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Date: Tue, 15 Jun 1999 11:00:04 -0400 (EDT)
To: pubyac-digest@nysernet.org
Subject: pubyac V1 #723
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Date: Sat, 12 Jun 1999 08:55:33 -0400
From: HMurray <oburg_juvlib@OBURG.NET>
Subject: Re: Wringer
Without a doubt, I believe the ends justify the means in this book. Again,
taken in its entirety, Wringer speaks volumes against violence and produces
a strong character and role model (Palmer) for young people, particularly
boys. Jerry Spinelli has written a book that can promote meaningful
discussion about the topic of violence and how subtly young people are drawn
into its culture through peer pressure and the pressure of adults who
condone violence and cruelty simply because it is a "tradition."
HMurray
At 09:42 AM 6/11/99 -0500, you wrote:
>Dear Pubyakers,
> The retired professor fears that she has been stereotyped. She
>works 10 hours a week in an elementary school library, plans the library
>activities for the 5th grade, reads almost all of the new children's
>books that come into the library, and has book chats with the school
>media specialist. She says that she doesn't want the book banned, but
>she just wants a discussion as to why this book is a Newbery honor book.
>She feels that although it may be a good read, it lacks many of the
>qualities usually attributed to a Newbery choice. She asks "Does the
>end justify the means?"
>
>Thank you for all of your responses.
>Brenda Evans
>Madison-Jefferson County Public Library
>420 West Main Street
>Madison, Indiana 47250
>
>
>
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Date: Sat, 12 Jun 1999 09:51:15 -0400
From: JULIE ROBERTS <JROBERTS@KPL.ORG>
Subject: Cinderella stumper
Thanks to all who e-mailed me! Cinderella's real name is Ella, which was
lengthened to the nickname Cinderella by her evil stepsisters because she
was always covered in/working in cinders.
Julie Roberts
Kitchener Public Library
Kitchener, ON
Canada
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Date: Sun, 13 Jun 1999 23:03:29 EDT
From: FallsFall@aol.com
Subject: Stumper - Trombones
Can anyone suggest a simple picture book that features a trombone?
Thanks!
Peggy Thrasher
Durham Public Library
Durham, NH
FallsFall@aol.com
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Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 09:41:47 -0400
From: Charles Schacht <schachtc@libcoop.net>
Subject: Poster search
Any chance that anyone might know of a source for pictures/posters from Dorothy
Lathrop's nonpareil longago version of THE LITTLE MERMAID? We're doing a water
theme for our SRP this year and I would LOVE to be able to put some of her work
up;
that dog couold HUNT. On an entirely different track I would be much obliged if
someone could fill me in on which illnesses proved to be the undoing of James
Marshall and Arnold Lobel; is there somewhere accurate biographical info on
their
personal as well as professional lives?
Chuck Schacht
Romeo District Library
Romeo, MI.
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Date: Sun, 13 Jun 1999 16:32:46 -0400
From: "Capehart" <capehart@ziplink.net>
Subject: RE: Wringer
I was finishing up my MSLS when Wringer came out. We had to read a slew of
contenders for that year's Newberys for presentations and papers. I felt
Wringer was by far the least well written of all of them. Through the first
third to half of the book I was certain that I was reading historical
fiction. I got a shock when Parker looked at his father's trophy and saw the
year 1980 when I was expecting 1930 or 1950 at the latest. The children in
this book don't mention television or movies or computers or anything
outside of their little town. They don't talk like any children I've ever
worked with...half of their personality is missing. (Even if it HAD been in
the fifties, the kids would have been talking about movies and TV). Spinelli
might have been trying to avoid being dated in the future or he might have
been attempting timelessness, but I believe it backfired. His characters
came out as unbelievable as his plot. The pigeon shoot is just too far
outside the realm of the reality I have experienced for me to believe it in
a work of realistic fiction (& though I grew up suburban, my roots are
rural). I do not believe it happening today or in the 80's. (5,000 pigeons
each year? With no protestors? People protest the killing of a single
mountain lion). I've heard people mention things like the rattlesnake round
up before, but participants EAT those snakes & they're trapped in the wild
not imported from the city. I understand the message attempted in the book.
It is definitely a worthy message, but I do not think it was served well in
this book. I think the committee made a pretty poor choice. BUT it will
certainly remain on my shelves if only because the committee did choose it.
Tim Capehart
Head Children's Services
Leominster Public Library
Leominster, MA
tcapehar@cwmars.org
http://www.geocities.com/WestHollywood/7427
Opinions expressed (mouthy & otherwise) are my own
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Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 09:38:53 -0600
From: "Mary Ann Nelson" <Mnelson@weberpl.lib.ut.us>
Subject: Re: RE: Wringer
I can't believe this really happens. I thought this story was totally fictional.
I am shocked. Excuse my naivety, but I thought we were brutal here in the west
with an active deer hunting season at least the deer have half a chance of
getting away by running, hiding, and camouflage. As I read the story, I kept
thinking, what century is this story taking place in, surely it's not the
current one. What an out-dated custom!!!
