I often come across parents who complain that their children read only Geronimo Stilton, or only Wimpy Kid. Or only Dork Diaries, or ... what else? If social media had existed when I was a child, parents would probably have been fretting about children reading only Enid Blyton--except for the fact that snobbery around the act of reading is a real thing. It is considered far more acceptable to read Enid Blyton (never mind the gender stereotypes and racism--we turned out okay, right?) than to read Geronimo Stilton. Here's why I think that's so.Enid Blyton was British. On the whole, there was (is?) derision of everything but the Queen's English. Only proper English, thank you very much, no Americanisms, and definitely no slang.Morals. Yes, parents are obsessed with reading being educational. (I know, not all parents. I know. My parents, for instance, weren't.) Good girls and boys do … [Read more...]