Hi everyone, this week I’ll be discussing my thoughts on classic children’s stories and how important – or not – they are for a young tween growing up now. I’ve had many conversations with eager parents who come looking for titles such as The Secret Garden or Treasure Island which they insist their seven-year-old has to read over the summer holidays!! Yes, the summer holidays!! So, if you’re a teacher or eager parent, and would like to see my side of the discussion, press below…
Let’s start off by considering the official definition of a children’s classic book: a book that has survived the age it was written in. You might also find in some places a classic is defined as a book that is fifty years or older, but both are true in my mind. Now, I know what you’re thinking, “She’s going to lecture us on the importance of reading boring stories,” but I want you to bear with me on this please.
When you think of a classic story you think of Charles Dickens or Jane Austen don’t you. Your mind goes to flowery language and pages and pages of description that never ends doesn’t it. Yet, it’s these books that have stood the test of time. Every single day where I work, I get at least one person asking for a title. And in most cases, this leads to a healthy discussion on what my favourite classic book is and I tell them it’s titles like Little Women, Swallows and Amazons, Black Beauty and the Famous Five series!! They’re amazed it’s the children’s titles that are my choices. The reason behind this is because when I grew up in Zambia the majority of the books I collected were classics. I still have some of these copies with me and can’t bear to part with them. What about you? Do you have dog-eared copies or books you remember your parents reading to you as a child?
There’s a reason why we remember these books. These masterpieces have lasted for generations because of the unforgettable characters in them, their timeless themes, and the masterfully crafted prose from the amazing authors that created them. A classic such as these allows readers to awaken their imagination and gives readers the ability to not just travel into the story but also to different places and time periods. From each of these books, I have learnt so many things, but the most important ones are on how to live my life, how to be a sister, a good daughter and sometimes on how to be a human. I’d love to hear if you agree with me or not.
I had to look through quite a few sites and sources to figure out the difference between those older classics and what we now see circulating as “modern classics”. We find many titles these days rise to the New York Times bestseller list and are considered at par with those classics of the past century. These are the ones deemed as modern classics in literary circles. Just like their predecessors in the previous century they possess those qualities that make them unique. In some of the sites I read they talk about the universal themes they cover, the new ideas and ways of thinking that are featured, and a high quality of artistic expression that gives modern classics lasting recognition. Most writers and authors believe modern classics emerged after the World Wars as these two events marked the emergence of new ideas, such as ideologies about gender, race and class.
For me, I believe the term ‘modern classic’ is a book that has surpassed sales, gained popularity and practically serves the time period it’s written in. I also look towards additional elements which include any mention of children’s literary awards or other forms of recognition. This is why the titles I want to showcase here are from the last three decades: 1990’s, 2000’s, and 2010’s.
One can’t begin children’s books from the 1990’s without talking about the phenomenon that still has traction: the Harry Potter series. Winning scores of awards worldwide, several hundred translations, adapted for screen and stage, young Harry’s adventures changed the imagination of millions of children (and adults!) worldwide! I’m pretty sure everyone has read the series at least once so I won’t go into too much detail but every generation now grows up with Millennial parents who have devoured the series – book or movie!! The giver by Lois Lowry is another such story. As far as dystopian fiction goes for me, this is the title that set the bar. There are so many themes that weave in and out, a cast of memorable characters and a story that continues into three more books!! The movie adaptation of The giver was quite well done but it would have helped if they completed the quartet. Now, this next one for the 1990’s is both a Coretta Scott King and Newbery Honor book. Set during the summer of 1963, The Watsons go to Birmingham by Christopher Paul Curtis is a story about an African American family as they journey to Alabama and towards one of the darkest moments in America’s history. There’s something about historical books that not just give you facts, but when you have a young protagonist seeing an horrific event that shapes history, it gives you so much more. Curtis uses the children’s unique language, their bonds with each other and his unique style of description to help us learn about this moment of history.
Now, when it came to the 2000’s, there were quite a number of different formats that took centre stage and grew in popularity. After the Rowlings’s success, in the 90’s, the 2000’s it was the turn of Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series to dominate the bestseller lists. By now everyone knows about the infamous Greek gods and adventure combination here, but back then… It was mind-blowing!! This is one of the first tween reads for me that had the most diverse cast of characters, and I found myself drawn to the stories Riordan created. Smile by Raina Telgemeier is done in a format that is not just popular, but it’s one that early readers start off with. This unique biographical graphic novel tells the story of the author’s own life story as a young tween and her own coming-of-age story as she navigates middle school with a full-set of braces and everything in-between!! I thought I should include some kind of Newbery medalist in my lists and when I went looking I found The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt had received the Newbery honor medal in 2008. I must add that by the time I had read this title, I had probably read hundreds of books set in middle-schools. For some reason, I felt as though I was reading the one that could have started it all. There’s nothing too different about this book. Set in 1967, America is at war with Vietnam, and our main character Holling Hoodhood has no choice but to sit and read Shakespeare with his teacher Mrs Baker every Wednesday. Told in Holling’s unique voice, readers are taken through an entertaining school year as he navigates middle-school drama and falls in love with The Bard!!
The 2010’s brought us diversity. Not just the BIPOC revolution but also those from voices that were neurodiverse. Wonder by R. J. Palacio is one of those books that nobody could ever forget. I’m sure all of you know what Wonder is about and have had that conversation with your tweens on the importance of kindness towards others no matter what they look like and who they are. I remember crying buckets as I turned each page of this book. Speaking of crying, the next book, Out of my mind by Sharon M. Draper will surely not disappoint. Coretta Scott King medalist, Draper takes us into the life and mind of a young girl with cerebral palsy and gives an outstanding story about hope and the power of having your voice heard. That’s all you’ll get from me on this amazing read!! And my last book for the 2010’s is another Newbery winner, The girl who drank the moon by Kelly Barnhill. This fantasy read will take tweens into a magical land where babies are offered to a witch in return for protection. Sounds intriguing doesn’t it… well, all I can say is that it has all the elements of a fantasy novel: magical creatures, a quest of sorts, good vs. evil battles and a cast of fascinating characters.
And so ends my piece on classics. What about you, have you read a book and thought to yourself that it would stand the test of time and be considered a classic for younger kids? If you have, I’d love to hear which ones you would pick.
Stay safe and keep reading
Miss Mahee
Miss Mahee's Library of Reads 