Still in disbelief,
Mary Ann Nelson, MLIS
Weber County Library
Ogden, Utah 84401
mnelson@weberpl.lib.ut.us
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Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 11:30:36 -0400
From: "Baughman, Carol" <CBaughman@ctr.kdla.state.ky.us>
Subject: summer reading links
"The Art of Reading" is Kentucky's summer reading theme. Here is a
page of
arts-related links that some of you may find useful. Happy Summer Reading
to All!!
http://www.kdla.state.ky.us/libserv/summer.htm
<http://www.kdla.state.ky.us/libserv/summer.htm>
Carol H. Baughman
Children and Youth Services Consultant
Field Services Division
Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives
300 Coffee Tree Road
PO Box 537
Frankfort, KY 40602-0537
voice 502-564-8300 ext 264
fax 502-564-5773
e-mail cbaughman@ctr.kdla.state.ky.us
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Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 12:12:44 EDT
From: Pisces0243@aol.com
Subject: Re: Rinaldi's MY HEART...
Rinaldi did not write this book primarily for
a good read. Scholastic is not marketing it
as a charming kids' novel. Author and publisher
emphasize the historical research and an explicit
aim for the reader to learn U.S. history in an
accessible way.
Nor do either author/publisher suggest that the book
requires or benefits from a resistive reading --
the kind of reading, for example, which soap operas
may be subjected to by homemakers getting together
over coffee to groan and roll eyes As the World
Turns Boldly and Restlessly on the tube each afternoon.
Scholastic provides guidance for the "Discussion
Leader" to use with this "even-handed tale", intended
to "highlight an important, but little known, episode
in American history." Scholastic provides questions
for readers (students?) to consider. And Scholastic
interviews Ann Rinaldi:
"... I'd like (young readers) to walk away from the
reading experience thinking, 'Wow, I didn't know that
ever happened. ... The purpose of all my historical
fiction books is to give my readers a new
enlightenment about another part of history."
Note: all quotes above are from web pages about the
book at Scholastic Inc.'s internet site,
< http://scholastic.com/dearamerica/books/guides/... >
Yes, there are readers who enjoy this book. Amazon.con --
oops, amazon.com -- customer comments include
descriptions of this tale as "the most charming book
I have ever read", "awesome", "very touching",
"just a harmless book - it can't hurt anyone", and
"a happy ending". And even this in-your-face
endorsement: "Those who complain it has nothing to do
with history and yada-yada don't know diddly squat
or have an enlarged ego that you do know everything.
This was one wonderful book and can give a clear
picture to kids."
hmm... Enlightenment? Having one's consciousness
raised? Appreciation of complexities? Heightened
sensitivity and humble concern with the authentic?
I truly wonder if Ann Rinaldi would be comfortable
with her fans' responses, since I do not for a minute
doubt the genuineness of her intention, even as I have
serious problem with this product and its influence.
Oh, by the way, these are the subjects assigned this
book by several downstate New York library systems
(I'm not picking on them, I'm just familiar with them):
Dakota Indians --Juvenile fiction.
Dakota Indians --Fiction.
Indians of North America --Fiction.
Boarding schools --Fiction.
Schools --Fiction.
Historical fiction
Meanwhile, over at Hennepin County Public Library
in Minnesota, where there is a long tradition of
rigorous reflection about appropriate cataloging
and classification (and also much closer to
Lakota land), *My Heart is On the Ground*
has been assigned just one subject:
Diary novels, American.
thom stuart
St. Cloud, MN
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Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 12:11:22 -0400
From: "Balkin, Catherine" <Catherine.Balkin@HARPERCOLLINS.com>
Subject: Wringer and the CCBC
Brenda, I understand you want to discuss WRINGER by Jerry Spinelli. There
already was such a discussion, including its merits as a Newbery Honor, on
the CCBC listserv. You might want to search the CCBC archives for the
discussion. Here's all the information you would need to subscribe and
access their archives:
TO SUBSCRIBE:
send this message:
To: listserv@ccbc.soemadison.wisc.edu
Subject: sub ccbc-net <firstname> <lastname>
SETTING DIGEST VERSION:
Limit the number of messages received from CCBC-NET by requesting to
receive the day's messages in a digest. A digest contains all CCBC-NET
messages from the past 24 hours, and it is sent at midnight. To receive a
digest, send a message with the header...
To: listserv@ccbc.soemadison.wisc.edu
Subject: set ccbc-net digest
ARCHIVES
New CCBC-NET subscribers are urged to visit CCBC-NET archives
to become acquainted with earlier themes and topics and
especially to review recent postings concerning a current
discussion. All subscribers are always encouraged to
initiate questions and discussions independently. However,
as a courtesy to all, the coordinator will indicate if a
particular theme, topic, or book has been discussed recently
by suggesting a visit to CCBC-NET archives.
To request an index of archived files, send this message:
To: listserv@ccbc.soemadison.wisc.edu
Subject: index ccbc-net
To retrieve a specific archived file, send this message:
To: listserv@ccbc.soemadison.wisc.edu
Subject: get ccbc-net <filename>
ALSO:
1. To send a message to all subscribers:
To: ccbc-net@ccbc.soemadison.wisc.edu
Subject: "The topic of your message."
2. To send a question or comment to the coordinator only:
To: gmkruse@ccbc.soemadison.wisc.edu
Subject: "The topic of your message."
TO UNSUBSCRIBE:
Send this message:
To: listserv@ccbc.soemadison.wisc.edu
Subject: unsub ccbc-net
I hope you find this useful. HarperCollins is the publisher of WRINGER. If
you need reviews or a bio of Jerry Spinelli, please feel free to contact me.
Catherine Balkin
Library Promotion
HarperCollins Children's Books
catherine.balkin@harpercollins.com
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End of pubyac V1 #723
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