Erica Perl writes a spirited defense of the Newbery's track record for Slate, which has lately been under attack all over the place:
Is a Newbery winner right for every kid? No—but what book is? Some kids will give the tougher tomes a try and come away with a richer vocabulary and a deeper appreciation of a world beyond their experience. Other kids will ditch them and dig right back into R.L. Stine (which, after all, is reading, too).
It's a good piece and I couldn't agree with her more. But I must admit that it also pleases me greatly that people in the children's literature field are invested enough to fight about this kind of thing. That in of itself speaks volumes about the Newbery's historic (and I'd argue continued) importance — and also about the general passion of the readers, writers, librarians and others who keep an eyeball on the latest kerfluffles and goings on. (Link via tweety Sarah.)