Children's Literature @ NYPL

Booktalking "Wild Things!" by Betsy Bird, Julie Danielson and Peter Sieruta

Want to know more about the authors of children's literature, where they came from, and why they write the books that they do? This book will provide some elucidation, as well as a brief chronology of the evolution of kid lit.

I was not aware that Maurice Sendak, James Marshall, Arnold Lobel and Margaret Wise Brown are members of the LGBT community. Some of these authors do not want to reveal their sexual orientation because they believe that it will hurt their careers. I have read many great books for teens that feature transgender, bisexual and gay characters.

Many children's books are banned, mostly for LGBT content, violence, sex or bad language. One book that was banned for bad language includes the word "damn" exactly once. And Tango Makes Three is a book about two male penguins who raise a chick. It is not surprising that many people object to this book, given the negative perception that too many people still have about gay couples. To me, the book is a lovely, adorable tale. Amazingly, people even object to the Captain Underpants series.

The authors denounce the books spawned from celebrities, for the most part. However, some celebrities create interesting books. For example, I find Al Yankovich's When I Grow Up to be hilarious.

One very interesting point in the book is that people read political and other themes into children's literature that the authors never thought of or intended. I recall vividly how novels were taught in my junior high/high school. In general, we searched for themes that flowed through the plots and were rewarded for discovering unusual associations. Not to say that themes could not exist in books that the authors did not intend, but some of the ideas that people have may be fanciful.

I agree that authors should focus on the craft of storytelling. Some authors, such as Laurie Halse Anderson, do a fantastic job of researching their novels by talking to the appropriate medical and psychiatric professionals. Some authors travel to foreign countries in order to research their books that are set in those nations. We are fortunate to have access to books written by brilliant authors such as David Levithan. These writers really help readers appreciate events and life circumstances from a personal perspective that is impossible to get from dry textbooks. 

Wild Things!: Acts of Mischief in Children's Literature by Betsy Bird, Julie Danielson & Peter Sieruta, 2014

Reading the book was almost like perusing Kirkus Reviews; it gave me many ideas of books to explore. I enjoyed the sidebars that featured each individual author's perspective on certain issues. However, I would have preferred if the individual authors' voices had come through more distinctly in the work. 

The authors overstate the "fluffy bunny" perception that some people have about kid lit. After all, some of kid lit is cutesy stuff, especially baby books. I do not agree that so many people believe that kid lit is saccharine sweet. Many fairy tales are downright macabre. In addition, some of the information about the authors' personal lives seems superfluous.

The cover art is brilliant, interesting, and unique.

I work with Betsy Bird, and I have been attending and blogging about the Children's Literary Salons that she hosts for years.