The Wonder of Kid Lit
I love a good mystery story.
I belong to a mystery book club. I read over a dozen mystery series, waiting impatiently for the next installments and heartbroken when a run comes to its end. These are adult stories with decidedly mature themes. But, I also read (and write) books for children and they entertain (and surprise) me, too.
When our son was little, he liked a book about a lion, a bear and an elephant that came out of the woods at night to play with a boy’s toys. They rode his bike, bounced his balls and then left the toys battered and strewn all over the yard. Each morning, the boy’s father would be mad at the carelessness of his son. The boy insisted that the lion, the bear and the elephant were the culprits. And, as it turned out, the father discovered that his son had been telling the truth all along. I found this fanciful ending delightful. But, our son had a different take. He was relieved that the father finally believed his son. Our son assumed all along that the boy was being honest. That had never dawned on me. The author spoke to two different audiences with two different messages through one single ending. Both my son and I were invested in this story.
When I was a child, I had a stunning, black and white picture book about Bermuda. The tale followed two little girls around the island as they explored Bermuda’s beauty and traditions. I loved the pictures and the girls in their white pinafores. It was a fairy land to me. But, to my mother, it was a story about a disappearing way of life, of modernization and tourism overwhelming the girls’ small, island home. The book gave me great pleasure for years. On the other hand, it made my mother sad.
Children’s literature is written, of course, for children. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t find wonder and emotion in it. When you have a little reader cuddled up next to you, enjoy the whole experience. Nuzzle her hair. Wrap your arms around him. Remember that the story has something to offer you, too. Every book can speak to you, no matter your vintage.