Heidi -- Sorry. I was away for a while and didn't send this before I left. I think the question is still worth a comment. My apologies for the delay. As a reviewer of both children's and adult books, I plead guilty to the charge leveled in the criticism of Kathryn Lasky's latest book. In my defense (and that of the reviewer here), when I evaluate a children's book for AJl I write for our colleagues in the synagogue and school worlds. If a book is well written but the protagonist is not Jewish, our members should be aware of that fact and make decisions based on their local situations (intellectual as well as financial). I can think of several books over the years that have fallen into this category. And Sydney Taylor Award committees have discussed the issue many times -- I know because I've been part of them. It's not new. Kathryn Lasky has written several important books with Jewish content over the years. Some AJL members may expect the protagonist in this novel to be a Jewish girl, and they would be surprised to realize that she is Roma. To the extent that many other minority communities were decimated (literally) during the Shoah, this volume may indeed be significant. For smaller institutions, the heroine's Jewishness may swing the decision. For some, it may be important to inform the readers that Jews, while the primary target of the Nazis, were not the only ones so identified. Fred Isaac Temple Sinai Oakland, CA -----Original Message----- From: Heidi Estrin <[email protected]> To: Hasafran <[email protected]> Sent: Sat, Sep 28, 2013 9:25 pm Subject: [ha-Safran] AJL review of The Extra Interestingly, the AJL review of The Extra is causing some controversy on author Kathryn Lasky's Facebook page. I became aware of this when a reader posted the discussion to AJL's page, which you can read athttps://www.facebook.com/jewishlibraries/posts/10151961796378336. I left a response, but I'd love to have some other AJL members take a look and see if you'd like to say anything too. Thanks! Heidi Estrin __ Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) ================================== Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: [email protected] To join Ha-Safran, update or change your subscription, etc. - click here: https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran Questions, problems, complaints, compliments send to: [email protected] Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.service.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html Earlier Listserver: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org -- Hasafran mailing list [email protected] https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran
__ Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) ================================== Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: [email protected] To join Ha-Safran, update or change your subscription, etc. - click here: https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran Questions, problems, complaints, compliments send to: [email protected] Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.service.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html Earlier Listserver: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org -- Hasafran mailing list [email protected] https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran
