Young Adult Stories From The Reading List
As my children grow up, I've been subtly (and not so subtly) doing my best to influence them to read more. With vicious competition from video games, the internet, TV shows, and movies, it's a struggle. But the wife and I win a few battles here and there, and at the very least the kids have gotten into the habit of reading at night before bedtime. They reserve the daylight hours for other activities, but I'm hopeful and confident that in time they'll encounter books that will keep them reading even when the sun is up (the last time that happened was with The Prydain Chronicles, and before that, the Harry Potter series--I'll just keep the books flowing and another set of them is bound to catch their interest).
I've been reading some of these books for myself--always have, really, even before the kids were born--revisiting old titles and perusing new ones. I don't know how, but I've retained the joy of reading young adult books. Mine not to question why. So the Newbery's and other publications made for that age range remain on the lower shelves, beneath the books for much older readers, not because I consider them of inferior quality--they're all given equal respect, I guarantee you--but because, well, if you're still growing up you can't reach that high without a chair or stepladder to help you; the lower shelves seem the most apt place for them. Though they haven't done so yet, I'm anticipating the moment when my children will be scanning these publications for themselves when they need something to read. All they require is a little nudge in the right direction so they won't have to ask, "Could you give me something to read, please?" They can choose for themselves.
One title I couldn't believe missing out on when I was younger is Sid Fleischman's The Whipping Boy. I had read, and still remember reading as a grade schooler, his book, The Ghost In the Noonday Sun. So when I recently saw the author's name on an old copy of The Whipping Boy at a sale and realized I hadn't read it yet, I snapped it up and started reading the moment I got home. Was done in less than an hour--it's that thin and short a story--but I came out of that crime/adventure story smiling.
I recommended it to my kids right away, but the book is still a bit much for my youngest, who is still into Dr. Seuss, and my eldest is not yet finished with her Lily Quench books, given to her by her Uncle. She said she would get to it right after she's done with them, and with another book given earlier by her Auntie, Lois Lowry's Number The Stars. That one I heartily endorse, and I'm thankful for my relatives who are as supportive of reading as my wife and I.
I feared at first about giving my children older titles, wondering if there might be a disconnection because of the books' ages. But my fears were somewhat allayed when my eldest made it through The Cricket In Times Square (and some of the other aforementioned titles) with no problems. Her verdict? "I liked that one!" Hey, that's a 1960 book which I read for myself in the early 80's, so if I had no issues, and my kid had none either, then that says something about that story's strength. Wouldn't any writer love to have their works reach readers twenty, even forty years, or longer, after their initial publication? I'm sure George Selden would be proud. I'm now confident enough to leave copies of Laurence Yep's books around for my children to find, certainly Roald Dahl's.
I'm also keeping my eyes open for a copy of Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry. It's the first full book I recall reading back in grade school (not counting the ubiquitous Hardy Boys). It was a class requirement, and I remember being first introduced to the story via filmstrip in the viewing section of the school library. Slides of wonderful artwork of the story were projected onto a white screen, and a cassette tape or vinyl LP would be played. A narrator provided the voiceover, complete with sound effects, not unlike a radio play. Between slide changes, a tinny alarm would sound, signaling our teacher to press the button that would make the projector advance to the next piece of artwork. I remember lining up the recess right after class to borrow the book; the story really grabbed me right then and there. I wonder what my old school did with all their old filmstrips. What I would give to have those slides and cassettes! In case Call It Courage doesn't grab my kids, I'm hoping that maybe Scott O'Dell's Island Of The Blue Dolphins would. That one I have a copy of.
It wasn't always easy to keep up the habit of reading these books. Once I hit my mid-twenties, I'd get funny looks if I was caught fingering through a book clearly for young adults. I let it get to me, sadly, and stopped for a while; it's bad enough being criticized by some for "wasting time reading when you could be watching a movie or something", but it's a lot worse when some would say "why are you still reading those books at your age?" But I wisened up years later. When I hit my mid-30's, I became old enough to no longer be too concerned anymore with what others thought about what I did, especially if, as I reasoned, I'm not bothering anyone by doing so. It's pretty liberating to come to that epiphany. That was the time I enountered some of Garth Nix's books, as well as Eoin Colfer's and Jonathan Stroud's. Since then, I've met people who've recommended other authors, and I feel like I'm always playing catch up. It's a shame to say it, but I'm only now coming to read young-adult stories by Pinoys. I'm open to suggestions, if any of you have some to give. I'm looking for novels that my kids and I can read together, but short stories are fine too. The upcoming launch of The Night Monkeys is on my mind, but I'm looking for longer works as well.
So many books, so little time. But that's the way it is for almost all of us, isn't it?
