[HPforGrownups] Re: Gender balance (Children v Adult Lit)

[Magda Grantwich]

No: HPFGUIDX 15190

> But, you did say that it's perhaps asking too much of a children's
> author like JKR to think about issues such as strong female
> characters
> since she's writing books for children.  That's my main objection
> to
> your post in any case -- I don't think these books can or should be
> classified as exclusively children's literature

I said it was asking too much of ANY AUTHOR to have to create a
socially perfect setting for their books.

Children's literature is not some fictional ghetto that adults cannot
enter.  Think of the British children's books that adults can read
and still derive pleasure from: Alice in Wonderland/Through the
Looking Glass (I put this in because it's a friend's favourite; I
can't stand Lewis Carroll), THe Wind in the Willows, The Borrowers,
Peter Pan.  IN the US, there's Mark Twain and Jack London's shorter
novels.

All these books can be read for pleasure by both adults and children
but children will derive something special from the almost
parable-like descriptions of the characters and their activities. 
Children can identify with Harry and his friends because so many of
their experiences are the same they face: what if I go to school and
no one wants to be my friend?;  the people I live with aren't REALLY
my parents - I'm really special; that boy/girl looks different than
me and everyone picks on them and that's not nice; that teacher
doesn't like kids.

Children's literature is not just for kids.  Maybe we think it is
because so few books we read to our kids stand out in any way.

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