We had two of our granchildren staying at the farm this week with two others visiting often for cousin time which I really love to have happen. One of the things we did was to take two of them up to Portland to experience a big city as they hadn't spent time in one. I'd like to take them back for an over nighter but this wasn't the week with time for that. So we did part of what we had hoped to do with more saved for their future trips.
One thing that is on my mind was what I was thinking while looking through the young adult books. The majority of titles seem oriented toward a fantasy world of mysticism and sometimes animal hero/heroine like say warrior cats. There is nothing wrong with that and after Twilight, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Watership Down and maybe even Winnie the Pooh, it makes sense. It's not like fairy tales were realistic, but in terms of books themselves, I could not help but think how different the stories were from the main ones I remember from when I was growing up.
At Powells Bookstore (a wonderful whole block and three story bookstore full of used and new books) my grandkids found books they each liked which were part of series they had already been reading. I didn't spend time looking at their choices, as they had been pre-approved by their mother (necessary especially in the young adult section where my granddaughter found most of her books); but I did buy two of my own from the children's classic section which were books I had loved by Gene Stratton Porter who was one of those authors who wrote about the importance of nature to our lives. Those books aren't in the primary section that young people want today, and I wonder what difference that will make for the future. I know what a difference these kind of stories made in my life.
Stratton Porter, an Indiana naturalist, photographer, and author, wrote about characters who found depths to their souls through their experiences in nature. Her characters or at least the heroes/heroines, were noble in their thinking, idealistic. She wrote about the relationship between man and his environment and described nature in a way that inspired many people to see it with more depth in their own lives. A lot of books back then taught that kind of thing.
I don't worry about my grandchildren where it comes to this as they are being raised by parents who do revere nature and are taking them camping, canoeing, hiking, and bicycling in wilderness areas, but I wonder how it will impact those who do not for themselves have access to the beauty of nature and how it impacts souls. I am not sure and it is a concern for me for our culture.
In our American psyche used to be a respect and value of the wilderness as a necessary part of life; and it was depicted by writers like John Muir, by nature photographers like Ansel Adams, and in children's books by authors like Stratton Porter. This way of thinking influenced those like Teddy Roosevelt who was instrumental in large tracts of land being set aside for national parks and future generations. I see little of this concern in many Americans who have decided that's not needed and the dollar is what is to be revered or their concept of a god being that doesn't care if forests exist as he can recreate them in the wink of an eye if he so desired.
If young people are growing up with less of this respect for the natural world, where will this leave humans in the future? I don't have an answer and don't right now know for sure that the books out there aren't also teaching this reverence for the natural world. I do intend to do some looking into exactly what they are teaching because I think children's books that teach about nature, about working for what one wants, of fighting for a noble cause, I think those are going to be increasingly important in a world that appears to be becoming more and more challenging to find a good life.
11 comments:
Gene Stratton Porter -- I remember my dad telling me to get "A Girl of the Limberlost" at the library. I did and I loved it!!! It's one of those books I think I need to re-read.
My favorite of her books is 'Freckles' and I can see where the idealism in it probably is not appreciated in our world. It still is by me.
I am not familiar with Gene Stratton Porter but loved the Zane Grey books that, while not really aimed at kids, did a wonderful job of describing the grandeur of the West. Of those modern ones you mentioned, I think the best thing that the Harry Potter books have done was to get a lot of kids reading books who likely would never have done so without a series like that to inspire them.
Kay & Rain--I own both books, having been given them when my grandmother died. I read each of them many times over while spending a few weeks with Grandmother during the summers.
Has there ever been a generation that didn't think the younger generations were heading to hell in a handbasket?
Cop Car
When I was a kid my grandmother gave me a copy of Gene Stratton Porter's "The Keeper of the Bees". It's one of the few books I read as a child that has stayed with me over the years.
According to what I had read 50% of young people are unemployed. I don't know what ages that means; but I think that they have to get realistic about what they have to do to pick up their adult load. I don't feel they are less than we were. I have four grandchildren but simply wonder what they are getting from the kinds of books that are out there for them to read...
When my grandma died, I got all her Gene Stratton Porter books and though they are stored, I looked them up on the Internet as they are first editions in excellent shape. One of the things that I really admire when I visit my son Joe's home is that they are working hard at being sustainable. They surely love the outdoors and the young boys only know that.
Glad you had a good time with your grandkids. Oh, and Wallace Stegner is another love.
Most children no longer have the opportunity to visit a farm, take hikes in the mountains or picnic in the wilds. That is why good books about nature are so vital to instill a love and respect for mother earth.
You are to be congratulated on helping to instill these virtues in your grandchildren. They will remember it long after you are gone.
Every time I walk the trail, I feel the interconnectedness of life, its manifestations, and just how precious is life. That's a good thing for a furious Scotts/Irish like me.
So true, Rain...I am not familar with Gene Stratton Porter---but her books sound quite wonderful...What kids read now--I have no idea. So, what you say is very very interesting....I hope there are books out there that inspire and also give great reverence to Nature.....Our world is so screwed up now---I wonder how young people will not just survive, but thrive with the wonder of all this is natural and real.
My oldest granddaughter now 19 has for years refussed to read young adult fiction. She calls it trash. I think she would enjoy reading the Sratton Potter books. I'll give it a try. Thanks for the post.
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