I've been reading some of these books for myself--always have, really, even before the kids were born--revisiting old titles and perusing new ones. I don't know how, but I've retained the joy of reading young adult books. Mine not to question why. So the Newbery's and other publications made for that age range remain on the lower shelves, beneath the books for much older readers, not because I consider them of inferior quality--they're all given equal respect, I guarantee you--but because, well, if you're still growing up you can't reach that high without a chair or stepladder to help you; the lower shelves seem the most apt place for them. Though they haven't done so yet, I'm anticipating the moment when my children will be scanning these publications for themselves when they need something to read. All they require is a little nudge in the right direction so they won't have to ask, "Could you give me something to read, please?" They can choose for themselves.
One title I couldn't believe missing out on when I was younger is Sid Fleischman's The Whipping Boy. I had read, and still remember reading as a grade schooler, his book, The Ghost In the Noonday Sun. So when I recently saw the author's name on an old copy of The Whipping Boy at a sale and realized I hadn't read it yet, I snapped it up and started reading the moment I got home. Was done in less than an hour--it's that thin and short a story--but I came out of that crime/adventure story smiling.
I recommended it to my kids right away, but the book is still a bit much for my youngest, who is still into Dr. Seuss, and my eldest is not yet finished with her Lily Quench books, given to her by her Uncle. She said she would get to it right after she's done with them, and with another book given earlier by her Auntie, Lois Lowry's Number The Stars. That one I heartily endorse, and I'm thankful for my relatives who are as supportive of reading as my wife and I.
I feared at first about giving my children older titles, wondering if there might be a disconnection because of the books' ages. But my fears were somewhat allayed when my eldest made it through The Cricket In Times Square (and some of the other aforementioned titles) with no problems. Her verdict? "I liked that one!" Hey, that's a 1960 book which I read for myself in the early 80's, so if I had no issues, and my kid had none either, then that says something about that story's strength. Wouldn't any writer love to have their works reach readers twenty, even forty years, or longer, after their initial publication? I'm sure George Selden would be proud. I'm now confident enough to leave copies of Laurence Yep's books around for my children to find, certainly Roald Dahl's.
I'm also keeping my eyes open for a copy of Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry. It's the first full book I recall reading back in grade school (not counting the ubiquitous Hardy Boys). It was a class requirement, and I remember being first introduced to the story via filmstrip in the viewing section of the school library. Slides of wonderful artwork of the story were projected onto a white screen, and a cassette tape or vinyl LP would be played. A narrator provided the voiceover, complete with sound effects, not unlike a radio play. Between slide changes, a tinny alarm would sound, signaling our teacher to press the button that would make the projector advance to the next piece of artwork. I remember lining up the recess right after class to borrow the book; the story really grabbed me right then and there. I wonder what my old school did with all their old filmstrips. What I would give to have those slides and cassettes! In case Call It Courage doesn't grab my kids, I'm hoping that maybe Scott O'Dell's Island Of The Blue Dolphins would. That one I have a copy of.
It wasn't always easy to keep up the habit of reading these books. Once I hit my mid-twenties, I'd get funny looks if I was caught fingering through a book clearly for young adults. I let it get to me, sadly, and stopped for a while; it's bad enough being criticized by some for "wasting time reading when you could be watching a movie or something", but it's a lot worse when some would say "why are you still reading those books at your age?" But I wisened up years later. When I hit my mid-30's, I became old enough to no longer be too concerned anymore with what others thought about what I did, especially if, as I reasoned, I'm not bothering anyone by doing so. It's pretty liberating to come to that epiphany. That was the time I enountered some of Garth Nix's books, as well as Eoin Colfer's and Jonathan Stroud's. Since then, I've met people who've recommended other authors, and I feel like I'm always playing catch up. It's a shame to say it, but I'm only now coming to read young-adult stories by Pinoys. I'm open to suggestions, if any of you have some to give. I'm looking for novels that my kids and I can read together, but short stories are fine too. The upcoming launch of The Night Monkeys is on my mind, but I'm looking for longer works as well.
So many books, so little time. But that's the way it is for almost all of us, isn't it?
posted by pgenrestories at 7:52 AM
2 Comments:
Currently the good young-adult Pinoy material is in comics. (Try to find all five issues of Mangaholix, for example. There's also the Cast comics that Elbert Or helped create.) I don't know a lot, though; you can ask your friends about it, I suppose.
For better or worse, that's one thing that the Harry Potter series did for YA books: it was no longer demeaning to be reading YA books beyond a certain age.
EK 8 )
Hi, EK!
To a certain extent, you're right. Harry Potter has helped to some degree. But there are still a number who consider reading young adult works, when you're no longer a young adult, somehow wrong. Their common theme against it is it's time to grow up and read older books, one befitting your age.
The best answer was given by another publisher I know. He said,and I paraphrase, "It's your money, your time, and you have the right to spend it the way you want to, whether it be on reading or not. If you want to buy and read young adult books, go right ahead! It's a free market!"
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