WHTTWOT was just named one of 54 graphic novels recommended to public and school librarians by the Texas Library Assocation. The purpose of the "Texas Maverick Graphic Novel Reading List" is to encourage students in grades 6 through 12 to explore a variety of current books. One of them's mine.
The selected graphic novels are grouped by appropriate age ranges--grades 6-8, grades 9-12, adult titles for young adults--and mine is recommended for the entire swath of grades 6 through 12, which I'm proud of. I wrote it that way on purpose, and think there's something in it for everyone. Even (and maybe most especially) adults. Plus, I'm in some excellent company: other writers whose books made the list include Neil Gaiman, Lynda Barry, Rick Geary, Ray Bradbury (for an adaptation of Fahrenheit 451), and my new favorite colleague Robert Louis Stevenson (for an adaptation of Jekyll and Hyde).
Ponder for a moment the possibility of your name ending up on the same list as Bradbury's and Stevenson's, then try to tell me that's not pretty cool.
To paraphrase Garfield (the cat, not the president), this is a big, fat, hairy honor. The Texas Library Association is large, respected, and influential. Librarians in states far from the Lone Star State look to its recommendations to guide their buying decisions. This selection is one of the better things to happen for WHTTWOT and I appreciate it very much.
Don't mess with Texas . . . or you'll have to answer to me.
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6 comments:
it's interesting how certain 'honors' that can mean so much aren't always the those that get big publicity or exposure.
i'm really happy for you, Brian.
This is awesome! Is it a great honor and well-deserved. And I'll still pick on Texas, just not their librarians.
Marion
You're right about how influential Texas is. It buys so many schoolbooks that often elements of its curriculum are included in all textbooks on a given subject printed by a publisher. (This became a problem when Texas was trying to decide what to do about "creationism" vs. evolution in school textbooks. Apparently the whole country is subject to Texas' take on the situation...) It's much happier to hear that YOU'RE now Texas-approved! That is a BIG FAT HAIRY DEAL.
(And my word verification for this comment is 'golde'. Coincidence? I think not.)
Well, for Pete's sake. I commented on this post right after it showed up, but I don't see it here now. Huh. Here's a reconstruction, the best my memory can do:
So, are you going to start referring to those guys as "Ray" and "R. Louie" now?
The thing about the Texas recommendation that is most impressive (and well-deserved) is the full-spectrum of grade levels endorsement. I got the sense, early on, that you wanted the story to be accessible across the ages, and it must be very, very nice to have that effort recognized so visibly.
But I expected no less. To quote another poster in a comment on another blog, "I've told you before: you're a really good writer."
Thanks, gang! Ronnie, you're very right about Texas's influence, pro and con, and I'm happy to consider this one a pro. Sherwood, don't know what happened to your original post; I never saw it, and certainly didn't delete it. Ray and Louie and I will see if we can figure it out next time we get together for absinthe and whist.
Now with that big fat honor goes more responsibility. How about you compiling a bibliography of graphic novels ABOUT Texas? Huh? Sure start with Jaxon and build from there?
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