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This came to mind today when I was reading this thread on fandom_wank. ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
mirabellawotr brought up the excellent question of why people are often so quick to claim that a book they like isn't children's literature because it deals with weighty issues and darkness, as if there's something embarassing about reading a children's book. In this case the book in question was, of course, Harry Potter, which is a children's book, has always been a children's book, is published by a children's imprint. The two departments in kid's publishing are completely separate universes.
There's nothing demeaning about being an adult who reads childen's books. If someone sees a person reading a book intended for 10-year-olds I seriously doubt they assume that person is reading at a 10-year-old's level. In fact, most of the people I know who read books to show off their own reading level are, well, younger than 10. I mean, I was pretty proud of myself when I was reading my first chapter book too, but I was 6. I no longer peek out of the corner of my eye to see if the guy next to me on the subway is impressed that I'm reading a book with no pictures.
Juvenile fiction routinely deals very directly with the following subjects: death, racism, poverty, disease, child abuse, neglect, betrayal, war, class issues, alcoholism, drug addiction, murder, evil and, if we glance over to the YA (Young Adult) shelves of juvenile fiction, sex, sex and more sex. And btw, that includes homosexual sex.
( I do go on and on, don't I? More on juvenile fiction behind the cut! )
Oh, and in adult fiction news, I just finished The League of Frightened Men, a Nero Wolfe mystery which was totally fun. Went out to a used bookstore and got The Scarlet Pimpernel and At Swim, Two Boys. I got the second book because everybody on lj seems to recommend it. I look forward to getting on the subway and starting it.
mirabellawotr brought up the excellent question of why people are often so quick to claim that a book they like isn't children's literature because it deals with weighty issues and darkness, as if there's something embarassing about reading a children's book. In this case the book in question was, of course, Harry Potter, which is a children's book, has always been a children's book, is published by a children's imprint. The two departments in kid's publishing are completely separate universes. There's nothing demeaning about being an adult who reads childen's books. If someone sees a person reading a book intended for 10-year-olds I seriously doubt they assume that person is reading at a 10-year-old's level. In fact, most of the people I know who read books to show off their own reading level are, well, younger than 10. I mean, I was pretty proud of myself when I was reading my first chapter book too, but I was 6. I no longer peek out of the corner of my eye to see if the guy next to me on the subway is impressed that I'm reading a book with no pictures.
Juvenile fiction routinely deals very directly with the following subjects: death, racism, poverty, disease, child abuse, neglect, betrayal, war, class issues, alcoholism, drug addiction, murder, evil and, if we glance over to the YA (Young Adult) shelves of juvenile fiction, sex, sex and more sex. And btw, that includes homosexual sex.
( I do go on and on, don't I? More on juvenile fiction behind the cut! )
Oh, and in adult fiction news, I just finished The League of Frightened Men, a Nero Wolfe mystery which was totally fun. Went out to a used bookstore and got The Scarlet Pimpernel and At Swim, Two Boys. I got the second book because everybody on lj seems to recommend it. I look forward to getting on the subway and starting it.
