tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1046067346902619614.post7756671036754395927..comments2024-03-27T12:47:38.949+00:00Comments on Middle Grade Strikes Back: The Best Books Of The 21st Century?BookZonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03218467691812670770noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1046067346902619614.post-14395773184822034052015-08-30T20:05:17.648+01:002015-08-30T20:05:17.648+01:00Harry Potter and His Dark Materials are YA. Not MG...Harry Potter and His Dark Materials are YA. Not MGAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00332291332696522070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1046067346902619614.post-63477186919075044812015-02-06T15:31:41.012+00:002015-02-06T15:31:41.012+00:00What a brilliant post. What a brilliant post. serendipity_vivhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07156013023056026525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1046067346902619614.post-54602786875545552462015-02-05T13:18:24.428+00:002015-02-05T13:18:24.428+00:00Brilliant, thank you, incredible that all this sti...Brilliant, thank you, incredible that all this still has to be said! Francesca Simon describes the power of children's books beautifully above, and in a nutshell. A children's writer needs to be much more aware of their possible effect.<br /><br />Joan Aiken wrote: " A child may only read six hundred books in the course of their childhood" (and sadly often fewer) " Only the best is good enough for children. A children's writer should ideally be a dedicated semi-lunatic...it is their duty to demonstrate that the world is not a simple place. Far from it. It is an infinitely rich, strange, confusing, wonderful, cruel, mysterious, beautiful, inexplicable riddle."<br /><br />How many adult books are written with this sense of responsibility to humanity?<br /><br />Lizza AikenAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1046067346902619614.post-14422005244521983762015-02-05T11:20:53.472+00:002015-02-05T11:20:53.472+00:00Great post!Great post!Mike Revellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13613571582906338872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1046067346902619614.post-78458848972846080222015-02-05T09:21:26.809+00:002015-02-05T09:21:26.809+00:00Thanks for your point. You're absolutely right...Thanks for your point. You're absolutely right that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/21st_century" rel="nofollow">the 21st Century officially began in 2001</a>, despite the fact that many people view it as beginning in 2000. <br /><br />My blog was a response to <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/jan/20/brief-wondrous-life-of-oscar-wao-novel-21st-century-best-junot-diaz" rel="nofollow">the BBC poll list</a>, which contains two novels published in 2000: White Teeth, and The Amazing Adventures Of Kavalier & Klay. So I was following the BBC's definition of the 21st Century. If those books were eligible for their poll, then so were The Amber Spyglass and four of the Harry Potter books.SF Saidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08494052568322553484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1046067346902619614.post-46964848804346191412015-02-04T19:48:14.912+00:002015-02-04T19:48:14.912+00:00but the 21st Century didn't start until Jan 1s...but the 21st Century didn't start until Jan 1st 2001....lights blue touch-paper and steps backeugenehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03745956549680075085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1046067346902619614.post-61400874865891609932015-02-04T16:23:46.688+00:002015-02-04T16:23:46.688+00:00Great post!Great post!Kieranhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17999922031733093543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1046067346902619614.post-66765977101962299372015-02-04T13:36:36.067+00:002015-02-04T13:36:36.067+00:00Great strike! Ah - I see we're voting for Chil...Great strike! Ah - I see we're voting for Children's books only (written for 8-13 yrs), first published in UK. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05253573780465147312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1046067346902619614.post-49372417426708425692015-02-04T13:27:17.822+00:002015-02-04T13:27:17.822+00:00This comment has been removed by the author.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05253573780465147312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1046067346902619614.post-51835736944956177522015-02-04T13:12:47.323+00:002015-02-04T13:12:47.323+00:00Thanks so much for the comments – feedback is alwa...Thanks so much for the comments – feedback is always appreciated. I love that CS Lewis quote!<br /><br />On the question of whether JK Rowling is 20th Century, while it's true that the first Harry Potter book was published in 1997, more than half the series was published in the 21st Century. Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire (book 4) was the first; it was published in July 2000.<br /><br />With Philip Pullman, while Northern Lights (1995) and The Subtle Knife (1997) were published in the 20th Century, The Amber Spyglass was published in October 2000, so once again, it is a 21st Century book. <br /><br />As Pullman views the trilogy as being one book in three parts, and as the trilogy was not complete until 2000, there's also an argument that His Dark Materials as a whole should be viewed as a 21st Century book. It was certainly not published in one volume before the 21st Century.SF Saidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08494052568322553484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1046067346902619614.post-86766240251728491012015-02-04T11:35:22.548+00:002015-02-04T11:35:22.548+00:00Erm, is it because JK Rowling, Pullman et al are a...Erm, is it because JK Rowling, Pullman et al are actually 20th (not 21st) century books? Just a thought, though I might seem to be looking for excuses :-)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02488094289848849951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1046067346902619614.post-6034887232825403812015-02-04T09:12:06.439+00:002015-02-04T09:12:06.439+00:00“A children's story that can only be enjoyed b...“A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest.”― C.S. Lewis<br /><br />Shocked at that extract from University of Kent. The YA book prize launched last year...maybe 2015 will be the year that MG gets some of the spotlight. Hope so! Leanne Wainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06105276321484634243noreply@blogger.com