@BonnieAdamson: TOPIC: Should a great book have a social conscience? Can you share examples?

#kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:00 am

@kidlitchat: TOPIC: Should a great book have a social conscience? Can you share examples? #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:00 am

@SheviStories: RT @BonnieAdamson: TOPIC: Should a great book have a social conscience? Can you share examples? #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:00 am

@gregpincus: TOPIC: Should a great book have a social conscience? Can you share examples? #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:00 am

@AnnStampler: @SheviStories Feel better, Shevi! #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:01 am

@juliekingsley: Haven't chatted in a while. Glad to be back. TOPIC: Should a great book have a social conscience? Can you share examples #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:01 am

@SheviStories: A problem with social conscience in a children's book is it can get political, controversial, divisive. #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 2:02 am

@queenbjan: I'm here for #kidlitchat today. #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:02 am

@bkshelfdetectiv: @gregpincus #kidlitchat I wish I could remember everything Donna Napoli said in a speech...she should be on this chat tonight
January 11, 2012, 2:02 am

@SheviStories: That's not to say writers shouldn't try. Thing is, a writer is likely to be misunderstood and taken out of context. #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 2:03 am

@JillCorcoran: It matters how you are defining "great" in great book. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:03 am

@PBWorkshop: Been a while, but I made it this week :) Will Grayson/Will Grayson (Green/Levithan)-Wild but real http://t.co/w7U5HiSPn #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:03 am

@BonnieAdamson: @queenbjan HI, Janice! #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:03 am

@queenbjan: I've missed many weeks of chats. Glad to be back. #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:03 am

@delzey: RT @kidlitchat: TOPIC: Should a great book have a social conscience? Can you share examples? #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:03 am

@LaurieThompson: 8th Grade Super-Zero by @olugbemisola is a perfect example of a great book with a social conscience! #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:03 am

@juliekingsley: I'm wondering if trying to embed social conscience makes the kids suspicious... know what I mean? #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:04 am

@SheviStories: When I write, I often think of under-represented social groups. I want my characters to be the friends they need. #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 2:04 am

@BonnieAdamson: @juliekingsley I'm thinking more of a sensibility about social issues than a "message," tho maybe that's the same thing . . . #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:04 am

@MacDibble: @kidlitchat Like WALL-E, set on a ruined planet, where ppl didn't communicate face to face & cldn't even walk? ABSOLUTELY! #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:04 am

@queenbjan: My passion for writing for children is to help them in some way or another. Social conscience is unapologetically in my books. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:05 am

@delzey: ooo, fun! 2 of my favorite definitions to debate: what constitutes "great" and what, exactly is a "social conscious?" #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:05 am

@PBWorkshop: Even Mo WIllems' Pigeon titles address big questions- adults don't have to push it, with repeated readings kids "find" them. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:05 am

@queenbjan: @BonnieAdamson Hi Bonnie. It's been a while.n #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:06 am

@TarieS: @gregpincus "Should"? No. Many great books have a social conscience. But . . . #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:06 am

@LaurelSnyder: I think an author should have a social conscience b/c I think a human should, & most authors are human. But books? Not overtly. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:06 am

@BonnieAdamson: @delzey "great" is whatever I like, lol #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:06 am

@gregpincus: I think there's a huge difference between a "message" and simply having a social conscience. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:06 am

@delzey: so to the first part of tonight's topic, i say "yes!" #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:07 am

@WendyMartinArt: @BonnieAdamson I think a great book should make lasting impact on the reader #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:07 am

@TarieS: @gregpincus But a social conscience isn't NECESSARY to make a great book. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:07 am

@BonnieAdamson: @WendyMartinArt that's a better definition of great. #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:07 am

@queenbjan: @juliekingsley It can't be done in a preachy manner if you are writing a piece of fiction or kids will definitely be suspicious. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:07 am

@LaurelSnyder: My first book has political overtones. And my third addressed "community" I'd like to think they aren't heavyhanded though. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:07 am

@SheviStories: I think when you look at the opposite side--books without a social conscious-they seem better suited to adults, no? #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:07 am

@PBWorkshop: Anyone else know of Wartenberg's site exploring philosophy through PB? http://t.co/HnI8h6h6 Thinking deeply=social conscious...? #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:08 am

@jolantru: RT @BonnieAdamson: TOPIC: Should a great book have a social conscience? Can you share examples? #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:08 am

@gregpincus: I agree RT @TarieS: But a social conscience isn't NECESSARY to make a great book. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:08 am

@delzey: but social conscious... we're differentiating from a moral conscious (i.e. "lesson") right? #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:08 am

@TarieS: @gregpincus But to be clear, I do not think a social conscience ruins a book! #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:08 am

@juliekingsley: @queenbjan Agreed. Kids can sniff out a "preachy" book that adults love. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:09 am

@katblack_: It's not a requirement, but if it's a natural extension of the material more power to the book. n #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:09 am

@BonnieAdamson: @delzey hmmm . . . yes . . . I think #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:09 am

@SheviStories: In YA, for example, there are always repercussions to negative actions. I think that's a big difference with adult books. #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 2:10 am

@KateMilford: Here and trying to catch up on comments. Hi, all! #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:10 am

@BonnieAdamson: @KateMilford hello. :-) #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:10 am

@queenbjan: I think more realistically in this day and time the issue is "whose" social conscience? #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:10 am

@juliekingsley: Moral dilemmas, diversity, kindness, empathy... just stick 'em in. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:10 am

@PBWorkshop: @TarieS It's all in the way it's handled- authentically/organically, or "stuffed in/on". #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:11 am

@SheviStories: So if you wanted to write a YA without a social conscious--one without repercussions--better not to label it YA. #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 2:11 am

@BonnieAdamson: @AnnStampler no--and that's a good point. We are a metaphorical species: our stories will always "mean something" #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:11 am

@KateMilford: @BonnieAdamson Hey there! #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:11 am

@HC_Lawrence: RT @gregpincus: I think there's a huge difference between a "message" and simply having a social conscience. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:11 am

@delzey: as a writer, i don't come up with a plot until i come up with a theme i want to explore, so the social/political always drives #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:11 am

@SheviStories: @BonnieAdamson And even when our stories are just entertainment, people will read things into them that aren't there. #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 2:12 am

@BonnieAdamson: @AnnStampler but that meaning is often grafted on after the fact, don't you think? #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:12 am

@juliekingsley: RT @SheviStories: If you wanted to write a YA without a social conscious-one without repercussions--better not to label it YA. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:12 am

@AnnStampler: OK, could someone please define social conscience? Maybe I'm missing the boat here? #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:12 am

@KateMilford: @delzey Funny. I go entirely the opposite way. Very infrequently am I personally motivated by writing about a theme. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:13 am

@BonnieAdamson: @AnnStampler social conscience=a positive world view . . . ? #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:13 am

@queenbjan: RT @AnnStampler: OK, could someone please define social conscience? Maybe Im missing the boat here? #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:13 am

@SheviStories: @AnnStampler I think there are different definitions. #KidLitChat

January 11, 2012, 2:13 am

@valvearshecter: RT @BonnieAdamson @AnnStampler-- that's a good point. We are a metaphorical species: our stories will always "mean something" #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:14 am

