BiblioFiles Episode #31: Darkness in Children's Literature and YA Fiction

Darkness in children's literature is a pretty hot topic these days, and it concerns us greatly as parents and educators who wish to shield our students from inappropriate influences and protect their childhood and innocence. The complication is, however, that darkness can encompass everything from the profane to the slightest conflict, and we think a story without a conflict is not a true story at all. Where is the balance? How much evil, fear, or violence is too much? We won't give any pat answers because we believe this is a decision each family must make on its own, but in this episode the CenterForLit team sits down to talk through the important issues that must influence our decisions concerning what books we give to our children. 

Referenced Works:

–Macbeth by William Shakespeare

–The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

–Watership Down by Richard Adams

–"The Dog of Pompeii" by Louis Untermeyer

–Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

–Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

–Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo

–Orbiting Jupiter by Gary Schmidt

–"On Fairy Stories" by J.R.R. Tolkien

–Gary Schmidt BiblioFiles Episode: https://www.centerforlit.com/podcasts/2016/11/18/bibliofiles-episode-19-an-interview-with-author-gary-d-schmidt

–Many Waters by Madeleine D'Engle

We love hearing your questions and comments! You can contact us by emailing adam@centerforlit.com, or you can visit our website www.centerforlit.com to find even more ways to participate in the conversation.