What's Happening in Kidlit Today

Citizens for Literary Standards in Schools maintains a website "to inform parents and the community about poor quality literature and vulgar subject matter (profanity, sex, occultism) in graded reading assignments in the Blue Valley school district in Overland Park, KS." I would link to the site but there's too much vulgar subject matter.

BBC Radio did a program on adults reading children's literature. The feeling among the panelists (Anne Fine, Anthony Horowitz, Howard Jacobson, Steve Rubin, Marian Gross, and someone whose name I missed)was that the whole idea of adults reading children's book is disturbing. It indicates a lowering of standards and a dumbing down in the world of education.

They were really down on J.K. Rowling and Philip Pullman, either one of whom probably sells more than all the panelists put together.

Makes ya think.