@TarieS: @PBWorkshop Yes! That will definitely play a big part in whether the book is great or not. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:14 am

@queenbjan: @BonnieAdamson whose world view?n #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:14 am

@SheviStories: For some, it might be political. #KidLitChat

January 11, 2012, 2:14 am

@delzey: our subconscious puts them there RT @SheviStories: even when our stories r just entertainment, ppl will read things into them... #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:14 am

@SheviStories: For others, it might be just caring about social issues. #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 2:14 am

@HC_Lawrence: @SheviStories I'm not convinced there are repercussions in YA. I see a lot of no consequences to stupid actions showing up. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:14 am

@PBWorkshop: @BonnieAdamson My "educator" view: help readers dev. ability to find their own meaning and discuss tolerantly, justify from text #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:14 am

@BonnieAdamson: @KateMilford @delzey I agree--I usually "discover" the meaning afterwards. doesn't mean it wasn't there--just not aware of it #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:14 am

@delzey: @KateMilford i have been told my approach is not typical #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:15 am

@BonnieAdamson: @PBWorkshop kinda like a Jungian approach--it means what you think it means #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:15 am

@KateMilford: @BonnieAdamson Exactly! Exactly, exactly, exactly. #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:15 am

@SheviStories: @MacDibble I wouldn't say that. SF explored a huge range of themes, not just societal ones. #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 2:15 am

@AnnStampler: I think what's bothing me here is the idea that "social conscience" cd be a euphemism for a particular POV. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:15 am

@crissachappell: great story = obstacle to overcome...change as a result of confronting it. Lessons learned #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:15 am

@LeahCypess: @BonnieAdamson @KateMilford @delzey Me, too. And s/ts my editor or critique partners discover it for me. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:15 am

@HC_Lawrence: @AnnStampler Social conscience - the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:15 am

@BonnieAdamson: @queenbjan the author's. you HAVE to write from your own sensibility, right? #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:16 am

@katblack_: @queenbjantan attitude of sensitivity toward and sense of responsibility regarding injustice and problems in society? #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:16 am

@delzey: @BonnieAdamson oh trust me, i find all kinds of unintended stuff afterward as well! #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:16 am

@TarieS: @valvearshecter @gregpincus I guess I just don't like the idea of a writer forcing a social conscience into his story! #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:16 am

@KateMilford: ...rather than deciding in advance what I want them to find in it. Does that make sense? #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:16 am

@LeahCypess: Watching Veronica Mars while simultaneously checking in on #kidlitchat. I foresee some wildly non-sequiturious tweets.
January 11, 2012, 2:17 am

@JonathanAuxier: @delzey @KateMilford Popping in to say: I'm just now figuring out that too much plot focus on early draft hurts my final product #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:17 am

@BonnieAdamson: @delzey that's the fun--it's amazing how what you need to say will find its way into whatever you write #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:17 am

@PBWorkshop: @BonnieAdamson With ability to identify: books says- I say- you say: building individual and communal meaning. Not easy. #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:17 am

@juliekingsley: @delzey Love the embedded ideas you find later. Magic... #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:17 am

@SheviStories: @HC_Lawrence Examples? You mean like Gossip Girls? But if the negative behavior is painted in a negative light, that's enough. #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 2:17 am

@KateMilford: @LeahCypess That's so true. Then often I think, man, I wish I'd meant to do that! That would make me A GENIUS!! #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:17 am

@LaurelSnyder: @KateMilford I, on the other hand, like telling them the right things to think, since I KNOW EVERYTHING. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:17 am

@AnnStampler: @HC_Lawrence I'm not an Ayn Randian,but I really,strenuously object to lit being thought of as great or not great on that basis! #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:17 am

@HC_Lawrence: But isn't that the point. That stories form organically rather than authors forcing an agenda? Not all things have happy endings #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:17 am

@KatieDavisBurps: Dashing in late - what's the topic please? #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:17 am

@delzey: i consider SLAUGHTERHOUSE 5 great, but i don't think this fits RT @crissachappell: great story = obstacle to overcome... #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:18 am

@valvearshecter: @TarieS @gregpincus Agreed. But the best ones aren't forcing it. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:18 am

@JonathanAuxier: Hi @KatieDavisBurps! #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:18 am

@LaurelSnyder: @BonnieAdamson Even if you try not to, I think it pops in. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:18 am

@PBWorkshop: @juliekingsley Yes! Kids find themselves identifying with characters that take them where their families would never go. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:18 am

@queenbjan: @katblack_ I'm comfortable with that.n #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:18 am

@KateMilford: @JonathanAuxier and THAT, sir, is why I refuse to write outlines. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:18 am

@Harper_Jayne: I'm not sure how social conscience needs to always be positive. Some stories have a discordant background. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:18 am

@TarieS: @valvearshecter @gregpincus It's definitely possible to write a great book without a social conscience. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:18 am

@delzey: here here! RT @LaurelSnyder: I, on the other hand, like telling them the right things to think, since I KNOW EVERYTHING. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:18 am

@LeahCypess: @KateMilford I figure my subconscious is sometimes a genius. Other times it's just weird. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:18 am

@BonnieAdamson: @LaurelSnyder yes! like dream images--weird motifs show up. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:19 am

@KateMilford: @LaurelSnyder Well, yeah, okay, but we can't all be you, my dear. And if you know so much, WHY IS MY GLASS EMPTY RIGHT NOW? #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:19 am

@HC_Lawrence: @AnnStampler Me neither (Ayn has flaws in her theories). Social conscience has broad interpretations and definitions. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:19 am

@JonathanAuxier: @KateMilford I would say I do like outlining ... but only after a first draft. (I'm a big fan of page one rewrites, obvs) #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:19 am

@queenbjan: RT @valvearshecter: @TarieS @gregpincus Agreed. But the best ones arent forcing it. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:19 am

@TracyEWymer: @JonathanAuxier @delzey @KateMilford Re: plot focus. I'd say VOICE, especially from 1st person, is key in first draft. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:19 am

@PBWorkshop: RT @BonnieAdamson: @delzey thats the fun--its amazing how what you need to say will find its way into whatever you write-AMAZING #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:19 am

@MacDibble: @SheviStories Dystopian/future/alt future/parallel societies, reflect things familiar to us now, even if they make no judgement #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:19 am

@KateMilford: @laurelsnyder *wanders off to see what bourbons I have* #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:19 am

@delzey: examples? RT @TarieS: Its definitely possible to write a great book without a social conscience. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:19 am

@juliekingsley: I think Lois Lowry is an expert on social conscious. Seriously, The Giver. It's amazing. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:19 am

@SheviStories: Sometimes just the clear division between right and wrong--and siding with right--gives a story a social conscious. #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 2:19 am

@HC_Lawrence: @Harper_Jayne Agreed. Discordant is often more interesting. I don't like neat endings. Life is messy and complicated. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:20 am

@LeahCypess: @KateMilford And my conscious mind tends to get the two confused. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:20 am

