Michael Morpurgo, who's lovely I Believe in Unicorns is going to be reviewed by me at some point (it's one of my "orphan" titles - I can't find the right theme to place it in) is the subject of the first "Why I Write" column at the Guardian. Very brief and informative interview - I like how one impressive comment from Ted Hughes really had a lifelong impact on the writer:

In my 30s, I wrote War Horse, which was shortlisted for the Whitbread prize. I didn't win it. Ted Hughes came to see me. He said it was a fine book and he also said something wonderful that all writers need to hear: "You will write a finer one."

There are so many things I could say about this, but fortunately Ed has already done it for me. (I have to add though - are people so naive that they don't realize that bookstores receive ARCs all the time, or that publishers pay to have books on the front tables, just as toy companies pay for the endcaps in toy stores and manufacturers pay for eye level placement in grocery stores? And what about the free samples while you're food shopping? None of this makes an informed customer buy a product - it just causes some of them to give it a second look. That's all a review should do as well.)

And really - any blogger who thinks that every ARC must be reviewed because the publisher expects it doesn't have the kind of inflow I do, that's for sure. (And how in the hell does a publisher force you to review a bad book - by threatening to withhold free copies of future bad books? Huh?)

Subterranean Press is sharing some love for my review of Poppy Z. Brite's D*U*C*K. This book (and Soul Kitchen) were just a delight to read and write about - and spreading the word about them is one of the reasons why I love reviewing so much. (And no - I was never pressured by Sub Press. In fact, I'm paying cold hard cash for my signed limited edition of Ray Bradbury's latest just like everybody else!) Seriously though, half the time I don't know if I have "gotten" a book as the author intended - if I've missed something or read it completely wrong and misinterpreted a valid point or two. I'm so glad that in this particular case I seemed to have nailed it, as Poppy is one of my favorite authors and I adore this series.

And finally, a very thoughtful post over at Educating Alice about Holocaust literature for kids. I am in total agreement with her - and I skipped reading The Boy in the Striped Pajamas largely because I had no interest in reviewing a Holocaust book. (The ARC was sent my way even though I didn't request it.) For me, I think there are plenty of outstanding books on this subject already out there, and I don't see why we need to revisit an episode in history again and again (with new titles) when there are so many recent historical episodes that are sorely neglected. Where are the YA titles on Rwanda or the former Yugoslavia or Darfur if you want to write about genocide? Stretching back further, where is Cambodia or Nanking or the Armenians in Turkey? Why do we focus so much on the Holocaust? The excuse seems to be a repeated cant of "so it does not happen again". Well sorry folks, that shipped has sailed - it keeps happening again and it's happening right now in the Sudan.

Oh - and I haven't exactly heard Israel screaming about how the Sudanese need to be saved either. (Not that this is a political blog or anything.)

Teach them about WWI and WW2 in elementary school - let them see what was happening in the world in the 1920s and 1930s. Then when they get to middle school/junior high unleash the Holocaust literature. The best thing would be if you could introduce it in a unit about genocide throughout history - give them all the truth and start with Anne Frank. But for 4th graders? Please. History can wait until they are ready to truly visit it.