Children's Lit and Its Effects

[hardygirl847]

I came across a book on Amazon that mentions the Hardy Boys. It's called Children's Literature and its Effects (Children, Teachers, and Learning). According to the index, Hardy Boys are mentioned on page 36.

What possible effects on attitude can the Hardy Boys have on children?

Has anyone seen this book at all? It's $40 so I'm not buying it for 1 page. It looks like my library doesn't have it either. I am super curious about this.

What could it possibly say about the Hardys?

Ok wait...I think I found the page.

Try this link http://www.amazon.com/Childrens-Literature-Childr
en-Teachers-Learning/dp/0304700932/ref=sr_1_19?ie=UTF8&qid=1292109113&sr=8-19#reader_0304700932

That was underwhelming. The Hardy Boys are heroes and therefore send the message that boys/heroes have to be brave and tough? I am seeing a gender role issue here. ND, even if she's not my fave, challenges this by being a GIRL heroine.

Perhaps it's out of context but oh well.

[MacGyver]

GIRL heroine

that's the only kind.

I'm sure the book just mentioned The Hardy Boys as an example and the author is right- they do help reinforce the idea of boys being heroes. And that's good because they're also the only kind.

[hardygirl847]

Are you trying to get in trouble Mac?? Really?! I know you're just being "technical" but you know what I meant. *shakes head*

[MacGyver]

Haha- yes, I was being technical, but there is also a point to it. Boys and girls can both be heroic and that is good. But just because the protagonists of The Hardy Boys are male, it doesn't mean that they are automatically communicating that girls cannot do brave and daring and heroic deeds too. There are books to encourage this quality for boys and there are books like Nancy Drew and The Dana Girls to encourage this for girls. I just get a little tired of all the sexist claims that I think come up way too quickly and unjustly.
I'm not saying that there aren't sexist folks out there. But at the same time, not everyone and everything is necessarily sexist. As Sigmund Freud said, "Sometimes a rose is just a rose."

[hardygirl847]

I agree that boys and girls can be the heroes of a story or in real life. I think the book in mention was copyrighted in 2000. It's not exactly the 1950s, but it was a good 10 years ago. Equality for men and women has always been a source of discussion, and of course...sexism. From what I read, it didn't even seem justified to include the Hardy Boys books in this way. Oh well...at least we know better.

I get tired of those remarks as well.

[Olivia]

Yeah, they could have wrote a bit more at least. For instance, give a couple of examples like part of the reason why they are "heroes" is because they don't stray from their values, etc.

[hardygirl847]

Well I'm going merely on the Amazon preview. However, according to the index, they are only mentioned the one time. Oh well.

I should add too that the influence they had on me was a love of reading. I read over 100 HBs books and some twice over a summer. True I couldn't finish a book in school for awhile, lol, but they spurred a new outlook on books as entertainment.

Even today, 15 or so years later...I love them and even have written fan fic stories. When I was a kid a story could be 10 pages. Now I'm looking at a story over 100.

That book might think they had a different type of influence, but that's how they have influenced me.

[MacGyver]

This seems to fit in well here. The actual blog post is about The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, but it's mainly just a quick synopsis of the series. The comments on the post are what I found interesting to read. (And keep in mind that this seems to be coming from a British point of view.) http://www.the-medium-is-not-enough.com/2009/07/weird_old_titles_the_hardy_boys_and_nancy_drew_mys.php#comment-panels

From the comments, I found a link in there to a story about the reinvention of Nancy Drew, both for the 2007 Nancy Drew movie and in the Nancy Drew, Girl Detective series and I thought that might be interesting to read too.
http://www.slate.com/id/2169353/

And this doesn't really fit at all, but I'll throw it in here anyway. Wow- be careful what you search for on the Internet. I ran across what seemed to be a funny fanfiction story based on the '70s show (particularly centered on the joke that Frank would always leave the room whenever Joe was singing a song in an episode) - but it turned out to not be good. I won't bother to post the link (because I can't find it right now for one thing and because it's apparently from a homoerotic blog.) I did think Joe having panic attacks from Frank's constant leaving and seeming rejection of him and his music was kinda funny, but like I said- it delved into some bad things at the end. I don't care for that kind of fanfiction...

[Olivia]

I should add too that the influence they had on me was a love of reading. I read over 100 HBs books and some twice over a summer. True I couldn't finish a book in school for awhile, lol, but they spurred a new outlook on books as entertainment.

That's an excellent example. Obviously I was just thinking academically instead of real life and the positive effects on individuals.