@JonathanAuxier: @JonathanAuxier @delzey @KateMilford I agree. But voice is more than just word choice. It's point of view and meaning ... #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:20 am

@JonathanAuxier: @JonathanAuxier @delzey @KateMilford .... and meaning comes from choices characters make (plot) #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:20 am

@LaurelSnyder: @KateMilford I can only tell you what to do. I can't do it for you. MINE IS FULL. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:20 am

@SheviStories: @MacDibble Some science fiction is about man & machine, man & himself, good vs evil, and so on. Not about society. #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 2:20 am

@BonnieAdamson: @SheviStories When i think back to my formative years, my reading material was heavy on the concept of "fair play" #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 2:21 am

@LeahCypess: @delzey @TarieS The Westing Game? #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:21 am

@katblack_: @juliekingsley Agreed on Lois. But not all her books focus on the topic.n #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:21 am

@SheviStories: @BonnieAdamson "Fair play," that's a good example. #KidLitChat

January 11, 2012, 2:21 am

@PBWorkshop: @SheviStories Or even characters having well-thought-out beliefs/using to make choices, whether they are OUR beliefs or not. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:21 am

@delzey: @SheviStories sometimes ambiguity between good and evil, asking the reader to decide if MC made the right choice, is better #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:21 am

@KateMilford: @LaurelSnyder BUT YOU DIDN'T TELL ME TO DO IT SOON ENOUGH. #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:22 am

@JonathanAuxier: @TracyEWymer I'm not sure we can make such a totalizing statement about voice w/o defining voice better (than humanly possible) #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:22 am

@Harper_Jayne: Just as one example my WIP has an extremely racist society. That's normal within the world. And not the author's world view. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:22 am

@LeahCypess: What will it take to settle my internal dispute btw. #veronicamars & #kidlitchat? A crying baby, apparently. See you all later...
January 11, 2012, 2:22 am

@LaurelSnyder: I find my books all have themes of HONESTY and BEING YOURSELF. I don't do this on purpose, but those things are important to me. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:22 am

@juliekingsley: @katblack_ True! #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:22 am

@SheviStories: RT @delzey: @SheviStories sometimes ...asking the reader to decide if MC made the right choice is better #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:22 am

@AnnStampler: I wd argue that there are great books that explore social & moral issues & others that don't. Period. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:22 am

@queenbjan: I recall a PB by a well known author. The underlying message was anti-war. But I think the message went over the kids' heads.n #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:22 am

@MacDibble: @SheviStories WALL-E was about machine vs planet/man, but look at the society it was set in. There was a quiet message there. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:23 am

@KateMilford: @LeahCypess Good example. Excellent book. #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:23 am

@BonnieAdamson: @Harper_Jayne But you probably betray a bias in your writing--is society portrayed as dark, or disfunctional? That's a judgment #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:23 am

@TarieS: @delzey I'm in the Phils. so the first picture books that come to mind are Filipino (with English trans). . . #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:23 am

@PBWorkshop: RT @SheviStories: RT @delzey: @SheviStories sometimes ...asking the reader to decide if MC made the right choice is better #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:23 am

@SheviStories: @MacDibble No, Wall-E was very human, and the message of environmental protection very clear. #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 2:23 am

@TracyEWymer: Half the time I forget the hashtag for #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:24 am

@crissachappell: @delzey I think time/memory is the obstacle to overcome in that book

#kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:24 am

@AnnStampler: @queenbjan But do you also think there could be a great book that was prowar, or pro a specific war? #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:24 am

@KatieDavisBurps: So...anyone going to tell me the topic? Pretty please? #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:24 am

@TarieS: @delzey Three out of the six winners of the Phil. National Children's Book Awards did not have social conscience. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:24 am

@culturalspy: RT @AnnStampler: I wd argue that there are great books that explore social & moral issues & others that don't. Period. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:24 am

@Harper_Jayne: @BonnieAdamson The characters have their own ideas. One is puzzled that MC is racist. (He's aware of MC's heritage: MC isn't.) #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:24 am

@SheviStories: I don't think I ever think about what's good for society. I mainly want to comfort readers, to make them feel less alone. #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 2:24 am

@KateMilford: @queenbjan Also, it's great when you can read a book at different ages and take different things from it. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:24 am

@queenbjan: @LaurelSnyder I agree. And we have to write about what is important to us or our stories have no passion or interest.n #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:24 am

@katblack_: @TracyEWymer use http://t.co/hUR8m7Zl it put's the tag in for you. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:25 am

@helainebecker: RT @KateMilford: @queenbjan Also, it's great when you can read a book at different ages and take different things from it. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:25 am

@PBWorkshop: @TracyEWymer Use the tweetchat site- solves the problem for you. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:25 am

@JonathanAuxier: @KatieDavisBurps No clue. But people are saying interesting things about plot vs voice #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:25 am

@SheviStories: I try to create characters readers will identify with so they can see the hero in them. #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 2:25 am

@katblack_: @KatieDavisBurps sorry Does a great book have to have a social conscience #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:25 am

@AnnStampler: The Cat in the Hat. Genius. But you really have to grope for social conscience. Bro-sister bond is pushing it. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:25 am

@tjshay: RT @BonnieAdamson: TOPIC: Should a great book have a social conscience? Can you share examples? #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:25 am

@TarieS: @LeahCypess @delzey I agree with this example! #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:25 am

@KateMilford: @KatieDavisBurps I think it has something to do with whether or not "social consciousness" is necessary for a "great" book. Hi! #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:25 am

@SheviStories: I don't think that's a social message. More of a personal one. #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 2:25 am

@queenbjan: @AnnStampler The point was that the book was for little kids who probably didn't even think about it much if at all.n #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:25 am

@LaurelSnyder: @delzey I think maybe the kids don't get it at first, but absorb it. As long as it doesn't GET IN THE WAY it's ok by me. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:26 am

@BonnieAdamson: @Harper_Jayne So which character is YOU? #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:26 am

@helainebecker: I think no. Many kinds RT @KateMilford: @KatieDavisBurps whether or not "social consciousness" is necessary for a "great" book. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:26 am

@valvearshecter: @MacDibble @SheviStories But even if they appear to not make any judgement, there is a position the author takes...#kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:26 am

@queenbjan: @KateMilford The book had no point without it. #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:26 am

@TracyEWymer: @KateMilford @queenbjan I'd agree with that about theme. I actually despise themes and never think about them when writing. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:26 am

@SheviStories: When I was a kid, I think I wrote more about social issues. Now I just want to comfort , humor and entertain. #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 2:26 am

@helainebecker: Sometimes a book is great coz its great entertainment. I'm thinking "The Silly Book. " No message just perfect fun. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:27 am

@TarieS: @delzey But yes the other three winners had social conscience and that was a part of what made them so great. :o) #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:27 am

@LaurelSnyder: @AnnStampler Well, you could extrapolate to "leave the world better than you found it." #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:27 am

@delzey: passion = social conscious? RT @queenbjan: we have to write about what is important to us or our stories have no passion... #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:27 am

@TracyEWymer: @KatieDavisBurps Voice and plot and themes. So far. #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:27 am

