put my finger on what it is my students are attracted to in it, since I don't see them being discerning (I don't even mean with Literary Quality as much as just really considering the book's jacket copy or reviews) with the book they read after E&P or TFIOS. It seems silly to complain that I work at a school with insanely voracious readers, which I do, but I just can't figure out what they see in it, which makes me wonder what else to buy and recommend and how to engage with students more deeply, when sometimes they read so fast that I don't know how they found time to sit deeply with any of the serious stuff in the books.
Hannah Gómez, MA, MSLIS hannahgomez_at_gmail.com http://hannahgomez.wix.com/portfolio
(520) 481-8778
On Fri, Jul 11, 2014 at 7:49 AM, Emily Townsend <etownsend_at_wisc.edu> wrote:
>
>
> Realistic fiction is all of the wonderful and difficult things that Megan,
> Merri, and Maggie mentioned. These books can be emotionally challenging to
> read. But, it has become obvious to me that they are enjoyed and in demand
> by teens.
>
> Are others seeing a rise in popularity of -- or other reactions to --
> realistic fiction with teens at their schools or libraries?
>
> Emily Townsend, Librarian
> Cooperative Children's Book Center
> School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison
>
>
>
>
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Received on Wed 16 Jul 2014 11:11:08 AM CDT
Date: Wed, 16 Jul 2014 09:10:26 -0700
I am seeing this, too, which is nice, because I've grown tired of dystopian or fantasy trilogies. Realism hasn't displaced dystopia in our circ stats yet, but it is certainly popular. What I find interesting, though, is that the same kids who will devour just about any dystopia, regardless of particular themes or literary quality or type of worldbuilding, devour anything contemporary and realistic, not books that necessarily match the maturity or subject matter or writing style of the popular realistic books, like *The Fault in Our Stars* or *Eleanor and Park.* For me, I found the latter enjoyable and refreshing because of its voice, subject matter, and way with words. It doesn't mean I'm attracted to lighter, contemporary stories about prom dates or fights with best friends. There has to be an emotional or social quality in a book that I identify with or am strongly drawn to and want to learn more about, and yet "realism" as a genre, of course, incorporates light romance that may not be "realistic" as in "true to life" but is just "realistic" in the sense that it takes place in a real town in a real state, has no magic, and involves going to school, having goofy parents, and taking math tests just as much as it includes a serious story about juvie, and everything in between.
I see the genre as just as wide and varied as dystopia, which can be terribly derivative and dull or really fascinating in the way it grapples with some current political or social issue, but I can't quite put my finger on what it is my students are attracted to in it, since I don't see them being discerning (I don't even mean with Literary Quality as much as just really considering the book's jacket copy or reviews) with the book they read after E&P or TFIOS. It seems silly to complain that I work at a school with insanely voracious readers, which I do, but I just can't figure out what they see in it, which makes me wonder what else to buy and recommend and how to engage with students more deeply, when sometimes they read so fast that I don't know how they found time to sit deeply with any of the serious stuff in the books.
Hannah Gómez, MA, MSLIS hannahgomez_at_gmail.com http://hannahgomez.wix.com/portfolio
(520) 481-8778
On Fri, Jul 11, 2014 at 7:49 AM, Emily Townsend <etownsend_at_wisc.edu> wrote:
>
>
> Realistic fiction is all of the wonderful and difficult things that Megan,
> Merri, and Maggie mentioned. These books can be emotionally challenging to
> read. But, it has become obvious to me that they are enjoyed and in demand
> by teens.
>
> Are others seeing a rise in popularity of -- or other reactions to --
> realistic fiction with teens at their schools or libraries?
>
> Emily Townsend, Librarian
> Cooperative Children's Book Center
> School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison
>
>
>
>
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Received on Wed 16 Jul 2014 11:11:08 AM CDT
