Jes - When we were very young.
As small children in school, we were read a story at the end of the day by our teachers. Often a book would last about a week and certain books had us impatiently getting through the day to hear the next instalment. I'm sure many of us went back to those favourites and read them ourselves and, as adults, have rediscovered them and read them to our own children.
There are four books which stick in my mind as truly gripping me and holding my attention while at the same time creating emotion and understanding which was very valuable to the growing up process. Until I thought back and analysed why these stories had such a lasting effect, I'd merely thought it was good writing and great characters, but I've found a much deeper level in them all.
The four books I'm talking about are:
Gobbolino the Witch's Cat – Ursula Moray Williams
The Ten Tales of Shellover – Ruth Ainsworth
One Hundred and One Dalmatians – Dodie Smith
Charlotte's Web – E.B.White
Apart from the fact that they all contain cute little animals, they teach us so much more about life than I'd ever realised. What these stories really hold are answers and lessons which are difficult to explain to a child in a normal conversation – Seeing the world from another creature's point of view, experiencing the prejudice of Gobbolino's plight for not being black, as all witches' cats should be, fearing the dangers in the world and introducing bad people safely into our lives, and coming to terms with death as a fact and understanding the turnover of new life.
Sadly, we seem to be becoming afraid of exposing children to the scarier things in life. I know schools have taken certain books out of their libraries and teachers no longer have the choice of which tales they tell. On the brighter side, the film companies do seem to recognise the importance of a lesson in a good story and continue to create animations which pass on this tradition.
From Watership Down to The Lion King, kids will watch again and again, enjoying, understanding and learning the valuable lessons of life.
Hopefully, one day they will actually read the book.
I wonder what books Don was enjoying over in America, all those years ago?
DB -
I can only think of one book that was read to us in the schools that I went to. I’m sure there were more, but foggy memories of days long past and my tendency to day-dream in school have limited my childhood must-read list to a single entry.
Charlotte’s Web was a roller coaster ride of emotion that ended with the car coming off the tracks. I remember fearing that Wilber would end up on the breakfast table and how the words, “some pig,” saved his bacon. I remember the disgust I felt for Templeton and the satisfaction of seeing Charlotte exploit his gluttonous ways. Then, when he won the blue ribbon, we all cheered and shared in his glory. However, my little heart was crushed when Charlotte announced that she was going to die. I imagine that is why I remember the book so well. I wanted to smack E.B. White upside the head and tell him to perform the same miracle he had done to save that silly pig. Charlotte was cool. Charlotte was kind. Charlotte was loving, giving, ingenious, creative and sure of herself. It seemed so unfair that she should die. Even her hundreds of offspring that came shortly after her death didn’t make up for the void that was left in my heart at her passing.
I don’t know if I have ever felt so wronged by a book. I was a very emotional child. I cried when Pinocchio got swallowed by the whale and I had to hide behind the couch when the Wicked Witch’s monkeys ripped the straw out of the Straw-man. Traumatized might be a little strong of a word, but I certainly remember how it made me hate the way some stories end. I know the prevailing thought is ‘it prepares children for the ups and downs of life and helps them deal with death’, but I’m not so sure I buy into that. Death and bad things will happen in spite of the books they read. How those around them explain and react will have a greater impact than a book about a spoiled pig and the tragic death of a spider. Shouldn’t the authors of children’s books just write stories that will make kids love to read?
Jes -
Okay. I'm convinced by your arguement. They really should put 'Unsuitable for Wussies' stickers on books where you are.
DB -
Sorry - I probably didn't sniff enough glue as a child. :P
As small children in school, we were read a story at the end of the day by our teachers. Often a book would last about a week and certain books had us impatiently getting through the day to hear the next instalment. I'm sure many of us went back to those favourites and read them ourselves and, as adults, have rediscovered them and read them to our own children.
There are four books which stick in my mind as truly gripping me and holding my attention while at the same time creating emotion and understanding which was very valuable to the growing up process. Until I thought back and analysed why these stories had such a lasting effect, I'd merely thought it was good writing and great characters, but I've found a much deeper level in them all.
The four books I'm talking about are:
Gobbolino the Witch's Cat – Ursula Moray Williams
The Ten Tales of Shellover – Ruth Ainsworth
One Hundred and One Dalmatians – Dodie Smith
Charlotte's Web – E.B.White
Apart from the fact that they all contain cute little animals, they teach us so much more about life than I'd ever realised. What these stories really hold are answers and lessons which are difficult to explain to a child in a normal conversation – Seeing the world from another creature's point of view, experiencing the prejudice of Gobbolino's plight for not being black, as all witches' cats should be, fearing the dangers in the world and introducing bad people safely into our lives, and coming to terms with death as a fact and understanding the turnover of new life.
Sadly, we seem to be becoming afraid of exposing children to the scarier things in life. I know schools have taken certain books out of their libraries and teachers no longer have the choice of which tales they tell. On the brighter side, the film companies do seem to recognise the importance of a lesson in a good story and continue to create animations which pass on this tradition.
From Watership Down to The Lion King, kids will watch again and again, enjoying, understanding and learning the valuable lessons of life.
Hopefully, one day they will actually read the book.
I wonder what books Don was enjoying over in America, all those years ago?
DB -
I can only think of one book that was read to us in the schools that I went to. I’m sure there were more, but foggy memories of days long past and my tendency to day-dream in school have limited my childhood must-read list to a single entry.
Charlotte’s Web was a roller coaster ride of emotion that ended with the car coming off the tracks. I remember fearing that Wilber would end up on the breakfast table and how the words, “some pig,” saved his bacon. I remember the disgust I felt for Templeton and the satisfaction of seeing Charlotte exploit his gluttonous ways. Then, when he won the blue ribbon, we all cheered and shared in his glory. However, my little heart was crushed when Charlotte announced that she was going to die. I imagine that is why I remember the book so well. I wanted to smack E.B. White upside the head and tell him to perform the same miracle he had done to save that silly pig. Charlotte was cool. Charlotte was kind. Charlotte was loving, giving, ingenious, creative and sure of herself. It seemed so unfair that she should die. Even her hundreds of offspring that came shortly after her death didn’t make up for the void that was left in my heart at her passing.
I don’t know if I have ever felt so wronged by a book. I was a very emotional child. I cried when Pinocchio got swallowed by the whale and I had to hide behind the couch when the Wicked Witch’s monkeys ripped the straw out of the Straw-man. Traumatized might be a little strong of a word, but I certainly remember how it made me hate the way some stories end. I know the prevailing thought is ‘it prepares children for the ups and downs of life and helps them deal with death’, but I’m not so sure I buy into that. Death and bad things will happen in spite of the books they read. How those around them explain and react will have a greater impact than a book about a spoiled pig and the tragic death of a spider. Shouldn’t the authors of children’s books just write stories that will make kids love to read?
Jes -
Okay. I'm convinced by your arguement. They really should put 'Unsuitable for Wussies' stickers on books where you are.
DB -
Sorry - I probably didn't sniff enough glue as a child. :P