It doesn't matter what the quality of the books on the list are. If you create a list of "essential" YA books and call them "timeless," but they are all new, you are guilty of dangerous chronological snobbery and are simply a fool.
Eh, Amazon. Once I loved them. The bloom is now off that bud, for a variety of reasons.
As a former children's and YA librarian, I will agree that Amazon's silly page is rife with chronological snobbery. Some of the most interesting books in the library used to be in the YA section. But this -- they include Phillip Pullman, but not Diana Wynne Jones? (She is my particular favorite, but I'm sure many people have a worthy author or two up their sleeve who are invariably neglected on this kind of list.)
Eh, Amazon. Once I loved them. The bloom is now off that bud, for a variety of reasons.
ReplyDeleteAs a former children's and YA librarian, I will agree that Amazon's silly page is rife with chronological snobbery. Some of the most interesting books in the library used to be in the YA section. But this -- they include Phillip Pullman, but not Diana Wynne Jones? (She is my particular favorite, but I'm sure many people have a worthy author or two up their sleeve who are invariably neglected on this kind of list.)
Ben and I love Diana Wynne Jones' books. I can't stand Philip Pullman.
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