Summary
- Some beloved children’s books from the ’80s and ’90s may no longer align with current standards of acceptability.
- Themes in classic novels like “The Indian in the Cupboard” and “Charlie & the Chocolate Factory” may be seen as problematic today.
- While still beloved, books like “Where the Wild Things Are” and “The Giving Tree” now face criticism for outdated themes and portrayals.
The 1980s and 1990s were a great time to be a kid, but some of the most popular children’s books during these decades haven’t aged so well. Over the years, ideas about what is or is not acceptable changed. In days past, readers might not have batted an eye at certain concepts and themes in a kid’s story. Today, these same books may inspire cries of outrage or, at the very least, a raised eyebrow. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the children’s books of the 80s and 90s are bad. Rather, they are no longer aligned with today’s standards in one way or another.
The world changed rapidly after the ’80s and ’90s, with a boom in technology and the world of social media shifting the way that society thinks and interacts. For this reason, those who were kids and teens during these decades tend to be extra nostalgic for the books, movies, and music popular during this time. There were hundreds of beloved classics published in the ’80s and ’90s, and many more published prior that maintained their popularity into these years. Many of them are still loved today, but modern readers may notice things about these books they hadn’t in the days of yore.
![Cropped image of Gary Paulsen's Hatchet book cover](https://www.todaysauthormagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/202102238_hatchet_bookreview-01.png)
Related
9 Classic Kids Books From The 80s That Are Still Worth Reading
Though they were published more than 30 years ago, some 1980s children’s books have withstood the test of time and are still relevant reads today.
9 The Indian In The Cupboard By Lynne Reid Banks
Indian In The Cupboard Perpetuates Harmful Stereotypes
Reid Banks’ The Indian in the Cupboard was published in 1980 and has been a popular children’s novel for decades. It’s a story full of imagination and whimsy, as a young boy discovers that an old medicine cabinet can bring his toys to life. Of course, the toy that reveals this magic is a tiny plastic Iroquois Indian, Little Bear, who eventually warms up to the boy.
This classic novel is still beloved today, but there are several ways that the story doesn’t quite fly by today’s standards. Though the protagonist, Omri, breaks down some common Native American stereotypes in The Indian in the Cupboard, the novel still perpetuates many others. Little Bear initially worshiped Omri like a god, and he was later overly literal and even violent. It’s certainly not a bad book, but Banks’ story is a little more uncomfortable when reading today.
8 Charlie & The Chocolate Factory (Republished) By Roald Dahl
Even The Changed Oompa Loompas Were A Problem
Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was initially published in 1964, but even for the time, there were frequent complaints about the Oompa Loompas. The author initially described them as small African men whom Willy Wonka discovered and brought back to his factory to serve as his workers. There are some very clear problems with this, and Dahl later rewrote them to be creatures from Loompaland and republished the book in 1972.
The republished version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is what circulated in schools in the 1980s and 1990s, and though the Oompa Loompas were no longer African slaves, the book still had some problems. Changing the workers’ skin color and origin didn’t eliminate the minstrel influence on the Oompa Loompa’s singing and dancing, and the frequent descriptions of the “fat” Augustus Gloop have begun to make some readers uncomfortable today as well.
7 Where the Wild Things Are By Maurice Sendak
Max’s Punishment In Uncomfortable When Reading Today
Where the Wild Things Are is another book published in the 1960s that remained highly popular in schools through the 1980s and 1990s. The story itself is charming and full of imagination, with an outrageous adventure that many children would dream up. Much about the story is left to interpretation, making it a great starting place for young readers who are just beginning to dive into the themes of literature.
However, modern parents who have begun to read Where the Wild Things Are have complained about the harsh punishment that protagonist Max faces at the beginning of the story. After terrorizing his house in a wolf costume, the boy is sent to bed with no dinner, and this is no longer considered an acceptable punishment today. Of course, Maurice Sendak’s book ends with Max getting a hot meal after all, but the suggested punishment itself has made some uneasy.
