In the News

So What Do Adult Books Teach?

Jose Saramago, a Nobel literature laureate from Portugal, believes the world would be a better place if adults were forced to read children's books. "They are moral fables that teach values which we consider indispensable like solidarity, respect for others and goodness," he says. (Thanks to Kids Lit)

As a general rule, I don't care much for books that teach me things. However, if adults are forced to read children's books, I hope they are forced to read mine.

Children Live in Terror Because of Books?

The subject of teen problem books came up again in an essay by Rachel Johnson called Read Me a Dirty Story, Mummy in the English paper...magazine...whatever it is...The Spectator. In her essay Johnson says, "It is a well-documented fact that even in stable, loving, smacking households, children live in terror of their parents divorcing or becoming alcoholics or shacking up with a same-sex partner, simply because that is all that seems to happen in many of the books they read."

This essay was discussed for a while at my listserv. No one seemed to know anything about this well-documented fact that Johnson was referring to.