Kids Books, etc

Since I've been working at The Library for about three months now I can truly say that I'm fairly acclimated to the position. Although what I do is not considered rocket science, as they say, I enjoy each day and find each task I am assigned calming, stimulating or interesting. Because I spend almost all of my time actually in the stacks either shelving, pulling or maintaining I get to see a lot of the collection I would never actually choose to seek out on my own leisure time. This aspect of the job has quickly become my favorite part of working in a library.

Lately I've become extremely interested in kids books. Not picture books that only have a few words on each page, but the bigger, more chapter-y kind. Al doesn't really get this new interest of mine, although he'd deny it if someone asked. He probably thinks what most of the adult population believes. What could a book for kids give me (a very important, smart adult)? It's interesting, though, because the past few children's novels I've read have actually given me more to think about and digest than the Very Adult book (that contains very Adult Things like war, death and sex!) I am currently trying to sift my way through today.

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart, in addition to constantly reminding me of The Decemberists (one of its major downfalls), deals heavily with themes of children being considered less-than-human because of their young-ness. This is not a new idea, and was most recently (heatedly) discussed here, but it is still one that doesn't get too much mainstream press or conversation. It's an issue that's hard for me too because I lack the social skills I need to interact with some of my peers let alone people who AREN'T LIKE ME (how DO you talk to a child?) but it is a great step to see it discussed in a very popular book for kids. Children need to understand that this uncomfortable vibe they're getting from the adults around them is legit and imporant in order for it to change. The funny thing about this type of agism is that the -ism really really obviously exists because of fear and I can only assume this fear lies completely in adult's ineptitude to discern the age, thought process or intellegence of anyone under the age of 15. This book surprised me in how intelligent it was throughout but I was very disappointed with the way-too-happy ending. It was the only part of the book that let its i'm-a-novel-for-kids-! flag fly. I console myself in thinking that if I were a 9 year old I would only be happy if a way-too-happy-for-real-life ending happened at the end of the book. Not everything can be as depressingly well done as the Lemony Snicket series.

Another book that I just picked up and have only read the first few pages is The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry (yeah, the The Giver and Number the Stars lady) . Because I haven't even gotten far enough to know the true plot of the book I can't say much except that there are SO MANY GRE words even in the first few pages of this book. This is a book for 9-12 year olds and I've already read the words(after two pages): nefariously, ignominiously, irascible and indolent. Those type of words are never in my VERY IMPORTANT ADULT books and are those I would never ever find in a teen novel (Stephenie Meyer, I'm mean you. You've ruined a generation). Although it's fairly obvious what Lowry is doing, I find it admirable and can only hope these children who read this book and others like it actually remember the new words they've learned so they don't have to spend hours and days memorizing definitions for words that apparently are only ever used anymore in children's literature.

Although this passion for children's lit may die quickly (I'm honestly not too sure how many great kids books there are out there. There seem to be a ton more things like Pony-Crazed Princesses than there are Neil Gaiman books for kids.) I'm glad I found that there is quality in this genre. My hope is that the next book genre I find through my employment proves to be just as fulfilling.