January 13, 2021
According to Sherman Alexie, the best Young Adult books are written in blood. In the article titled “Why the best kids' books are written in blood, Alexie wrote that “I write to give them weapons–in the form of words and ideas that will help them fight their monsters. I write in blood because I remember what it felt like to bleed.” Many children in the United States have not lived an ideal childhood. Some people like Meghan Cox Gurdon, believe that we need to shield children from the evils of today’s world to protect their innocence. Children who experience childhood trauma feel alone and often do not tell others about their abuse. The feelings of being alone often led to hopelessness and depression. The ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) too high website states that “nearly 35 million children (about twice the population of New York) have experienced one or more types of childhood trauma.” When we do not talk about serious issues like this, we are encouraging children to keep secrets to themselves which in return leads to more abuse. As Alexie once stated, “There’s nothing in my book that even compares to what kids can find on the internet.” Sadly, many children and Young Adults are already aware of the violence that occurs in the world we live in. Television shows and video games also portray vast amounts of goriness and violent behaviors. Sherman Alexie does not encourage violence. He is making the subject of childhood trauma not so taboo like it currently is. He is also taking away the pain and burden that many abuse victims face every day.
Meghan Cox Gurdon on the other hand thinks that Young Adult novels are and have become too dark. She strongly states that “No family is obliged to acquiesce when publishers use the vehicle of fundamental free-expression principles to try to bulldoze coarseness or misery into their children’s lives.” She believes that Young Adult books are normalizing violence and encouraging it. But how so? Aggression is a normal component of the human psyche. Plus, the news and events in our world today are played for all to see.
I believe that we should portray both good and bad elements in Young Adult literature. This will give them the tools to deal with the real world as well as ways to cope. Sheltering Young Adults from cruelty will only cause harm to them in the end as most of us will experience trauma at some point in our lives. Juvenile minds need to be aware that the world is not always going to be sunshine and rainbows. The world is never going to be perfect and so we need to be ready for whatever may come.
Works Cited
Alexie, Sherman. “Why the Best Kids Books Are Written in Blood.” The Wall Street Journal, 9 June 2011, www.wsj.com/articles/BL-SEB-65604.
Gurdon, Meghan Cox. “Darkness Too Visible.” The Wall Street Journal, 4 June 2011, www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303657404576357622592697038.
Stevens, J. (2017, April 25). Nearly 35 million U.S. children have experienced one or more types of childhood trauma. Retrieved January 13, 2021, from https://acestoohigh.com/2013/05/13/nearly-35-million-u-s-children-have-experienced-one-or-more-types-of-childhood-trauma/#:~:text=Almost%20half%20the%20nation%E2%80%99s%20children%20have%20experienced%20at,say%20the%20researchers%20who%20analyzed%20the%20survey%20data.
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