|
________________
CM . . . .
Volume VII Number 16 . . . . April 13, 2001
Close Ups: Best Stories for Teens is a lean and rich compilation of
short stories that explore brief but pivotal moments in the lives of young
people. From V-E Day euphoria to life on the streets to mountaintop dances
with spirits, each tale provides the reader just enough fuel to set the
imagination in full motion. Drawn from collections as early as 1984,
Close Ups features authors Kathy Stinson, Kevin Major, Martha
Brooks, Linda Holeman, Sarah Ellis and 12 others, all of whom skillfully
intertwine humour, irony, tenderness and aggression as they rise to the
challenge of the genre. The central characters are rendered dynamic and
genuine by their interactions with a variety of characters and by the
conflicts they face within society and themselves as they carve out their
own sense of identity in the world.
From pre-teen boys to a young school teacher, the wide age range of
protagonists strengthens the book's ability to cover more broadly the
stages of adolescence, evoking in many readers a sense of past experience
as well as the anticipation of adulthood.
Close Ups is an excellent introduction both to the short story
genre and some of the finest talent in Canadian children's literature. It
will appeal to readers as young as 14, with some of the stories serving as
strong material for reading aloud.
Highly Recommended.
Tom Knutson chairs the Young Adult and Children's Section of the British Columbia Library
Association.
CM editor's note: The "Acknowledgments" point out that "The key
purpose in the publication of Close Ups has been to support The
Canadian Children's Book Centre, an organization that has nurtured and
promoted the children's book industry in this country."
To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.
Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association.
Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice
is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without
permission.
Published by
TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS ISSUE - April 13, 2001.
AUTHORS |
TITLES |
MEDIA REVIEWS |
PROFILES |
BACK ISSUES |
SEARCH |
ORDER |
CMARCHIVE |
HOME
|
