Category: Books

The Top 100 Countdown

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Scholastic has put together a list of the 100 Greatest Books for Kids. Obviously lots of favorites are included, and it’s impossible to list all of the children’s books that have meaning for readers. The top ten:

  1. Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
  2. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
  3. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
  4. The Snowy Day by Ezra Jacks Keats
  5. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
  6. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
  7. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
  8. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
  9. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
  10. Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel

No major surprises here, I’d say, although I’m surprised to see Frog and Toad in the top ten. I liked their stories growing up, but I wasn’t emotionally touched by them. And The Giver is only at #25, even though it’s one of the best books ever. That said, I am glad to see Tuck Everlasting so high at  #16; I feel like usually it gets shuffled further down.

What are your thoughts on the list? Does it reflect the best of children’s lit?

Historical Revision

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Gail Gauthier and Tanita Davis have fantastic posts about historical fiction and how it’s gotten a bad wrap in the last several years. In short, the label suggests a focus on “educational” aspects of reading, not the story. Gauthier tests this theory:

“So I decide I should take a look at a few middle grade historical novels. I tried maybe three before giving up. I couldn’t finish any of them. The historical fact aspects of the book were in my face and annoying. My professional reading from that period reinforced my impression–the most important factor in historical fiction for kids was historical accuracy.”

Problems like this can kill a story before a reader even gets invested. And it’s not necessarily that authors are sitting at their computers, writing with the idea that historical fiction must teach children all about history. It’s difficult to figure out what details to include to ground the characters in the appropriate setting but not overwhelm the reader with historical info. Davis says:

“As an author, I can say that one of the hardest things about writing historical fiction is the tightrope walk the author has to do — between historical accuracy and humanity. It’s important not to infodump dates and names, but it’s also crucial not to veer the characters – and the details of their daily lives – into obvious anachronisms by using more modern tools, language, and attitudes about social tolerance which make the historical accuracy a lie. “

Like Gauthier and Davis, I like historical fiction. Heck, I used to love the American Girl books, which probably veered more into infodump than not. But a story that’s set in another time period shouldn’t necessarily get shuffled off into the land of educational reading. Gauthier lists some good examples of novels set in the past but firmly grounded in story and character, including one of my favorites, The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation by M.T. Anderson. I’d also add Number the Stars by Lois Lowry, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi, and Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman. Did I learn historical facts from these books? Sure. But when I remember these books, I remember the stories, the characters, the excitement and drama–just like any other novel.

I hope historical fiction has a resurgence in one way or another. I think we’re probably missing out on some fantastic historical novels just because they’re considering unpopular.

Writers Reading

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It’s one piece of advice almost always given to hopeful writers: Read. Read is essential for anyone who wants to write. You need to develop an understanding of what’s already out there, and what it takes to craft a story.

But in a recent article, Cormac McCarthy said that he hasn’t read a novel in years. The comment is glossed over in the article, but it got me thinking: do you need to read to write? Of course, you could argue that McCarthy has probably read many novels in his lifetime; that he’s a very established writer; that he could be referring to new work published; that he could be readings lots of nonfiction or short stories.

But it still irks me a little. If you’re a writer, why wouldn’t you want to read at least one novel every so often? Even if you’re an established author, it’s good to know what changes are occurring in your market. You could miss this generation’s The Great Gatsby or The Catcher in the Rye. Or you could miss a book that will become a personal favorite.

At DIYMFA, Gabriela has a great post about how important reading is as a counterpart to writing. Check out the whole thing, but a nice point:

“One of the biggest problems I see with the world is that everyone out there is trying to be a writer.  Everyone’s got an agenda; they’re trying to use their words and take up mental real estate and get people to listen to what they have to say.  The problem is, very few people out there put effort into Reading-with-a-capital-R….In the end, Nash’s speech came down to one important point: “Writing and reading are behaviors.  Most people do both.”  I agree completely and would add only one thing:  To change the world, we need to do both and do them responsibly.”

