Tuck Boxes, Literary High Ground, and the SF Community

[cassiphone]

Originally published at tansyrr.com. You can comment here or there.

Mmmm coffee cake. I have just returned from Raeli’s Book Week parade. She dressed up as Rhapsody from the Fairies which isn’t overly literary (though she has several of their books!) but she came up with the idea herself, based on a trouble-free costume she already had, so who was

Comments

[editormum]

I have very un-literary reading tastes I think :)

Miss G went as Lola from "Charlie and Lola" (very easy costume for a little blonde girl!) and Master J went as George from Captain Underpants (the only books he currently wants to read, despite my repeated efforts to interest him in something, ANYTHING, else!). Considering they decided at five minutes before we left (when they were already in their school uniforms) that they were dressing up, I think we did pretty well!

[cassiphone]

See, I think that's a terrible thing to say. You read more books than anyone I know. Who's to say your tastes are unliterary? That just means you read more books that a lot of people like than books that a handful of people like, right?

Ohhh I wish I could talk Raeli into going as Lola, we both love those books. But she always wants to wear her fairy costume.

I came THIS close to buying her a book about Cleopatra to justify her wearing her Cleopatra costume but at the last minute she changed her mind cos it's scratchy.

[opheliastorn]

Aw, boarding school novels. I never read The Naughtiest Girl in School, but I read St Clare's and Malory Towers - and Chapel School? - when I was 7-8 or so. I don't think I would have enjoyed boarding school stories before I was old enough that the idea of a months-long sleepover seemed exciting, not isolating!

As for genre 'cores' - pfff. I do admit to the you-must-read-this-AWESOME-BOOK behaviour, but I dislike the idea of a generic 'canon' which must be read before you can comment on the new stuff / the present state of things. I'm never going to watch more than a few eps of Star Trek: TOS, but that's not going to stop me talking about the multi-series or modern [tv] sci fi.

(Please forgive any typoes - for some reason this comment field is tiiiiiny in my browser, and I can't read what I'm typing!)

[jo1967]

Thank you, thank you...our book week parade is next Tuesday and finding something for Charlotte to wear is always hard. She can't seem to distinguish between book characters and tv or film characters. She does love Lola though, I'm going to have to work on that *grin*.

I read all four Twilight books for the very same reason as you, can't bag 'em out if you haven't read them. Hated them. Can see their value in that they have brought the next level of kids to reading, but the messages they give are so WRONG! Having said that, one of my best friends read it and loves it. We don't discuss it anymore *grin*.

[cassiphone]

Judging from our parade, most kids don't distinguish. THere were a LOT of tv, comic, film characters - okay, most of them have books too, but heh, not all.

Sometimes you just have to politely not discuss some books with some people. I know some incredibly smart women who love Twilight, and I have responded by sharing the many books I own which have similar appeal but are, you know, BETTER.

So far have converted one to Laurell K, Kylie Chan, Diana Peterfreund, Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan and Claudia Gray... anything to stop her rereading Twlight for the nnnnth time!

[anonymous]

Yes we can all agree on that.

I guess whenever you say a book is great, what you're really saying is that the combination of that book and your experiences and outlook is great.

So, when someone doesn't like a book that you like, it reminds you that the person's experiences and outlook are different, and that's a bit lonely.

Thoraiya

P.S. Re: boarding schools, I am constantly surprised by how many people in my country town send their young children to boarding school. The local newspaper ads insinuate that you're pretty much chopping your child's future off at the knees if you don't send them to school in the city. I grew up in the city and always thought that kids who went to boarding school had mean parents who didn't love them very much. I'm totally with Raeli on this one!

[cassiphone]

It's kind of sweet that she was so devastated by the concept.

And it reminds me that my Dad was sent to boarding school when he was 7... poor little mite!

[3lobed]

Heh, my mother went to boarding school in England, and I grew up on English kids' stories with lots of boarding schools in them. My secondary school had two boarding houses, and I had several boarders as friends although I didn't board myself. So my reaction to the post was to blink, think about it for a moment, and realise that yeah, I guess it does seem odd when you come across the idea cold.

I'd be interested to know if her take on it changes as she gets older.