Amended Guidelines for a Fresh-Eyed Reading of Kid/YA Classics
We're starting our
Cuci Mata
("washing of the eyes" in Indonesian) read of classic children's books this week. Once a month, we'll read a standalone novel written by a beloved author and tap into the power of communal vision. Let's ask ourselves:
When it comes to race, ethnicity, gender, and class, what stands the test of time?
I had previously thought about also asking, "What might the author (if alive) wish to change for today's young readers?" However, I don't want this exercise to become a scathing critique of dead authors, so I've decided that we can learn plenty by keeping our focus on the positive. Let's look for the universal, timeless aspects of a novel that qualify it as a classic. I could do this alone, I suppose, but there's so much more to see when we share a story together. So won't you join me?
If you've read or are reading
EMILY OF DEEP VALLEY
by Maud Hart Lovelace, tweet your answers to the question above using hashtag #kidclassic or blog a review and leave the link at my blog. I'll compile all tweets and review excerpts in a final post.
(Full disclosure: I wrote the foreword to the re-issue of this novel from HarperPerennial as a labor of love.)
Next up:
December 1-7 An Old Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott
January 3-7 The Well-Wishers by Edward EagerCome visit me on the Fire Escape!
When it comes to race, ethnicity, gender, and class, what stands the test of time?
I had previously thought about also asking, "What might the author (if alive) wish to change for today's young readers?" However, I don't want this exercise to become a scathing critique of dead authors, so I've decided that we can learn plenty by keeping our focus on the positive. Let's look for the universal, timeless aspects of a novel that qualify it as a classic. I could do this alone, I suppose, but there's so much more to see when we share a story together. So won't you join me?
If you've read or are reading
EMILY OF DEEP VALLEY
by Maud Hart Lovelace, tweet your answers to the question above using hashtag #kidclassic or blog a review and leave the link at my blog. I'll compile all tweets and review excerpts in a final post. (Full disclosure: I wrote the foreword to the re-issue of this novel from HarperPerennial as a labor of love.)
Next up:
December 1-7 An Old Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott
January 3-7 The Well-Wishers by Edward EagerCome visit me on the Fire Escape!
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