Sex and Gender in Children's Books
Most parents would agree that there should be no sexual material,
explicit or implicit, in books written for children. When reading to a
child, or with a child, such material can only cause embarrassment,
premature questioning and unnecessary concern. The basic biological
facts are best left to school teachers and school text books, and the
emotional and relationship issues can wait for treatment in later years,
perhaps in novels written for teenagers. But while books for children
should create a world in which sex does not exist, the issue of gender
stereotyping still needs to be addressed. In the past, many books were
written specifically for boys, or for girls, though the traditional
favourites can mostly be considered gender neutral. In the modern age,
gender discrimination is widely deprecated.
Gender awareness, like sexual awareness, grows gradually with advancing years. In the past the issue was forced by parents who put new-born boys in pale blue and baby girls in pink. Then there were mechanical and military toys designated for boys and dolls and nurses' kits reserved for girls. The modern approach is to withhold this kind of parental channelling and allow gender awareness to emerge naturally, after all, it seems that nature sometimes makes a mistake. Boys and girls are now allowed to choose their own toys and their own playmates, free from gender stereotyping. In the same way, as they ask to be read to, or learn to read, they are free to choose their own books with characters that are no more gender differentiated than they are themselves.
Some famous children's authors from the past seem to have anticipated this trend and probably had a role in promoting it. In 'Swallows and Amazons,' Arthur Ransome mixed the boys and girls and gave them equally important and adventurous roles, influencing some critics to describe the more dominant girls as 'tomboys.' Enid Blyton too, in her 'Famous Five' books, mixed the two genders in her group of juvenile adventurers, with one girl cutting her hair short and insisting on being called George although her real name was Georgina. George was also described by critics as behaving like a tomboy, a designation that now dates the critics more than it does the authors.
Children love books about children, but many children's books also contain central characters who are adult. It has been argued, however, that some adult characters in popular children's books, especially humorous ones, actually act like children in nature and personality. Faced with challenging situations they respond emotionally and spontaneously as children would. Their behaviour is often differentiated as good or bad, but not as male or female. Like children themselves, all characters in children's books can be gender neutral, and this preserves the ambience of a magical world that is unaware of the distraction of sex.
Gender awareness, like sexual awareness, grows gradually with advancing years. In the past the issue was forced by parents who put new-born boys in pale blue and baby girls in pink. Then there were mechanical and military toys designated for boys and dolls and nurses' kits reserved for girls. The modern approach is to withhold this kind of parental channelling and allow gender awareness to emerge naturally, after all, it seems that nature sometimes makes a mistake. Boys and girls are now allowed to choose their own toys and their own playmates, free from gender stereotyping. In the same way, as they ask to be read to, or learn to read, they are free to choose their own books with characters that are no more gender differentiated than they are themselves.
Some famous children's authors from the past seem to have anticipated this trend and probably had a role in promoting it. In 'Swallows and Amazons,' Arthur Ransome mixed the boys and girls and gave them equally important and adventurous roles, influencing some critics to describe the more dominant girls as 'tomboys.' Enid Blyton too, in her 'Famous Five' books, mixed the two genders in her group of juvenile adventurers, with one girl cutting her hair short and insisting on being called George although her real name was Georgina. George was also described by critics as behaving like a tomboy, a designation that now dates the critics more than it does the authors.
Children love books about children, but many children's books also contain central characters who are adult. It has been argued, however, that some adult characters in popular children's books, especially humorous ones, actually act like children in nature and personality. Faced with challenging situations they respond emotionally and spontaneously as children would. Their behaviour is often differentiated as good or bad, but not as male or female. Like children themselves, all characters in children's books can be gender neutral, and this preserves the ambience of a magical world that is unaware of the distraction of sex.
Saint George, Rusty Knight, and Monster Tamer is a series of nine
self-contained historical short stories which introduces George, a
hapless knight who has an unusual skill for monster taming, and which,
with wit and delightful aplomb takes the young reader on an adventurous
journey though some significant moments in history.
Historical Novel Society, February 2016.
http://www.amazon.com/Saint-George-Rusty-Knight-Monster/dp/1910508195/ref=cm_cr_pr_pdt_img_top?ie=UTF8
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Saint-George-Rusty-Knight-Monster/dp/1910508195/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_img_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1EEZ4CA5ZNVKJ0ZZNGTN
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/expert/John_Powell/921287
Historical Novel Society, February 2016.
http://www.amazon.com/Saint-George-Rusty-Knight-Monster/dp/1910508195/ref=cm_cr_pr_pdt_img_top?ie=UTF8
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Saint-George-Rusty-Knight-Monster/dp/1910508195/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_img_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1EEZ4CA5ZNVKJ0ZZNGTN
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