Today's take on Elementary Nonfiction Nominees for CYBILS AWARDS shines a light on two of my favorite subjects: writing for real purposes, and historic figures whose lives offer brilliant examples for modern living.
Albert Whitman & Company, 2021
First up, take a look at DEAR MR. DICKENS, written by Nancy Churnin and illustrated by Bethany Stancliffe. It was quite a different world back in the day of Charles Dickens. He was perhaps the most celebrated and influential writer/innovator of his time (mid-1800's), serializing his books chapter by chapter, publishing them in cheap newspapers. That's how he could reach more readers and earn their loyal support. Using that massive audience throughout Great Britain, Dickens used fiction to speak out on behalf of social justice, developing entertaining stories and sympathetic characters to argue against poor housing, child labor, class oppression, miserable living/health conditions, and more.
Eliza Davis was one of his biggest fans, admiring the way he used what today would be called his "platform" and "social media" to improve living conditions for all. Then she read OLIVER TWIST and some other novels in which the most evil of evil antagonists were depicted as stereotypical/propagandistic/antisemitic characters, not only designated as Jews, but often referred to in later passages as "The Jew" rather than by name.
Dickens received plenty of mail, and to his credit he responded to some. He did, in fact, respond to Eliza's thoughtful letter of complaint about this situation, saying that evil people could come from any background, and certainly there were Jewish villains in real life.
Score one for brave Eliza to write, and another for Dickens to respond. But the story is just beginning here, and kids will certainly be hooked in these early pages to find out whether a popular and powerful author might actually consider making a significant change to a best-selling book.
If anything serves as an example of the power of the pen, of the benefits of thoughtful reading, of speaking out about injustice, of supporting solid arguments with legitimate facts, THIS IS IT!
What a timely read this historical picture book is!
Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2021
While Eliza Davis recognized and expressed her voice eagerly, another ultimately successful British author was finding her own voice. A MOST CLEVER GIRL: How Jane Austen Discovered Her Voice is written by Jasmine A Stirling and illustrated by Vesper Stamper.
This picture book portrayal of Jane Austen reveals the depth and warmth of her childhood within a loving family. Many authors are avid readers, and that was true for Austen, except that none of the extensive collection of books available to her felt worthy. They were predictable, had shallow characters (especially the fanning, fainting women), and the stories were as dry as toast. She was an astute observer of social interactions and personalities, regaling her family with storytelling and writing her own novels as a young teen. Central to this path was the devotion and encouragement of her doting father.
As circumstances changed, Jane and her sisters lost their home in the country, and she sunk into struggles of emotions and inspiration and depression for several years. Eventually, when Jane could return to life in a countryside community, even with modest means, she recovered her spirit and resumed writing with her prior humor and plot twists, but engaging the depth of human emotion and insight that eluded her in the past.
For the many Austen fans, this is a must-read to fully appreciate that her extraordinary intelligence and imagination were not as spontaneous as we may have assumed. She eventually wrote the books she would have loved reading while younger, but was unable to fully imagine and inhabit until she had a few years and more expansive emotions within her lived experience. As current folks know, her stories remain entertaining and timeless enough to become award-winning films in our modern lives.
Powerful voices, indeed, each writing for specific and compelling purposes and with success.
Beaming Books, 2021
For more examples of ways that writing for real purposes can (and does) make lives better, (for ourselves and for others) check out this interview with the author of one of our Middle Grade nominees, MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD, Rochelle Melander.
Meanwhile, I'll keep using my voice to introduce you to more and more of our nominees in coming posts.
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