@SheviStories: @helainebecker Yes, that's the kind of book I generally write. Just entertaining. #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 2:27 am

@AnnStampler: @queenbjan I'm just troubled by the notion a book has to be infused w/ social conscience/moral message be great. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:27 am

@BonnieAdamson: @SheviStories Young adults crave message, IMO--cynicism creeps in later. Case in point: my h/s obsession with WALDEN, lol #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 2:27 am

@rj_anderson: @JonathanAuxier Topic is "Should a great book have a social conscience"? Only I missed the definition of "social conscience" #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:27 am

@Harper_Jayne: @BonnieAdamson None of them, I'm writing the story. I know some people can't reconcile that, but I'm a writer, not a character. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:27 am

@helainebecker: That book - The Silly Book - helped me get through a bad case of German Measles at 9. That's social conscious at its finest! #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:27 am

@juliekingsley: @TracyEWymer "I despise themes." Funny, I don't even think about my theme until I write my pitch. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:28 am

@KatieDavisBurps: I'm on the Do Not Preach team. If I understand this right? #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:28 am

@LaurelSnyder: I think "social" for very small kids is about basic moral/behavioral messages that will extend to political/ethical later. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:28 am

@PBWorkshop: RT @queenbjan: @KateMilford The book had no point without it. > Doesn't sound like much of a great book to me. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:28 am

@BonnieAdamson: @Harper_Jayne That's hard to believe, but I'll take your word for it. :-) #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:28 am

@delzey: @ being anti-establishment! RT @AnnStampler: The Cat in the Hat. Genius. But you really have to grope for social conscience. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:28 am

@KateMilford: @queenbjan Aha. Any story I read that seems pointless without its social message, I'd question as being maybe a bit shallow. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:29 am

@SheviStories: @BonnieAdamson Yeah, that's the way I wrote when I was a teen, but I didn't read books like that. I liked F&SF and humor. #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 2:29 am

@nardinisisters: I don't like preachy books but if the moral message is subtle then I think that's fine. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:29 am

@PBWorkshop: Message vs. entertainment- is that at all like adults reading "literary" vs. mass market/pulp? A place for both in our lives? #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:29 am

@KateMilford: 'Cause no matter how good the social message, if that's all there is...meh. Not my cup of tea. #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:29 am

@rj_anderson: I think books with evident social conscience are likely to please gatekeepers & win awards. But do kid readers love them? #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:29 am

@BonnieAdamson: @delzey @AnnStampler But didn't you know as a kid that the Cat was "bad"? #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:29 am

@SheviStories: Nowadays, I write the books I enjoyed when I was a kid or teen, or books I would have loved if they'd existed. #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 2:29 am

@queenbjan: @AnnStampler It doesn't have to. Some books are meant to be just plain fun or even silly. They entertain. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:30 am

@WendyMartinArt: @BonnieAdamson So was the Grinch, but everyone ends up loving him, too. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:30 am

@TracyEWymer: @KatieDavisBurps Are you Kinder. Rocks Katie Davis? If so, can I tell you how many times I've read your books in the last year? #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:30 am

@KatieDavisBurps: The Cat in the Hat scared the caca out of me when I was a kid. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:30 am

@delzey: @BonnieAdamson i knew the Cat in the Hat was a bad ant, and i still wanted to be him! #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:30 am

@helainebecker: I'd say a book doesn't have to be "Elevating" to be quality literature. Humor rocks. Not mass or lowbrow, just different #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:30 am

@PBWorkshop: @delzey How about Lorax, Horton Hears a Who? Grinch? The Bitter Butter Battle? #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:30 am

@KateMilford: @rj_anderson Well, I can tell you I don't love them. Not as a reader or a writer. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:30 am

@KatieDavisBurps: Not every story has to Mean Something. #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:30 am

@valvearshecter: @LaurelSnyder Right. It depends on the age and interests/emotional stages of the reader. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:30 am

@BonnieAdamson: @SheviStories Well, I read pretty widely--but I remember feeling Thoreau was so DEEP. . . until I re-read as an adult, lol #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 2:30 am

@rj_anderson: (I admit it. The "Poohsticks" chapter makes me misty-eyed every time. It's just so wise, without being preachy at all.) #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:31 am

@AnnStampler: @BonnieAdamson I knew he was "bad" but I admired him(& coveted the hat) Mind you, most of my PB's are marginally religious. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:31 am

@queenbjan: @PBWorkshop I didn't think it was a great book. Just written and illustrated by a usually great author/illustrator. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:31 am

@bkshelfdetectiv: @queenbjan @katemilford I think sometimes a book just entertains, makes us laugh (e.g. not for kids, but The Sisters Brothers) #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:31 am

@AnnStampler: RT @KatieDavisBurps: Not every story has to Mean Something. Yes, Katie Davis! Thank you! #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:31 am

@juliekingsley: @BonnieAdamson So much of required reading is assigned too early and ruins books for some kids. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:32 am

@KatieDavisBurps: @PBWorkshop If your intent is to instill morality, the story is in danger of sinking like a lead, um, sinking thing. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:32 am

@TracyEWymer: @KatieDavisBurps perhaps stories mean what you let them mean, we all approach stories with POV and biases. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:32 am

@k8thek8: I still PLAY poohsticks. It's very zen. RT @rj_anderson: (I admit it. The "Poohsticks" chapter makes me misty-eyed every time.) #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:32 am

@Harper_Jayne: @SheviStories @BonnieAdamson SF&F aren't devoid of meaning. Unless the author is lazy. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:32 am

@JonathanAuxier: Has anyone in today's #kidlitchat mentioned Baum's intro to Wizard of Oz? http://t.co/4UNtqQqd
January 11, 2012, 2:32 am

@BonnieAdamson: @AnnStampler @delzey In fact, C in the H allows safe exploration of the dark side, lol #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:32 am

@delzey: and then there's seuss's MARVIN K. MOONEY @ nixon... http://t.co/cR4TR774 #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:32 am

@KatieDavisBurps: @AnnStampler You are most welcome. #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:32 am

@nardinisisters: RT @juliekingsley: @BonnieAdamson So much of required reading is assigned too early and ruins books for some kids. #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:32 am

@KatieDavisBurps: @TracyEWymer Well, can't you read meaning into almost anything? #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:32 am

@BonnieAdamson: @Harper_Jayne No, indeed. Childhood's End, for example; any Heinlein #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:32 am

@PBWorkshop: Check Alyson Becher's post on Nerdy Book Club blog this week about readers having a balanced diet-http://bit.ly/9qaliS #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:32 am

@delzey: yes it does, otherwise it's meaningless! RT @KatieDavisBurps: Not every story has to Mean Something. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:33 am

@queenbjan: @KateMilford The leaves in the tree climbed to the top and spelled out an antiwar message. No message there was no point. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:33 am

@AnakaliaKlemm: I love soc. consc. in YA books, not so in lil kid books. Ex: Eric Carle, all about the illust. Tum&Nut, Narnia, diff.ball game. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:33 am

@juliekingsley: @JonathanAuxier So how'd you know that was there? Very cool. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:33 am

