British P.C. (Pig Correctness)

Here’s a fun little news story from Great Britain. According to the BBC News, a digital book based on The Three Little Pigs was recently rejected by the judges in a national awards panel. The awards, known as the Bett Awards, honors educational technology. Becta, the British government’s educational technology agency is a leading partner in the Bett Awards and was primarily concerned that the CD-Rom, entitled The Three Little Cowboy Builders, was offensive.
Its problem? Pigs. Three of them. Galavanting all over the book, and potentially offending Muslim children who might inadvertantly view them.

Now, I’m not Muslim, but my understanding is that Muslims’ faith directs them to not eat pork (as does orthodox Judaism). I’m not aware of any prohibition on reading about pork products in action, as it were. Feel free to correct me, loyal Muslim readers, if I’m wrong on this one.

Meanwhile, if this seemingly misguided act of political correctness wasn’t bad enough, the officials at Becta went one step farther. They objected to the book’s depiction of building trade workers as pigs. The judges viewed this as stereotyping, stating: “Is it true that all builders are cowboys, builders get their work blown down, and builders are like pigs?”

Well, I’m not a builder. Or a cowboy (or cowgirl, as my younger daughter would politically-correct me). But I’m not sure I’m willing to walk down this path with the judges. By their reasoning, most if not all books could be rejected for their unfair or unflattering portraits of people, animals, personality traits, professions… you name it.

Though I’m not sure I understand why depicting builders as cowboys or as pigs is negative. I’m a fan of the book Cowboy Bunnies, for example, and I’ve never heard of labor groups objecting to this depiction of ranch hands as rabbits. Though I guess the standard image of a rabbit is positive (quick, spry, generous with chocolate eggs) and that of a pig is negative (fat, dirty, and, well, piggy). Although I’m told pigs are smart and clean and their bad reputation is undeserved.
Some of my favorite books lovingly skewer classic tales (The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig comes to mind) and/or feature kind, heroic and funny porkers (Olivia, Mo Willem’s new easy reader character Piggy, the uninvited guests in Pigs A Plenty, Pigs Galore, Babe the Sheep Pig and, of course, Wilbur come to mind). I don’t really see why kids, regardless of their religion, should be shielded from them.

So here’s what this Perl says: Let there be swine.

PARENTS: What book do YOU find offensive and why?

Big Surprise: No Big Surprise!

As announced by the American Library Association at the crack of dawn this morning, the 2008 winners of the Newbery and Caldecott Awards are:

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village, by Laura Amy Schlitz
(2008 Newbery Medal)

and

The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick
(2008 Caldecott Medal)

These selections were predictable in their predictability (the committee likes ruffle feathers by plucking books from obscurity and the Newbery Award winner this year was no exception to this rule... I can't tell you whether it is a deserving book -- though I'm guessing it is -- because I had never heard of it before this morning).

They were also predictably in their unpredictability (Selznick's extraordinary 500+ page illustrated novel, a favorite for the Newbery, is an unconventional choice for the Caldecott because the award usually goes to a picture book... this may even be the first time the award is going to a novel).

Which is pretty much how the process goes every year. As my pal Alison Morris, the famed bookseller/blogger, lamented recently here, the announcement of the awards triggers an immediate rush of booksellers to their phones to try to get back the very books they returned to the publishers the week earlier for insufficient sales. This will not likely be the case with Selznick's book, which sold well from the get-go.

What does all this this mean for parents who are trying to find good reads to place in the eager and not so eager hands of their kids? Well, look at the winners, but also look beyond...

A whole bunch of other honors and awards were handed out as well, including the award for the best early reader, the awards for the best books incorporating themes of disability and the Corretta Scott King Award. A lot of really interesting and diverse books got props, so check it out. You can read the full wrap up of award winners and their books here.

Plus, many libraries and schools run "Mock Caldecott" and "Mock Newbery" contests, which yield very interesting lists. Google these terms, or ask at your local library.

