Russell Freedman Quote

"You don't simplify, you distill." Russell Freedman on how he makes his writing appropriate for children. See the interview of Freedman and James Cross Giblin at this article Rock Stars of the I.N.K. Variety by Linda Salzman. What a brilliant quote. I've had difficulty putting my finger on the exact term I think of when I think of good children's books, and I always knew "simplified" wasn't quite it. The best children's books aren't simple-- they are simply composed of only the most relevant parts. For example, I would hardly call Christopher Paul Curtis's new novel Elijah of Buxton, "simple". It's brilliant and sophisticated and completely accessible, but certainly not "simple".

Celebrate National Library Week

The only true equalisers in the world are books; the only treasure-house open to all comers is a library; the only wealth which will not decay is knowledge; the only jewel which you can carry beyond the grave is wisdom. - J.A. Langford Perhaps no place in any community is so totally democratic as the town library. The only entrance requirement is interest. - Ladybird Johnson The dissemination of knowledge is one of the cornerstones of civilization. - John F. Budd I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library. - Jorge Luis Borges You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them. - Ray Bradbury When I discovered libraries, it was like having Christmas every day. - Jean Fritz Fun Fact: There are more public libraries than McDonald's in the U.S.-- a total of 16,220, including branches. From Quotables Facts About America's Libraries See more videos, here!