@SheviStories: @Harper_Jayne Meaning doesn't necessarily means a social conscious. What's Ellison's message? It's okay to feed your dog people? #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 2:33 am

@KateMilford: @JonathanAuxier And yet, there are great things to "find" in it, even though that wasn't his grand plan. Wonderful story first. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:33 am

@BonnieAdamson: @KatieDavisBurps I'd say you don't have to be aware of the meaning to enjoy a book--but if it resonates, it "means something" #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:34 am

@TracyEWymer: @KatieDavisBurps Sure. But I might draw something out of it that you don't, etc... #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:34 am

@rj_anderson: RT @KatieDavisBurps: If your intent is to instill morality, the story is in danger of sinking like a lead, um, sinking thing. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:34 am

@KatieDavisBurps: It's not that stories with meaning/conscience are bad per se, it's when they hit you over the head that's bad. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:34 am

@PBWorkshop: @queenbjan Hate it when that happens, don't you? But I guess we all have our bad days, so to speak. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:34 am

@MacDibble: @valvearshecter @SheviStories That's what good SF does: makes ppl look at themselves. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:35 am

@BonnieAdamson: @hechternacht Ans Sneetches is so much more successful than The Lorax, don't you think? B/c more subtle? To me, anyway #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:35 am

@helainebecker: When you write with passion and a point of view, I think your message seeps in, even if the writer doesn't realize it. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:35 am

@KateMilford: @KatieDavisBurps Or when that's all there is. You can always tell when Making the Point was the writer's primary goal. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:35 am

@LaurelSnyder: @KatieDavisBurps My mother can. #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:35 am

@KatieDavisBurps: @BonnieAdamson Yes! #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:35 am

@BonnieAdamson: @helainebecker Absolutely. #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:36 am

@helainebecker: I'm always amazed what winds up on the pages of my YA stuff - thematic richness I didn't even realize I was layerering in there #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:36 am

@nardinisisters: Our book shows bullying in a humorous way as in a nerd vs. bully. Kids get the message without it being the main focus. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:36 am

@PBWorkshop: @AnakaliaKlemm Disagree about Carle- in interview he says Spider is about the value of work, Cricket is about the need for love. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:36 am

@SheviStories: (Cont.) The comics I remember most involved major changes within the CHARACTERS, not social issues. #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 2:36 am

@AnnStampler: RT @JonathanAuxier: @KateMilford @juliekingsley Agreed. I think stories that are true are bound to generate meaning organically. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:36 am

@ElisabethDahl: @KateMilford @KatieDavisBurps Agreed. I feel like the worst books my son's class reads are the ones written to Make a Point. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:37 am

@PBWorkshop: RT @helainebecker: When you write with passion and a point of view, message seeps in, even if the writer doesnt realize it. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:37 am

@delzey: @BonnieAdamson i read the LORAX when it was published (i was 10) and it had more resonance for me then SNEETCHES, i "got" it #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:37 am

@BonnieAdamson: @ElisabethDahl lol--your son probably agrees with you! #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:37 am

@SheviStories: @Harper_Jayne That's my point. Just because it's SF, doesn't mean there's a social conscience of message behind it. #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 2:37 am

@AnakaliaKlemm: @nardinisisters I think lit. is often assigned too late, after the interest in a topic or theme is gone. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:38 am

@helainebecker: Then again, bad puns also seep in when I write. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:38 am

@BonnieAdamson: @delzey that's a point--I'm reacting as an adult #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:38 am

@rj_anderson: I can't think of a single book with a Big Serious Message that I read as a kid and loved -- or can even remember now. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:38 am

@vickivanv: @rj_anderson Kids love books w/ social conscience, if they (the books, that is) rock as entertainment first and foremost. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:38 am

@Harper_Jayne: @helainebecker I agree with you. But I don't think you have to write with passion from a point of view to have deeper meaning, #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:38 am

@nardinisisters: RT @helainebecker: When you write with passion and a point of view, message seeps in, even if the writer doesnt realize it. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:38 am

@PBWorkshop: @ElisabethDahl Tend to think of those as "curriculum

January 11, 2012, 2:38 am

@AnnStampler: Cry The Beloved Country & Smokey Night seem to be written to make a particular political & human point. Still brilliant. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:38 am

@helainebecker: @Harper_Jayne No, perhaps not, but it sure makes it easier! #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:38 am

@SheviStories: @helainebecker You'd be amazed how many people love puns. When I was an editorial cartoonist, my puns were the most popular. #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 2:39 am

@Harper_Jayne: @SheviStories My point is that that's true of ALL literature. #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:39 am

@KatieDavisBurps: But even stories that are meant to mean something can be delectably written. Case in Point: Speak. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:39 am

@nardinisisters: RT @AnakaliaKlemm: @nardinisisters I think lit. is often assigned too late, after the interest in a topic or theme is gone. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:39 am

@KateMilford: @BonnieAdamson @elisabeth dahl BTW, not saying it's not worth having a Point--but it can't be more important than storytelling. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:39 am

@helainebecker: @vickivanv I loved Chronicles of Narnia. Never realized it was Christian propaganda. It didn't work on me - totally missed it! #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:39 am

@BonnieAdamson: @EgmontUSA howdy! we're talking social conscience #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:39 am

@delzey: @SheviStories and then you get character stories like SPIDERMAN where his changes are driven by philosophical/ideological views #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:39 am

@EgmontUSA: Oops. I'll chirp in as I can. #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:40 am

@JonathanAuxier: @KatieDavisBurps I seriously want the next edition of SPEAK to have your blurb: "Delectably written" - Katie Davis #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:40 am

@SheviStories: @helainebecker Funny. I got POed when the lion rose from the dead. It seemed like a cheat to me. I didn't know Christian stuff. #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 2:40 am

@rj_anderson: But looking back, I'd say THE LORD OF THE RINGS told me some powerful things about honour and loyalty and unselfishness. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:40 am

@BonnieAdamson: @EgmontUSA :-) #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:40 am

@vickivanv: @rj_anderson I read some--To Kill a Mockingbird, and Boris--about the siege of Leningrad in WWII (translated from the Dutch). #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:40 am

@AnnStampler: @rj_anderson Diary of Ann Frank. Big serious message. Read it as a kid. Loved it. Still love it.But the message was organic. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:40 am

@KateMilford: @KatieDavisBurps Oooh, yes! Funny and true and sad and gorgeously written, as well as being Important. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:40 am

@KatieDavisBurps: @SheviStories ME TOO! #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:41 am

@BonnieAdamson: @rj_anderson yes--and remember the scene in Anne of Green Gables where she was accused of theft? That was huge for me #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:41 am

@SheviStories: @delzey Yeah, those are good stories. I also like ones that deal with insanity, two sides of justice, etc. #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 2:41 am

@rj_anderson: @helainebecker IMO that's because Narnia was written *out of* a Christian worldview, not to *preach* a Christian worldview. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:41 am

@nardinisisters: @helainebecker Didn't get that either. But it did make me realize good vs. evil and of course, good always wins. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:41 am

@AnnStampler: I also loved Lion, Witch, Wardrobe as a child, even though the Big Serious Message was alien to my beliefs. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:41 am

