[LM_NET] SHARE: New Online Literary Journal

[Barbara Braxton <barbara.288@BIGPOND.COM>]

The Education faculty of Purdue Uni (USA) has launched a new FREE online journal 
called 'First
Opinions Second Reactions'  http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/fosr/  which will publish 
book reviews of
K-12 titles from authors around the world.  Each book is reviewed by a practising 
teacher or teacher
librarian (the first opinion) and then has another by an academic (the second 
reaction).  These
educators come from around the world, so there is a broad perspective. The journal  
is overseen by
an advisory board with wide-ranging credentials in the field, and they also 
contribute to the
content.

In the first issue Chris Cheng's book 'New Gold Mountain' is reviewed. Although 
this book focuses on
a period of Australian history, the review demonstrates its relevance to the US 
experience ...
"While there is abundant literature about the experiences of Chinese gold miners in 
California in
the nineteenth-century Gold Rush era, I had never seen a book on the Australian 
gold rush prior to
reading Christopher Cheng's New Gold Mountain. I was not aware that many Chinese 
also traveled to
Australia in search of gold, bearing similar hopes and dreams of prosperity. The 
events described in
New Gold Mountain, though set in Australia, shockingly parallel episodes that 
happened in the United
States in the nineteenth century."  

These sorts of reviews have the potential to expose our students to a wider variety 
of literature
because the books are not 'pigeon-holed' as being relevant to just one audience or 
nation.  Imagine
if you set an assignment where students had to compare and contrast the experiences 
of the Chinese
in the gold rushes of California and Australia using literature and then analyse 
the reasons for the
similarities - how much more interesting would that be in comparison to a report 
entitled "How did
the Chinese fare during the gold rush?"  How much broader would the learning and 
understanding of
history and sociology become?

As well as reviews it has other interesting articles about children's and YA 
literature - for
example the first issue has a most useful compilation of "Further Sources of 
Information about
International Children's Literature" by Christine E. King. 

I know many of you rely on reviews before you purchase so here is another source to 
add to your
toolkit that I thought more than worth sharing.
Barbara

Barbara Braxton
Teacher Librarian
COOMA NSW 2630
AUSTRALIA

E. barbara.288@bigpond.com
Together we learn from each other 

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Please note: All LM_NET postings are protected by copyright law.
  You can prevent most e-mail filters from deleting LM_NET postings
  by adding LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU to your e-mail address book.
To change your LM_NET status, e-mail to: listserv@listserv.syr.edu
In the message write EITHER: 1) SIGNOFF LM_NET  2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL
 3) SET LM_NET MAIL  4) SET LM_NET DIGEST  * Allow for confirmation.
 * LM_NET Help & Information: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/
 * LM_NET Archive: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/archive/
 * EL-Announce with LM_NET Select: http://lm-net.info/
 * LM_NET Supporters: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/ven.html
 * LM_NET Wiki: http://lmnet.wikispaces.com/
--------------------------------------------------------------------