From: Monica R. Edinger <edinger>
Date: Fri, 15 Nov 2002 10:26:44 -0500

I remember loving stories about orphans and playing orphans myself as a child. Perhaps it was out of fear of losing my parents, but it seems more like I just wanted to get them out of the picture (as many authors do with adults). I loved reading about kids who set up house alone. My all around favorite was probably The Boxcar Children, but I also loved A Little Princess and the wonderful way the attic went from misery to wonder, another kind of house-making, family-making. Maybe there is something attractive about orphan stories in that you can remake the family as you wish. It can be other kids and friends (as in the Harry Potter books) or a kindly grandfather (as in the Boxcar Children) or even teachers (think of Dahl's Matilda; now there is the ultimate casting off of old family for new). Just mulling about the attraction of orphans to child readers of all kinds.

Monica

Monica Edinger The Dalton School New York NY edinger at dalton.org monicaedinger at yahoo.com
Received on Fri 15 Nov 2002 09:26:44 AM CST