[LM_NET] TAR: Elem nonfiction illlustrations

[Barbara Fritz <fritzlibrary@YAHOO.COM>]

Hello All!

This has been bothering me for some time and I would
be interested in your observations and opinions. I do
express this to a publisher whenever I get a chance,
but I don't see the change I would like to see.

My youngest male patrons (K-2) do love nonfiction as
we are all aware, but they really are not interested
in a large portion of the quality nonfiction on the
market because of the illustrations. My little boys
want photographs in their books and they rarely borrow
a book if it has "cute" illustrations. Please don't
get me wrong, I love many of those "cute"
illustrations, but my patrons don't and I must serve
them. I wish publishers were more in tune with their
intended audience. My boys love Seymour Simon's books
and others of that quality and there just aren't
enough books like that. I know we have several
wonderful authors who write nonfiction of very high
quality but my boys won't read the books no matter the
topic because it looks too "cute" to them. My teachers
use "cute illustrations" books and I will continute to
buy them, but not because my boys will read them. I've
tried all kinds of books talks, etc. to get the books
read, but with limited success. I don't feel that I am
serving my youngest boys well at all.

Thanks for letting me get this off my chest in a large
forum.

Barb

"Librarian. Genetically predisposed to answer questions and correct misconceptions 
- whether asked or not." 2 01 2007  blf

Barbara Fritz
Elementary Librarian
Bloomsburg Area School District
Bloomsburg PA
fritzlibrary@yahoo.com


 
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