The History of Children's Literature

Hi, The On Point program is one of the regular program which I watch in radio. About today's talk, I am sorry to say that the guest Mr. Seth Lerer is not familiar with the fables from India. The first fable was Panchathanthra by Vishnu Sharma which is more older than 2000 years.

My favorite books as a child were fantasy series: Lord of the Rings, Lloyd Alexander's Prydain series, Susan Cooper's Dark is Rising series.

I really enjoyed this OnPoint discussion, but the thing that I found very interesting were the comments that children's literature is the more successful part of publishing today. As a children's novelist, I have found it very difficult to get published. At children's writer meetings (see SCBWI.org) you hear over and over again how agents and publishers are having trouble selling books by first time authors and even multiply published authors. Publishers moan that parents are not buying their children books and that children are not reading them!

How is it then that children's literature is said to be so successful an industry?

I found it interesting that so many people felt that children's literature has become less adult. I have read lots of children's and adolescent literature that deals with poverty and death and very difficult situations. Katherine Patterson writes wonderful novels about children in difficult situations. In addition, Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs by Tomie dePaola deals with death, Fly Away Home deals with homelessness. While many children have never read the version of Cinderella where her stepsisters cut off their toes, there are many examples of wonderfully complex children's picture books and stories.

I loved listening to this show. Children's lit was always a personal favorite when studying to be an English teacher and still brings heartwarming memories from my own childhood and from my son's. I read to my son starting early on and although he may not have yet understood the words he understood the tones and when he sat on my lap I could feel him simply relax. Stories always entranced him. Later on when we found out he had dyslexia -- and a difficult form at that -- his love of stories and language helped him through the frustration of learning to read on his own. Books were magical and he wanted that magic for himself. And although it was a struggle (and honestly, still can be as he wades through his Philosophy courses) he was determined to become a reader. And he has succeeded. He is a passionate reader! Now in college, he voraciously reads anything and everything. While his peers astonishingly look at him and ask, "you read for FUN?" he knows that he has reliable past time that can take him places no video game can. And now that he is an adult, I volunteer with SMART (Start Making A Reader Today) which mentors young children through reading. It's a wonderful group that helps kids who may be in the same situation as my son to awaken to the wonders of reading. And the biggest bonus is that I get to read all my favorite old children books over again!