In my experience, if the book won the Newberry award, either a beloved animal or friend dies. This cured me of wanting to read/watch anything “award-winning” as well as giving me zero aspiration towards winning those types of awards. Also, can we talk about how evil it is to market books where horses/ponies die to horse-lovers? They always put horse/pony in the title (or the name of the horse/pony), and then have a horse or pony on the cover (or multiples of them). Even my mom got me a book where the beloved horse dies, a few years ago (and yes, she’d read it first), shortly after my own horse had passed away. What the hell, mom? Why did you think I want this? And many thanks to the doesthedogdie.com where I can now check (technically, Gary checks for me) before we watch anything with animals (books are on there too, but not very many so far). Gary has also “fixed” books for me, so that they are safe to read.
Getting people “to experience emotion” by killing stuff is cheap. It’s easy. It’s also depressing and unsatisfying. You want kids to read more? Stop forcing them to read these awful books that leave them feeling empty and numb. Let them cry over a good ending, a redemption story, a person choosing kindness over the easier option, two people finally finding one another again (whether family or romantic), a community banding together in the face of adversity, etc. Real life is tragic enough; let kids have hope.
And don’t get me wrong, death *can* be appropriate and meaningful. I read a ton of Lurlene McDaniel, and those books are all about people dying (usually from a disease), but at least I knew what I was getting myself into it. And she never killed the cat, the horse, or the dog.
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You already have my really short want list. It’s only one item really so hoping you will somehow pull it off.
true!
In my experience, if the book won the Newberry award, either a beloved animal or friend dies. This cured me of wanting to read/watch anything “award-winning” as well as giving me zero aspiration towards winning those types of awards. Also, can we talk about how evil it is to market books where horses/ponies die to horse-lovers? They always put horse/pony in the title (or the name of the horse/pony), and then have a horse or pony on the cover (or multiples of them). Even my mom got me a book where the beloved horse dies, a few years ago (and yes, she’d read it first), shortly after my own horse had passed away. What the hell, mom? Why did you think I want this? And many thanks to the doesthedogdie.com where I can now check (technically, Gary checks for me) before we watch anything with animals (books are on there too, but not very many so far). Gary has also “fixed” books for me, so that they are safe to read.
Getting people “to experience emotion” by killing stuff is cheap. It’s easy. It’s also depressing and unsatisfying. You want kids to read more? Stop forcing them to read these awful books that leave them feeling empty and numb. Let them cry over a good ending, a redemption story, a person choosing kindness over the easier option, two people finally finding one another again (whether family or romantic), a community banding together in the face of adversity, etc. Real life is tragic enough; let kids have hope.
And don’t get me wrong, death *can* be appropriate and meaningful. I read a ton of Lurlene McDaniel, and those books are all about people dying (usually from a disease), but at least I knew what I was getting myself into it. And she never killed the cat, the horse, or the dog.
*cough* Heart’s Blood *cough*
I know, I know – you’ll never forgive me for Heart’s Blood!
But yes, OTHERWISE, I agree with you. What is up with awards that way???