Sex, drinking, drugs, violence, death and even magic are often cited as dangerous themes from which young readers should be protected. However, if one looks at the history of writing for children, it becomes clear that those elements have been present from the very beginning. This exhibition will explore the vast wonderland of children's literature, shedding new light on the shadows lurking in the rabbit holes.
M.T. Anderson, an American author of picture books, pre-teen books, and young-adult novels, delivered the opening lecture for Wardrobes and Rabbit Holes: A Dark History of Children’s Literature on November 7, 2012.
One of his interesting points is the idea that media – especially media for kids, but I think this applies at all levels – getting "darker" is not getting scarier but actually LESS scary, because the morality and social situations presented are so much simpler than, say, the original Alice in Wonderland.