Guess Who's Visiting Today? Kimberly Willis Holt!

You heard it here first, folks (well, maybe second - Pajamazon readers heard it first - but you all heard it from me). Here's my exclusive interview with the lovely and talented Kimberly Willis Holt:

Author Kimberly Willis Holt Gets Her Pajamazon!

by Erica Perl December 20, 2007

ESP: So, hi and welcome to Pajamazon. For those of you who are just tuning in, our guest today is Kimberly Willis Holt. She is a fabulous and versatile children’s book author who won the National Book Award for her novel WHEN ZACHARY BEAVER CAME TO TOWN and who is here to talk about her new book, PIPER REED, NAVY BRAT. I had the pleasure of reading PIPER REED, NAVY BRAT this fall, after snagging an advance copy at the ALA conference. My 8 year old daughter actually read it first and loved it, so she was almost as excited as I was that Kimberly would be getting her pajamas on and visiting us here at Pajamazon. But enough about us. Let’s get to the interview. Hi, Kimberly. Welcome to Pajamazon.

KWH: Hi, Erica. It’s nice to be here.

ESP: Warm milk? Ovaltine?

KWH: Oh, gee. I do love chocolate, but I’m fine.

ESP: Okay, let’s talk about your new book, PIPER REED, NAVY BRAT. I know that the main character was inspired by your experience being a “Navy brat” as a child. In what ways do you think that kids who are not from military families will be able to relate to Piper and her family?

KWH: Well, even though Piper is a military kid, she’s wants some of the same things that other kids want. She wants friends. She wants to have fun. She wants a dog. On that level, most kids will be able to relate to her. Also, I hope they will have empathy for kids who have to move a lot.

ESP: When we moved it was a huge deal for my older daughter. I can see how readers might relate on that level.

KWH: I believe they will because I’ve already witnessed that empathy at a bookstore in the Atlanta area. The members of a mother and daughter book club were some of my first readers of PIPER REED, NAVY BRAT. The kids wanted to know if Piper was going to move in the next book. I asked, “Do you want her to move?” Together they said, “NO!” I loved that reaction because they related to what Piper would have to go through if she did have to move. They put themselves in her shoes. That’s what reading does for us. It lets us see the world through someone else’s eyes.

ESP: To what extent did the current war in Iraq affect your decision to write this book and this character?

KWH: None whatsoever. I’m a Navy brat and my editor had wanted me to explore that military childhood for over ten years. That was before the war. I never thought I would write about that because I thought it would be too close to truth to make it fiction. Then one day I heard a carefree voice that said, “I’ve lived everywhere.” That voice belonged to Piper. The book has an autobiographical framework. My dad was a Navy Chief. He served for twenty-one years. The year he retired from the Navy was the year that I graduated from high school. My entire childhood was spent as a military kid, moving all over the world. Like Piper, I’m one of three daughters. But I’m the oldest, not the middle child. So there are common threads.

ESP: Some of your Young Adult books deal with fairly weighty themes, like death, illness, rejection, and prejudice. I can’t help but wonder… are rockier waters ahead for Piper?

KWH: Piper Reed is a different sort of book for me. And though I hope it offers some depth, it is lighter and humorous than anything I’ve written before. I plan to keep it that way.

ESP: Okay, here’s a question on behalf of all Offsprungians who pursue or aspire to pursue creative pursuits while juggling diapers and daily domestic drama: Did you write when your daughter was young and, if so, how did your experience as a parent affect your writing?

KWH: Although it helps to have a young person at home, I’m most inspired by my own childhood. I started writing when my daughter was in first grade. I usually wrote from early morning until she was out of school for the day. But I’m ashamed to say there were times I wrote when I should have been doing more interacting with her. I think I squeezed five years of writing into those first eighteen months. But as guilty as I feel about that, my daughter says one thing she learned from me is to follow her bliss. Still there are those regrets on my part.

