When researching the history of reading to children, it is important to trace the history of children’s literature because the “history of children’s literature is inseparable from the history of childhood, for the child was made through texts and tales he or she studied, heard, and told back” (Lerer, 12).
What children read, correlates with what they are exposed to and what they know. Adults play an active role in what children read because they are their foremost gateway to the world of literature. However, in the 21st century, media takes on that role of exposing adolescents to literature, and does indeed have a powerful impact. Today, the experience of reading for adolescents is mediated through mass media and marketing (Zipes, p.172). The marketing and media frenzy surrounding the Harry Potter series has heavily contributed to into the success that it has achieved. “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone transformed the turn of the century understanding of children’s literature as low in status and remunerative, and it destroyed the notion that children’s literature was simply for children, for it was clear that adults were equally transfixed” (Montgomery and Watson, 287). The marketing of Harry Potter has created a large phenomenon, one in which all children would like to take part in. As a child, giving into peer pressure is something that happens in order for a child to fit in and belong. Social acceptance is a key element to childhood, and literature can be used to marginalize certain adolescents.
When children read books, they bring their own familiarities with them. This includes things such as their attitudes towards books, their knowledge and experiences in life, their cultural background and prejudices, and their race, class, age, sex and gender. (Hunt, 70). The child as a reader is significantly different from the adult as a reader because their experiences are different than those of adults, which is why they view literature through a different lens. One main thing that distinguishes children from adults as readers is the way a child makes meaning of a book. One element that characterizes a child-reader is their ability to become engrossed in a book. A child-reader is described as “possessing a text” (Meek, 17). This explains what we mean by a child being able to read and understand a text completely. They take every part of the story and hold onto it. They relate to characters on a different level and are able to understand the meaning of the story through their own experiences.
Another element that differentiates children readers from adult readers is reading out loud. Reading today is depicted differently than in the past. A reader today can be described as “eyes scanning the page, tongue held still” (Manguel, p.42). This way of silent reading is how most adults read. The importance given to silent reading today does not mean that oral reading has completely vanished. This is where the child-reader is distinguished through their reading patterns, because “young children were depicted learning to read aloud” (Towheed, Crowne, and Halsey, p. 120). These varying images of the child reader and the adult reader are apparent today. Libraries have a room designated for children be read to, and classrooms promote children to read out loud to improve and practice their reading skills. This understanding of how children read correlates directly to why children read. One of the main reasons children read is because the book provides an escape. (Maybin and Watson, 13). Relating this back to Harry Potter, it is evident how the creation of an entirely different world can be a great escape for children. The removal of parents is the premise of children’s literature” (Nikolajera, 15), which can be an escape for children who’s relationship with their parents is not ideal. Harry Potter begins his independent journey with the death of his parents, and the child as a reader takes this journey with the character. Children escape with Harry, who is a perfect illustration of the archetypal hero figure in children’s literature. The escapist theme in children’s literature provides a model for children on how to cope with problems and crises. They use problems in the book and connect them with their own. By doing this, children can figure out how to think about and act on a problem with guidance (Feeney and Moravcik).
One of the most fascinating ideas that come up when discussing children’s literature is that of censorship. This notion is deeply connected to the relationship adults have to the way children access and experience books. Adults limit what their children read because “there is a fear of children being controlled, becoming mindless beings, slaves to the… text” (Rudd, 2000). Children have access to books through schools, libraries, and adult figures in their lives. However, adults do not always approve of books that are made for children. This fear stems from the content of a book. Particular content of the book is viewed as inappropriate by adult figures, as they are deemed as adult concerns, or things society tends to be cautious of (Maybin and Watson, 23). In the case of Harry Potter, one of the reasons as to why it was banned was because it promoted disobedience and disrespect for authority since the characters in the book broke rules. The board decided to ban the books on the belief that they would lead to juvenile delinquency. (DeMitchell and Carney, 163). Because one of children’s main accesses to books is through schools and libraries, the removal of literature in these public spaces will affect what children read. If they are not given the book, they are not able to read it.