'Misery literature' for kids

Books

‘Misery literature’ for kids

By The World ⋅ September 1, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment

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Children’s books are too depressing and don’t offer kids any hope, says Britain’s former children’s laureate Anne Fine. Not so, was the reply of current UK children’s laureate Andrew Browne: “There are both types of endings, happier and unhappier.” The BBC’s Mark Coles reports on the rise of so-called ‘misery literature’ for children, books that depict real-life tragedy, including events such as the Iraq war. Are trauma and despair the right stuff for kids’ books? >>>Listen to Mark Coles report on The Strand, an arts and culture program on the BBC World Service

Books discussed in this story:

Michael Morpurgo’s book is called Running Wild, to be published on September 3rd by Harper Collins Children’s Books.

Adeline Yen Mah’s most recent book in the Chinese Cinderella series is The Mystery of the Song Dynasty Painting. Published in August by Puffin Books.

Michelle Paver’s 6th and final installment of the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness, Ghost Hunter, was published in August by Orion Children’s Books.

Veronique Tadjo’s book is called Ayanda, La petite fille qui ne voulait pas grandir. It’s published by Actes Sud Junior in France.

Discussion

6 comments for “‘Misery literature’ for kids”

http://www.lunitacompany.com Lina Cuartas

I agree, though it might be a reflection of what grown-ups feel, and not necessarily a conscious effort to portray the world as a dangerous, intimidating place. I was just reading about a young girl’s journal in a concentration camp.She wrote:”I want to be there, in the thick of of what people call Horror and still be able to see and declare LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL. The negative has to be offset by the inspiring, by stories of hope, of love, of courage, stories like the ones told in http://www.motah.us, stories that unfold as a result of shared moments, like the ones we propose in Come Into My World.
Kim Flanagan

I find it tragic that “creative writers” have to start a horrifying number of their stories with a child losing a parent or both. What a pathetic crutch. I yearn for great child literature that is age appropriate and does not give children nightmares.

Leesa Hatcher

I am shocked, disgusted and appalled that this is what the world (literally and the program of this same name) is stooping to. If we didn’t have the positive, uplifting and magical qualities of our childhood, how could we compare it to now to know how awful the things in this book are? The wonder, imagination and HOPE (remember the HOPE campaign?) of our children today is what will keep our society from plummeting into debt, depression and despair. I can only imagine what the sequel to this book will be: after the tsunami, the elephant dies of H1N1 swine flu because the boy’s clunker car couldn’t get them to the hospital, where the healthcare system wouldn’t take him because he was indigent because someone embezzled all his investments and the stock market crashed. The boy tries to return home, only to find that he has AIDS, was downsized and his house was foreclosed on. The happy ending is that the boy becomes a famous entertainer with drug problems, with the cherry and whipped cream on top being that he has his own reality TV show. Oh wait, cherries cause cancer and I bet that the whipped cream has high fructose corn syrup in it. So maybe not so much of a happy ending.

http://ajourneyroundmyskull.blogspot.com Will @ A Journey Round My Skull

I found a children’s book by Brecht and Grosz in which God is put up against the wall and shot! Now that is misery lit:

http://ajourneyroundmyskull.blogspot.com/2008/10/provoke-children-to-ask-questions-like.html
Kathy Alcaino

Many American children are too sheltered from the tragic experiences that other children around the world face. This can lead to entitlement and a narrow view of life when they reach adulthood. I am not saying that American children need to face the kinds of hardship described in the story. Rather, they need to know about it so they can appreciate their families, siblings, and their world more. No child should grow up under tragic circumstances. But the sad truth is that children have grown up this way since the dawn of civilization. Fact is much more harsh than fiction. The kids who grow up without such hardship need to be thankful and appreciate their luck and good fortune, especially in this country. One of the best ways to do this is to read some of these books with the supervision of a loving parent and/or guardian and to have a frank discussion of its themes.
Piotfluidohot

thanks

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