Written by Char Patterson
As the great Mitch Hedberg once said, “Any book is a kid’s book as long as a kid can read.” Never has a more true statement ever been uttered.
As college students, we often find ourselves doing things that cause us to regress to our childhood, like using Batman bed sheets, coloring with sidewalk chalk and, in select cases, even wearing capes. To class.
Books are just as much a part of our childhood as any superhero is. Who doesn’t remember “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”and “The Boxcar Children?” Without these classics, our childhoods would have been incomplete. Since we, as college students, revert back in other ways, why not embrace children’s books?
Often we forget how magical and captivating stories for children can be. We forget the power of imagination and the adventures that will ensue. The difficulty level of the book shouldn’t hinder the reader, as it doesn’t matter whether the reader “can read good and do other things good, too,” so long as they can fit in the library. Just ask Derek Zoolander.
Even as young adults, there are lessons in these books that apply to us today. As an early childhood education major, I am required to read a variety of children’s literature, ranging from “Goodnight, Moon”to “The Hunger Games.”
“The Hunger Games”series was one that I never thought I would find myself reading, simply because of their science fiction nature. Reading the first book opened up a whole new genre of children’s books that I may never have experienced if it weren’t for the suggestions of my teachers and classmates.
For those who have read it, you know this book is beyond fantastic. For the rest of you, “The Hunger Games” is set in a post-civilization North America with dictator-like rulers. To keep everyone in check, the Capitol takes children from each District and drops them into an arena to fight to the death. Even though this is not what one might expect from a children’s book, it is absolutely a must-read.
Not only did I broaden my range of books, but also witnessed the values of friendship, loyalty and teamwork.
So, next time you’re walking through Hastings, stop by the children’s section. And don’t be afraid of the Wild Things. They won’t getcha.
Char Patterson is a guest contributer for the Bison. She may be contacted atcpatter1@harding.edu
