Tag Archives: childrens books

Frank and the Plot of the Hypnotizing Slime, Chapter 4

chapter 4

© James Pyles

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“Let me go,” Lilly demanded as Frank tried to carry her deeper into the forest. They have been so scared, they didn’t realize that the chick had once again disappeared.

“I’m only trying to help.” Frank put her down and stepped back.

Lilly was about to run, but for some reason, didn’t feel afraid of Frank. “Help? Like you helped that town with your hypnotizing slime? That’s no help at all.” Then she thought a minute. “Why did you save me from being eaten by that baby chicken? We’re enemies, aren’t we?”

“Are we?”

“Yes, we are. You want to hurt people and I want to save them.”

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“Superversive” Books for Children

birds

Cover art for “Elephants Are Not Birds” by Ashley St. Clair

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Every once in a while, I’ll craft something here about Superversive as opposed to “subversive” writing and other art forms in Science Fiction and Fantasy. The idea is that for the past several decades, the entertainment industry in general has moved away from ideas such as:

  • Heroes being heroic
  • Doing good for the sake of being good
  • A happy ending isn’t such a bad thing after all
  • Love and beauty are real in the world and in people
  • It’s okay to be spiritual/religious beings and maybe we aren’t complete if we shun that
  • Family is positive and not dysfunctional
  • Civilization is better than chaos
  • Strength, courage, honor, beauty, truth, sacrifice, spirituality, hope, and humility are all virtues and have their place in stories. Superversive tales should NEVER leave the reader in despair

No, not every single SF/F book published in the last twenty years is doom, gloom, and overridden by a progressive politics and social view…

…it just seems that way sometimes.

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Girl Power and the Role (or lack thereof) of Men

© James Pyles

My 3 1/2 (closer to 4 actually) year old granddaughter loves books and she loves being read to. She knows her alphabet really well and can spell her first and last name. She’s a smart kid.

I love reading to her and my wife often takes our granddaughter to the local public library to check out books, lots and lots of books. The other day, I came home from work, and after my granddaughter woke up from her nap, she wanted me to read to her. Two of the library books she chose were Ladybug Girl and the Rescue Dogs by Jacky Davis and Red Riding Hood Superhero: A Graphic Novel by Otis Frampton.

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