When we were first asked the question “what do children read?” immediately an image of a toddler reading a touch and feel book came to mind. I admit before reading and discussing any of the articles we read in class I strictly associated the term “children’s literature” with pictures book aimed at ages 2-5.  However I was  pleasantly surprised after reading “Kiddie Lit” to realize how incorrect that assumption was. I had fallen into the category of people who placed the word child with things small and colorful, not seeing these readers as my peers or equals. Maybe it was my years of working in Barnes and Noble, but many of the novels discussed through the article, such as Where The Wild Things Are, or Little Women, are literary works I have very rarely heard associated with children but  instead labelled as “young adult reads.”  Which posed the question of who is considered a child? In hopes of coming to a clearer answer to this pondering question I set out to read the New Yorker article entitled Little People. Very quickly I was reminded that our definition of a child has changed rapidly throughout history making it extremely difficult to define the term.

After reading the articles discussed above I have gained no clearer knowledge of who we should define as a child, and who we should not however it is a question I am excited to explore over the course of the semester. Although I have become slightly more confused by definitions than I was before reading any of these articles they have opened my eyes to many things I would never even think to imagine. Frankly hearing that Peter Pan is intended towards a more adult audience and breaking down the concept of the story through the eyes of an adult was completely mind blowing and very enjoyable.