Comments on: Themes In Children’s Fiction http://lindajomartin.com/2005/04/19/themes-in-childrens-fiction/ Linda Jo Martin Mon, 13 Oct 2008 01:01:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1.2 By: Jen / domestika http://lindajomartin.com/2005/04/19/themes-in-childrens-fiction/#comment-1307 Jen / domestika Mon, 29 Oct 2007 03:07:43 +0000 http://lindajomartin.com/2005/04/19/themes-in-childrens-fiction/#comment-1307 What a delightful surprise to come across this very thoughtful article. It's not a topic often discussed in this light. To be honest, I've always felt a tad suspicious of any talk of themes in fiction -- and especially in youth fiction, where preachiness lies like a bear trap for the unwary! -- I guess it feels a bit like the academic eye taking over from the creative. Truly, I think the themes will emerge all by themselves from a well-told story, because the strongest themes are nothing more than universal human experience, and what else is at the root of story-telling? The themes are there -- as you say, whether they are intended or not! -- but they're a concern of the publisher's sales force, of the student of literary criticism, of the book reviewer, and occasionally of the reader. But should themes be in the mind of the writer, during the act of creation? That is the big question that your article has brought to mind... food for thought! What a delightful surprise to come across this very thoughtful article. It’s not a topic often discussed in this light. To be honest, I’ve always felt a tad suspicious of any talk of themes in fiction — and especially in youth fiction, where preachiness lies like a bear trap for the unwary! — I guess it feels a bit like the academic eye taking over from the creative. Truly, I think the themes will emerge all by themselves from a well-told story, because the strongest themes are nothing more than universal human experience, and what else is at the root of story-telling? The themes are there — as you say, whether they are intended or not! — but they’re a concern of the publisher’s sales force, of the student of literary criticism, of the book reviewer, and occasionally of the reader. But should themes be in the mind of the writer, during the act of creation? That is the big question that your article has brought to mind… food for thought!

]]> By: Nikki http://lindajomartin.com/2005/04/19/themes-in-childrens-fiction/#comment-1373 Nikki Sun, 04 Nov 2007 05:03:23 +0000 http://lindajomartin.com/2005/04/19/themes-in-childrens-fiction/#comment-1373 Wow! This was a very insightful article - one that I will be sure to refer to again and again. I got an anonymous quote off Google once that I feel captures how important themes are to children's books: “Good children's literature appeals not only to the child in the adult, but to the adult in the child.” It seems we can't underestimate the wisdom that kids have and how they can (and will!) analyze stories for their deeper meaning. The interesting thing is how adults and kids will answer the question "What does this story mean to me?" in various ways, depending on their own personal histories. So whatever theme we writers had in mind won't necessarily be the theme/s that our readers will experience. But from my experience, that works out even better because the kids read the story in more ways than I ever even thought of. That's always a nice surprise, like receiving a gift from your readers straight to your heart. Wow! This was a very insightful article - one that I will be sure to refer to again and again.

I got an anonymous quote off Google once that I feel captures how important themes are to children’s books: “Good children’s literature appeals not only to the child in the adult, but to the adult in the child.” It seems we can’t underestimate the wisdom that kids have and how they can (and will!) analyze stories for their deeper meaning.

The interesting thing is how adults and kids will answer the question “What does this story mean to me?” in various ways, depending on their own personal histories. So whatever theme we writers had in mind won’t necessarily be the theme/s that our readers will experience. But from my experience, that works out even better because the kids read the story in more ways than I ever even thought of. That’s always a nice surprise, like receiving a gift from your readers straight to your heart.

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