I’m currently taking an editing for publication class that has a lot to do with editing all different types of books and we have come to a children journal. Our professor informed us that editors for children books are completely in a different department because they look for different things inside the story plot. For one thing, most children books have a lot of illustration and those illustrations must be approved by so many different editorial departments in case the images weren’t appropriate world-wide. They have to do so much background information for every sentence and every illustration that is approved out so that all children can come to the same conclusion. Children books are viewed more critically because of the age of the audience that call out to. Parents will have to buy those books but it’s the child who pick out what they want to read, so even the book cover should be reviewed very crucially. I found that very interesting because I would have thought, considering children books are for young minded kids, that the effort would be minimal. Even the stories that children books tell are very decisive because it has to have the right type of punctuation, spelling and mechanical fixes that will be easier for the child to read. I didn’t realize how much work and consideration was put into to make a successful children book.
Author Archives: Salma
Censorship Note
I chose the storybook “King & King” for two specific reasons: I knew it would be controversial (it will most certainly add length to my censorship essay) and I was mildly curious to how same-sex fairy tales were constructed. I was not disappointed on both accounts as this book is as notorious as it is a game-changer for future same-sex fairy tales in the future. The book articulates the romance between two characters just as any other children’s book, expect that at the end, the prince falls for another prince, rather than a princess. The small yet enormous change caused trouble for teachers in various states as parents caused a political uprising to put an end to what their children are being taught in schools. Reports date back a few months ago suggest that parents are not alright with their children being taught about what now is a legal right for same sex relationships i.e. the right to marry. This book is one of the many steps that is aiding the vast movement in accepting a different kind of sexuality and treating it as equality.
Responding to Paolo Bacigalupi
The author, Paolo Bacigalupi, believes that most teens have a rather high interest in the dystopian books because they are unsettled about their own future. He claims that adolescents seek a different version of their future reality because they know that deep down, their future isn’t as secure as their parents. With all the technology that has been invented in the last several years, the parents who are of this generation are handing down only destruction and human isolation to their children. The age of now craves the truth and nothing else so they pursue what, in their mind, is the true form of their actuality. Parents of this generation rather hide the truth of the world than tell their children what is happening in the world so the only way that kids can uncover those truths, is to read another version of it in these type of storybooks.
I do not agree or disagree with the author because I’ve never seen it from that point of view before, however neither can I deny its merit. Bacigalupi has an interesting concept and I can almost see why he would think that but as a young adult myself, I can’t agree wholeheartedly because I have never felt that way. I do not read those type of books because I believe them to have truth to it; I read it merely for pleasure as I would for any book of fiction. With that said, I can’t speak for the rest of the audience but I find it likely.
I think the author’s commentary can be related to The Giver on various levels. For one thing, the main character in The Giver wants to find the whole truth, even though it was hard for him to hear it, similar to what Bacigalupi thinks of the present mindset of this generation adolescents. In the article, Bacigalupi speaks of adults hiding the truth from their children the same way Jonas’s father hides the truth of how he “releases” the children. Both authors seem to understand the theme behind the dystopian novels.
A Couple of Boys have the Best Week Ever
I chose this story because I originally liked the title and adorable illustration but I soon loved it, entirely. It’s about two boys and the exhilarating feelings they must have felt being away from their parents for entire week. Who couldn’t relate to that? Two young boys fulfilling every young boys fantasy of no rules and childhood fun only a kid can understand.
The Twelfth Night
The very first book that I could recall reading was, awkwardly enough, the twelfth night by William Shakespeare. I had just turned ten years old and had been in the United States for about three years so my English hadn’t been good. My father thought I could learn the English vocabulary faster with the help of his favorite English writer and poet, William Shakespeare. Just like father, like daughter, I soon became obsessed with Shakespeare and his works starting from the twelfth night. It wasn’t odd for me to like that kind of literature because up to that point of my life, I hadn’t read any American children books that I could compare it to. I didn’t feel unusual, liking Shakespeare at that particular age because it felt nice to enjoy educated talks with my father.
As it turns out, Shakespeare was more fascinating than I had ever imagined seeing that I still can’t find a book more entertaining and scandalous as the cast of the twelfth night. Identical brothers and sisters, love affairs and of course the conventional awkward jealousy being told in 17th century rhythm and dialect was a thoroughly enjoyable read. What ten year old wouldn’t love hearing stories of dukes, lords, ships, and deceit in the earliest form of literature? The twelfth night is still one of my favorite stories from William Shakespeare. I was envious of Violas courage and Olivia, so cunning and beautiful, was inspiring to me and my unsolicited mind. I understood the dynamic between the characters before I knew the drama of life and society. There is a lot to learn from reading adult fiction at such a young age as my entire world became more of a fantasy adventure. Adult fiction is powerful because of the diction and ironic wordplay used that for younger audience, with their limitless imagination, could visualize something bigger and better than themselves. It’s one thing to imagine fairy tales and happily ever afters but it felt bigger than life to apprehend the affairs of men and 17th century behavior.
Definitely Disney
Maybe it’s because there are too many changes happening after the classics or just because I have been feeling sentimental lately but I much prefer Disney to any other recent version. There is something to be said about classical stories that every child reads at a young age and I don’t want to ruin the image nor erase the happiness I felt reading those stories. Fairy tales like Cinderella and Snow White were more than fictional characters to so many young girls who aspired to be brave like Cinderella and graceful like Snow White. Young children don’t look at those characters as flawed wretched women who are looking for a savior; they simply look like young girls who grew up to be graceful women that didn’t let their unfortunate predicaments cloud the rest of their future. Their stories are more heroic, iconic and teaches the suited audience of patience, kindness and ironic karma that only children will enjoy.