A short intro from (writer) Greg Brian,
who published an article on July 6, 2007
brought this short throughtful analysis on
the very much relevant state children's
literature is headed towards.
Greg: "It doesn't even have to be said (even though it will in this article) that J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" books have set a powerful precedent in the children's writing genre worldwide for close to a decade now as of this writing. The deception of derivativeness has also reared its ugly head in the children's writing genre ever since this happened too. Once a powerful concept for a children's book gets into the public consciousness, millions of wannabe children's book writers begin to put out books not-so-subtly cloaked in the same "Harry Potter" cloth. Fortunately, not a lot of them become massive bestsellers, but they still manage to get published merely based on a hint of a proven formula. Now that the Harry Potter books enter the pantheon and long road ahead of classic literature that (presumably) holds up over time, it probably makes a lot of aspiring children's book writers who want to carve out their own identity wonder what can be done next to capture the imagination of kids with something wholly original.
The first part of that answer to that is to realize one thing: Children (thanks or no thanks to the Harry Potter books) think much more complexly now and will enjoy the next challenge in a single novel or a new series of them. Perhaps some might look at kids becoming more sophisticated (and close to thinking like adults) as a detriment to society. That obviously depends on how sophisticated their thinking is. Led in positive directions, a better awareness of the world around them can allow for children's writers to explore new things about human nature with a world that children can learn and grow from. Plots helping children relate to their own problems within a huge, complex universe are now going to be expanded upon after Harry Potter took it to new heights. Nevertheless, I suspect something all new might emerge outside of that before long."
More can be read on this article at, Future of Children's Books.
