Popularity of Childrens Books - Essay Example

 The advent of the recent popularity of a number of children’s book is mainly due to its appeal to our imagination. These stories have the capacity to take us to places we have never been before and lets us experience the things we could not have otherwise thought of. They bring out the child in us, back when we were at the peak of our wild imagination and all that is around us is a playground and the simplest things could captivate us. It lets parents and teachers and other adult influences introduce to children worlds that come to life in these books. While on the other side of the age spectrum, adults are once again brought closer to the nostalgia that their childhood brings. There is no doubt that the popularity of the “Harry Potter” series paved the way for the other new and upcoming children’s novels. The seven-book installment by author J.K. Rowling crated such a massive following among people of all ages that the book and all its characters have become common household names. It became an ordinary scene for avid fans of the series to camp up in front of bookstores the day before the release of each installment to ensure that they will be the first to read it. The world of wizards and muggles are introduced to its readers and ‘the boy who lived’ is loved by its fans. The novel has transcended nationalities and it became a must-read for a vast number of people. It served as an anchor for the trend of such novels translated into films. The movie adaptation of all the ‘Harry Potter’ books is yet to be completed. But those who read them also became watchers of the film too. It is not the only children’s book to be transformed into a full-length picture film but it certainly is one of the most popular. Other classics and contemporary counterparts have also graced the silver screen like Lemony Snicket, The Cat in the Hat, Horton Hears Who, Charlotte’s Web, The Chronicles of Narnia and even Twilight which is currently garnering the same popularity as Harry Potter and may be classified more into the young adult fiction category, and the list goes on. Then there was Artemis Fowl One children’s book series that is also reaping popularity is the Artemis Fowl series by Irish writer and former schoolteacher Eoin Colfer. Contrary to the character of Harry Potter, Artemis is not the epitome of goodness. It revolves around its young and brilliant yet too cunning main character. It is unlike Harry Potter whose goodness remains his most revered characteristics and which make him endearing to everyone. Artemis Fowl is an anti-hero capable of corruption, extortion and connivance at the age of 10. There is a great notion that to be quite candid Harry Potter contributed massively to the eventual success of Colfer’s novels. As Jonathan Burnham, editor-in-chief for Talk Miramax puts it, "It's not the next Harry Potter… the audience that there is for Harry Potter is hungry for adventurous, daring stories that are kind of challenging and exciting. And this is clearly what Artemis is doing.” An honest remark when the book was published back in 2001, a year when there was no new Harry Potter book released in the market is intentional fate (Gray & Sachs, par. 3). The mastermind is the son of a wealthy family who is suffering financially after his father mysteriously disappeared. Artemis was able to obtain and decipher a fairy book containing the rules and regulations of the enchanted race. Then he captures Holly Short, a real fairy and a captain of the the LEPrecon (Lower Elements Police reconnaissance) and then extorts the fairies for monetary gain that would help him in his eventual plans and to recover their fortunes. He ultimately became enemy number one to the fairies. Together with the help of Butler, his trusted employee, Artemis sets off to different adventures that proves and challenges his mental aptitude and his quest for his father and other answers (Gray & Sachs, par. 5). The popularity for this book is astounding. First released in 2001, the Artemis Fowl series has six installments and the first five of it has already sold in the United States alone, over eight million copies. It has propelled Colfer to international fame in recognition of his writing and he was even named to write a sixth book for the popular Douglas Adams work, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. From his job for 15 years as a schoolteacher, Colfer has taken up writing as a full-time job. A film of the book is also already on the works and same as Harry Potter, hysteria for it is palpable to its followers (Springen, par. 1). As a schoolteacher it would be sensible to think that Colfer knows what buttons to push to capture the attention of children. Practicing what he preaches, he uses storytelling back when he was still teaching as a tool. He relates how for example, teaching history would be more effective if you can teach it through more active ways so that the children would be able to retain the facts. There could be battles or dramatization of the historical events. “I learned quickly what kids like and didn't like. They didn't like it if you were trying to ram home the moral message. You just kind of hint at it,” he adds (Springen, par.8). This is a concept that is incorporated in his writing of the Artemis Fowl series. Artemis Fowl is not exactly the type of character that directly imparts moral lessons or a good example for children to emulate. Some would even argue that these novels are not fit to be read by children as they contain wrong values that are not fit for children. The plot itself on each book is shady and the execution and decisions of the main character is more often than not quite shady and disturbing, if analyzed on a concern parent’s point of view, this really is not appropriate. Though it contains fairies and a child devoid of parental guidance, it is not the typical story where they all live happily ever after. It is chockfull of mind games and deceptions and