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Random House
Ever notice how many kids' books encourage 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds to stick it to the man? From "Madeline" to "The Lorax," there is a bevy of children's classics with subversive themes, some subtle, some unmistakable. The stars of these books vary in nature and temperament -- from a curious monkey to a determined train engine to misbehaving boys and girls -- but one common theme is they all encourage little ones to think for themselves. Read more: 9 most subversive books ever written
Do you have your own favorite books in this vein — either modern-day works or classics, or even books for older kids? If so, please share them here!
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For older kids ... Roald Dahl dreamed up some of the smartest, most colorful misbehaving/misunderstood characters in books like "James and the Giant Peach," "Matilda," etc.!
I love "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day"
Pippi Longstockings, my childhood heroine!
My current favorite is "It's a Book" by Lane Smith. Causing lots of controversy because of the word "Jackass," but it's about as funny as anything I've seen recently.
I don't have any more subversive books to add! All ten of those books should be banned! And burned! Our kids will grow up to be anti-business commies after reading stuff like Lorax, can't you see?!? I'm sure all my Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and inbred Ozark buddies who voted for Blunt will agree!!
(sarcasm)
one person's subversive is another person's treasure
What an inappropriate term! Subversive is synonympus with traitorous, treacherous, seditious, destructive. That sounds more like Murdoch and Bain Capital!
Why not call them books that make people think about and respect all the different possibilities of life?
S. Dani, I was totally thinking of Roald Dahl too; Matilda especially. I also think that The Paperbag Princess, and the Skippyjohn Jones books could easily fit the bill.
Jack and the Beanstalk!!! Greedy delinquent Jack robs the Giant and his wife blind, then on his 3rd trip up to steal more, he's chased by the Giant down the beanstalk. Jack makes it, but only because the Giant falls to his death, and Jack and his mother enjoy a lifetime of riches. IMO, this is the absolute worst children's book out there.
Here's another vote for Pippi Longstocking. She kicks the Disney princesses to the curb!
Little Brown Bear Goes to School by Elisabeth Upham. The author did other titles in the series. The drawings and stories captured my attention in the 1950's and were gifts for Christmas and birthdays from 2 dear Aunts. Lost after my mother died, I found them from a used bookseller and was once again transformed to my former childhood
Jamie Lee Curtis & Laura Cornell have done a fantastic job with their series of books.
My Mommy Hung the Moon: A Love Story, Big Words for Little People and six other titles that help little people communicate with big people.
"Giggler Treatment" by Roddy Doyle. Be good or you'll step in poo!
The Twits. Roald Dahls funniest and most subversive story.
Uh, Lewis Carroll
The time has come, the walrus said, to talk of many things - of sailing ships and sealing wax, of cabbages and kings
I think revolution is a tiny bit subversive
Check out Carl Sandberg's Rootabaga Stories.
The Potato Faced Blind Man will explain how Gimme the Ax found out about the Zigzag Railroad - and who made it zigzag. You may be surprised to learn that Zizzies were heavily involved. But then, that was long before the necktie poppies began growing in the backyard.
How about "The Princess and the Pizza" or the Mouse books as in "If You Give A Mouse A Muffin"?--great favorites a few years ago with the preschool set ( and some of us teachers!)
William Blake's Songs of Innocence and of Experience: Shewing the Two Contrary States of the Human Soul, made between 1789-1794.
You want to teach your kids the sublime found between innocence and experience, and get them to question every institution ever created, have them read it. You'll be glad you did.
Do you have kids? If so, how old were they when they read William Blake?
I think "Horton Hears a Who" is anti-abortion propaganda: To wit, "A person is a person no mater how small"
I don't think that was its original intention, but it has since been twisted into that meaning many times by anti-abortion groups.
That is not what Dr. Seuss ever intended. His message about respecting people was later adopted without his wife's permisson after his death.
National Post, January 29, 2001
Ontario: Use of Seuss protested
OTTAWA - The lawyer representing the widow of Theodor Seuss Geisel, known around the globe as children's writer Dr. Seuss, is protesting the reprinting of a quote from the author's work, Horton Hears a Who!, on an anti-abortion poster being distributed in Ottawa Roman Catholic churches. Cathy Bencieengo said she will ask the local anti-abortion group Action Life Ottawa to remove the line "A person's a person, no matter how small" and Dr. Seuss's name from a colour poster showing an embryo."
Dr. Seuss' "The Sneetches" is a story of snobbery and intolerance and how it gets resolved in the best way.
Beverly Cleary's books: 'Ramona the pest' and I forget the other titles, but the heroine and her sister Beezus are intelligent, assertive, compassionate and fearless young girls.
Judy Bloome's books, all of them. My favorite was 'Nobody's family is going to change' with a wonderfully opinionated future civil rights attorney, Emma -short for emancipation, who gives everybody a run for their money.
The Paperbag Princess could be number ten - it's a must for the ending, especially - what a great tale adn a fantastic lesson about the role of boys and girls. I'm with A Mom on that one...
I was reading this list to make sure someone had added this book. I buy this book for every little girl born to someone I know.
Am I the only person who read the "Great Brain" series? About a kid (around 8-10 years old) who outsmarts everybody he comes in contact with - his parents, other people in his town, the people running the boarding school he goes off to. In one of the books, he's the only person in town who has a plan for finding two other kids who got lost in a cave.
Taryble-I totally agree with you-I loved the "Great Brain" series as a little girl. When I grew up and became a teacher of gifted students, these books were some of the first ones included in my classroom library. My students loved them as well.
I also have to agree with the supporters of "The Paperbag Princess"-what a great story for the empowerment of little girls (who are inundated with the images of helpless princesses).
I remember "Stone Soup" about some hungry military con-artists who manage to get feed by selling a town on a rare recipe for stone soup. from being a parent, I would recommend the the Swedish Emil of Lönneberga; Snip-Snap-Snur; or Flicka, Dicka, Ricka series, which are available in English; plus nearly all the Seuss books.
I had some odd childhood reading after I befriended the cartoonist Victor Vashi, who worked where my father worked. Vashi wrote "Red Primer for Children and Diplomats" and "Sing Along with Khrushchev," (both basically western anti-Soviet cartoon satire).
OMG! What about "Eloise" my all time favorite character that I always wanted to be like! The"Sideway School" stories are also very characteristic of kids being just that, Kids!
Another excellent Suess book that doesn't get near enough credit is The Butter Battle Book - a book that introduces kids to the idea of mutually assured destruction due to a pointless war started over - of all things - whether you like to eat your toast butter side up or butter side down.
Thank You. The Butter Battle Books is a personal favorite of mine. I'm surprised it did not make the list.
I love I AIN'T GONNA PAINT NO MORE by Karen Beaumont, illustrated by David Catrow. And Adam Rex rocks! Check out FRANKENSTEIN MAKES A SANDWICH and THE TRUE MEANING OF SMEKDAY. They are so smart and funny... And Jon Scieszka's TRUE STORY OF THE THREE LITTLE PIGS is hilarious!!!
Good gracious, all of you were/are terribly underexposed as children. Want dangerous children's books? Go to the horrifyingly rich Gashlycrumb Tinies and anything by William Steig (Rotten Island, Sylvester). Steig is the MASTER of subversive children's books. Subversive in your suburban homes must have been mistaken for doing a handstand under water in your above ground pools.
Rotten Island is a revelation.
The 3 book set "That's Mean", "That's Dangerous" and "That's Disgusting" by French authors Pittau and Gervais. Juggling knives, pooping in the bath tub and sticking your finger in the cat's behing are all on the list......