Comments on: How to Judge http://blogs.slj.com/nonfictionmatters/2008/01/23/how-to-judge/ A School Library Journal Blog Sun, 05 Aug 2012 22:26:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Marc Aronson http://blogs.slj.com/nonfictionmatters/2008/01/23/how-to-judge/comment-page-1/#comment-924 Marc Aronson Fri, 25 Jan 2008 07:08:44 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/nonfictionmatters/2008/01/23/how-to-judge/#comment-924 Tricia: We are in agreement. Try your hand at some of the sentence alternatives today. Marc Tricia:

We are in agreement. Try your hand at some of the sentence alternatives today.

Marc

]]> By: Tricia Stohr-Hunt http://blogs.slj.com/nonfictionmatters/2008/01/23/how-to-judge/comment-page-1/#comment-925 Tricia Stohr-Hunt Fri, 25 Jan 2008 06:55:42 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/nonfictionmatters/2008/01/23/how-to-judge/#comment-925 Well, I guess I really blew it, because of course, if a book isn't accurate, it doesn't even make the list for consideration. I suppose I assumed the validity issue was a given. That is the first thing I look at, but then, when I think about what will move students, I know we have to get beyond this. I do agree completely that approach tends to be missing. I don't think we talk enough about the work that an historian does in getting to those ideas. Well, I guess I really blew it, because of course, if a book isn’t accurate, it doesn’t even make the list for consideration. I suppose I assumed the validity issue was a given. That is the first thing I look at, but then, when I think about what will move students, I know we have to get beyond this.
I do agree completely that approach tends to be missing. I don’t think we talk enough about the work that an historian does in getting to those ideas.

]]> By: Marc Aronson http://blogs.slj.com/nonfictionmatters/2008/01/23/how-to-judge/comment-page-1/#comment-926 Marc Aronson Thu, 24 Jan 2008 05:24:46 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/nonfictionmatters/2008/01/23/how-to-judge/#comment-926 Tricia: I half agree -- and I think you have put your finger on a key issue/problem. Because being "engaging," while of course crucial from a literary POV, has nothing whatsoever to do with being excellent, or even valid, from a nonfiction POV. In other words a book can be engaging but wrong. Or it can be accurate but dull. And my point in this column is to bring up yet a third issue -- not just accuracy and style, but argument. That is, how does a book model the process of 1)thinking 2) research 3) constructing an answer, a theory. I feel that we too often judge nonfiction on 1 and 2 -- fact and voice, and not enough on 3 -- approach. Tricia:

I half agree — and I think you have put your finger on a key issue/problem. Because being “engaging,” while of course crucial from a literary POV, has nothing whatsoever to do with being excellent, or even valid, from a nonfiction POV. In other words a book can be engaging but wrong. Or it can be accurate but dull. And my point in this column is to bring up yet a third issue — not just accuracy and style, but argument. That is, how does a book model the process of 1)thinking 2) research 3) constructing an answer, a theory. I feel that we too often judge nonfiction on 1 and 2 — fact and voice, and not enough on 3 — approach.

]]> By: Tricia Stohr-Hunt http://blogs.slj.com/nonfictionmatters/2008/01/23/how-to-judge/comment-page-1/#comment-927 Tricia Stohr-Hunt Wed, 23 Jan 2008 11:22:12 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/nonfictionmatters/2008/01/23/how-to-judge/#comment-927 For me, it's all about how engaging the text is, and whether or not I'm encouraged to learn more on my own when the cover is closed. I appreciate author notes that describe the research process, and references or a bibliography that allow me to extend my study. Some texts fall into the "purely informational" category. I can find the answers I need in them, but don't connect with them as a reader. I love the stories in math, and science and history, so I want to be moved by them in much the same way I'm moved by fiction. This can be challenging for nonfiction authors, but it can be done. For me, it’s all about how engaging the text is, and whether or not I’m encouraged to learn more on my own when the cover is closed. I appreciate author notes that describe the research process, and references or a bibliography that allow me to extend my study.
Some texts fall into the “purely informational” category. I can find the answers I need in them, but don’t connect with them as a reader. I love the stories in math, and science and history, so I want to be moved by them in much the same way I’m moved by fiction. This can be challenging for nonfiction authors, but it can be done.

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