有些人认为孩子们永远盯着电子屏幕，可他们没想到的是，在这个数字技术日益发达的时代，孩子们依旧热爱读书，图书销量正在节节攀升。英国市场调研企业商业研究公司发布的报告*显示，全球儿童和青少年图书市场近年来稳步增长，2023年市场规模达到117.6亿美元，预计2024年将突破120亿美元。
20世纪90年代，两位英国作家的作品——J.K. 罗琳（J.K. Rowling）的《哈利·波特》（Harry Potter）系列和菲利普·普尔曼（Philip Pullman）的奇幻小说《黑暗物质》（His Dark Materials）三部曲风靡全球，由此揭开了当代儿童文学复兴的序幕。近20年来，儿童文学作品数量大幅增加，为孩子们提供了前所未有的丰富阅读选择。
传统故事和畅销书依然广受欢迎，例如罗尔德·达尔（Roald Dahl）的《查理和巧克力工厂》（Charlie and the Chocolate Factory），法国作家勒内·戈西尼（René Goscinny）的《小淘气尼古拉的故事》（Les Aventures du Petit Nicolas）。经典绘本的情况也一样，如美国作家埃里克·卡尔（Eric Carle）创作的《好饿的毛毛虫》（The Very Hungry Caterpillar）（1969年），书中那只贪吃的毛毛虫吃掉了许多精美的食物，然后变成了一只蝴蝶，还有美国作家莫里斯·桑达克（Maurice Sendak）的《野兽国》（Where the Wild Things Are）（1963年）。
不过近30年来，图书呈现出让人眼花缭乱的多样化。许多国家出现了才华横溢的作家，例如巴西作家安娜·玛丽亚·马查多（Ana Maria Machado）和日本作家上桥菜穗子（Nahoko Uehashi），两位作家都获得过著名的安徒生奖。与此同时，富有创造力的新一代插画家追随着法国人托米·安热雷（Tomi Ungerer）、意大利人布鲁诺·穆纳里（Bruno Munari）等儿童绘本大师的脚步，对青少年文学的复兴起到了重要的推动作用。
爱情小说、玄幻爱情小说（结合了浪漫与奇幻）、犯罪故事和惊悚小说都是青少年和青年群体喜闻乐见的畅销书类型。有声读物的销量增长也推动了图书市场的发展。德国电子书服务提供商Bookwire GmbH一份2023年报告显示，从2021到2022年，西班牙和拉丁美洲的有声读物销量增长了近52%。
© Moomin Characters™ Author and illustrator Tove Jansson with her characters the Moomins (Finland).
儿童文学如今广泛流行，这让我们很难相信儿童文学的历史其实只有250年左右。究其原因，是由于直到18世纪下半叶，儿童仍被视为“成人的缩影”。在人们接受了约翰·洛克（John Locke）和让-雅克·卢梭（Jean-Jacques Rousseau）等哲学家的观点，认识到儿童是独立的存在之后，才开始出现为儿童服务的文学作品，尤其是在英国、美国和斯堪的纳维亚半岛国家。
英国剑桥大学儿童文学研究中心主任卡伦·科茨（Karen Coats）教授解释说：“这三个地区的共同点是，都受到新教改革的影响。在宗教运动的影响下，父母要让子女学会用母语阅读。许多早期儿童文学作品都侧重于理解基督教教义和培养基督教价值观。”事实上，儿童文学长期以来一直在教育作用和道德规范之间努力寻求出路。
19世纪出版了刘易斯·卡罗尔（Lewis Carroll）的《爱丽丝漫游奇境》（Alice in Wonderland）和马克·吐温（Mark Twain）的《哈克贝利·费恩历险记》（The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn）等经典作品，但直到进入20世纪，儿童文学才真正迎来了属于自己的时代。英国的工艺美术运动开启了儿童读物的新纪元，为儿童读物的独特性奠定了基础：作者可以天马行空地讲故事，特别注重文字和图画之间的关系，关注色彩的重要性，把书视为客体。
姆明一家和长袜子皮皮
如今的孩子们有很多种娱乐方式，但图书的价值依然独一无二，不可替代。英国水石书店儿童图书部采购员尼克·坎贝尔（Nick Campbell）认为：“阅读是孩子们最能够全身心投入、最个性化的活动方式，他们可以自由自在地探索自己感兴趣的主题，参与一场险象环生的探险，或者观看一场最荒诞的喜剧。当孩子们遇到适合自己的书，他们会对这本书产生很深的感情。在很多作家签售会上，你在孩子们的脸上都会看到这种感情的流露。”
给学龄前儿童读书是一种好办法，可以帮助他们积累词汇，熟悉书面语言，培养他们稚嫩的想象力