ESP: That’s great to hear about your daughter. I hope my kids feel the same way! What made you decide to go for it and pursue your writing? What advice can you give re: making these choices?

KWH: Since I was twelve I wanted to be a writer. I had a lot of encouragement in junior high, but in high school I allowed one teacher’s opinion of my writing to keep me from going after my dream. It wasn’t until I was 33 that I picked up a pen and started to write stories. But even those years that I wasn’t writing fiction, I wrote. I wrote in journals. I wrote long letters to family and friends. Words have always been a part of my life. When I finally started to go after my dream, I wasn’t going to let anyone stop me.

ESP: And it’s a good thing, too, because if you had, we wouldn’t have Piper. Or SKINNY BROWN DOG (my four year old’s favorite). Thank you so much for visiting us, Kimberly. And best of luck with PIPER REED, NAVY BRAT. I’m excited to hear that there’ll be more books about her.

KWH: You can count on it. Thanks for having me. It has been my great pleasure.

And that concludes our first guest author interview!

Oh, wait, I almost forgot. I promised we’d give away a book. Drum roll please….

And the winner is… paperbagshoes!

Her “pick me pick me” comment must have had some magic to it! Although I’m going to look into getting an extra copy sent to Mama to tha Max since she actually HAS navy brats… that should count for something, even in a random drawing! Thanks to everyone who commented and entered our drawing. Tune into Pajamazon for more book talk and interviews!

Not So Secret Santa

Scene: The bathtub, 7:00 p.m.

Me: So, tomorrow's the big day, huh? Your classroom holiday party with the secret santa presents?

Her Royal Highness, The Queen of Pre-K: Uh huh.

Me: I wonder who got you.

HRH: Rebecca.

Me: Rebec- Hey, wait, how do you know that?

HRH: She told me.

Me: O-kay. Does Sophie know that you have her?

HRH: Yes. I told her. Plus, she can read her name. And it's on her package.

Me: Did everyone in your class tell each other who they got?

HRH: I don't know. I think so.

Me: Did you tell Sophie what you got her?

HRH: (rolling her eyes at how dense adults can be) No, mom. It's a secret.

A Win-Win Situation!

Check it out: over at Pajamazon, I'm hosting a guest author on Thursday, December 20th and, in honor of her visit, I'm giving away a copy of her book! And YOU could be the lucky winner. And even if you don't win, you'll get to learn all sorts of cool stuff about the fabulous Kimberly Willis Holt and her new book, PIPER REED, NAVY BRAT.

Read on (text lifted from Pajamazon):

In honor of the special guest we’re going to have here at Pajamazon later this week - Kimberly Willis Holt (who you may remember as the author of the NATIONAL BOOK AWARD winner, WHEN ZACHARY BEAVER CAME TO TOWN), we’re having a contest. Not a talent contest, or a swimsuit contest, mind you. A nice easy one - a random drawing! Kim is also the author of PIPER REED, NAVY BRAT and we are extremely excited that she has offered us a brand spanky new copy of PIPER REED to give to a lucky Pajamazon reader. I got an advance copy at the American Library Association conference a few months back and both my almost-eight year old and I enjoyed it a whole lot.

Here at Pajamazon, we’ve never done a give-away before, but frankly we’re wondering why not, since they seem pretty easy. All YOU have to do is fill in a comment to this post - about anything -and we’ll do the rest. “The rest” seems to involve putting your names on tiny slips of paper and pulling one out of a hat (how old school!).

We’ll do the drawing at 9 pm EST (or later if the kids won’t freaking settle down) on Wednesday, December 19th and announce our winner on December 20th, when Kim puts her pajamas on and joins us at Pajamazon.

SOOOOO, if you wanna win, go to Pajamazon and LEAVE A COMMENT (at Pajamazon, not here... although if you comment here, I'll likely put you in the hat anyway... I'm nice like that).