@helainebecker: @SheviStories Ha! Me too! When I realized - oh - resurrection - in college, I was doubly pissed off. A cheat that Lewis stole #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:41 am

@SheviStories: @delzey Of course, my favorite series is the X-Men, and that's all about prejudice. BUT my favorite issue was when Pheonix died. #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 2:42 am

@helainebecker: @rj_anderson Is that true? I was under the impression it was a little bit evangelistic. #kidlitchat #narnia Would like to know more.
January 11, 2012, 2:42 am

@PBWorkshop: @BonnieAdamson Anne of Green Gables- me, too. A questions of honor and values. And adults can learn lessons, too. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:43 am

@AnnStampler: @rj_anderson Exactly! Agree completely about Narnia. Writing from vs. trying to inculcate a POV or belief system. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:43 am

@rj_anderson: @BonnieAdamson Oh yes! I felt for Anne so keenly in that scene. It's not preachy if the emotions are real. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:43 am

@SheviStories: @KatieDavisBurps @helainebecker Really? Funny, I thought I was the only one. #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 2:43 am

@nardinisisters: Our teachers in elementary school read us Where the Red Fern Grows and Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls. Still favorites. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:43 am

@JonathanAuxier: @helainebecker @rj_anderson @SheviStories Gotta agree with RJ about Narnia. To share a worldview is not nec to write propaganda #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:43 am

@vickivanv: @rj_anderson Also read a pair of insightful books by Mary Stolz--one from the POV of the bullied & one from bully's POV. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:43 am

@LaurelSnyder: @helainebecker I read it over & over, loved, despite being Jewish. I think kids usually get what makes sense to them. Like sex. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:44 am

@KatieDavisBurps: Has anyone mentioned Roald Dahl? Talk about lessons-but SO subversively delivered. I eat 'em up. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:44 am

@Harper_Jayne: @rj_anderson @helainebecker That's funny. I know a lot of people who hate Narnia because they feel it is preachy. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:44 am

@queenbjan: RT @rj_anderson: @BonnieAdamson Oh yes! I felt for Anne so keenly in that scene. Its not preachy if the emotions are real. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:44 am

@KatieDavisBurps: @SheviStories We ALWAYS think we are the only one! #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:44 am

@rj_anderson: @helainebecker When Lewis conceived the series first he had no notion of it being "Christian" at all. Aslan was just a lion. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:45 am

@JonathanAuxier: @helainebecker Lewis was vehement about the fact that the book wasn't allegory but literary allusion (however ham-fisted) #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:45 am

@helainebecker: Re writing without passion and a particular point of view. Just wondering why write at all if you don't have/express those? #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:45 am

@PBWorkshop: What about Wrinkle in Time- talk about raising big questions. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:45 am

@LaurelSnyder: SOmetimes it's enough for an author to paint portrait of society. As a kid Lenski had a HUGE effect on me. & Tree Grows in Bkln. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:45 am

@valvearshecter: @rj_anderson @helainebecker Ah, maybe that's the distinction--worldview versus social cons./if organic more of a worldview. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:45 am

@AnnStampler: @LaurelSnyder I got that Narnia was an exploration of the the essence of Christian belief, and it still resonated for me. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:45 am

@KateMilford: Narnia is funny. I grew up in a fairly religious household and read them all as a kid, but never got the religious thing. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:45 am

@BonnieAdamson: @PBWorkshop Althoiiugh the sequels got a little heavy-handed, I thought #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:45 am

@rj_anderson: @helainebecker But in process of writing, Christian themes started to emerge organically from the plot. So Lewis went with it. #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:46 am

@LaurelSnyder: @KatieDavisBurps Sooooo masterful. #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:46 am

@helainebecker: @LaurelSnyder Abso. I read that book a thousand times, got something new out of it every time. #Brooklyn #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:46 am

@KatieDavisBurps: But many infuse meaning where there is none: the animals in The Underneath are REALLY just animals. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:46 am

@AnnStampler: @JonathanAuxier Perhaps we could self his sub-conscious a bridge? #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:46 am

@PBWorkshop: @BonnieAdamson Agreed- more forced. #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:46 am

@KateMilford: I loved the stories, but re-reading as an adult, while I still don't find them preachy, I wish the writing was better. ;) #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:46 am

@delzey: in 4th grade miss wright read us: CHARLIE/CHOC FACTORY, ISLAND/BLUE DOLPHINS, HARRIET/SPY & SOUNDER. *that's* inculcation! #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:46 am

@helainebecker: Another book that hooked me.RT @PBWorkshop: What about Wrinkle in Time- talk about raising big questions. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:46 am

@Harper_Jayne: @helainebecker Because it's fun? You ca have passion for WRITING without having passion for A SPECIFIC POINT TO BE MADE. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:47 am

@vickivanv: @helainebecker I loved the Narnia boox as good yarns 2, altho I was aware of

the religious aspects. Same w/His Dark Materials. #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:47 am

@AnakaliaKlemm: The Pushcart War was pretty awesome, I think it had a lot to say about the nature of people in the city. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:47 am

@BonnieAdamson: @KatieDavisBurps are you sure? :-) #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:47 am

@EgmontUSA: One of my favorite books when I need a reality check is Amy Gash's WHAT THE DOREMOUSE SAID. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:47 am

@AnakaliaKlemm: @nardinisisters I read Where the Red Fern Grows about 100x in 3rd grade, could not get enough of it. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:47 am

@rj_anderson: @Harper_Jayne And I know people - including atheists - who feel the same way about Pullman's HIS DARK MATERIALS. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:47 am

@karisrene: @rj_anderson Read To Kill a Mockingbird in 5th grade and LOVED it. Also Hiroshima in 6th. They exist, but are few and far btwn. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:47 am

@SheviStories: @Harper_Jayne Yup. #KidLItChat

January 11, 2012, 2:47 am

@delzey: uh, no RT @KatieDavisBurps: But many infuse meaning where there is none: the animals in The Underneath are REALLY just animals. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:47 am

@JonathanAuxier: @Harper_Jayne @helainebecker Harper, that's a good point and I agree. Again with Baum's intro: he wants to delight readers 1st #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:47 am

@helainebecker: @Harper_Jayne I distinguish between point of view from point to be made. Like in the Nania thread, your orientiation. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:48 am

@jessStorkwrites: C.S. Lewis and Tolkien actually argued because Tolkien didn't agree with how he was using Christian symbolism with fantasy. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:48 am

@AnnStampler: @JonathanAuxier A-hem, that would be SELL his subconscious a bridge... #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:48 am

@JonathanAuxier: @jessStorkwrites I outline with plays and screenplays bc there is no narrative voice to carry story. But books, not as much #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:48 am

@EgmontUSA: It distills some of the most amazing life lessons from just a line or two of children's books. It's amazing how rich it is. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:48 am

@KateMilford: @rj_anderson @harper_jayne Yes, yes, yes. I love those books too, but good grief. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:48 am

@Harper_Jayne: Don't get me wrong, I do think writers should sometimes have a larger point/deeper meaning. But a great story is worth reading. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:49 am

