I love Babble.
Do you know about that site? Oh, wait, you're here!
Well, as a writer for Babble, sometimes I don't have time to go through
and glean everything that's here that I would like to. There's so much
here! So I was completely delighted to run across Lisa Carver's wonderful essay The Outsiders about her take on controversial books for children.
I admit I had no idea there was, for instance, a book for children with parents who are in prison. Or another one
senstively portraying a homeless street person and what her life was
like "before" becoming what you see today. Where have I been all this
time to be missing these? Under a rock someplace?
I agree with
critics of such books that very small children should likely be
shielded from controversial topics. But small children grow up, and at
some point they begin to observe life around them and to ask questions,
at least internally. And at that point they deserve answers. If such
things can be derived from books, books that help the kids understand
that they're not the only one in that situation or observing that weird
scenario (whether it be homeless people, parents who grow pot, or
alcoholics), then I am all for them.
Lisa's point, which I agree
with, is that life happens. Kids see this and need ways to make sense
of it, and denying life is pointless. It's there. It's real. And it's
part of being human.