众所周知，给学龄前儿童读书是一种好办法，可以帮助他们积累词汇，熟悉书面语言，培养他们稚嫩的想象力，认同积极向上、却又各不相同的人物形象。1945 年以来，芬兰作家托弗·杨森（Tove Jansson）的姆明（Moomin）系列图书塑造了一系列精灵古怪的人物，突出了强烈的包容感；瑞典作家阿斯特丽德·林格伦（Astrid Lindgren）的《长袜子皮皮》（Pippi Longstocking）系列以快活、独立的皮皮为主人公，体现出了自由、创意和女性的力量。近年来，美国作家托德·帕尔（Todd Parr）的《不一样，没关系》（It’s OK to be Different）（2001年）宣扬了爱与接受的平凡道理。
面对身边的现实世界，青少年需要书籍来帮助他们完成向成年的过渡。圭亚那作家伊玛姆·巴克什（Imam Baksh）的《大海的黑暗》（The Dark of the Sea）以奇幻的笔法探讨了青少年承受的痛苦，这本书荣获2018年加勒比青少年文学伯特奖。
不切实际地幻想拥有完美的身体、死亡和种族主义，是青少年文学作品中常见的主题。一些作家将这些主题与反乌托邦小说结合起来，例如美国作家斯科特·韦斯特菲尔德（Scott Westerfeld）的《丑人》（Uglies）、英国作家马洛里·布莱克曼（Malorie Blackman）的《井字游戏》（Noughts and Crosses）。作家们还捕捉到了青少年对环境问题的日益关切，特别是在北欧国家，当地已经形成了以气候变化为主题的反乌托邦小说流派。瑞典作家马茨·沃尔（Mats Wahl）的《血雨》（The Blodregn）系列和芬兰作家埃米·伊塔兰塔（Emmi Itäranta）的《水的记忆》（Memory of Water）都描绘了人类对环境的影响。
“越来越多的青少年图书反映出了他们对环境问题的关切”
花太多时间盯着屏幕往往被家长诟病，但抖音（TikTok）的“ BookTok”标签实际上在鼓励年轻人热爱阅读。坎贝尔说：“这是通过读者口碑推荐图书的一种流行方式，我们经常可以看到这种推荐对图书需求产生的影响。我们书店里的青少年和青年读物区挤满了年轻人，兴高采烈地和朋友们谈论自己喜爱的书籍。”
圆满的结局
儿童文学在帮助儿童成长方面起到了重要作用，这使得其他形式的故事和屏幕无法掩盖儿童文学的光芒。英国伦敦大学金史密斯学院儿童文学硕士课程负责人、儿童文学专家维基·麦克勒罗伊（Vicky Macleroy）教授说：“书籍让孩子们能够去探索危险，直面难以接受的真相，并且在故事的结局中找到希望。几乎所有的儿童文学作品都有一个充满希望的结局，为未来开辟种种可能，而不是封闭前进的道路。希望往往就存在于日常真相之中，孩子们要学会如何通过行动来改变现状。”
青少年文学正在蓬勃发展，出现了畅销书、专门奖项和图书博览会，但这个类型还没有被视为“真正的文学”。外界往往认为儿童读物的文学属性低于其教育价值。由于得不到认可，主流媒体极少发表针对儿童读物的书评。卡伦·科茨对此分析道：“人们对儿童读物的期待依然停留在传授知识和影响世界观。”
科茨认为：“尽管如此，我们依然可以像对待其他文学类型那样对待青少年文学，即为欣赏而阅读，为审美而研究和分析，为探索真理而批评，解读文中蕴含的象征意义和思想意识。”我们应以严肃态度对待这种文学类型，不要用成人的偏见来看待青少年文学，请记住《小王子》（The Little Prince）的作者安托万·德·圣-埃克苏佩里（Antoine de Saint-Exupéry）的话：“所有的成年人都曾经是孩子，……可只有少数人还记得。”
*“调查报告”：https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/report/children-and-young-adult-books-global-market-report
Children’s and youth literature, a flourishing genre
It wasn't until the second half of the 18th century that literature specifically aimed at children emerged. Today, the children's and young adult book industry is booming, and authors and illustrators are vying creatively to help young readers grow up. Yet youth literature still struggles to be recognized for what it is: a literary genre in its own right.
