What ever happened to the classic kids stories?

[David LaPell]

Every week or so the local library has a story hour where one woman reads from some stories to local kids of around pre-school age. One thing I have noticed though is that there is never any mention of some of the classics, you know like Mike Mulligan, Peter Rabbit, Little Engine that Could etc. Unless you look for them, they have practically vanished from kids imaginations. Are they not politically correct or are they just old fashioned? I know my son's favorite story is Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel, even though the story is seventy years old. Some of the new stuff isn't bad, but they seem to be a little sappy, and they sure don't have big engines and boy stuff!

 

[Silver Dollar]

Well, there are Grimm's fairy Tales. If the Liberals get ahold of them, they'll ban them for the gratuitous violence. How could they ever condone the woodsman killing the Big Bad Wolf so Grandma could pop out? They need to ban axes. How could they condone Hansel and Gretel pushing the witch into the oven? That's a violation of her civil rights. They'll need to ban ovens. How could they condone a young white girl living with 7 dwarfs in sin? You get the idea.

 

[Dashriprock]

A four year old lives in my house, and he holds the classics in high regard! Mike Mulligan, all the old Dr. Seuss, Ferdinand The Bull, Where The Wild Things Are, etc.

 

[Rgoodwin]

Where the wild things are! One of my kids favorites as they were growing up.

 

[ColbyBruce]

Your local library may weed out damaged materials and the older works get discarded. Some library collections only contain current and popular works.

 

[Texas Star]

Your local library may weed out damaged materials and the older works get discarded. Some library collections only contain current and popular works.

And Politically Correct ones.

 

[jkc]

Two books without which any youngster of reading age ought not be deprived are Ernest Thompson Seton's, Two Little Savages, and the more contemporary classic, Dangerous Book for Boys, both, absolute necessities in the syllabus of young readers...

 

[Bekeart]

The OLD tales, including some of Grimm's can be found in the first few volumes of the Childcraft series. It is EXPENSIVE.

But have found nice sets at thrift stores at affordable prices. Also can be found on flea-pay - shipping costs add quite a bit. ($20 range).

A few years ago I was dating a lady. We found and bought four of five sets to distribute in her extended family. Her family did READ to the children. I think the books meant as much to her as a grandmother as they did to the grandchildren she was reading to.

We never had to pay more that $1 per book.

We had to order "Little Black Sambo" from Amazon.

The books are still available. You just have to look for them.

Back then we had discussion about the violence in the stories.

Bekeart

 

[dswancutt]

Still have my copy of Mike Mulligan and his steam shovel. One of the few children's books mom kept. Others where sold at a yard sale. Do remember as a very young child my mom reading to me. Lead to a lifelong addiction to reading.

 

[rwsmith]

I think my son's favorite

He really got into the 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid' books which I think are pretty entertaining. He's a good reader but doesn't seem to share our love of reading. Heck, I can still read Dr. Seuss and enjoy it, I love the word play. One fish, two fish....

 

[Malpasowildlifer]

Political correctness plays a huge part.

As far as I know, none of the classics are being read in high school anymore. part political correctness and part.....the kids are just not smart enough. Most could not comprehend Dickens at all.