Children's and Young Adult Winter Reading
http://thekojonnamdishow.org/shows/2011-12-22/childrens-and-young-adult-winter-reading
Kids are home from school for the holiday break, and many parents are looking for ways to entertain them that don't require batteries. We've got the best in books for children and young adults, whether it's a classic like "The Phantom Tollbooth" or the latest in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. Dragons, non-fiction and stunning illustrations, both in picture books and graphic novels, abound.
Guests
Vicky Smith
Children’s & Teen Editor, Kirkus Reviews
Jane Gilchrist
Director, Library of Congress Young Readers Center
Jon Scieszka
author, 'The Stinky Cheese Man' and others; former National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature (2008 - 2010); founder, Guys Read
Related Links
Reading Lists
Here are our guests' book lists for the best children's books of the year.
Comments
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Thanks for the great show and discussion. As a teacher I used to have my struggling children listen to books on tape. Books were at their level and after one-two times hearing it they were able to read the book. This transferred to their reading in other books and papers as they recognized the words.
Wish I could have gotten home in time to dial in and comment. Near the end of the show the guests were speculating about why there was so much adult interest in teen material. Speaking as a middle-aged mom of two teen boys, I find that the teen lit can have good stories, good writing, and hard topics can be addressed in a gentler way than adult fiction. I read fiction to escape and non-fiction to learn things. When I am in escape mode, I want something that takes me AWAY FROM the edginess, squalor, fear, and bloodshed of real life. I don't need any more of that -- there's plenty on the news. The teen and young adult material fills that need in many cases. "Tangerine" is a great book that I swiped from my kids and read one summer when they were in middle school. I don't feel this way about all teen material, but that is one reason that I read it (that, and nostalgia) which I didn't hear mentioned by the panel.