I did think Joe having panic attacks from Frank's constant leaving and seeming rejection of him and his music was kinda funny, but like I said- it delved into some bad things at the end. I don't care for that kind of fanfiction...

Yeah, I think I know what you're referring to.

[hardygirl847]

This seems to fit in well here. The actual blog post is about The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, but it's mainly just a quick synopsis of the series. The comments on the post are what I found interesting to read. (And keep in mind that this seems to be coming from a British point of view.) http://www.the-medium-is-not-enough.com/2009/07/weird_old_titles_the_hardy_boys_and_nancy_drew_mys.php#comment-panels

From the comments, I found a link in there to a story about the reinvention of Nancy Drew, both for the 2007 Nancy Drew movie and in the Nancy Drew, Girl Detective series and I thought that might be interesting to read too.
http://www.slate.com/id/2169353/

And this doesn't really fit at all, but I'll throw it in here anyway. Wow- be careful what you search for on the Internet. I ran across what seemed to be a funny fanfiction story based on the '70s show (particularly centered on the joke that Frank would always leave the room whenever Joe was singing a song in an episode) - but it turned out to not be good. I won't bother to post the link (because I can't find it right now for one thing and because it's apparently from a homoerotic blog.) I did think Joe having panic attacks from Frank's constant leaving and seeming rejection of him and his music was kinda funny, but like I said- it delved into some bad things at the end. I don't care for that kind of fanfiction...

Thanks for the links!

I don't like to read or have anything really to do with fanfic that depicts incest, or anything like that. NO THANK YOU. To each his or her own, I suppose.

[Hardy Boys UB Fan]

This seems to fit in well here. The actual blog post is about The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, but it's mainly just a quick synopsis of the series. The comments on the post are what I found interesting to read. (And keep in mind that this seems to be coming from a British point of view.) http://www.the-medium-is-not-enough.com/2009/07/weird_old_titles_the_hardy_boys_and_nancy_drew_mys.php#comment-panels

From the comments, I found a link in there to a story about the reinvention of Nancy Drew, both for the 2007 Nancy Drew movie and in the Nancy Drew, Girl Detective series and I thought that might be interesting to read too.
http://www.slate.com/id/2169353/

And this doesn't really fit at all, but I'll throw it in here anyway. Wow- be careful what you search for on the Internet. I ran across what seemed to be a funny fanfiction story based on the '70s show (particularly centered on the joke that Frank would always leave the room whenever Joe was singing a song in an episode) - but it turned out to not be good. I won't bother to post the link (because I can't find it right now for one thing and because it's apparently from a homoerotic blog.) I did think Joe having panic attacks from Frank's constant leaving and seeming rejection of him and his music was kinda funny, but like I said- it delved into some bad things at the end. I don't care for that kind of fanfiction...

Why do people have to take a great series and ruin it with a story like that?

Thanks for the links!

I don't like to read or have anything really to do with fanfic that depicts incest, or anything like that. NO THANK YOU. To each his or her own, I suppose.

I agree. I hate it as well.

[AlwaysAJoefan]

Why do people have to take a great series and ruin it with a story like that?

For the same reason that people ruin a movie with that kind of garbage.   

I agree. I hate it as well.

I second (or third) it. 

[Hardy Boys UB Fan]

For the same reason that people ruin a movie with that kind of garbage.   

I second (or third) it. 

I just don't see any need for it. I'm a Christian and live according to what the Bible says. Even though it's hard, I try to live my life the way Jesus wants me to.    

[MacGyver]

I just don't see any need for it. I'm a Christian and live according to what the Bible says. Even though it's hard, I try to live my life the way Jesus wants me to.

Amen, sister! I'm a Christian as well and I try to live my life the way Jesus wants me to - and I agree that it's hard. But what is impossible with man is possible with God! (Matthew 19:26) - and we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. (Philippians 4:13) I praise God for the promise He's given us in The Bible that even as we live the Christian life, it's still not us doing anything- it's Christ living in us and it's all His power changing us and using us for His glory. Keep walking closely with Him.

[Hardy Boys UB Fan]

Amen, sister! I'm a Christian as well and I try to live my life the way Jesus wants me to - and I agree that it's hard. But what is impossible with man is possible with God! (Matthew 19:26) - and we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. (Philippians 4:13) I praise God for the promise He's given us in The Bible that even as we live the Christian life, it's still not us doing anything- it's Christ living in us and it's all His power changing us and using us for His glory. Keep walking closely with Him.

Thanks! I was afraid I'd inadvertently started a war with that comment. Glad that's not the case. It's nice to know that there are other Christians on here who like the Hardy Boys, too!