Cath Pound
Freelance culture journalist
At 34-38 Kegelgasse, in Vienna’s 3rd district, stands one of the city’s architectural curiosities. Built in the 1980s by Friedensreich Hundertwasser and adorned with odd, coloured shapes, this building has become a source of inspiration for generations of ecologically-minded architects. Standing right next to a glass building, this quirky house is an oasis of green, with no fewer than 250 trees and shrubs growing on its roof and balconies.
That children are still avid readers in our ever increasing digital age may come as a surprise to those who think youngsters are permanently glued to their screens, but sales are booming. According to a report* by the United Kingdom-based market research firm Business Research Company the global children’s and young adult book market has been growing steadily in recent years and is set to increase from US$11.76 billion in 2023 to over US$12 billion in 2024.
The huge, global popularity of the British author J.K. Rowling’ Harry Potter series and fellow Britain Philip Pullman’s fantasy novel series His Dark Materials, both of which began in the 1990s, spearheaded a new renaissance in children’s literature. The past twenty years has seen a massive expansion in the number of titles available which provide children with an unprecedented choice of reading matter.
Traditional tales and best-selling stories, such as Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or René Goscinny's Les Aventures du Petit Nicolas (France), are still very popular. The same can be said for illustrated classics such as the American author Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar (1969), whose greedy title character eats his way through a series of beautifully illustrated foodstuffs before turning into a butterfly, or American author Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are (1963).
But over the past three decades, the offer has become incredibly diverse. Talented authors have emerged in many countries, among them Ana Maria Machado (Brazil) and Nahoko Uehashi (Japan), both winners of the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Prize. Meanwhile, a new generation of inventive illustrators is following in the footsteps of famous children’s book makers like Tomi Ungerer (France) and Bruno Munari (Italy), which plays a major role in the renewal of the genre.
In the teenage and young adult (YA) age bracket, romance, romantasy (combining romance and fantasy), crime and thrillers are the big sellers. A rise in audiobook sales is also helping to propel the market. A 2023 report by Bookwire GmbH, a service provider for the delivery of e-books based in Germany, revealed that the sale of audiobooks in Spain and Latin America increased by almost 52 per cent from 2021 to 2022.
The invention of children’s literature
Given the widespread popularity of children’s literature today it may seem hard to believe that it has only been in existence for around 250 years. This can be explained by the fact that children were seen as “miniature adults” until the latter half of the 18th century. Once they were recognized as independent beings, along the lines of philosophers John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a literature dedicated to them began to emerge, in particular in the United Kingdom, the United States and Scandinavia.
“A factor in all three regions was the influence of the Protestant Reformation, which inspired parents to ensure that their children could read in their home languages. A lot of early children's literature was focused on encouraging Christian understanding and values,” explains Professor Karen Coats, Director of the Centre for research in children’s literature at Cambridge University (United Kingdom). Indeed, children's literature has long struggled to find its way between educational virtues and moral requirements.
