Childish Things
From Battleship to Barbie, how culture for young consumers shapes the identities they construct
Child’s Play and the Very Human Horror of Creepy Dolls
The 1988 film introduced an iconic villain in Chucky—just one of many living toys that have haunted cinema for decades.
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Peter Nicholls / Reuters Paddington Bear and the Displaced Child
Growing up, one writer saw the beloved character as a mascot for the Latin American immigrant experience. Sixty years after Paddington’s debut book was published, his story still feels relevant.
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The CW Growing Up Without Jane the Virgin
On the show, men cry, embrace empathy, and are open of heart. Why one writer wishes he’d been able to watch it as a kid
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PhotoMediaGroup / Shutterstock / Scholastic / Zak Bickel ... Living Through Death With Harry Potter
Trauma and tragedy play a role in a lot of children’s literature. But it was J.K. Rowling’s series that helped me cope with almost dying.
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Amar Chitra Katha Pvt. Ltd. / The Atlantic The Dark Side of the Comics That Redefined Hinduism
Beloved by generations of Indian children like myself, the illustrated-book series Amar Chitra Katha also reinforced many forms of intolerance.
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Penguin Young Readers What a Forgotten Kids' Book Reveals About U.S. Publishing
Released in 1927, the poignant children’s novel Gay Neck was written by an Indian immigrant who became the first person of color to win the Newbery Medal.
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Nintendo Coming of Age With The Legend of Zelda
The franchise’s evolving complexity, its young protagonists, and its accessibility make it a particularly apt reflection of entering adulthood.
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Christy Radecic / Invision for Warner Bros. Consumer ... Imagining a Black Wonder Woman
Growing up, I was told my favorite comic-book heroine was white. And yet her struggles always seemed uniquely similar to my own.
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Fox Searchlight Bend It Like Beckham and the Art of Balancing Cultures
When the film debuted 15 years ago, it taught me that shaping a hybrid identity could be a beautiful, inventive, and at times lonely experience.
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Studio Ghibli Hayao Miyazaki and the Art of Being a Woman
The famed Japanese animator and director created heroines who defied feminine stereotypes and showed me how to be at home in my own skin.
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Scholastic / Amazon Dear America: Reading Through History
In the aftermath of 9/11, the young-adult historical fiction series showed me how people move forward after earth-shattering moments.
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PBS Ghostwriter: The Most Literary '90s Kids Show
The children’s series inspired its young audience to appreciate the mysteries and power of language.
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TriStar Pictures Labyrinth and the Dark Heart of Childhood
Jim Henson’s 1986 film understands at its core that youth is full of mystery, tricks, and danger.
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Bettmann / Getty Little House and the Art of Hiding Your Feelings
Laura Ingalls Wilder’s popular book series championed emotional restraint—an approach I’ve come to both question and appreciate in adulthood.
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Filmation She-Ra and the Fight Against the Token Girl
Decades before the outcry against the Ghostbusters remake, a 1980s kids show tried—and failed—to subvert male-centric stories.
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TriStar Pictures Why Hollywood Doesn’t Tell More Stories for—and About—Girls
It has partly to do with a dearth of women behind the scenes, changing audience tastes, and an evolving industry.
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Little, Brown Coming to Terms With Tintin
The scrappy Belgian reporter was my childhood hero. Reading his books as an adult is a little more complicated.
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Discussing the Gender Politics of Legos
Last week, Adrienne explored recent efforts by toy giant Lego to reach young girls. For example: In…
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Fabian Bimmer / Reuters How to Play Like a Girl
For toymakers like Lego, where is the line between making products children love and telling kids how they should play?
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NBC Finding My Identity Via The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
The ’90s American sitcom was crucial in helping me understand blackness as a young girl of Nigerian descent growing up in Scotland.
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Barnes and Noble Frog and Toad and the Self
Arnold Lobel’s beloved books taught children to understand and appreciate their individuality.
