tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38053992.post1659178577467563486..comments2023-05-14T08:18:09.346-04:00Comments on The Fictionistas: Rediscovering Some FavesKristen Painterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07984459504977637298noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38053992.post-40129837550028138092009-07-31T15:35:17.599-04:002009-07-31T15:35:17.599-04:00I see your point, Amanda! I guess for me, along ...I see your point, Amanda! I guess for me, along those lines, The Lord of the Rings was huge from the time I first read it (at age 11, I think.) So even though it was an adult novel, it had the same affect on me as Little Women, which was written for younger readers...Cara Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02930608028959652445noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38053992.post-82337766579940545692009-07-31T09:17:09.080-04:002009-07-31T09:17:09.080-04:00THE PRINCESS DIARIES is a definite, Cara. Absolute...THE PRINCESS DIARIES is a definite, Cara. Absolutely.<br /><br />I think I might also add Libba Bray's Gemma Doyle trilogy (A GREAT & TERRIBLE BEAUTY, REBEL ANGELS, THE SWEET FAR THING).<br /><br />And I definitely agree with your assessment of what's adult, middle grade, and young adult. But I think the point was just the nostalgia factor. Getting writers togehter to reminesce about their fave books from when they were younger, and some of those will be adult books that they snuck and read.Amanda Bricenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38053992.post-88798423503250048482009-07-31T09:16:45.312-04:002009-07-31T09:16:45.312-04:00Two books I didn't see on the list, but that w...Two books I didn't see on the list, but that were my favorites when I was that age:<br /><br />The Pistachio Prescription - Paula Danziger<br />Unchosen - Nan GilbertB.E. Sandersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04336115135400388268noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38053992.post-10542147149962534102009-07-31T02:26:50.782-04:002009-07-31T02:26:50.782-04:00Oh yeah, Chrissy, I *loved* the Harper Hall books....Oh yeah, Chrissy, I *loved* the Harper Hall books. Amazing. (I still like them better than her adult dragon books.)<br /><br />FWIW, of the original list, I would recategorize some of the books, including:<br /><br />ADULT: Wifey, Clan of the Cave Bear<br />MIDDLE-GRADE: A Wrinkle in Time, Wolves of Willoughby Chase, Farmer Boy, Little House on the Prairie, Harriet the Spy, The Great Brain, The Westing Game, Understood Betsy, The Secret Garden, A Little Princess, All-of-a-Kind Family<br /><br />If I were writing about today's YA books in thirty years, I'd include:<br />THE PRINCESS DIARIES by Meg Cabot<br />FEED by M.T. Anderson<br />The ATTOLIA books by Megan Whalen Turner<br />HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE by Diana Wynne Jones<br />THE PRESIDENT'S DAUGHTER by Ellen Emerson White<br /><br />And I'm sure there are tons more that could be on my list that I'm not thinking of!Cara Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02930608028959652445noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38053992.post-64828140574900798262009-07-30T19:29:28.156-04:002009-07-30T19:29:28.156-04:00You know, if you take a good look at that list and...You know, if you take a good look at that list and think about the plots... YA books have changed a LOT.<br /><br />I might re-read the Harper Hall trilogy this weekend.Chrissyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17825661131803547197noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38053992.post-61371980979445188572009-07-30T16:44:20.614-04:002009-07-30T16:44:20.614-04:00OK, I'll play. I'd vote for SPEAK by Lauri...OK, I'll play. I'd vote for SPEAK by Laurie Halse Andersen.Amanda Bricenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38053992.post-85929073471243473982009-07-30T16:43:47.963-04:002009-07-30T16:43:47.963-04:00Jennifer's the only one willing to say which m...Jennifer's the only one willing to say which modern-day YAs they'd include on their list 30 years from now?<br /><br />I mean, other than BITE ME! by Melissa Francis and STUPID CUPID by Rhonda Stapleton, of course? ;)Amanda Bricenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38053992.post-64156074640915462322009-07-30T16:34:39.297-04:002009-07-30T16:34:39.297-04:00I will say that I think THE HANDMAIDEN'S TALE ...I will say that I think THE HANDMAIDEN'S TALE is not written as a YA, but important for older teens to read if you can get them too. It made me really look at my role in society and shaped my feminist views.Gwen Hayeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07372049662768907328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38053992.post-31681901215486815492009-07-30T16:33:03.333-04:002009-07-30T16:33:03.333-04:00Oh I remember reading it as a kid--but we passed i...Oh I remember reading it as a kid--but we passed it around in secret so no grown ups would know we'd found a dirty book.Gwen Hayeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07372049662768907328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38053992.post-29918260103213377852009-07-30T16:31:41.154-04:002009-07-30T16:31:41.154-04:00My bad. I misspoke. I meant to say it's a defi...My bad. I misspoke. I meant to say it's a definitely an adult book, NOT a MG. <br /><br />It's been a long day. But thinking about it now, it DOES seem like the odd one out on that list. LOL. I guess it got included in the book because it's Judy Blume?Amanda Bricenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38053992.post-6878410221894021272009-07-30T16:23:53.786-04:002009-07-30T16:23:53.786-04:00When did WIFEY become MG or YA? Dude. No.When did WIFEY become MG or YA? Dude. No.Gwen Hayeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07372049662768907328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38053992.post-28351759843838862912009-07-30T15:54:34.462-04:002009-07-30T15:54:34.462-04:00Amanda:
