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01/31/2003 Entry: "Children's Books"

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You know, today, I was in Waldenbooks (buying a present ^^) and I overheard a man talking to the cashier. They were discussing Harry Potter, and well, being a fan of the books, I'm always curious to hear what others say about them. He said, "Well, I read them, and they're great for kids but just okay for adults, and I think that they're not worth it Well, [chuckle], all books are like that!" I was somewhat annoyed. There are just some books that are good for kids and adults. Certainly, to be appealing to children, there has to be certain elements that aren't always in books for adults - simpler language helps, as does simple humor. But when there are books that have themes and lessons that are certainly beautiful at any age, why should anyone be denied them? Case in point: Bridge to Terabithia.

For reasons that are beyond me, Kristin had this book today at the mall - she was apparently reading it as a break. I read this book for a book report in 5th grade for Ms. Henry's English class, and when I picked up the cover - the memories, god.

It is written for children. It won the Newbery Medal, and for those who don't know, that's a prestigious children's book award. I don't like every book that wins it (I hated the one for 1998, that stupid dust bowl book), but this one won it years and years ago.

And it deserved it. My god, it deserved it. While the others were talking, I took Kristin's copy and sat down and re-read half the ending, and I ended up crying and remembering how it was to hold that book and weep and weep and weep until I just grabbed a towel because I was running out of Kleenex, because I was eleven, but I had never felt something like the ten year old Jess had felt, and yet it was so easy to understand. And nearly six years later, I picked up that book again, a book less than a hundred twenty pages, and cried again, because that beauty wasn't something that just changed or became cold with age. It was even more beautiful than before, because I hadn't appreciated so much in that book when I was eleven, and when I picked it up today and looked through it again, I had missed so much, and it hadn't gone away and lost its magic. Terabithia had grown, if anything.

The lessons in that book are strong and sweet and beautiful. How is that childish? How is that something that is best only for children? Written so children can understand, written for children, but not neccessarily only or even best for children, is it? How can something so touching be so restricted?

I don't like that "only children have the innocence to appreciate beauty" best thing, either, no matter how pretty it sounds. ^^;

I'm not saying if that's the way I'll feel about Harry Potter in another five years, another ten, twenty. I don't know, after all, even as much as I love these books. But how can one apply such a generality? There are certainly books that have no appeal to me any longer, when they did when I was younger, but that doesn't apply to all. It makes me angry, and it makes me a little sad, because these books and others deserve to be loved. Such a loss, to the books and the people who won't read them.

The people who read this are probably friends of mine, so they're not the type that will remark, "Well, they're just books, so stop obsessing!" because books are never just books, and I think that shouldn't be forgotten. And I am the type of dork who pulls out a book to read while walking to the mall, so I should shut up. (Well, come on. It's not hard... you can pat your head and rub your stomach at the same time, can't you?)

Well, I am done with finals. Got a B+ on my Chemistry final, which equates to a B in the class, blech. Dunno about my other classes. We'll see.

Um. Purchased Mars 8, Stacy has it. We're both getting fed up with it, surprise, surprise. A little sleepy. I want to watch "Chocolat" and "The Importance of Being Earnest" and "Possessions: A Romance" even if I know that the last of those three was a wonderful book and a horribly translated movie, because, I'm sorry, I don't think it's possible to take a wonderful book that of which a third is a subtle and delicate romance woven through letters between two Victorian poets and translate that just as subtly into the movie without taking five hours and making half the audience get bored to death. I want to buy that book, actually. And Bridge to Terabithia, while we're on the topic. "Chocolat" I want to see because I remember the preview, and the little boys saying, "I heard she's atheist!" "What's an atheist?" in hushed voices. It looks like a good movie, and I heard it was fantastic. I also want to re-watch Serendipity.

If you noticed, those are all (except Possessions) MGM stuff. ^^ I went to Ally's today and watched "Kate and Leopald", and it had those previews on the DVD. Didn't like Meg Ryan in it, but jeezus, is Hugh Jackman ever hot (I didn't like him in X-Men with those sideburns... except for on Colin Firth, I generally don't like them), although the ending was a little iffy for me, and, well, the whole thing sounded like a sci-fi romance novel, the kind my sister hates. But it was a good chick flick ^.^ I look forward to X-2 and M:Reloaded in May. I turn sixteen then, yay. ^.^

I love Skip Beat! a manga done by the same artist as the one who did Tokyo Crazy Paradise, the one I was obsessing about a week or two ago. Really cute ^.^ I like Kyoko's demons... they're highly amusing, especially when they start to strangle someone. It's really quite cute.

I'm a bit tired, and this was a nice fat entry, and I feel like reading the whole of "Bridge..." tomorrow. When I go to the library, to pay off lots of fat fines. Oh, joy.

Final note: read this this LOTR spoof linked from my sister's blog. BUAHAAHAHA. Although my friend told me that Aragorn is really the protagonist. Well, then.