Comments on: Avast, me hearties!

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 02:44:36 +0000

I personally think that good childrens’ literature is every bit as *literary* as “adult” literature. More so, even. I mean when you write a book with 100 words or less, and make it good, your words choice has to be perfect.
Examples: Maurice Sendak, Patricia Polacco, Audrey Wood….

Beautiful writing is always to be appreciated.

That said, there is a good deal of sappy garbage published that makes me wince when my children bring it home from the school library and ask me to read it to them.

By: Melissa Johnson

Melissa Johnson — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 16:40:43 +0000

If you can’t remember all the way back to how books affected you as a kid (which would be weird actually), then once you have kids, you really, really realize that some books are great and literary and some are lame and dumb. Some hold my attention and theirs and some don’t. For those that do, the attraction is immediate and real and strikes at the core of what makes books good– the language is interesting, the characters or fish or dogs make provocative choices and the themes resonate without coming across as “themes.” So yes, if I met you at a cocktail party I would be way impressed–if I liked your book, just as I would be for any other author whose work I admire. (Sorry, haven’t read your book…)

By: codger

codger — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 06:00:14 +0000

Alice in wonderland, Through the looking glass…
Lewis Carroll.
Rudyard Kipling.
Enid Blyton.

Yes “IT TOTALLY ROCKS!”

By: Katie

Katie — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 17:51:00 +0000

*squeal*
I really did let out a little squeal when I found your site. Umm, can I just say, Little slice of heaven for those who suffer book lust.

I liked your site so much I highlighted you, on my Katie’s Calamities blog, as ‘new to me’. Come on over and take a peek..

TTFN,
Katie

By: Nathalie

Nathalie — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 14:17:14 +0000

If I found out a fellow party guest wrote children’s literature I would probably be far more excited than if I found out they wrote an “adult” novel.

I honestly feel that the bar for children’s fiction is higher than for “adult” literature. How many times have you met a published novelist or poet whose work you hated? But I’ve never met anyone who worked for a children’s format (books, television) whose work I didn’t have massive respect for.

By: zcalgal

zcalgal — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 20:20:49 +0000

I absolutely agree children’s books can be “literature.” I have read numerous children’s books to my own children that had themes of self discovery, an individuals place in community and many more. If anyone doubts the validity of Young Adult Lit I recommend they read Lois Lowry’s “The Giver”. This is my favorite book of all time. I use to use it in my 9th grade English classroom and we would have the most wonderful discussions about an individual’s power in society, e.g. what would our lives be like if we were assigned spouses instead of choosing our own? Many a kid who came from a broken home thought this might be a better way to go.

When my 60-something father came out to visit me a couple of years ago he asked for a book he could read while he stayed at my house. I gave him “The Giver”. Not only did he read it and enjoy it, he went out and bought his own copy and convinced his book club to read it. Needless to say a great discussion was had by all!

By: Nina

Nina — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 14:39:34 +0000

Roald Dahl wrote about the authoring of Children’s Books in an introduction to a book of ghost stories that he had compiled — he had very strong opinions on the matter, and believed that kids’ books were a serious matter, and that women were usually the best writers of said fiction. He also believed that women had an edge on men in the scary story field, too!
Not that a man’s opinion should be the “be all end all” point in the matter, but I tend to agree. If I were invited to a cocktail party and found out that someone wrote kids’ books, I would probably embarrass myself, the author, and my date by fan-girling out.

By: Kerry Clare

Kerry Clare — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 01:43:03 +0000

Hi Laurel,

I was thinking about this recently having just read Francine Prose’s new novel. My thoughts here: http://picklemethis.blogspot.com/2008/08/goldengrove-by-francine-prose.html

In short being that children’s books are no less literary than adult books, but they are *different*, as they should be. And to fail to acknowledge that difference (as marketing depts sometimes seem to do)isn’t fair to the book, its writer, or its readers.

Which is not to say that adults can’t enjoy kids’ books, of course. I am certainly looking forward to yours.