14 replies to this topic

[thistlepong]

I performed a few cursory searches which yielded similarly cursory unsatisfying results.  On the heels of the dissonance thread, among others, I began wondering what books folks would recommend seeking out  and/or avoiding for very new readers (or listeners,) for parents who were concerned about representation.  Do threads about this already exist?  Or do y'all have any notions about this sort of thing?  Thank you.

[Lummel]

Have you looked at the Good YA  and book recommendations for a ten year old threads?

Without wishing to be terribly awkward maybe you could tell us how old your very new listening readers are likely to be and what kind of representation concerns you?  For example I think that Burglar Bill is a great book for young children but some people may be shocked at its open dipiction of crime and - horrors- a single parent.  I've heard that some people don't like the representation of the Mother in the tiger who came to tea, so these things are very individual, the more explicit you can be the better recommendations you might get...

[Trinuviel]

Astrid Lindgren!
- the books about Emil frön Lønneberg
- Ronja the Robber's Daughter
- Pippi Longstocking
- The Brothers Lionheart


They're absolutely wonderful and I still enjoy them as an adult. And Lindgren was always on the side of the children. Emil gets punished a lot because his father finds him naughty, but in fact all his "naughty" episodes spring from Emil trying to do something nice for other people (fx feeding the local poor people from his family's christmas larder) and in Ronja the Robber's Daughter the two kids, Jonja and Birk, run away from home to live together in the forest because their families are enemies and act rather poorly. Brilliant.

[thistlepong]

Lummel, the reader/listener is immanent but not yet instantiated.  It'll be awhile before ze can parse anything out, but I intend to spend that while checking on these and any other recommendations.  I'm actually concerned about providing a wealth of positive representations outside the experience ze'll actually live.  So a diverse range of race, socioeconomic background, whatever, without overwhelmingly prioritizing one self would be idea; though that won't be in a single picture book.  Thanks to both for some first steps.

[Lummel]

Try this: ultimate toddler book list

[thistlepong]

Specific content requests:
Single Mom
Single Dad
Two Moms
Two Dads
Thanks for the toddler link, Lummel.  You're awesome.

[Happy Ent]

Fulton and Harris, of course.

[Happy Ent]

Trinuviel, on 23 February 2012 - 04:41 PM, said:

- Pippi Longstocking

In light of the dissoncance thread that inspired sciborg to ask this question, the Longstocking suggestion is particularly delicious in the way it exposes the disgusting hypocrisy underlying the original motivation.

Pippi’s dad is, according to Lindgren, a negro king, and referred to as such. Until a few years ago, when it was replaced by the censorial streak of those good people who want, after all, just to protect our children by representing the world as eternally concordant with the values of, wait for it, their parents.

So Lindgren is a counterexample to what sciborg was looking for. It says “negro”. And Pippi, in Lindgren’s vision, doesn’t care about parental values. That’s the point of Pippi.

But now she’s been neutered, so that the book can be mentioned on a list of works that are safely recommended to people who prefer children’s literature to be (1) a lie and (2) magically and exactly in alignment with the values of of their parents.

[Trinuviel]

Happy Ent, on 26 February 2012 - 03:48 PM, said:

In light of the dissoncance thread that inspired sciborg to ask this question, the Longstocking suggestion is particularly delicious in the way it exposes the disgusting hypocrisy underlying the original motivation.

Pippi’s dad is, according to Lindgren, a negro king, and referred to as such. Until a few years ago, when it was replaced by the censorial streak of those good people who want, after all, just to protect our children by representing the world as eternally concordant with the values of, wait for it, their parents.

So Lindgren is a counterexample to what sciborg was looking for. It says “negro”. And Pippi, in Lindgren’s vision, doesn’t care about parental values. That’s the point of Pippi.

But now she’s been neutered, so that the book can be mentioned on a list of works that are safely recommended to people who prefer children’s literature to be (1) a lie and (2) magically and exactly in alignment with the values of of their parents.

I wasn't aware of that particular history (maybe it only applies to an American context?) - I'm Danish and read it in my mothertongue and it was televised by Swedish TV, which I also watched. Will try to dig up the Danish translation to see what is says.

[Trinuviel]

Happy Ent, on 26 February 2012 - 03:48 PM, said:

So Lindgren is a counterexample to what sciborg was looking for. It says “negro”. And Pippi, in Lindgren’s vision, doesn’t care about parental values. That’s the point of Pippi.

But now she’s been neutered, so that the book can be mentioned on a list of works that are safely recommended to people who prefer children’s literature to be (1) a lie and (2) magically and exactly in alignment with the values of of their parents.

And that's why Pippi is so bloody awesome! I'm really not a big fan of politicized children's lit, but then I'm still pretty traumatized about the illustrated children's book about the Hiroshima bombing that someone in my family thought was a small child would enjoy. Needless to say, it scared the living daylights out of me and provided fodder for countless nightmares, yeay.

[Sci-2]

Quote

So Lindgren is a counterexample to what sciborg was looking for. It says “negro”. And Pippi, in Lindgren’s vision, doesn’t care about parental values. That’s the point of Pippi.

But now she’s been neutered, so that the book can be mentioned on a list of works that are safely recommended to people who prefer children’s literature to be (1) a lie and (2) magically and exactly in alignment with the values of of their parents.

I'm really lost how my name came to be in this thread - what question did I ask?

[thistlepong]

The thread seemed to go off the rails.

[genegirl]

Do you have an age group?  My daughter discovered the joy of reading at an early age.  I would read out loud and started with picture books.  Anne read her first book without pictures in 1st grade and it was "Mr Popper's Penguins".  The Barnes and Noble in my area have wonderful people working in the children and teen section.
The local library staff are also excellent with recommendations.

[Sci-2]

To the OP: Apparently Rushie wrote some children's books, Haroun and the Sea of Stories and Luka and the Fire of Life.

Also, I think HE believes we are the same person, to which I can only say:

1. When have I shyed away from creating threads, pushing my own agendas, or making demands? I think I've proven I hardly need a sock puppet.

2. Your hand at fiction would be better served in finally giving us some Earwa fan-fic good sir. :-)

[thistlepong]

A librarian friend of mine speak's highly of Haroun and Luka.  (And I suppose that would explain the ridiculous link.  Thanks.)