The Life of Coraline Neil Gaiman

It surprised me at first that Contemporary Realistic Fiction is the most popular genre in children’s books. But after reading this it made more sense why contemporary realistic fiction is the most popular genre. It approaches the reality of children’s own lives. They can also connect to it so much easier than other genres.

Some might claim the YA genre has grown to be too dark for its target audience. Meghan Gurdon, a firm believer of this idea, explains why she believes this in her article, “Darkness Too Visible”. Gurdon describes the experience of a mother of three in a bookstore looking to purchase a YA novel for one of her children, when she found herself leaving the bookstore empty-handed due to the content of the teen books. While teen books decades ago contained less violent/corrupted material, times have changed along with the genre. She is concerned that these books could have an effect on these young readers’ brains as they are merely transferring from childhood to adulthood. Gurdon still has faith that YA books would sell just as well and connect with young readers today without all of the dark subject matters discussed in them these days.

According to the American Library Association (ALA), young adult novels are challenged with the best intentions. In most cases a parent will read a book that their child might be reading in class to find out if the book is hazardous to their child’s well-being. If the novel seems problematic, the parent then challenges the book. Even though the purpose of challenging a novel is to keep children from reading about issues that may not be seen as appropriate for their age group, censoring children from difficult subject matter is not always the solution. There is always controversy when difficult issues arise in adolescent geared novels. Even though there are many concerns with Lois Lowry’s The Giver,

In her speech, and the article, titled “The Case for Good Taste in Children’s Books,” Meghan Cox Gurdon addresses the controversy on Young Adult Literature. Throughout her speech at Hillsdale College she labels this current category of fiction as gaudy, inappropriate, and sacrilegious. Gurdon’s claim on the content of YA, for Young Adult, books obtains effectiveness through her ability to incorporate real world examples, the claim made by the opposing view, and a moral push.

Dark themes are on the rise in young adult literature, and parents can’t help but wonder if this is due to the abundance of these subjects in adult literature. Literary critic Meghan Cox Gurdon’s editorial “Darkness Too Visible” and author Sherman Alexie’s response “Why the Best Kids Books are Written in Blood” have contrasting views on this subject. However, with the superior techniques Alexie Sherman is more effective. Both authors use themes and style in their writing, but with his superior use of persuasive techniques Alexie Sherman’s article is ultimately more effective.

In doing so, parents feel as if they are guarding their children of knowledge that their children may not be capable of handling. Originally, dystopian novels such as The Giver were solely written for adults. Many parents feel that Lois Lowry’s The Giver attracts attention to taboo issues such as sex, drugs and infanticide. Ironically, children will inevitably learn about these topics through exposure, regardless of how hard parents try to shelter them from reality. Lois Lowry sheds a light on these topics in hopes of eliciting conversation among children. It is ridiculous to censor The Giver; it handles these topics in an engaging and appropriate manner designed to make readers think. It is important to allow children to acknowledge and understand these topics in a healthy and safe manner, rather than through potentially dangerous

In the past five years, children’s literature has had many common themes. Bullying has been a popular subject of interest at all levels of reading. This trend reflects a rising concern about cyberbullying and the sometimes dramatic effects it can have on a child’s life. Writers and parents are making an effort to show children that what they do to their peers has real consequences and to be mindful with their words and actions. Another popular subject is dystopian futures. This interest is in part due to the success of The Hunger Games trilogy, children have become interested in the future of their planet.

Throughout time, countless great children’s books have been published and then loved by many. To name a few, Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. What do these three books have in common? They were all published as children’s books, then kept out of their hands for numerous reasons. Parents and teachers claimed these books were unfit for children’s reading. They either introduced topics that were not open to them yet or went against their lifestyle. All around the world, great books are being kept from children for doltish reasons. They are being censored, then banned from their eyes. Taking this literature from them is ruining their childhood; it is preventing children from learning about the world and being ready for it. Censoring in children’s books needs to become less harsh or else they are going to grow up in a sealed world.

In considering Bettleheim’s reflections on the child reader, I agree that most fantasy allows the reader to explore his/her own feelings about “others” and/or the unknown from a safe vantage point. As Karen Coats reflects in her essay, “Between Horror, Human and Hope, Neil Gaiman and the Psychic Work of

In these paragraphs I will show how the author of Coraline, Neil Gaiman, creates mystery. I will do this by providing various quotes and analysing them.

Reading novels is an experience unlike any other. With the crack of a new book, the reader is transported into the pages, into a new land, ready to take on the role of protagonist. Each little girl has the chance to be a pirate-fighting hero, each little boy able to become the doting husband. If that sentence sounds strange, it is because society has socialized individuals to gender any and all activities, reading included. Elizabeth Segel drives this point home in her article “As the Twig is Bent… Gender and Childhood Reading,” which gives an in-depth analysis of gender in children’s book, and the implications it has for readers.

In this paper I will be summarizing the graphic novel, Swallow Me Whole, and whether or not the concepts of James O. Young’s cultural appropriation and Linda Nochlin’s concept of genius are present in it. Nate Powell’s graphic novel, Swallow Me Whole, Powell depicts, the life of a young girl named Ruth and her step brother Perry. Their grandmother ever since they were kids has been sick and had various medical complications. It seems as though the two kids had suffered from depression ever since they encountered their sick grandmother, who seemed to mean a lot to them. The graphic novel begins with a particular interaction Ruth has with her grandmother and end with her and her family heading back home. Ruth seems to create a strong connection with her collection of dead insects and Perry with an imaginary wizard, which resides at the end of his pencil, which forces him to draw for him, driving Perry crazy at times. Eventually her grandmother gets better and moves in with her and her family. From there on, the graphic novel takes place during Ruth’s and Perry’s adolescence, during their lives in high school. Ruth and Perry seem to have issues at school, they don’t have many friends and Ruth tends to be tardy to class.

Although many view children's fiction as suitable only to children, and an embarrassingly immature pursuit for a serious person, children' stories mold the way we think. They allows us to look at very complex and difficult issues in a safe and playful way, and they give us the freedom to imagine the unimaginable.

Literary heroes that are also ordinary children are engaging to readers, particularly child readers. James Pope and Julia Round write that “Roald Dahl is a fascinating author in that his books for children feature child heroes who are very often neither hero nor villain, but a wild, subversive combination of both” (258). These characteristics are also true of Coraline and Harry Potter, as they are presented as imperfect, but ultimately find the power within themselves to save what is important to them. Children readers are empowered by Coraline and Harry because they identify with these ordinary children and feel as if they can also make a difference in their lives, as the characters defeat the evil in theirs.

We’re in the 21st century, and right now there is such a huge variety of contemporary literature that encourages young adults to look beyond Australian stereotypes. In this speech I will discuss why I agree with contemporary literature encouraging young readers to look beyond