Children's Lit

[Heather Moore]

No: HPFGUIDX 29439

 
 There are dozens of "classics of children's literature" which were not originally intended to be children's books - HUCKLEBERRY FINN (as opposed to TOM SAWYER), LITTLE WOMEN, PINOCCHIO, BAMBI, and TREASURE ISLAND immediately come to mind. Whatever they were supposed to be, they're youth lit now.

 By the same token, there are several books which are not now commonly regarded as children's or, more properly, young adult literature which *were* written with  that intent -- the Redwall series, CATCHER IN THE RYE, THE HOBBIT, THE THIEF OF ALWAYS, the HarperHall trilogy among MacCaffrey's Pern series**, and A CONNECTICUT YANKEE IN KING ARTHUR'S COURT are prominent examples. 

It's hard to predict how the Harry Potter books will ultimately be classified; a lot is going to depend on how much more complex Rowlings gets in the next three titles. But even then, it's going to take some gonads for NYT Review of Books to be willing to own up to its duplicity.

Uhm, honest to god, there was a point in there, somewhere?  I guess that would be that in the long run, it's not going to matter much what we call the books right now, as they are still being published.

 -- me

 * (thought that was a typo, didn't ya? No such luck.  This is an excuse to say:)

  To all who are hoping Rowlings bows to financial gains or fan insistence and continues the series beyond her planned seven books, I will remind you of the yecchh factor of every Pern book beyond DRAGONSDAWN, and say "there but for the grace of God goes Harry...."