A Magical Enclosure

June 30, 2017.Reading time 9 minutes.

The Secret Garden transmits pivotal psychological concepts, influenced by the fairy-tale style. The story’s theme emphasizes the power of positive thinking and unity, contributing to the genre of children’s literature. Burnett utilizes the garden as a symbolic form of magical thinking to give Mary and Colin a rebirth, examining Bettelheim’s concept in the fairy tale’s existential predicament, further exploring how the children’s emotional hardships lead to the empowerment of one another. Read More

Applegate Challenges Humanity

June 16, 2017.Reading time 4 minutes.

The One and Only Ivan is a work of fiction, but the inspiration for this imagined tale lies in a true story. Ivan spent 27 years of his life alone in a cage. When I started to write about the grim facts of Ivan’s solitary existence, a new tale slowly began to take shape. At least on the page, where anything is possible, I wanted to give Ivan (even while captive behind the walls of his tiny cage) a voice of his own and a story to tell. I wanted to give him someone to protect, and the chance to be the mighty silverback he was always meant to be. ~Katherine Applegate

Hansel and Gretel: What Folk and Fairy Tales Teach Readers

April 21, 2017.Reading time 4 minutes.

Hansel and Gretel is one of the many oral folk tales that German brothers, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, first published into written literary works. The Grimm brothers, Charles Perrault, and Hans Christian Anderson were architects of children’s literature. The Grimm’s first publishings were not intended for children due to the subject matter. In fact, they revised editions to better suit children. For example, in Hansel and Gretel, the wicked stepmother was originally the mother. In modern literature, fairy tales are often labeled as cliche, however; they teach important life lessons and psychological concepts. Read More