@AnakaliaKlemm: @PBWorkshop Never thought of it that way... but I'm also reading to a 14mo who just steals it from me to check out the pics. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:49 am

@KatieDavisBurps: @BonnieAdamson Yep. Listen to my podcast episode with Kathi Appelt! #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:49 am

@JonathanAuxier: @AnnStampler Well said! #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:49 am

@KatieDavisBurps: @delzey yes. I'll give you the URL when I find it-my interview with Kathi Appelt.n #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:49 am

@KateMilford: @Harper_Jayne @helainebecker I agree. You can just be passionate about telling a great story, or crafting a perfect sentence. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:49 am

@SheviStories: @JonathanAuxier I sort of do that, but that's because I'm great at dialogue. I was also a Theater major. #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 2:49 am

@PBWorkshop: @AnakaliaKlemm Exactly- can we all say "sub-lim-in-al"? #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:50 am

@BonnieAdamson: @KatieDavisBurps haha--just b/c the author says so doesn't stop it having its own meaning for a reader! #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:50 am

@rachelnseigel: @KateMilford I didn't either until I was an adult. At 9 yrs old "Last Battle" really confused me! #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:50 am

@EgmontUSA: RT @BonnieAdamson: @KatieDavisBurps haha--just b/c the author says so doesn't stop it having its own meaning for a reader! #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:50 am

@jessStorkwrites: @JonathanAuxier Very interesting. How do you keep the story rolling in first draft? Follow the main character or the action? #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:50 am

@nardinisisters: @AnakaliaKlemm I keep a copy of Where The Red Fern Grows on my writing desk for inspiration! #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:50 am

@JonathanAuxier: @SheviStories I envy you! I stink at dialog ... which is why I transitioned to film/fiction #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:51 am

@Harper_Jayne: Everything I say should be taken with a grain (at least) of salt though. ;) #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:51 am

@SheviStories: So it sounds like most of us believe that kids' books can have social messages but don't need them. What about a conscience? #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 2:51 am

@AnakaliaKlemm: @delzey Scott O'Dell is a favorite of mine. Island of the Blue Dolphins really taught the value of hard work! #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:51 am

@KatieDavisBurps: Here you go: @kathiappelt on the podcast: http://t.co/MKjcU7qd (& yes, you can interpret however you like!) #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:51 am

@rachelnseigel: @nardinisisters I can't open Red Fern without immediately bawling my eyes out! Read it so many times as a kid! #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:51 am

@helainebecker: Deconstruct that text, baby! RT @BonnieAdamson: @KatieDavisBurps just b/c the author says so - its own meaning for a reader! #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:51 am

@KateMilford: @rachelnseigel I do vaguely have a memory of discussing with another 8th grader who'd just finished reading them about whether.. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:51 am

@KateMilford: @rachelnseigel ...about whether the ending was depressing or not, for exactly that reason. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:52 am

@PBWorkshop: Love that!RT @BonnieAdamson: @KatieDavisBurps haha--just b/c the author says so doesnt stop it having/own meaning for a reader! #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:52 am

@SheviStories: @JonathanAuxier The main things I have a hard time with are description and action, everything BUT dialogue and character. #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 2:52 am

@BonnieAdamson: @helainebecker That's how we make a book our own as reader :-) #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:52 am

@AnnStampler: @AnakaliaKlemm For me, Island of the Blue Dolphin was about confronting & dealing with being alone. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:53 am

@jessStorkwrites: @AnakaliaKlemm @delzey Island of the Blue Dolphins was one of my favorite books as a kid. And it's still a relevant book today. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:53 am

@vickivanv: @reading_angel The bit in N&C about the brown plasters (band-aids) knocked me flat & made me realize how blind I can be. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:53 am

@rachelnseigel: @KateMilford A teacher red us Lion Witch & Wardrobe that year. I probably was 2 young to fully grasp the later books.. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:53 am

@rj_anderson: Re Narnia vs HDM, I think it's easier to avoid preachiness by writing positively about good than by haranguing against evil. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:53 am

@SheviStories: I do think readers will often add meaning when it's not there. Like Christians who see Jesus or Satan everywhere. #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 2:53 am

@codejill: @rj_anderson as a kid I took big serious things from Huck Finn, though it's not told seriously, which also impressed me #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:53 am

@dsantat: #kidlitchat I missed this whole conversation but I just wanted to poke my head in and say Hello to you all

January 11, 2012, 2:53 am

@nardinisisters: @rachelnseigel I know! #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:53 am

@KatieDavisBurps: @dsantat Hey Dan! #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:54 am

@rj_anderson: HDM was Pullman attacking Lewis & Christianity, whereas Narnia was simply Lewis writing about what he loved and believed in. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:54 am

@delzey: @KatieDavisBurps you know, sometimes you have to hear between the lines as well as read between them, but i'll give it a listen #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:54 am

@rachelnseigel: @SheviStories @helainebecker I think we natrually find meaning in text when we read based on our experiences. #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 2:54 am

@KateMilford: @shevistories Same answer. I think author's conscience'll seep through, but if it's the point it'll be annoying. To me, anyway. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:54 am

@AnakaliaKlemm: @AnnStampler Yes, that too. Its such a beautiful multi-faceted story. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:54 am

@SheviStories: @codejill Me too. Loved Huck Finn. It reveals a lot about human nature. #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 2:54 am

@JonathanAuxier: @jessStorkwrites After years of plays/screenplays, I've pretty much internalized story structure, so it's always in the bg #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:54 am

@PBWorkshop: @SheviStories That's why young readers need practice in recognizing what is

"there" and what comes from inside themselves. #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:55 am

@KateMilford: @SheviStories But that's the point! For the READER to find meaning that's meaningful to him/her! That's the goal! #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:55 am

@BonnieAdamson: @helainebecker Lol, that's one of my favorite things to do . . . find metaphors #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:55 am

@queenbjan: RT @rj_anderson: Re Narnia vs HDM, .... avoid preachiness by writing positively about good than by haranguing against evil. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:55 am

@KateMilford: @shevistories or, since we were so recently discussing religious imagery, THAT'S THE GRAIL!! #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:55 am

@reading_angel: @vickivanv Yeah, that was definitely one of the mind-blowing things. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:55 am

@JonathanAuxier: @dsantat Howdy, sir! #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:55 am

@KatieDavisBurps: @delzey I think it's fun to hear what the author intended. Of course you can lay on any meaning you want! #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:55 am

@dsantat: @KatieDavisBurps I assume I'll see you in NY for SCBWI? #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:55 am

@BonnieAdamson: @KateMilford @SheviStories maybe that's what makes a book "great"--it can carry the weight of different interpretations #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:56 am

@helainebecker: And it is true that authors don't always realize what they've put in - I'm always shocked when I reread my own clever accidents #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:56 am

@rj_anderson: And I think maybe that's the key - writing wholeheartedly about what you love, not merely arguing against what you hate. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:56 am

@jessStorkwrites: @SheviStories Lol, you mean like Jesus in the toast? I think people try to find a personal connection to books and that's why. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:56 am

@KatieDavisBurps: G'nite tweeps! Thanks for a fun chat! #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:56 am