Although the 19th century saw the publication of classics such as Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland and Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, children’s literature didn’t really come into its own until the 20th century. A new era for children's books began with the Arts-and-Crafts movement in the United Kingdom, which laid the foundation for what still makes the book unique: the author's freedom to tell a story, a special attention to the relationship between text and image, the importance of colour, and a vision of the book as an object.
Moomins and Pippi Longstocking
There may be many other forms of entertainment available to children today but books still have a unique value. “Reading is one of the most immersive, personal ways for children to spend their time – they are free to explore that subject that fascinates them, get involved in high-risk adventure, or just indulge in the most absurd comedy. When children encounter the right book for them, the attachment is deep: you’ll see it on their faces at so many author events,” says Nick Campbell, a children’s book buyer at Waterstones bookshops in the United Kingdom.
"Reading to preschool children is a marvelous way to build vocabulary, familiarize them with written language and feed their imagination"
We all know that reading to preschool children is a marvelous way to build vocabulary, familiarize them with written language, feed their young imaginations and give them positive, different heroes to identify with. Since 1945, the Finnish author Tove Jansson's Moomin books have featured quirky characters and a strong sense of inclusivity, whereas the Swedish author Astrid Lindgren’s delightfully independent Pippi Longstocking books have embodied freedom, originality and female strength. More recently, the American author Todd Parr’s It’s OK to be Different (2001) promotes an accessible message of love and acceptance.
Grappling with the reality of the world around them, teenagers need books that will help them in their transition to adulthood. The winner of the 2018 Burt Award for Caribbean Young Adult Literature, The Dark of the Sea by the Guyanese author Imam Baksh explores teenage anguish through fantasy.
Unrealistic expectations of physical perfection, death or racism are recurrent themes for this age group. They are woven into dystopian fiction titles such as American author Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies or British author Malorie Blackman’s Noughts and Crosses. Their increasing concern for the environment is also being addressed by authors, particularly in the Nordic countries, where a whole genre of dystopian climate fiction has emerged. The Blodregn (Blood Rain) series by the Swedish author Mats Wahl and Memory of Water by the Finnish author Emmi Itäranta both address the impact of humans on the environment.
"More and more books for teens address their concern for the environment"
Although too much screen time is often seen as a bad thing by parents, BookTok, an offshoot of TikTok, has actually encouraged a love of reading among young adults. “It is a popular way to get genuine word-of-mouth book recommendations, and we regularly see the influence those recommendations can have on the demand for books,” says Campbell. “Our teen and YA sections are filled with young people, excited to chat to their friends about the books they love.”
Happy ending
The fundamental role children's literature plays in helping them grow has kept it from being overshadowed by other forms of storytelling and screens. “Books enable children to explore danger, confront difficult truths, and find hope in the endings of stories. Nearly all children’s literature is defined by a more hopeful ending and the opening up of possibilities rather than closing down ways forward. Hope is often found in the everyday truths and learning how to make a difference through actions,” says professor Vicky Macleroy, Head of the MA Children’s Literature programme at Goldsmiths, University of London (United Kingdom) and specialist in children’s literature.
And yet, despite the fact that youth literature is a flourishing genre with bestsellers, dedicated prizes and fairs, it struggles to be perceived as “real literature”. The literary qualities of children’s books are often considered subordinate to their educational value. As a result of this lack of recognition, children's books are rarely reviewed in the mainstream media. “We continue to expect children's books to teach lessons and influence worldviews,” Karen Coats analyzes.
“Nonetheless”, she continues, “youth literature can be treated in the same way as any other category of literature: read for enjoyment, studied and analyzed for aesthetic qualities, critiqued for degrees of truth, and interpreted for symbolism and ideologies.” Provided we treat this genre with the seriousness it deserves, and don't perceive it through the prism of our adult prejudices, keeping in mind the words of the author of The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, "All grown-ups were once children... but only a few of them remember it.”
*https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/report/children-and-young-adult-books-global-market-report
©️该文章及图片版权归联合国教科文《信使》杂志所有
欢迎分享到朋友圈
转载及合作请联系我们
wechat.unescocourier@gmail.com
