As a student of children’s literature, I’m
frequently asked, ‘Oh, kid’s books?
So do you study kittens, unicorns, puppies and rainbows?’ When I smile sweetly and reply,
‘No. I study child death and
violence’, the reaction is undeniably gratifying.
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Let’s be clear: I’m in no way taking
pot-shots at kittens, puppies, and unicorns. (As a matter of fact, puppies and
unicorns carry some pretty heavy and twisted valences in the children’s literary
canon. More on that later, perhaps). What this blog seeks to address is the
assumption behind the many asinine questions that a student of children’s
literature should expect to receive.
Highlights include: ‘So
does that mean you can’t read very well?’, ‘Isn’t it boring to read about fairies all the time?’, ‘And, can you submit a colouring book
instead of a dissertation?’ (No really…that happened). Implicit in these questions, if of
course, the idea that children’s literature is inferior to adult literature:
‘simple’, straightforward, and just plain ‘bad’.
My premise – in this blog, and in my career
in general - is basic: that the stories we tell children are important, and
deserve our attention and study.
In this blog, I will record my experiences as a Ph.D. student in the field
of children’s literature, following the twists and turns of my research, and peppering all of this with my own musings on
children’s literature in general. If there’s anything you’re curious about, or anything
you’d like to see addressed in this blog, please feel free to give me a shout!
