Warning! Dangerous stories!

A couple of recent news stories:

Michael Gove changes the English GCSE so that children would no longer read novels written eoutside the UK. This provoked outrage and widespread protest, including a sit in at the Department for education, with people passionately reading Of Mice and Men, Catcher in the Rye, To kill a Mockingbird.

Richard Dawkins said children should not be told fairy tales as it gave them unrealistic expectations. ( although he does say the BBC got him wrong). Others, such as the children's writer, Laren child's, came on to defend the Fairy Tale.

Stories are powerful.

They are ways we make sense of our world. They encourage us to exercise our imagination. To ask, "what if?" "Why not?" In a story we can look outside our own limited experience of life. In an imaginary landscape we can try new things, explore emotions and apply them to our own lives. We can ask big questions about life, death and morality. We can experience fear, suspense, adventure, laughter and tears in relative safety. We can empathise with characters, and wonder about situations in our own world.

Is this why repressive regimes ban books? Is this why people who want to control women want to stop girls from reading?

In some states in America people have tried to ban books about magic such as Harry Potter from schools. They site the danger that young people might be led to experiment with witchcraft! I think no such thing. They might however, do something much more dangerous. They might read more books, and start asking questions.

Sometimes people who argue for  a literal interpretation of religious texts say, "if it were only a story, people would not have risked their lives for it!" I think that if the story was important enough, people might indeed have done so.

So, go on, do something dangerous today! Read a story!