"The children's writer must have the same talents
that all writers, in varying amounts, possess - control
of language, a sense of rhythm and pace, appreciation
of beauty, a knack for character, a strong point of view -
and, on top of all that, the ability to connect with kids.
It's this last skill that's most mysterious. We know what
makes a writer good, but what makes someone good at
writing for children?
All the great children's writers I've met have had either
a direct line to their own childhood or a deep sympathy
with actual kids. Some have both."
This essay collection celebrates children and all the smarts they bring to the books they hear and read. Mac Barnett wants children to see books that speak to who they are, not who or what they should be. He doesn't see books that are written from an adult perspective as important to the reading lives of children; rather, he wants their books to fuel their imaginations and offer fantastic stories that entertain and require thinking on their part. He loves and honors their genius, and wants them to have books that give their lives meaning.
He suggests that there are good books for bad children, and bad books for good children. Only by sharing them, and listening to the children as you do, do adults learn about their reasoning and the joy that books bring. Great books should contribute to their social development. This book reads like a welcome conversation between friends, and offers plenty of opportunities to take the time to stop to think carefully about what he is saying. Panning didactic literature as having value only to "the adults who buy them and who find themselves flattered, and their rules reinforced, in the books’ pages.” I positively agree with that sentiment, having read hundreds of books to children and watched their reactions to some bad books. Their enthusiasm is non-existent and the brave ones will ask: 'is that really a book!?' Assuring them that it looks like a book, they are quite certain it doesn't talk like a book. Astute, indeed.
“Since the invention of the printing press, children’s books have been a battleground between those who want to tell kids what to do and those who want to tell them stories.”
Mac Barnett is a storyteller. His personal anecdotes here prove that. His goal, through these essays, is to convince those who read this important and significant book to grace kids with joy in their reading. I love it!
What was your favorite book as a child? Why do you remember it so vividly?
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