Evaluating children's books : a critical look : aesthetic, social, and political aspects of analyzing and using children's books

180 Pages·6.6 MB·English

by  Allerton Park Institute (34th : 1992 : Monticello, Ill.)

Children's Books:
Evaluating
A
Look
Critical
and and
Aesthetic, social, politicalaspects ofanalyzing using
children's books
Betsy Hearne and Roger Sutton, editors
The Graduate School ofLibrary and Information Science
University ofIllinois at Urbana-Champaign
^ X

ALLERTON PARK INSTITUTE
Number 34
Papers Presented at the Allerton Park Institute
Sponsored by
University of Illinois
Graduate School of Library and Information Science
held
October 25-27, 1992
Allerton Conference Center
Robert Allerton Park
Monticello, Illinois

CUO.-7I5 Xf
/maM
3M
no.
Children's Books:
Evaluating
A Look
Critical
and
Aesthetic, social, political aspects
of analyzing and using children's books
BETSY HEARNE
and
ROGER SUTTON
Editors
University of Illinois
Graduate School of Library and Information Science
Urbana-Champaign, Illinois
1993 by the BoardofTrusteesofthe University ofIllinois
ISBN 0-87845-092-0
Printed in the United StatesofAmericaon Acid-Free Paper
Acknowledgments
Leigh Estabrook, dean of the Graduate School of Library and
Information Science, has been the prime mover in providing a new
home for The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books and in
suggesting a conference at the Allerton Institute to celebrate our arrival
at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Professor Selma
Richardson gave us valuable advice on conceptualizing and organizing
the conference. Deborah Stevenson, assistant editor of The Bulletin,
helped at every level along the way, including the design of the cover
with Debra Bolgla's drawings. The GSLIS staff, especially Willa Reed,
were indispensable, as were Jeff Sands, program director of conferences
and institutes, and the staff of the Allerton Conference Center, who
made us feel right at home in an elegant setting. Laurel Preece and
Rhonda Gerber Arsenault have been endlessly cooperative in the
transmutation of conference papers into monograph. Our thanks to
you all.

CONTENTS
Introduction 1
Hearne
Betsy
Censorship, Negative Criticism, Glitzy Trends, Growing Publisher
Output, and Other Shadows on the Landscape of Children's
Book Reviewing: A Panel Discussion 5
Roger Sutton, Moderator
Children's Librarians, Reviews, and Collection Development 27
Janice N. Harrington
Tools of the Trade: School Library Media Specialists, Reviews,
and Collection Development 37
Janie Schomberg
Evaluating Children's Books for Whole-Language Learning 47
Violet Harris
Reviewing Nonfiction Books for Children and YoungAdults:
Stance, Scholarship, and Structure 59
Betty Carter
Visual Criticism and Children's Literature 73
Barbara Kiefer
Insights and Discoveries: IlluminatingTextual Criticism 93
Cathryn M. Mercier
The Impact of Reviewing on Children's Book Publishing 105
Dorothy Briley
Reading Latin America: Issues in the Evaluation of Latino
Children's Books in Spanish and English 119
Graciela Italiano
And Yet Beyond Political Correctness 133
. . .
Hazel Rochman
In Conclusion 149
RogerSutton
Contributors 151
Index 155
.