Part of the question that bounced around in print media circles about who is “fit” to refer books to readers means that for some there is an idea that there are only Certain People who can engage the reading public. They’re librarians, of course, but after that, the list seems to stop with book critics. Certainly the list hasn’t previously included the average blogger, and Slate’s Erica Perl adds to the question in another way: What media entity is encouraging readers to read, that should not have anything to do with reading? Hollywood. (Launch the little slide show to get the whole article, with pictures.)
NPR’s Alex Cohen talks with Erica Perl about what she calls “fast-food lit” for early readers. Should movie tie-in books count as fair game for first graders? If kids are interested in reading at all, doesn’t that make the whole movie-tie in thing okay? As always, I hate things titled “What Happened To ____,” because in this case, NOTHING has happened to children’s books, they’re alive and well, thanks, but for this time, I’ll let it go. Some interesting thoughts.
Umm…Hello? Do teachers get to count as people who refer books to kids? There are actually quite a few classrooms out here where kids read “real” books during reading workshop!
(I can feel my blood pressure rising. I’ll stop now.)
Sorry, Mary darling, teachers aren’t included in the list of Certain Persons which is apparently passed around circles other than mine. YOU people are the ones everyone is supposed to be asking “Is our children learning?”