My Perspective on Young Adult Literature

      In her article Darkness Too Visible, Megan Gurdon exposes some very horrific material in today’s young adult literature, from drug abuse to premature rape; something most any parent would find disturbing - especially if they’re looking for a welcome home present for their 13-year-old (which was what provoked Ms. Gurdon to write this article). She states that such "dark" writing should not be a part of young adult literature. But even though this type of literature may seem “disheartening” to some people, Sherman Alexie puts it in an entirely new perspective in his article, Why the Best Kids Books Are Written in Blood, pointing out that these books can only benefit the child since they help teach them “how to battle the real monsters in life.”

     I tend to disagree with Ms. Gurdon's point of view, because she seems to be directing her writing towards an audience of overprotective parents who still want to cherish their child’s innocence and not cloud it with the harsh reality of living in a world full of drug lords, rapists, and other crooked minds. As a child reaches young adulthood and puberty, their curiosity reaches full bloom and they will want to explore their new world whether it’s through books, movies, or even personal experience. By trying to prevent this from happening Ms. Gurdon seems to be fighting the inevitable since most children’s “adventure” starts in middle school and high school were they are already being exposed to peer-pressure, intimate relationships, and social groups which open the gateway towards drugs, rape, and violence. The road the child takes is solely up to them and a parent can never predict and prevent every single outcome from happening. The best thing a parent can do for their child is to give them the best damn support they can get and hope for the best.

    I am leaning more towards Sherman Alexie's point of view on this, because he believes that the more a child knows about the darker parts of the world the better. And even though reality may not always be "pretty", knowing about it will do more good than bad. Ask yourself this:

Would you rather your child read about rape and violence in a book or risk letting them walk inadvertently into a dark alley, unaware of the potential danger lurking in the shadows?

Links to articles:
Darkness Too Visible
Why the Best Kids Books Are Written in Blood