Childrens Literature - Essay Example

Live, Learn and Pass it on Abraham Lincoln once said, “The things I want to know are in books; my best friend is the man who'll get me a book I ain't read. “ It is true that whether you are a kid or an adult, books would offer you a window of knowledge, imagination, wisdom and learning, much more you could attain from any life being. This article focuses on books and their impact on social development skills of children. A book such as Black Beauty, written by English author Anna Sewell in 1877 is an example how there is a positive co-relation between reading literature and social development.

On the contrary, a book that would be inappropriate in this regard is The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (even though it is a personal favorite). In order to be an emotionally secure grown-up, it is important for the child to understand the meaning and relevance of social-emotional skills, the art of coping with challenges and themes such as friendship, empathy and having fun. Interestingly, the themes and motifs of Black Beauty, an autobiographical memoir of a horse named Black Beauty, do just that.

Following are few illustrations of how Black Beauty encourages them while The Catcher in the Rye discourages: 1. Friendship: The book endorses the theme of friendship and its importance in life, all across the book. In the course of his life, Black Beauty develops admiration and deep friendship with fellow horses and his owners and appreciates the true meaning of friendship and importance of sharing experiences with friends. The protagonist in The Catcher in the Rye, is however an introvert and thinks of friends as pretentious fellows. 2. Feelings: Even though both books dwell upon feelings of the individuals (or horses), feelings that kids learn in Black Beauty are positive such as developing compassion, kindness, sympathy, differentiating between good and bad, adventures of growing up, loyalty and mutual respect (foundations of healthy social interactions).

The Catcher in the Rye on the other hand deals with inherently negative feelings such as loneliness, contempt, anger and rebel. 3. Perseverance: On page 198, Black Beauty exclaims, “to be punished and abused when I was doing my very best was so hard, it took the heart out of me” (The Free Library). Still he moves on, gives the best to his master this teaching the kids the value of perseverance and listening in contrast to The Catcher in the Rye where Holden’s (main protagonist) skepticism often makes him inept to understanding other’s point of view.

Works Cited The Free Library. (n.d.). PART IV. CHAPTER 46. . Retrieved April 18, 2011, from Anna Sewell - The Free Library: http://sewell.thefreelibrary.com/Black-Beauty/4-1