tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120782106813350531.post3229909497507160041..comments2023-10-11T12:15:24.435+01:00Comments on Aidan Chambers: KissesAidan Chambershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04898704093429793297noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120782106813350531.post-4455128197301712102009-06-03T16:31:13.127+01:002009-06-03T16:31:13.127+01:00I think the jury made a mistake, but I do clearly ...I think the jury made a mistake, but I do clearly see why they did it this way. This is all is a marvelous book, but it is not suitable for everyone. You have to be an advanced reader before you try to read This is all. And, because a lot of children (maybe too little children) will read it when it received the Silver Kiss, the book might put that kids off of other books. <br /><br />Still, I do Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120782106813350531.post-26869829916147810102009-01-31T09:14:00.000+00:002009-01-31T09:14:00.000+00:00I haven't read this book yet, but I read "Now I Kn...I haven't read this book yet, but I read "Now I Know" when I was 12, and was profoundly affected by it. I re-read it a few years later, after reading Dance on my Grave, and it stood up very well. Your books and Robert Cormier's books were the only "teenage" market books I ever read that didn't feel deeply patronising and/or superficial. I guess this is only tangentially related, but I wanted Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120782106813350531.post-24003691181428455362009-01-20T12:11:00.000+00:002009-01-20T12:11:00.000+00:00This comment is rather late, but I'm interested to...This comment is rather late, but I'm interested to see if you are still keeping this blog, and this entry was the most relevant to why I am reading it.<BR/><BR/>Do you remember the North East Book Award of 2000/01? Postcards was up, alongside some four or five others. It was a book which had a profound effect upon my year 10 reading group, and it was ranked first by nearly all of us (this award Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120782106813350531.post-81273328691240434692008-09-13T20:13:00.000+01:002008-09-13T20:13:00.000+01:00As a 27 year old Dutch reader, who's also an aspir...As a 27 year old Dutch reader, who's also an aspiring teacher of the lovely Dutch language, this Kisses predicament was brought to my attention by our 'books' teacher Coen. We have several classes in youth literature. <BR/>Aidan Chambers is by far my favourite writer of literature for young adults. His books have captivated many people, as can be seen by reactions here, his style is great and I Juliannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02221817449643858849noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120782106813350531.post-86459458801514944202008-06-05T11:01:00.000+01:002008-06-05T11:01:00.000+01:00As an avid 40 yr old reader of Aidan's books, I am...As an avid 40 yr old reader of Aidan's books, I am shocked and horrified that <I>This is All</I> was not awarded a prize on account of its being the strongest literary contender in the running. That the Astrid Lindren prize went to Sonya Hartnett proves that this kind of writing which does not pander to an age-stamp, can be judged on its proper merits and worth. As the previous commenter chooses,Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120782106813350531.post-31039170864925663922008-05-28T19:55:00.000+01:002008-05-28T19:55:00.000+01:00As an avid 73-year-old reader of Aidan's books, th...As an avid 73-year-old reader of Aidan's books, this latest debate draws me into making my first blog contribution ever - mainly to say (write!) how delighted I am by the strength of the support for 'This Is All' demonstrated by other commentators.<BR/><BR/>Though British, I live in Sweden and sell English books for young people, and I'm struck by the irony of the Astrid Lindgren Award going to Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120782106813350531.post-6832822133629513472008-05-28T08:10:00.000+01:002008-05-28T08:10:00.000+01:00Aidan, I agree with you that there's a lot of mudd...Aidan, I agree with you that there's a lot of muddled thinking about book prizes for the young. A great many awards in the UK are now judged by children (although in most cases it's adults who make the preliminary selections), and these projects are successful in involving readers who might otherwise be diffident. But I think the muddiness creeps in when attempts are made to involve child judges Linda Newberyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04026320333019630397noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120782106813350531.post-79474971092862085322008-05-28T07:54:00.000+01:002008-05-28T07:54:00.000+01:00This comment has been removed by the author.Linda Newberyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04026320333019630397noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120782106813350531.post-22454760381265257712008-05-20T19:57:00.000+01:002008-05-20T19:57:00.000+01:00I think "This is all" is not the most easy book to...I think "This is all" is not the most easy book to read, it is not a Harlequin romance novel, it is literature. The jury of the kisses seems to believe that literature like "This is all" is too hard for young readers (aged 12-15) to understand, so they decided to disqualify the book, although the report they made makes undoubtedly clear that they liked "This is all" the best of all. <BR/><BR/>It Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120782106813350531.post-52647022430163288152008-05-18T08:43:00.000+01:002008-05-18T08:43:00.000+01:00"... may as yet not be experienced enough and had ..."... may as yet not be experienced enough and had better wait for a while."<BR/>'Wait for what? Wait for nothing, as the jury does not provide any alternative. They simply state: we do not give this book the award although it deserves to be given it, but not by us. And what about 'the benefit of the doubt'? The benefit of the doubt means that you doubt the quality of the book, which is by no Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120782106813350531.post-13135631783430294512008-05-16T23:58:00.000+01:002008-05-16T23:58:00.000+01:00Dear Aidan,As for your first two questions:Yes, th...Dear Aidan,<BR/><BR/>As for your first two questions:<BR/><BR/>Yes, the Kisses are definitely intended to acknowledge literary worth. The two books that received the Silver Kisses this year were "The book thief" by Markus Zusak and "The year the gypsies came" by Linzi Glass.<BR/><BR/>And the Kisses may be viewed as a form of marketing and publicity, but I would prefer to view them as a form of Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com