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How far is too far?
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From: Steward, Celeste <csteward>
Date: Fri, 24 Jun 2005 11:45:01 -0700
Perhaps you are troubled by bathroom humor books because you don't have a child between the ages of 3 and 11 at home? Much as we want to pretend our little darlings are above that kind of humor, I can assure you, they are not, LOL. They can be very silly indeed.
Do books about potty humor have any redeeming literary value? No. Do these books encourage more talk on this most disagreeable topic? Maybe, but they sure can bring smiles and giggles...and, IMHO, there's a lot of value in laughter.
Celeste Steward Juvenile Collection Development Librarian Alameda County Library
Message----From: Uma Krishnaswami [mailto:uma at umakrishnaswami.com] Sent: Friday, June 24, 2005 10:46 AM To: Subscribers of ccbc-net Subject: Re: [ccbc-net] How far is too far?
I find myself wondering why I am more troubled by over-the-top bathroom humor in young children's books than violence and sexuality in fare for older readers. Perhaps it's because in much YA fiction, at least the kind that's done well, that content is there for a purpose--maintaining a voice, exploring character or context, any one of a number of reasons all related to craft. In many of the potty humor books, OTOH, the content feels gratuitous, there for no other reason than because it sells. A reading diet consisting only of these books (as is sometimes the case, some parents being delighted that their children will read ANYthing!) is a bit like eating only potato chips and then claiming your meals include vegetables.
Still, rather than worrying about what kids want or need, what's good for them or not, it seems the writers of books that endure write from a place of greater integrity, serving the story rather than some perceived audience. Unlike the intentionality of a skilled teacher or a counselor, it's paradoxical that the power of the most effective books lies in voice and story, and not in the intent to teach or change a reader.
All best,
Uma
Uma Krishnaswami
Books, links for teachers and writers, FAQs, and South Asian children's lit resources at http://www.umakrishnaswami.com
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Ignore your rights and they will go away.
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Received on Fri 24 Jun 2005 01:45:01 PM CDT
Date: Fri, 24 Jun 2005 11:45:01 -0700
Perhaps you are troubled by bathroom humor books because you don't have a child between the ages of 3 and 11 at home? Much as we want to pretend our little darlings are above that kind of humor, I can assure you, they are not, LOL. They can be very silly indeed.
Do books about potty humor have any redeeming literary value? No. Do these books encourage more talk on this most disagreeable topic? Maybe, but they sure can bring smiles and giggles...and, IMHO, there's a lot of value in laughter.
Celeste Steward Juvenile Collection Development Librarian Alameda County Library
Message----From: Uma Krishnaswami [mailto:uma at umakrishnaswami.com] Sent: Friday, June 24, 2005 10:46 AM To: Subscribers of ccbc-net Subject: Re: [ccbc-net] How far is too far?
I find myself wondering why I am more troubled by over-the-top bathroom humor in young children's books than violence and sexuality in fare for older readers. Perhaps it's because in much YA fiction, at least the kind that's done well, that content is there for a purpose--maintaining a voice, exploring character or context, any one of a number of reasons all related to craft. In many of the potty humor books, OTOH, the content feels gratuitous, there for no other reason than because it sells. A reading diet consisting only of these books (as is sometimes the case, some parents being delighted that their children will read ANYthing!) is a bit like eating only potato chips and then claiming your meals include vegetables.
Still, rather than worrying about what kids want or need, what's good for them or not, it seems the writers of books that endure write from a place of greater integrity, serving the story rather than some perceived audience. Unlike the intentionality of a skilled teacher or a counselor, it's paradoxical that the power of the most effective books lies in voice and story, and not in the intent to teach or change a reader.
All best,
Uma
Uma Krishnaswami
Books, links for teachers and writers, FAQs, and South Asian children's lit resources at http://www.umakrishnaswami.com
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Ignore your rights and they will go away.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ To post to the list, send the message to...
ccbc-net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
To leave the list, send the TEXT-ONLY message...
To: listserv at lists.education.wisc.edu
Body: signoff ccbc-net
Received on Fri 24 Jun 2005 01:45:01 PM CDT
