Musings on children's and YA literature, the academy, and the relationship between them, from an English professor and mother.

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

and another list

This time I'm just going to link to this great list of essential children's/YA novels, for aspiring writers or editors in the field. I think I'm in pretty good shape on this one: I haven't read anything by Paula Danziger, and I don't think I've read anything by Richard Peck, either, though I did hear him speak once. I've also missed a few of the "Modern YA classics" and two from the fantasy list--Tale of Despereaux and anything Redwall--but in general I feel pretty good about my general knowledge here. (And, like the typical "good student" I've always been, I want to note that, yes, I've read several of the extra credit books as well.) What makes me a little sad, though, is the complete lack of anything 19th- or earlier 20th-century from this list. Shouldn't modern children's writers/editors know Alice in Wonderland, if not The Princess and the Goblin or The Secret Garden or The Wind in the Willows? No Anne of Green Gables, Little House, or Winnie the Pooh? Ah, maybe I'm just recreating that first list now...but I'd be sorry to learn that modern children's writers weren't at least somewhat aware of the history of the field going back more than a quarter century.

2 comments:

  1. Paula Danziger was a staple of my reading as a YA...

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  2. Oh, Richard Peck's a terrific writer (though so prolific, I wouldn't know where to advise you to start...), and he's also (for what it's worth) a really, solidly good person.

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