devotion

31 Dec 2008 news 0 Comments

There are so many blogs and websites devoted to children’s literature–Shadra just brought this one to my attention:


I have to say, I’m really impressed that so many adults out there are “talking up” their favorite kids books.  A month ago I was watching a panel on C-Span about the future of book culture, and these book editors for major newspapers were debating whether or not their reviews would continue to matter with the proliferation of bloggers reviewing books online.  I thought the entire discussion was elitist and myopic, and I could sense their underlying fear: “What if people don’t NEED us any more?”  For too long we’ve bought into the idea that only certain people are qualified to pronounce books (or films, or fine art) worthy of consideration.  When did we stop trusting ourselves, and one another?  I do rely on professional book reviewers to spread the word about BIRD, but I’m just as honored when a librarian or parent or avid reader posts something sincere online.  One of my new year’s resolutions is to READ more, and to that end, I’ve canceled my cable subscription.  I mostly watch PBS anyway, and will now be forced to either open a book (that I’m *not* teaching) or go online to learn more about this thriving web community of readers and writers.
Happy New Year!
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