What a great topic and personally, very t...Amanda:<br /><br />What a great topic and personally, very timely! A few weeks ago I went back and re-read ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT'S ME, MARGARET by Judy Blume.<br /><br />Not only was it as wonderful as I remembered it, but it brought back such great memories. I also, as an adult, now understand why Judy dedicated it to her Mom. After finishing it up, I gave my mom a call - just because!<br /><br />AddisonAddison Foxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00168075638110546283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38053992.post-82012970256671817252009-07-30T14:12:37.133-04:002009-07-30T14:12:37.133-04:00Oh, what memories. I have to pick Little House on...Oh, what memories. I have to pick Little House on the Prairie. I loved that book, even the first one, which was titled (I think) Little House in the Big Woods??? Something like that. <br /><br />This blog is too cute!!! You guys did an amazing job!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38053992.post-10061289196242207062009-07-30T13:23:07.822-04:002009-07-30T13:23:07.822-04:00OMG I have to go reread some of these classics. It...OMG I have to go reread some of these classics. It's been SO long, and there are some fantastic ones on there!!Rhonda Helmshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11855833088957182413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38053992.post-69796446889300525482009-07-30T12:33:41.916-04:002009-07-30T12:33:41.916-04:00Wow, that list totally makes me want to go the lib...Wow, that list totally makes me want to go the library and check out some old faves! Man, those bring back memories.Kristen Painterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07984459504977637298noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38053992.post-72368044120227304682009-07-30T12:30:38.849-04:002009-07-30T12:30:38.849-04:00Oh, and Wifey and Forever were definitely YA, not ...Oh, and Wifey and Forever were definitely YA, not MG, even if they're by Judy Blume, who mostly wrote MG.<br /><br />But I agree that sometimes the line between MG and YA can be tenuous at best, particularly in years past.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38053992.post-25704450895993946722009-07-30T12:24:44.259-04:002009-07-30T12:24:44.259-04:00Cara, I think that was my typing mistake when typi...Cara, I think that was my typing mistake when typing up the list, actually, so I've amended it on the original post.<br /><br />Thanks for catching that!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38053992.post-14461947441698245472009-07-30T12:20:47.547-04:002009-07-30T12:20:47.547-04:00To me, a lot of things on that list are middle-gra...To me, a lot of things on that list are middle-grade, not YA...but the lines are always so vague, I guess!<br /><br />I might write about the Oz books, or about something by Louisa May Alcott or Noel Streatfeild...so many books! (Though if I were actually to stick with YA, unlike the folks on that list, I guess I'd go with Paula Danziger! Because I think she was the only real YA author I read as a YA...)<br /><br />(BTW, their list is wrong to say that Wolves of Willoughby Chase was co-written; Aiken was the only one who wrote it.)Cara Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02930608028959652445noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38053992.post-67066180168316610612009-07-30T12:20:22.288-04:002009-07-30T12:20:22.288-04:00I've read quite a few of the books on this lis...I've read quite a few of the books on this list, but Little Women would also be on my personal list. I can't tell you how many times I've read it.<br /><br />A couple of books that didn't make the list, possibly because they're more recent, are ones that I read because my kids were reading them in school, and my DD (now age 21) wanted me to read them so she could talk to me about them.<br /><br />Holes by Louis Sarchar.<br />The Giver by Lois Lowry.<br />Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry.Conniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11712592215157559413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38053992.post-87694463738182503122009-07-30T11:18:19.078-04:002009-07-30T11:18:19.078-04:00Jennifer, I swear, we have the same reading habits...Jennifer, I swear, we have the same reading habits (at least for classic lit...I won't get started about how I couldn't get past the first 3 pages of Harry Potter, but I know, I'm weird), but you already knew that. :)<br /><br />Little Women and To Kill a Mockingbird are tops of my list of books not on Skurnick's list (and would actually top any of the ones she listed). I was shocked they weren't on there!<br /><br />I'd also add Pride & Prejudice, even though it's not a YA novel. But most people are exposed to it for the first time in high school English. And it only gets better with each successive read as an adult!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38053992.post-26537450998117279382009-07-30T11:09:38.043-04:002009-07-30T11:09:38.043-04:00Of the books I read while in school, I would choos...Of the books I read while in school, I would choose either Alcott's Little Women or Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird. As far as newer books, there are several options but I would probably select Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone.Jennifer Russellnoreply@blogger.com