The Perils of Choose Your Own Adventure Books
The series allowed children to build their own story—but it also created false perceptions about decision-making.
Childish Things
From Battleship to Barbie, how culture for young consumers shapes the identities they construct
The Absurd Joy of Sideways Stories From Wayside School
The classic children’s book, first published in 1978, is an early primer for young readers who will eventually find their way to more profound surrealism.
How Rugrats Made Me Feel Comfortable in America
The long-running cartoon’s representation of Judaism was one of the first on television.
Why I Write Scary Stories for Children
Their imaginations respond to being empowered against the things that terrify them.
How Early Computer Games Influenced Internet Culture
Virtual playspaces of the 1980s encouraged openness and creativity, which would later become foundational values of the web.
Where Are All the Kidcasts?
Kids learn from podcasts, so why aren’t adults making more for them?
The Wildest Rumpus: Maurice Sendak and the Art of Death
Nothing informed the writer’s work so much as his abiding fascination with mortality and menace.
Why the British Tell Better Children’s Stories
Their history informs fantastical myths and legends, while American tales tend to focus on moral realism.
The Powerpuff Girls Redefined What Little Girls Are Made Of
The hit Cartoon Network show, which is set for a reboot in 2016, appealed to kids and adults with its three subtly subversive, (super)empowered female leads.
What the Hellish Babadook Has to Say About Childhood Grief
The best horror film of 2014 understands that kids, especially very young ones, deal with loss much differently than adults do.