Okay, I have been reading all about the furor surrounding the New York Times Book Review's announcement of the "Best Work of American Fiction of the Last 25 Years" (see the list here). I haven't read a single one of them personally, but in the world of kiddie lit bloggers, the more relevant controversy is that not a single children's book was among them. Fuse #8 is challenging everyone to think of children's books that should have made the list. Feel free to contribute in the comments section here. And Book of the Day is challenging us to come up with other not-necessarily-kids book contributions here.

I have to say, what disturbed me most, was not so much the lack of children's books (I have gotten used to children's literature not being considered "real" literature by most people- even though that kind of reaction creates an undeniable urge to kick shins on my part) but that most of the books were written by middle aged white men. About middle aged white men. And really now, it is what, 2006? And we are still obsessed with middle aged white men? And frankly, if I am going to read about middle aged white men, I'm going to read Paul Auster, not John Updike.