other exciting yet unconventional storylines. Family and Authority Although it might seem that Artemis Fowl lacks any particular moral value that can be imparted to its readers, it contains certain elements that still make it endearing as the boy whose parents sacrificed their lives for him. It contains familial elements that may be less than juxtaposed but are still evident. Even before reaching his teenage years, Artemis was already abandoned by any concrete parental figure that should have taken efforts to develop him toward better moral values. He may be the most intelligent boy in the world but that does not take away from the fact that he could be mean sometimes and that he is still just a boy. Due to the fact that his father is captured and the figurative absence of his mother, the novel, intently or not, sketches a sad life no one could ever want for any young boy. Predisposition for Fantasy It is within our nature to gravitate towards the realm of magic and fantasy. The trend of propensity towards science fiction is seen everywhere, it creates attitudes toward an interest in technology, nostalgia, sentiment, magic and fantasy (Grossman et al, par.2). There is an observable inclination towards what is unknown and therefore interesting. What these stories do is transport its readers into a world they do not know. The imagination of these writers allows the people who get acquainted with their books to look at other dimensions different from their own. It provides in a manner of saying an escape from what they see, feel and experience on a daily basis. His constant search for his father and the main theme for the sixth book, “The Time Paradox” about the rescue of his mother, fortifies that Artemis is essentially in constant pursuit of what is the best for his family. Artemis takes it upon his self to look for solutions despite or because of his age. It may not always be the most virtuous way but it is the best way he knows how. Most can be considered illegal and dangerous but that is not of import to him, what he cares for is the achievement of his plans according to how he perceives it in his head. There are still some subtle instances within the books which portray him for the child that he is, moments that insinuate the boy in him and the desire to remain so and his imperative longing for the love and care that he wants from his parents. Sadly, the closest he has to an authoritative figure is Butler. This is not to undermine the loyalty and immense love that he has for Artemis. He is the one who is always there to care for and rescue him. He is the brawns as Artemis is the brains. Though he may not always agree with him, he continues to obey him and pull him out of danger. Their friendship, although constrained by their employee-employer relationship is still present but the fact that he really cannot hinder Artemis from executing his plans equates to the reality that he cannot be considered as an authoritative figure necessary to develop the personal character of the great mastermind during the times he needs it the most. The elements utilized in these children’s books are not entirely brand new. The idea of the existence of fairies, giants, wizards, witches, gnomes, dwarfs, etc. is not something we haven’t heard before. Looking at it, these are the same stories told by parents to their children years ago. These are fundamentally the same tales revised and given a more modern flavor to cater to the palate of today’s generation. They are the future classics that will be retold by other writers who will eventually be influenced by them. They leave a lasting impression to those who read them, they would not be bestsellers for no particular or explainable reason. They are purchased by a number of people for a reason. It does not seem fitting to assume that this is only a fad, for so long as there are children and children at heart, there will be a market for these types of novels to fill the racks. The popularity of these books lies mainly on their appeal not only to children but also to adults. Even the writing of Artemis Fowl is considered to be too confusing to be easily digested by a young boy or girl. The main reason for the writing of literature for children is that it offers room for dialogues and the other vital reason is that is lets people get re-acquainted with the inner child within them. Writers such as Michael Chabon 2001’s Pulitzer Prize winner and writer of “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay” writes with such talent that he can turn a complicated story and make it uncomplicated and vice versa. There springs a number of other up and coming writers within the same genre such as Isabel Allende and Clive Barker who are all contributing to the continued flourishing of the children’s literature genre for all (Lacayo, par. 4-5). We may have grown and our problems may have evolved from plain hunger or our playmates taking away our toy but the imagination and the longing for things far beyond our conception is still within us. We are still children at heart. These are still the stuff of our dreams. It keeps us away from the sad realities of life and brings back memories of our childhood when we were the ones lying down on a bed waiting to be read by the same stories. We hope in the same way that we still recall those stories that in the future the children who are reading or being read to will appreciate and remember better times. The simple times void of obscurities and difficulties. Bibliography Gray, Paul, and Andrea Sachs. "A Case Of Fowl Play." Time 30 Apr. 2001. 9 Apr. 2009 . Grossman, Lev, Mike Billips, Mark Schultz, Sarah Sturmon et al.. "Feeding On Fantasy." Time 2 Dec. 2002. 9 Apr. 2009 . Lacayo, Richard. "Kids are Us." Time 23 Sep. 2002. 9 Apr. 2009 . Lindve, Katarina. A Study on the Artemis Fowl Series in the Context of Publishing Success. Sweden: Mälardalen University, 2007. Springen, Karen. "Keeping Swashbuckling Alive ." Newsweek 10 Jan. 2008. 9 Apr. 2009 . Read More