Kids As Book Critics

NOTES Heather McNeil and Stephanie Abrozek, "Good vs. Popular," School Library Journal (March 1980), p. 116. 2 Virginia Witucke, "A Comparative Analysis of Juvenile Book Review Media," School Media Quarterly, 8 (Spring 1980), p. 156. 3 George A. Woods, "Reviewing Books for Children," Book Reviewing , ed. Sylvia E. Kamerman, (Boston: Writer, 1978), p. 60. 4 "Booklist Editorial Policy." (Title page of each issue) "Explanation of Code Symbols Used with Annotations," Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. Lillian N. Gerhardt, "Slam Listing vs. Book Reviewing," School Library Journal, (February 1976), p. 7. Lillian N. Gerhardt, "Annual Policy Statement '79," School Library Journal , (September 1979), p. 99. g Gerhardt, "Annual Policy Statement," p. 99. Kathy Piehl Michigan Technological University, Houghton Houghton, Michigan 49931 Kids As Book Critics Shirley Norby A book is a communication and if a children's book is not popular with children, its lack of appeal may tell us something. Many researchers have presented lists of books nominated by critics or librarians to children for evaluation. Some of these books have appeared on award winning lists, such as The Best Books of the Year list compiled by the editors of School Library Journal , the Newbery/Caldecott medal books, the Boston Globe-Horn Book awards, etc. Most of the books that are popular with critics are unpopular with children. Why is this? 136 Leland B. Jacobs suggests that the root of the disagreement between child readers and adult critics is the fact that they approach books from different ends of an evaluation schema. He has found that where children exercise their judgment is at the verbal level, and if a book does not hold their attention, they put it down and move on to something else. His view is that critics take for granted the verbal engagement level or they are simply unable to judge this level from a child's viewpoint. What are some verbally engaging books? In a study done at the Sea Girt School where I am a librarian and teacher, the following books and authors were selected time and time again as the most popular with the children: Heading the list were books written by Judy Blume for middle grade students. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing , Blubber, Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great, and Are You There God, It's Me Margaret are some of her widely read books. Judy Blume may not be the critics choice, but she is by far the most popular author among children today. When asked why students like her books, they all said, "Because she is funny and she tells about things that kids really do or wish they could do. She writes about things that kids think about or say to their friends even if they are not supposed to. Parents in her books are real and are not perfect." When a new Judy Blume book is published and advertised, many students will bring in the newspaper clipping or review and ask for the book. This simply does not happen with any other children's author. This past November when Superfudge •was announced, ten different children brought in the article on Monday morning that had appeared in the Sunday papers. Boys like Judy Blume books too and for the same reasons that girls do. She has enough main characters that are male in her books to keep child critics from classifying her as a "girl's author." Primary age children, of course, are not Judy Blume fans, but her popularity with children begins in the third grade and continues into adolescence and young adulthood. Verbally engaging books do not have slow beginnings. The vocabulary is not difficult for young readers. Mysteries are very popular, especially if the plot is structured in such a manner that the reader is not let down by an ending or resolution that seems illogical or unbelievable. To be verbally engaging, child critics state that "the print has to be not too large and not too small but just medium. The books should not be too long or too short but of medium size." Book length classified as medium runs from 125-140 pages. Pictures are liked but only if they are...