Babble Talk: Lisa Carver Talks About Controversial Children's Books

Karen Murphy — Sat, 14 Apr 2007 20:27:00 GMT

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.

Grups, Hipsters, Trendsters, Xers: Label Me, Label You, Uh Huh

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 16:17:00 GMT

Z Recommends has a thoughtful post about Lisa Carver's review of Neal Pollack's Alternadad (you can read Neal's response here), in which he points out that blogs with an edgy, cynical, or ironic take on parenting seem to dominate the mommy and daddy blogosphere. Reading the sniping comments on the Pollack and Carver pieces, you'd have to conclude that parents today -- at least those who are blogging and commenting -- are a bunch of angry, labeling, cliquish malcontents.

The labels thrown around with the most vitriol seem to be those associated with the likes of Babble, including "hipster," "grup," and "trendy." Some of those labels are well-deserved, but as with all labels they tend to over-generalize and foreshorten real dialogue and debate.

In her piece summing up the Pollack/Carver debate, Babble editor Ada Calhoun concludes wisely that "the irony label (like "grup") is dismissive and cheap...and the rush to cry "hipster" undermines the opportunity to talk about what's thrilling and funny and lonely and scary about having kids."

I've been overwhelmed at times by pressure to be cool and clever while writing for Stroller Derby, but when I succumb to that, I miss the point. Babble contributors are everyday people experiencing parenting. If we swear and drink more than the average bear, than so be it. But if we could all drop the labels and get along, wouldn't this just be one hell of a lot more fun?

Strollerderby : Lisa Carver

Babble Talk: Lisa Carver Talks About Controversial Children's Books

Grups, Hipsters, Trendsters, Xers: Label Me, Label You, Uh Huh