Library Mama

Hi. This is Larry Goldstone. You're right about the hazards of transcribing actual groups. We believe fervently that the process is far more important than the result. Critical analysis is a subjective activity. In our groups there was always gobs of disagreement. The point of our book (and we've seen this sort of comment before) is not to have parents and kids retrace the path to our conclusions, but to learn to forge their own. If you and your child hash out The Giver, for example, and decide that the author made a valid point, and did so fairly, then use your conclusions, not ours. From there, you simply need to determine what you think of that message. It is the discussion, the rigor of the exercise that matters, not where you end up. Hope this helps.