Still trying to get my mind off this nausea...

[dc]

Here's an article by Ursula Le Guin, advocating the view that fantasy is not just for children, which is fair enough. A lot of her comments are very sensible (particularly the point about not talking down to children in writing). The bit I am not sure about is this:

As for "genre" fiction — mystery, horror, romance, science fiction — none of it is for children; they begin to read it as they approach their teens, but not before. The only kind of fiction that is read with equal (if differing) pleasure at eight, and at 16, and at 68, seems to be the fantasy and its close relation, the animal story.

I suppose her get-out-of-jail-free card here is the bit about approaching their teens: does that mean genre fiction read by a twelve-year-old does not break this rule since he or she is not a child but someone "approaching their teens"? What about someone who is eleven? Or ten? Nine?

The thing is, I remember the books that were being read when I was at primary school. There was a class library, a big bookcase at the front of the room, and we could borrow books from it. As well as some classics (Three Musketeers and the like), there was science fiction of a sort (though not much, which irritated me); there were Westerns (never much interested me, but a lot of my classmates loved them; there was a Lone Ranger book, I recall); definitely there were mystery stories, one of the most popular books was called Key To Danger which both I and my best friend at the time read several times; plus, naturally I suppose, the school genre (Billy Bunter, that sort of thing, and whatever the girls' equivalent was — the Chalet School?). Oh, yes, and war stories. In fact, lots and lots of genre fiction. The one genre which was not represented at all as far as I can recall was fantasy.

Then there was the kids' section of the public library. I still remember that place well, it had a marvellous smell of polished wood and books. Loved it from the first time my parents took me there. Again, the place was absolutely full of genre fiction of various sorts (but not a lot of fantasy; some, but not lots, and what there was was mainly the real classics like Alice in Wonderland). The stuff I focussed on was mostly the SF and mystery fiction, of which there was a lot, but there was a great deal of Western and war stuff, too.

OK, this was a while ago. But if kids were reading and enjoying genre fiction then, there is no reason why they should not be doing the same just now, apart, perhaps, from the fashions of the publishing industry.

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Meh. It's not working. I am going to have to try lying down to see if this nausea will pass. Getting waterbrash now...

Comments

[pickwick.livejournal.com]

Yay the Chalet School :) (Also all the Enid Blyton school stories, and probably Pony stuff...)

We definitely read The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe at primary school, and the Horse and his Boy, and I read the rest of the Narnia books at an early age. I think we read The Phantom Tollbooth as well, and I read The Hobbit at home, and was mainlining Diana Wynne Jones from the public library from about 8 years old.

[tanngrisnir.livejournal.com]

Actually, The Phantom Tollbooth may have been there, although I don't know that I would have categorised it as fantasy in Le Guin's classification in this article. I would tend to put it more in horror.

Not surprised there was more fantasy around when you were a kid, being as how you are a wee bit younger than me. I suspect there would have been a lot less Western and war fiction in your day.

[pickwick.livejournal.com]

Heh, yeah. I don't recall any Westerns at all, and any war fiction was a bit tangential - I remember When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit and Carrie's War (though I seem to only remember their existence rather than any details about plot!) and Anne Frank, of course. And a strange series about lovestruck teenagers in Ireland during the Troubles.

[tanngrisnir.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes, Ann Frank. That was around, of course.

And, er, the Troubles only really got going a year or two before I left primary school.

See, ancient, me. ;o)