Children's Fiction as an Adult
I recently met children's author Katherine Rundell (The Explorer, The Good Thieves) at the Winchester Writers' Festival that I was attending with work. She was giving the keynote speech at the event to tie in with the release of her essay Why You Should Read Children's Books, Even Though You Are So Old and Wise; the book, and Rundell's keynote, focused on the importance and relevance of children's fiction. Her exploration of children's stories got me thinking about those books that were favourites of mine as a child, the messages they were trying to convey, and their relevance today.
One of my favourite authors as a child was Anne Fine. My favourite books of hers were Charm School and Goggle Eyes, and I read them over and over again. Anne's books were so funny and cleverly written, and I was always hooked from the first page. Charm School follows tomboy Bonny, who is sent to a day class in etiquette and charm while her Mum is at work during the summer holidays. For Bonny, it's an absolute nightmare, surrounded by girls who talk about nothing but hair, nails, lipgloss, and who's going to take home the coveted Glistering Tiara at the end of the day. As well as being a laugh-out-loud read for 7 year old me, looking back now, it also taught me a lot about making quick judgements of others and how everyone has their own hang-ups and things they're struggling with. Bonny's cynicism and dry sense of humour clashing with the bubblegum cheeriness of the other girls at Charm School was so funny to read, but despite her initial reluctance to participate and her scorn at activities that she deemed frivolous and shallow, she learns over the course of the day that her own sullen nature and need to distance herself from being 'girly', didn't make her special or better than the other girls. Just as the other girls at Charm School begin to accept Bonnie and learn that looks aren't everything, Bonnie must likewise learn to look beyond the superficial if she wants to make friends.
Goggle Eyes is the story of Kitty and her struggle to accept her Mum's new boyfriend. She's cynical, moody, and finds fault with everything he does. Over the course of the book, Kitty learns to accept her mum's new man while understanding that she can't shoehorn him into her father's mould. Despite not having experienced anything similar, underneath Kitty's funny comments and scathing remarks was a genuine inability to come to terms with this change in her life. If I'm honest, change is something I struggle with as a creature of habit, and I find it hard to step out of my comfort zone sometimes. Reading Goggle Eyes was a comfort in many ways and Kitty was one of the first fictional characters I really connected with, despite us having very little in common!
As well as Anne Fine, I loved Jacqueline Wilson (who didn't?!) but my great love was - and is - Harry Potter. I could ramble on for days about HP and I know this isn't original in any way but that series started my love of reading and Harry's story is one that feels embedded in my subconscious, even now as an adult. I plan on re-reading the series again soon, and may go back and revisit other titles I loved years ago. Too often children's fiction is dismissed as novelty, frivolous, something to keep kids distracted on long car journeys or before bed. But as children we are more open to influence than at any other point in our lives, our personalities are just being formed and the stories we read help to influence the adults we will become.
I'd really encourage everyone to revisit some of their favourite childhood books to see how you respond to them all these years later. As part of my effort to embrace a more joyous and carefree attitude to reading, I'm looking forward to diving back into Kitty's world! What were some of your favourite childhood reads?
One of my favourite authors as a child was Anne Fine. My favourite books of hers were Charm School and Goggle Eyes, and I read them over and over again. Anne's books were so funny and cleverly written, and I was always hooked from the first page. Charm School follows tomboy Bonny, who is sent to a day class in etiquette and charm while her Mum is at work during the summer holidays. For Bonny, it's an absolute nightmare, surrounded by girls who talk about nothing but hair, nails, lipgloss, and who's going to take home the coveted Glistering Tiara at the end of the day. As well as being a laugh-out-loud read for 7 year old me, looking back now, it also taught me a lot about making quick judgements of others and how everyone has their own hang-ups and things they're struggling with. Bonny's cynicism and dry sense of humour clashing with the bubblegum cheeriness of the other girls at Charm School was so funny to read, but despite her initial reluctance to participate and her scorn at activities that she deemed frivolous and shallow, she learns over the course of the day that her own sullen nature and need to distance herself from being 'girly', didn't make her special or better than the other girls. Just as the other girls at Charm School begin to accept Bonnie and learn that looks aren't everything, Bonnie must likewise learn to look beyond the superficial if she wants to make friends.
Goggle Eyes is the story of Kitty and her struggle to accept her Mum's new boyfriend. She's cynical, moody, and finds fault with everything he does. Over the course of the book, Kitty learns to accept her mum's new man while understanding that she can't shoehorn him into her father's mould. Despite not having experienced anything similar, underneath Kitty's funny comments and scathing remarks was a genuine inability to come to terms with this change in her life. If I'm honest, change is something I struggle with as a creature of habit, and I find it hard to step out of my comfort zone sometimes. Reading Goggle Eyes was a comfort in many ways and Kitty was one of the first fictional characters I really connected with, despite us having very little in common!
As well as Anne Fine, I loved Jacqueline Wilson (who didn't?!) but my great love was - and is - Harry Potter. I could ramble on for days about HP and I know this isn't original in any way but that series started my love of reading and Harry's story is one that feels embedded in my subconscious, even now as an adult. I plan on re-reading the series again soon, and may go back and revisit other titles I loved years ago. Too often children's fiction is dismissed as novelty, frivolous, something to keep kids distracted on long car journeys or before bed. But as children we are more open to influence than at any other point in our lives, our personalities are just being formed and the stories we read help to influence the adults we will become.
I'd really encourage everyone to revisit some of their favourite childhood books to see how you respond to them all these years later. As part of my effort to embrace a more joyous and carefree attitude to reading, I'm looking forward to diving back into Kitty's world! What were some of your favourite childhood reads?
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