Quote:
Originally Posted by Sparrow
I agree it's very good.
I think we're going through a golden age of young people's/children's literature at the moment.
Perhaps the success of J. K. Rowling has made publishers realise there is a huge market for it.
So, even if we don't all like Harry Potter, Rowling perhaps deserves some credit for the amount of excellent alternatives out there  . |
Children's literature did not begin with Harry Potter - it simply became vastly more visible. (And note that HP's overwhelming success came from the fact that huge numbers of
grownups fastened on the books as readily as their kids.)
Among other things that have been around for a long time and are still popular, look at C. S, Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia. Also noteworthy Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain, with roots in the Welsh Mabinogion.
See also the "Lemony Snicket" titles, the YA work of Tamora Pierce, the wonderful fantasies of the late John Bellairs... the list is very long and growing. Every major publisher has a Childrens/YA line, and they get attention from the publisher because they aren't hurting as badly as the adult trade books. Mom and Dad still buy books for the kids, if not for themselves.
The trick is to keep the kids reading when they grow up, which is another matter entirely.
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Dennis