Modern books for children are rather horrible things, especially when you see them in the mass.
—George Orwell
Not long ago, kids were taught Latin and Greek so they could read the classics . . . in their original languages. Think of Aesop’s Fables. Think of children being read Plutarch’s Lives by their parents. This is heavy stuff. And purposefully so. When you read old schoolbooks, what you’re really doing is acquainting yourself with the obscure yet illustrative figures from the ancient world, while also displaying a willingness to wrestle with timeless and morally complex topics.
These days, the children and young adult sections of bookstores overflow with infantilizing escapism, fantastical melodrama, and just plain absurd nonsense. The curmudgeons among us want to blame millennials and Gen Z for this. Their laziness and faltering tastes are why we’re awash in this stuff.
But do you really believe our kids are dumber than the kids of Orwell’s time? Or back before that? Of course not! They’re kids. We’re the problem. Parents. Adults. Educators. Publishers. As a collective, we’ve stopped believing our kids are capable of reading challenging books. So we provide them with “kids’ editions” and silly picture books instead of helping them build their reading muscles. Then we wonder why they can’t handle heavy stuff.
Well, stop it. Push them. Push yourself. They aren’t babies. Or at least they shouldn’t be after they’ve learned to read for themselves.