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How do you feel about middle-grade novels that deal with life's harsh realities? My novel, May B., focuses on a child who has been abandoned, who faces starvation and possible death. Several young readers have confessed parts of it are scary. I'm okay with that. What I'm not okay with, though, is leaving my readers in a place of despair.
Here's a quote from the amazing Katherine Paterson on just this topic:
I cannot, will not, withhold from my young readers the harsh realities of human hunger and suffering and loss, but neither will I neglect to plant that stubborn seed of hope that has enabled our race to outlast wars and famines and the destruction of death. If you think that this is the limitation that will keep me forever a writer for the young, perhaps it is. I don’t mind. I do what I can and do it joyfully.”
-Katherine Paterson, A SENSE OF WONDER: ON READING AND WRITING BOOKS FOR CHILDREN
I love Ms. Paterson's idea of a "stubborn seed of hope", something that grows beyond painful circumstances, something that can anchor both the character and reader in a better future to come.
Do you shy away from heartache in the books you read or write? Why or why not?
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I think that heartache and hope are the two most important ingredients in an amazing book.
Agreed.
I love the Katherine Paterson quote, and her books are proof of that philosophy! I wrote a blog about this, too, and your book is in it, Caroline! :-)
http://hollymueller.blogspot.com/2012/07/death-and-loss-in-middle-grade-novels.html
Thank you, Holly! I'll check it out after my run.
Ditto, too! I think heartache and hope are the perfect blend because those are the lives we all live each day.
That's a great quote. My daughter was commenting to me recently that all the books she's read lately are sad, and we talked about just this. She just finished Paterson's The Great Gilly Hopkins and the idea of foster care and abandonment by a mom was a new and harsh idea for her. But she acknowledged that at the end, there was a possibility of hope for Gilly - a better life, even if it wasn't the one she dreamed in her head. It's good for kids to learn that in books, so when it hits in real life, they'll remember that hope isn't always the same shape as our dreams.
Thinking of you, friend, in this midst of your hope and heartache. xo
Yes. Another thing Paterson has said that has struck me deeply is that books are a dress rehearsal for life. We hope children don't have to face many of the difficulties that books deal with, but at the same time, they provide a safe place for reflection and growth.
I didn't read Gilly Hopkins until just a few years ago. Once again, Ms. Paterson's commitment to and compassion for children rings throughout.
I like that idea: the stubborn seed of hope because I do try to shield my kids through grade 3 or 4 from stories of harsh realities. They have plenty of time in their lives to read those kind of stories that are full of dispair and violence. I think that phrase captures the fine line that I waver between; if it is ultimately uplifting, then I am ok with it for younger readers.
It's a great image, isn't it?
That's a wonderful quote! I agree wholeheartedly. It's important to be real, but that "stubborn seed of hope" is vital.
You've just inspired me to write a memory of Katherine Paterson on my own blog.
Love this post!
Looking forward to it!
Yes. And you do this well in your own writing, Amy.