ABSTRACT
The coupling of children's literature with controversial subjects such as sex and drugs should perhaps be considered as a cultural oxymoron, a combination that immediately signals an end of innocence and thereby an end to childhood itself. However, there is another side to the argument which suggests that when addressing such topics, children's literature is exactly where it should be located. What must be considered here is the place of the book in cultural context. Narrative, story, is not without controversy in any culture but it also has a function in culture; story is one of the truly multicultural issues in the world. ‘Homo historia, the history of our existence as a species is translated through stories, homo fabula, by our very nature we are a storytelling species who live, breath, sleep and eat stories as part of the narrative of our very being’ (Melrose 2002), we exist through story which lies at the very heart of experience and this has to be considered in context. What we are discussing here is popular culture as old as the human race itself and in particular one still widely read and admired by children, who internalise the experience of the story as they look for positive outcomes. A story is a place where children can learn without risks or peer pressure, where they can trace the lived out experience of others which they may make their own, and having read the books, may then make informed decisions about the rights and wrongs of drug taking (say). Thus, children's books can be intellectually and emotionally challenging, encouraging the readers to develop understanding, judgement and maturity. Children's literature can often now be seen to be the instigator in debates on controversial aspects of modern life for the maturing reader: which quite possibly explains why often children's literature elides seamlessly into the adult market.
