Children's books too bleak, blah blah blah.

It seems that every couple of years, someone starts a round of realism-in-literature-is-too-much-for-children-to-handle.

This time, it's Anne Fine*.  Which I think is interesting, because, like the author of the essay I just linked to, I think of Fine as an author who does deal with some pretty tough stuff, and does it realistically.

Anyway.  The Guardian also has some thoughts on rewrites for a bunch of children's books to make them cheerier.  I'm sure that someone could "improve" The Chocolate Warby adding in some Rocky-esque training scenes which would lead to an ending that doesn't make the reader want to stab herself.

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*Actually, hasn't she gone off about this before?  Oh, wait.  I'm thinking of her blistering review of Melvin Burgess' Doing It.  Which I really liked.  The book, I mean.  It was amazingly raunchy, yes, especially towards the beginning, but I remember the character development being very strong and I also remember feeling that a whole lot of the book was in line with what I remembered from high school.  But that brings us back to the children's-literature-shouldn't-be-TOO-realistic argument.  Which, in case you're wondering, I don't buy.  I'm not saying that all books should be gritty and rough -- but I don't see why, with the bazillions of books out there, noneof them should be.  Yeesh.