I especially like the reminder that reading should be an active response to writing. Without reading, we’re writers shoving letters into the void. And as readers, we are more conscious of our connection with humanity, which will in turn make us better and more responsible writers.

Not sure what McCarthy is up to, but for now I’ll stick to reading.

Across the Pond

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As you may or may not know, book covers are usually different for a novel in the US and its international counterparts. A recent post at the Millions looked at a few different US/UK novels, and I thought it would be cool to look at some popular YA or children’s titles as well. I chose John Green’s Looking for Alaska, which has been translated into several languages.

This is the cover we American readers know and love. I think it’s a solid cover; maybe not startling, but it strikes the right mood.

This is the latest UK cover. This is probably my least favorite, as it feels a little generic.

This is the French cover. Again, maybe a little generic, but I like the collection of teens here.

This is the Spanish cover. At first glance I didn’t like it much, but I think the A as a maze is actually pretty cool. (Could do without the shoe, however.)

I’d be curious to hear more about what goes into different cover designs for international versions of the same title. Do you ever check out international covers?

Joining the YA Party

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At Salon, an article suggesting what many of us have known for a while: that YA novels can be as well (or better) written and as touching as any novel for adults. About The Fault in Our Stars and There is No Dog in particular, Laura Miller writes:

“Both of these novels ask questions as difficult as those posed by any serious writer: Why do we suffer, why must we die, and what meaning can be found in any of it? More important, they are not afraid to respond to these questions unflinchingly. These books are often — very often — funny, but they aren’t frivolous. I can think of a dozen acclaimed contemporary adult novelists who blunder through this territory, wallowing in sinkholes of sentiment, tangling their narratives in thickets of saccharine fabulism. It makes no sense that the maudlin goo that is “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” should be classified as a work for adults, when “The Fault in Our Stars,” a far more mature rumination on the same themes, is regarded as a children’s book. Likewise, why should grown-ups be subjected to the cutesy “The Life of Pi” while teenagers get to revel in an astringent fable like “There Is No Dog”?”

I’m glad to see a review for YA novels that doesn’t include the phrase “Most YA novels are bad, but this one is surprisingly good.” It’s nice to see the genre get some recognition. Just as in fiction for adult audience, there’s a huge range of good and bad, and many readers would find favorite novels in the YA category.

Unfortunately, Miller also says:

“It’s debatable whether Rosoff’s shrewd, trim prose might not occasionally fly just over the heads of teen reader…”

Considering the teens I’ve heard from who read books like Rosoff’s or Green’s, there’s no question about whether or not they get the prose. These are teens who are actively pursing crisp writing and compelling stories, and can certain understand as much as any average adult reader. More respect for YA novels? Awesome. But we also need respect for young adult readers.

Light the Candles

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A little late, but check out this gorgeous trailer for Chanukah Lights by Michael J. Rosen and Robert Sabuda. A fantastic example of how artistic pop-ups can be!

Also make sure to check out this interview with Rosen about creating the book. One part I thought was interesting:

One funny accident: We were talking about the “desecration” of the Temple that’s used as the pivotal start of the Chanukah story. And we got all excited about a pop-up spread with columns crashing, oil barrels spilling, fires, and so forth. And then, coming back to my senses after the call, I remembered/realized that we let “desecration” turned into “destruction,” and that neither of the two destroyed Temples are in the this story. I shot Robert an e-mail: “At this point, the Syrians had basically taken over the Temple, erected an altar to Zeus, sacrificed pigs within its space, unsealed the oil containers, etc., but there’s no rubble to tumble and pop up. If scratch-and-sniff is an option, a bacon scent might be nice here.”

I’d always pictured “desecration” as “destruction” as well! It’s cool to see that kind of care with history and translation. And I have to admit, a bacon scratch-and-sniff would be hilarious.

Links Galore

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A few more links to round out your Friday: