Why Are They So Afraid of Children’s Books? The Subversive Power of Imagination (Part 2)
Abstract
The second part of the article explores particular examples of subversive books in American, Soviet, and Russian children’s literature as well as the revolutionary role of fantasy and innovative literary forms through different periods of the history of the USA, the Soviet Union, and Russia. To show how children’s literature was often at odds with particular governments and common opinions, the article uses the examples of the American Left writings for young readers, the 1920s Soviet children’s prose and poetry, and contemporary Russian children’s books. The article discusses the various attempts of governmental censorship and control over this literature and the ability of writers and publishers to resist the ideological and political pressures.
Keywords
American literature; censorship; children’s and young adult literature; fantasy; Russian literature; social disobedience; Soviet literature; subversiveness
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independent scholar United States
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6187-8074
Olga Bukhina – MA, is a translator, writer, and independent scholar. Her research interests include American and Russian children’s literature, the images of orphans and death in children’s books, and the history of translation of children’s literature. Contact: bukhina.olga@gmail.com.
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