The Value of Classic and Award-Winning Books

I've seen it happen many times before: A parent comes to the library and asks for help in finding some good, "classic" books for their child to read. This parent is very well-intentioned, and I give the parent a lot of credit for wanting his/her child to read high-quality books. But "classics" or even award-winners aren't always the answer. There are lots of other things to consider when selecting books for your children. This issue came up not too long ago when I was talking with a relative of mine, and I went on a bit of a tirade that I'd really like to share:



Just because a book is old doesn't mean it's good. And just because a book is new doesn't mean it can't be amazing. The thing to keep in mind too is that things change over time: Writing styles have evolved and changed, children's expectations of books have changed, society's values as a whole have changed, and our collective understanding of child development and children's needs has changed. This means that in 2009, children will not react the same way to certain "classic" books as they would have in 1959 or in 1909.

There's also the issue of children's interests. Fact: If you want your child to love reading, they need to read books that they love. Believe it or not, your child might not love Swiss Family Robinson or Tom Sawyer. Or maybe they do. But there are very few children who will like reading every single book an any given recommended reading list. That's just the way it is, and there's nothing wrong with that. Now in school, since there are certain lessons that need to be taught and a teacher can't cater to every child in his/her classroom, a child will inevitably be forced to read something that is not of interest. But that's the exception to the rule. And a teacher should always try to find the book that will get the lesson across AND appeal to the most kids because otherwise that lesson is going to be lost an a class full of kids. For recreational reading, kids should ALWAYS have some say in what they're going to be reading or it's not going to be fun anymore and they will learn to dislike reading.

Fact: Just because a book is "classic" or has won an award doesn't mean that children will love it. See above for the rant about why classics could potentially no longer be appealing.

Awards are another sticky issue, especially with the much-beloved Newbery Medal. This award is given annually by a committee of librarians to the most distinguished work of literature for children. However, the fact remains that these grown-ups are recognizing literary merit and quality of writing. Yes, this means that the books that win this award will certainly have excellent, or at least interesting/unique writing. But sometimes the topics of these books, or even the very style that is being recognized, is difficult or even unappealing to kids. Many (including myself) have criticized the Newbery for picking books very appealing to adults, but that don't always resonate with children. There are plenty of great award winners that I would definitely recommend to most children, but there are also plenty that just make you want to roll your eyes.

There is plenty of value to be found in any book. Even if the writing isn't award-worthy, and even if it's subject matter is "fluffy," every book has an opportunity to influence a child positively. Maybe loving a book will simply help a child learn to love reading and inspire him/her to find other books. Maybe the subject matter is teachable and discussable - I feel that this is always the case if you just look hard enough. No, not every book is brilliant. But there are plenty of solid, usable, teachable books out there that aren't on classic or award-winning reading lists. And I'm not saying that you shouldn't read classic or award-winning books either - there are plenty of amazing ones out there that will probably appeal to your child. Just think about why you're giving this to your child to read first.

When You Reach Me

Miranda is a 12-year-old girl, growing up in New York City in 1979. She is a latchkey kid living with her single mother and she adores the newly published book A Wrinkle in Time. Her best friend is a boy named Sal, fellow latchkey kid who lives in her building. But everything changes when one day, as they are walking home from school, Sal is punched in a seemingly random act of violence. After that, Sal stops talking to Miranda. Then a series of strange events begins that will change Miranda's life forever. First, the hidden spare key to her apartment is stolen. They she recieves a mysterious letter. Whoever sent her this letter seems to know things that will happen in the future, and forbodingly promises to save her friend's life. Miranda is understandibly skeptical at first, but as these things slowly begin to happen, she begins to realize that the letter-writer's knowlege is too great to be a coincidence. The stakes are high - but Miranda isn't really sure just how high until it is almost too late.

This is a brilliantly executed book, proving that there is no sophomore slump for author Rebecca Stead. The writing is efficient - every single word accomplishes something, and there's no fluffy filler. This keeps the pages turning quickly. It's very hard to place this book into any sort of genre - it's part historical fiction, part mystery, part science fiction, so there's something in here for everyone. The book is very character-driven rather than plot-driven, which will force readers to be somewhat patient as the story unfolds. However, those readers who are patient will definitely be rewarded in the end. This book's finale is phenominal, bringing together all of the pieces of the story and making everything clear in a brilliant moment of clarity.

Lots of references are made in this book to Madeline L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time. You don't have to have read A Wrinkle in Time to enjoy this book, but I do imagine that those who read When You Reach Me might be interested in checking out this classic tale again or for the first time.

Overall Grade: A

Edit 1/20/2010: Congratulations to author Recebba Stead for winning the 2010 Newbery Medal for this wondeful book!

The Tale of Despereaux: The Movie

Yes, I realize that the animated film version of Kate DiCamillo's Newbery Award-winning book The Tale of Despereaux was released a whopping eight months ago in December. But I could never bring myself to go and see it. Why? Well, the trailer scared me. I saw this short preview and became convinced that the movie would never be able to live up to one of my favorite children's books ever; that it would be ruined by an overabundance of goofy humor:



Well, not too long ago I finally saw the movie. And all things considering, it wasn't too bad! The movie itself is rather quirky and fun and if you allow it to stand alone, it's a pretty well put-together piece of children's cinema. And while the movie did a better job than I expected of staying true to the story, there are a few major discrepancies between the movie and the book however that will continue to bother me, namely:

Roscuro's back story is completely changed. In the book, Roscuro is different from the other rats simply because he is different. In the movie, Roscuro is different from the other rats because he's foreign. Perhaps because of this, I never really bought it that Roscuro ever ever really was evil - he was way too nice throughout the whole movie.

But except for the Roscuro problem, most of the changes that were made made a certain amount of sense for creating an exciting and interesting movie. Because let's face it - not all books translate well to the screen, and if you're going to try sometimes changes need to be made to account for the new format. But I will say that at its core, the film version of The Tale of Despereaux stays faithful to the idea that it's OK to be different, and that forgiveness is necessary for overcoming difficult times.

Overall Quality of Film: A-
Overall Faithfulness to the Book: B

The Willoughbys

The four Willoughby children come from an old-fashioned sort of family. Unfortunately, they are also laden with an old-fashioned sort of problem - their parents are simply dreadful. Things would be so much better for them if their parents would die, leaving the four of them as poor but deserving orphans. After all, all of the great stories feature orphans who overcome their situation to lead extraordinary lives. And so the children come up with a plan to make their dream come true, receiving help from an unusual nanny and a wealthy benefactor.

Many readers might recognize author Lois Lawry from her novels such as The Giver and Number the Stars. Her latest novel, however, is very different from her usual work. The Willoughbys' story is full of dry, snarky humor that fans of Lemony Snicket will probably find delightful. Many will also appreciate the parody of other "old-fashioned" stories to be found in this novel and the way that it plays off of some tried and true conventions of orphan stories. Definitely recommended for kids who are fans of Lemony Snicket or Roald Dahl, this is also a book that I would suggest as a good option for kids and parents to read together since many adults will greatly appreciate the book's parody.

Overall Grade: A