Children's Literature

I have been reading what has come to be termed Children's Literature since I was ... well ... a child. And I see no reason to stop now. For me the magic of children's literature is the freedom which writers seem to discover in writing for younger readers. There is at the same time fewer and more restrictions - a delicious challenge. I believe that to be truly worthy of respect a piece of children's literature must be written for the entertainment of the target audience - not it's betterment. Clearly there is a responsibility for writers in this genre to be an accurate voice for children : Women's literature is produced by women to explore the perspectives of women; lesbian and gay literature is produced by lesbians and gay men to express the creative and social concerns of these communities; the literature of ethnic communities around the world likewise reflects their distinctive world views through the eyes of their members. Children's Literature is, however - in the main - produced for children by adults. Hence the issue of responsibility. What I hope to develop on this part of my page are reviews and discussions of children's literature as well as links to children's literature related sites.

This is one of my own rare delvings into the art of poetry for young people. It is a poem which has tried to draw several strands of Maori oral tradition into a new form.

Once
an essay on sexism and children's reading
This is a link to my pooh pomes

Some Children's Literature Sites on the Web

A very good Winnie the Pooh Page
This is the Scholastic Books
Site in the USA This is the Scholastic Books
Site in Australia

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