Points to Ponder

Thank you, Garden Girl, for this very interesting article.

As soon as I read the abstract, my blood was boiling, so I'd like to raise a few points for discussion and, hopefully, gain some perspective on some issues.

• Children's Literature versus Fantasy. Does there have to be a 'versus'? I had major issues with the fact that the author of the article had very distinct and preconceived ideas about what Fantasy should be.
• Adults writing children's lit. What is presumed alternative? Children writing children's lit. Just the same as not being able to live in their fantasy worlds, authors must use their imagination. Granted, at least in writing children's lit, the author has been there before.
• The author of the article indirectly brings up a valid question that Pullman slides by -- is the barrier to adulthood broken when sex is thought of or when it is practiced? I thought of priests or monks or nuns when I read this. When someone has not practiced sex but thought of it, are they less of an adult?
• Subordination of children. I was thinking of Harry Potter on this one. Every child, me included, longs to be a hero, to save the world, to be popular, and to use magic. Is this a factor of society's subordination of children? I think it has more to do with children seeing adults do things that they cannot yet do (and also the incredible imagination of children).

Did anyone like the viewpoint of the author? Frankly, I'm willing to dig up something that she's written, perferably in the Fantasy genre, and see if she practices what she preaches.