@KatieDavisBurps: @dsantat Nope - sadly it's the same weekend as Kindling Words. 8-( #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:56 am

@rachelnseigel: @KateMilford @Shevistories Read Sylvester & Magic Pebble 2 grade twos who thought message was don't pick up things from ground #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:56 am

@JonathanAuxier: @SheviStories @AnnStampler @helainebecker Back to Narnia: can we all agree that MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW is the only really great one? #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:56 am

@SheviStories: @KatieDavisBurps There are two schools of literary analysis: the text alone or the text in context with the author's life. #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 2:57 am

@helainebecker: A book that's rich and multilayered will offer much to many, over and over again. That's why the Bible is so popular. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:57 am

@AnnStampler: @laurelsnyder - I just sent you a #kidlitchat reply & it ended up in regular twitter. Aaaugh!!! #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:57 am

@KatieDavisBurps: @dsantat When you coming in? #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:57 am

@queenbjan: RT @rj_anderson: And I think maybe thats the key - writing wholeheartedly about what you love, not merely arguing against hate. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:57 am

@dsantat: @JonathanAuxier hello hello #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:57 am

@SheviStories: Generally, I'm in the text alone camp, but when something is political, the author's context means a lot. #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 2:57 am

@ek_johnston: @rj_anderson That's why I love happy endings and comeuppance and unrealistically low death tolls. ;) #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:57 am

@jessStorkwrites: @JonathanAuxier Nice. Perhaps it comes out more organically that way anyways. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:57 am

@KateMilford: @BonnieAdamson There's actually this discussion in my next book: what makes a book a True Book is, it changes with the reader. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:58 am

@rj_anderson: @JonathanAuxier No, because I love THE SILVER CHAIR best of all. So there. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:58 am

@vickivanv: @rj_anderson I was able to enjoy both Narnia & HDM as stories, w/o focusing on underlying messages, tho I was aware of them. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:58 am

@SheviStories: @rachelnseigel Funny! I didn't. I do remember loving that book, though. #KidLitChat

January 11, 2012, 2:58 am

@AnakaliaKlemm: @helainebecker So true. Did anyone notice how incredibly Mormon laced Ender's Game series gets? #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:58 am

@PBWorkshop: @SheviStories Without a reader, leave the covers of the book closed. meaning is a process, not a recipe. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:58 am

@dsantat: @KatieDavisBurps Wed evening Jan 25 #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:58 am

@BonnieAdamson: @KateMilford I like that. #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:58 am

@AnnStampler: @JonathanAuxier Haven't read Narnia books since childhood--they blend together into a seamless whole for me. I'd have to reread. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:58 am

@helainebecker: @SheviStories What abt conjunction with what you ate for bkfast?That changes my perspicuity and attitude :) #kidlitchat #deconstructthetoast
January 11, 2012, 2:58 am

@rachelnseigel: @SheviStories It's all personal right? It wasn't the message I intially thought of either, but it's a fair comment! #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 2:58 am

@AnakaliaKlemm: RT @PBWorkshop: @SheviStories Without a reader, leave the covers of the book closed. meaning is a process, not a recipe. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:59 am

@KateMilford: @bonnieadamson I believe it wholeheartedly. :) #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:59 am

@vickivanv: @rj_anderson There is a place for anger and arguing against something you think is wrong, but it has to rock as a story first. #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:59 am

@SheviStories: @rachelnseigel Yes, it is, and I think no one will read things into stories more than kids do. #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 2:59 am

@helainebecker: @AnnStampler I liked The Horse and His Boy and the I think The Magician's Nephew best. I think. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:59 am

@delzey: i think this was a great chat in that i don't think we came to any kind of consensus about "great" or "social conscious!" #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 2:59 am

@JonathanAuxier: @rj_anderson Fair enough. It's hart to hate on a Marsh-wiggle #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 2:59 am

@BonnieAdamson: @delzey hey, we aim to please! :-) #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 3:00 am

@rachelnseigel: @SheviStories That's totally true- and in ways we never think of! #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 3:00 am

@nardinisisters: RT @SheviStories: @rachelnseigel Yes, it is, and I think no one will read things into stories more than kids do. #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 3:00 am

@helainebecker: Very true. I read much meaning into this line. RT @JonathanAuxier: @rj_anderson Fair enough. It's hard to hate on a Marsh-wiggle #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 3:00 am

@rj_anderson: @JonathanAuxier Very respectable Marsh-wiggle. Respectobiggle. #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 3:00 am

@LaurelSnyder: @AnnStampler I think the cat represented big government. #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 3:00 am

@SheviStories: @delzey Great is whatever I like. Social conscious is whatever feels like lecturing to me. ;-) #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 3:00 am

@AnnStampler: @SheviStories If it's the way you see the world, it's there. The creator's intention is rendered virtually irrelevant. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 3:01 am

@jessStorkwrites: @JonathanAuxier @SheviStories @AnnStampler @helainebecker Voyage of Dawntreader was my favorite. Mushroom men how cool was that? #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 3:01 am

@BonnieAdamson: Thank you, all you intrepid, socially-conscious people. This was fun. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 3:01 am

@rachelnseigel: @jessStorkwrites @JonathanAuxier @SheviStories @AnnStampler @helainebecker Man! I really nead to re-read Narnia now! #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 3:01 am

@KateMilford: @rj_anderson @jonathanauxier Snorted into my drink. Thank you both. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 3:01 am

@rj_anderson: @helainebecker THE HORSE AND HIS BOY had an interracial romance. An awesome one. Now there's a social message! :D #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 3:01 am

@PBWorkshop: @BonnieAdamson Thanks for a great topic, Bonnie. I picked a great night to drop back in. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 3:01 am

@SheviStories: Wow, I can't believe I made it all the way to 10PM! And I only had to clear the tissues from my lap twice! #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 3:02 am

@nardinisisters: RT @PBWorkshop: @SheviStories Without a reader, leave the covers of the

book closed. meaning is a process, not a recipe. #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 3:02 am

@AnnStampler: Must say, in case I've offended almost everyone on all sides of this, my YA revolves almost entirely around moral choices. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 3:02 am

@queenbjan: @BonnieAdamson lol You're welcome!n #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 3:02 am

@BonnieAdamson: @SheviStories The power of chat! Cures colds! :-) #KidLitChat

January 11, 2012, 3:02 am

@SheviStories: @BonnieAdamson LOL, I wish! #KidLitChat

January 11, 2012, 3:02 am

@BonnieAdamson: Goodnight, all! #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 3:03 am

@SheviStories: @BonnieAdamson I'm wearing a skirt. My lap holds a lot of tissues. #KidLitChat
January 11, 2012, 3:03 am

@KateMilford: Superfun discussion. Thanks for letting me play. :) #kidlitchat

January 11, 2012, 3:03 am

@SheviStories: Good night, everyone! Very interesting #KidLitChat

January 11, 2012, 3:03 am

@AnakaliaKlemm: RT @PBWorkshop: @BonnieAdamson Thanks for a great topic, Bonnie. I picked a great night to drop back in. #kidlitchat
January 11, 2012, 3:03 am

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