The Secret Door: Why Children's Books Are Very Serious Business

What is children’s literature? What should it be like—and what shouldn’t it be like? Should a children’s book necessarily teach something, be “like life,” please adults, avoid sensitive topics, be accompanied by illustrations, and inevitably end with a happy ending? In front of you is a serious, yet finely ironic discussion of the possibilities of a children’s book, its significance, and why it’s so important to respect the young reader. The author is Mac Barnett, one of the key American writers for children and teenagers. The book is addressed to everyone who writes, draws, publishes, sells, and promotes children’s literature, as well as to anyone who wants children to have genuinely great books.