Monday, December 29, 2008
Whose favorites?
Someone introduced me to Chris Crutcher recently. Only a few pages into the book, Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, I already like it, a lot.
We got to talking about whether this is one of those books that adults like but maybe teens don't. That, of course, led me back to the debate on the Newberry selections. Not exactly the same debate, but at the foundation of it is the question of whether the intended audience--as opposed to adults, however well-intentioned they are, who are in the business of juvenile literature--like a book and would read it.
Do you have books that fit into this category, especially if you're a teen? (So, Chanelle?)
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8 comments:
I don't really know which books you're referring to. Is Catcher in the Rye juvenile literature? I hated that. I don't really read teen books anymore (I'm trying to finish Dostoyevsky's The Idiot at the moment), but I really liked A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket and the Gossip Girl series by Cecily von Z...I can't quite remember the name. And of course there are the irresistible Harry Potter and Narnia series. Those four are definitely my favourite young adult books.
Thanks for letting me strong arm you into responding! It's always good to know what young adults actually read when we attempt for write for them.
What I meant to ask was this: are there any books that adults keep pointing to you and saying it's great but you don't like.
Should have checked my previous comment more carefully:
..when we attempt *to* write for them
...pointing *out* to you.
...A question mark at the end of the second paragraph.
It isn't often that adults point books out to me. (More like, never. I think they just presume we don't read.) I just thought I'd name a few in case you liked them; then you'd know you're on the right track!
Thanks for your input, Chanelle. Maybe adults haven't recommended books to you because you've always been so advanced they don't know if you'd think their choices were too juvenile. :)
I do like Narnia, HP, and Unfortunate Events and know of Gossip girls, which I'm planning to check out.
Yat Yee, if a book with a title like Gossip Girls takes your liking, I'll faint then check it out myself. Celine
Hi Celine, and welcome. Don't faint! Since I write in this market, I need to know what's going on.
Checking out and liking: not the same! :)
(I am even willing to check out Twilight: though I am definitely procrastinating!)
Actually, after reading the reviews for the movie Twilight, which drew huge crowds due to the book fans, I must say the plot was fascinating. Both my girls watched it and liked it. Tell me what you think when you eventually get round to it.
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