"A self-styled literary snob, I began buying titles in the children's and young-adult section of the bookstore. I became an addict, and what's worse, I started to act like one. "Go now and read the entire article, Wonder Rediscovered in Children's Books, by Andrew Martino.
"I realized that what drew me was not just the superb storytelling but the speed with which I could get through the texts. It was a rhythmic experience I was encountering every time I opened a book."
"In other words, the texts I was reading told their stories in an economical and exact style, without the unnecessary burden of digression or overexplication."
"The literature I was reading was every bit as complicated and thought-provoking as the texts I included on my syllabi."
"It would be a mistake to say that these texts are simplistic. They contain all the complexities we look for in any well-written narrative. "
Monday, December 15, 2008
The Wonder of Children's Books
FINALLY! Someone gets it right when talking about children's literature and YA books. Here are a few excerpts.
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Thank you for posting that link! I'm also in the throes of such an addiction, and finding myself delighted by the nuanced and clever references in Terry Pratchett's books and the deep and troubling theology of the Pullman books. I wonder why we have let "them" tell us that certain books are not for adults?
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