The Nonfiction Question
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
For the fifth question in Chasing Ray's fascinating series, What a Girl Wants, Colleen Mondor asked the panel to reflect on those subjects that "should be addressed in YA nonfiction that teen girls would want to read about and just as important — should read about." Colleen never asks easy questions, but this one proved to be tougher than the rest.
My answer, as you'll see, if you travel over to the site, relates to place and culture—to the need (in my estimation) for books that transport YA readers to places they've not yet been and puts them there not in textbook fashion but in a way that opens doors to compassionate, empathetic, engaged living. I was thinking about Juarez, among other places, when I developed my response, and so my photo choice of the day.
But it's not really my answer that concerns me here. It's what Lorie Ann Grover, Zetta Elliott, Laurel Snyder, Jenny Davidson, Sara Ryan, Mayra Lazara Dole, and Colleen herself have to say that I hope will interest you.
4 comments:
Books that transport you to places you have never been is the kind of books I like as well :)
great write up.
When asked what kinds of books I like to read, I often answer, books that take me to other places, other times.
That's an interesting question... and it seems like there's a good discussion going on over there. I agree with almost everyone who responded to the question -- I love reading about new places, obscure people and events that no one knows about, things that actually affect me, etc.
Great question and great answers. My own teen has just picked up MY copy of Heavy Rotation: Twenty Writers on the Albums that Changed Their Lives.
It's the music, yes, but also what you say about truthful writing that opens doors to places, times, and lives .....
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