Czytanie Literatury. Łódzkie Studia Literaturoznawcze

            The primary function assigned to children’s literature – which consists in shaping attitudes and fulfilling the pedagogical mission – is more and more frequently undermined or, at the very least, called into question. One the one hand, it is pointed out that the basic functions of texts directed to young readers should include developing sensitivity to the aesthetic value of the message and more challenging formal solutions, as well as developing skills to autonomically recognise the rules of conventions and genres, and decode metaphorical meanings. This is consistently – and more or less expressively – demanded by a part of the environment associated with art for children (most recently, in The Manifest for the Defence of Children’s Literature, written by Sylwia Stano and Ewelina Szyszkowska). On the other hand, within children’s literature studies, suspicious questions are more and more frequently asked about the contents behind universal values, e.g. about what ‘patriotism’ means in a given text and what images of human relationships are presented regarding family, gender roles, etc. One instance of this tendency includes the emerging critical (sometimes even subversive) readings of canonic works, both contemporary and older. Examples include the recently published works by Aleksandra Korczak (Bezradne i romantyczne. Bohaterki lektur dla szkoły podstawowej [En. Helpless and Romantic: The Heroines from Primary-School Obligatory Readings]) or by Kornelia Sobczak (Zośka i Rudy. O miłości, przyjaźni i Polsce [En. Zośka and Rudy: About Love, Friendship, and Poland]).