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Violence in Children's Books

edited March 2014 in Writing
Robert Muchamore has stirred the waters of writing for the young with recent comments. He believes kids of today want some violence in their books. They now think writers like Julia Donaldson and Michael Morpurgo, as "deeply uncool." I am conscious of this thinking and do have some violence in my latest effort now with interested publishers. However, I do not believe in writing violent scenes for violence's sake, but it must be important. What are your views? Of course we are not talking about picture books, but.....there's a helluva lot of violence in nursery rhymes isn't there?

Comments

  • Julia Donaldson writes for 3-6 year olds doesn't she? I certainly wouldn't advocate violence for children that age - unless it is the sort in Horrid Henry - and there it definitely exists in an age appropriate setting.

    Michael Morpurgo has written of violence, what about War Horse and Private Peaceful?

    If you are talking about writing violent scenes where there is no come-uppance, then I do not think that is appropriate.

  • Nursery rhymes and fairy stories alike, toothlight.

    I'm never likely to write stuff for children, but I guess you have to make a judgement about what kids can reasonably 'take on board'. I suppose it depends on individual kids.
  • And also on the story being told.

    In an ideal world our kids would never witness or experience violence, but that is not the world many kids live in.

    If the book gives a positive message by the end, showing that perhaps, there is an alternative, or that the violence does not have to continue blighting that character's life, then I've no problem.

    But violence being added in just because it can be. Then no.
  • I agree that to add violence for no good reason is out. The point Robert was making (and I tend to agree) is that today's kids, don't want to read, 'Alan killed the monster,' they want a description how he did it, gore and all. They see enough violence with the video games now on offer. Naturally, in the end the goodies must win in a children's book, but sacrifices of the lives of some is okay.
  • Oooh, I've definitely got a bit of peril - OK, violence - in one of mine! The baddie has to get his come-uppance which happens to be on a broken pier above the sea. I have him fall to his watery grave as a result of a swinging kick from the protagonist who is hanging below.

    It's his own fault; he deserved it!
  • LizLiz
    edited April 2014
    I wouldn't have violence that ends in actual death... because then there is no way for the 'baddie' to overcome whatever it is that they are really fighting, and that is at the root of most children's violent tendencies.

    You have to recognise that, as a 'baddie' might well be reading the book, if all they get from a book is the same 'you are bad and deserve come-uppance', or in this case, death, then how will they ever start building a better them? Certainly if the baddie is a character that the reader has some investment in, I don't think they should be killed off - a satellite figure perhaps.

    I never got over the death in 'Lord of the Flies'. That was a goodie getting killed of course!

  • My character is violent and aggressive. He has been involved in kidnapping and theft and means the children harm. Like Bill Sykes, he has no redeeming qualities. It was them or him. He had to go.
  • So he's not a child?
  • Oh no! It's a mean ruffian who's out to get the children.

    I would NEVER kill a child! Heavens above!

    What must you think of me, Liz!!!
  • *Giggles*
  • Like Bill Sykes, he has no redeeming qualities.
    There is good in everyone, TN.
    O:-)
  • *wonders why sm is wearing one of Mother Theresa's cast offs*
  • Have you seen the winning entry in the 500 word 'children's story' comp in the current Writers News? For me it wasn't a 'children's' story, being a discussion between a teacher and the mother of the child in question. It was soon obvious the boy had written a story about being abused by his father.
    What was the target age I wonder?
  • That is a common mistake by people who want to write for children - writing a story about a child. Or from an adult's point of view, looking back. I'm surprised it has been made a winning entry, but it must be well-written - I haven't looked at the mag yet.
  • As a child I used to read books with lots of violence in them and loved it. Maybe I was that sort of child. I have to say I was old enough to know that violence was never the answer and the violence I read about was mostly wizards casting spells and hexs at each other.
  • Yes, at first I was surprised by that winning story, toothlight, assuming that the brief had been to write for children, but then I realised that the competition was actually to write a piece of flash fiction rather than a children's story. 'A Children's Story' just happened to be the title of the winning entry. (Personally, I preferred the second and third placed entries.
  • As I remember it WAS supposed to be children's fiction.
  • Oh, I've cut the corner off the Judges' Comments bit, so maybe you're right. It just says 'Flash Fiction Competition' at the top.
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