Why Advocate For Tween Books That Tackle Tough Issues?

So today's question is "How did the tween book you read represent a developmental or age appropriate approach to dealing with the topic of loss, abuse, homlessness, alcoholism, etc. This discussion should help clarifiy a position of advocacy to those who might challenge these titles.

For this question, I re-read Bridge to Terabithia. I can remember reading this book in the 4th or 5th grade and bawling my eyes out. I think the themes of loss, growing up faster than one would have liked and feeling so isolated really hit home, because at the time, I was in what is now known as the "tween" category. I didn't feel like I fit in anywhere, physically, emotionally, at school or at home. I didn't have many friends, just like Jess and Leslie, there were some big issues going on in my life that I needed to make sense of and I didn't feel like I had anyone to confide in or that anyone knew what I was going through. But, when I read this book, I instantly felt like Jess and Leslie understood what I was going through. They weren't alone because their adventures and their trials and tribulations, their issues, were my issues and I wasn't alone because I was on those journeys with them. I akin the feeling to the movie The Neverending Story. You don't just read the book, you become part of it and it becomes part of you.

Now, that's just a sentimental way to say that the book deals with some serious, very difficult issues that may seem uncommon for a child of that age to experience, but it does happen, and probably more often than we think, and books like Bridge to Terabithia are vital to those going through these issues because it helps them cope in a healthy manner. They get to see that expressing emotion and validating what you are feeling is absolutely appropriate. The sadness, the anger, the frustration and the isolation are normal, but there are solutions. These types of books are able to say yes, you may have lost someone close to you, your parents may not understand you, you may not fit in with your peers, you may feel lost, confused and hopeless but there IS hope. There is a future. There are ways to express the way you feel and work through those problems to come back to your life in a fuller and hopefully, happier manner. 

This is why we need to advocate for these books. Really, what we are doing is advocating for tweens. These kids are building their self-worth, their community ties, their identities and carving out their places in the world. They are bridging the gap between childhood and young adult hood and the transition is rarely smooth and painless. Changing bodies and changing emotions are hard enough to deal with but add to that mix a serious life altering issues, like homelessness, drug abuse or death and it feels like the rug has been pulled out from under you and you can't tell where reality is anymore.

Kids aren't born with coping strategies. They have to learn them and at a time like this, when they are the most impressionable, if they learn poor coping strategies and destructive tendancies that will affect their entire life in a negative way. Whereas, with tools like books exploring these issues in a healthy manner or even in a book showing what could happen, or has happened, when poor choices were made in coping, it shows these impressionable kids that #1 they have choices (and therefore some sense of control over their own lives) and #2 what the positive choices are and what the ramifications are of choosing poorly. Jess ran and he drew. When he met Leslie, together they built an entire imaginary kingdom where they could control the good and conquer the bad. They finally had a place to feel safe and valued, talk out their problems, often using role playing and storytelling, and I think they really showed that in a worst case scenario, that can be in your mind only, as long as you have that something to hold on to, to comfort you, to analyze from afar, through the lens of imagination if necessary.

On the other hand, in fiction, when these issues are dealt with, it creates enough distance between the reader and the situation for them to be able to analyze the entire situation and perspectives they may not have understood previously without causing an overwhelming emotional reaction. Most importantly, it provides this information in an age appropriate manner, or at least it should if it is recommended for this age group. As I said before, this is an age of half-child/half-adult. They need to be treated like they can handle these issue but they need to be presented in a non-threatening manner that is relatable, compelling, and if nothing else, entertaining. It's like finding the morale in the story. I was entertained and invested in the characters when I read this book as a child, but it wasn't until I was done reading the story, sobbing with the book in the hands that I realized I wasn't really sobbing for them, I was sobbing for me, and that was ok.

I like to credit books like this with teaching me that it is ok to cry. It's ok to verbalize your emotions. It's ok to be upset, or angry at the hand you've been dealt. But, it is what you do with the lessons that situation has taught you that matters the most and will have the greatest impact on your character as an adult, and subsequently, what you teach to the next generation.