![A boy and a tiger on a lifeboat in Life of Pie](https://www.todaysauthormagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Life-of-Pie-1.jpg)
Related
10 Great Movies Based On “Unfilmable” Books
Film adaptations of books are as old as movies, but some books don’t lend themselves to the big screen. These films managed to adapt the unadaptable.
6 The Giving Tree By Shel Silverstein
The Giving Tree Encourages Unhealthy Relationship Dynamics
Published in 1964, The Giving Tree is a classic book that was a key feature of any school library through the ’80s and ’90s (as with many other Shel Silverstein books) and was dubbed the 24th most popular kids’ book in 1999. The story follows a boy (who grows into an old man throughout the story) and a tree that continues giving all it has until nothing is left but a stump.
In truth, The Giving Tree has always been a bit divisive since the story’s overall theme is difficult to nail down. Still, the general consensus of the ’80s and ’90s is that it was a story about selflessness and that giving to others brings joy. Today, even this more positive takeaway from Silverstein’s book is unpopular. Such extensive people-pleasing is now frowned upon, and the idea of unreasonably sacrificing everything for someone else’s happiness no longer aligns with today’s standards.
5 Goggles! By Ezra Jack Keats
Ezra Jack Keats Portrayed His Black Characters As Impoverished
Goggles! by Ezra Jack Keats was a common book to see school teachers and librarians reading to their students in the ’80s and ’90s. The story follows two young boys who find a pair of goggles to play with but must outsmart some bullies to keep them from laying claim to the goggles themselves. It’s a sweet and clever story, but Goggles! has since become divisive due to how it portrays Black children and neighborhoods.
Goggles! isn’t the only book from this author to feature Black children in shabby surroundings, leading some modern readers to criticize Keats for perpetuating negative stereotypes.
Ezra Jack Keats is a white author, while the two young protagonists of Goggles! are Black. While this alone isn’t enough to cause a problem, the fact that these young boys are frequently shown playing in garbage in rough-looking neighborhoods has made Keats’ book age poorly. Goggles! isn’t the only book from this author to feature Black children in shabby surroundings, leading some modern readers to criticize Keats for perpetuating negative stereotypes.
4 Harry Potter By J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter’s House-Elves & Goblins Could Be A Problem
There’s no doubt that the Harry Potter books are still popular today—perhaps even more than ever. However, the series has always been a frequent flyer on the banned books list, and recently, the controversy surrounding Harry’s story has been even more intense. Back in the 90s, Harry Potter was accused of encouraging children to practice witchcraft since the protagonist was sent to a magical school for witches and wizards. Today, it’s other themes that have become a problem.
Modern society has deemed several elements of Harry Potter problematic. House elves, who are enslaved by wizarding kind (but like it), are a problem for obvious reasons, while goblins, who greedily hoard gold and run the wizarding bank, are said to carry antisemitic themes. Author J.K. Rowling’s comments against transgender-inclusive legislature have only added to the controversy.
3 Bridge To Terabithia By Katherine Paterson
Bridge To Terabithia’s Themes On Gender Norms Are Outdated
Bridge to Terabithia was published in 1977 and, therefore, made children everywhere cry through the ’80s, ’90s, and beyond. The story and themes are absolutely heartbreaking, and this has allowed the surprisingly heavy story to leave quite a mark on the world of children’s literature. None of this is the reason it hasn’t aged well, though. Instead, the more subtle aspects of Katherine Paterson’s coming-of-age story have simply become outdated.
Gender plays a significant role in Bridge to Terabithia, with Leslie being a tomboy while Jesse likes “girly” things like art. Paterson was ahead of her time in challenging these standard roles, but the story slightly overcompensated, with Leslie being presented as being better than feminine girls like Jess’s sisters. What’s more, the school bully is frequently called fat by the protagonists, and the big reveal that she was beaten by her father is used as a sort of justice.
2 The Baby-Sitter’s Club By Ann M. Martin
The Baby-Sitters Are Far Too Young In The Baby-Sitter’s Club
The Baby-Sitter’s Club book series is made up of dozens of novels, all published between 1986 and 2000. They follow a variety of different characters, beginning with Kristy Thomas, who runs a babysitting business. As these groups of girls take on jobs, they go through misadventures and dilemmas, learn important lessons, and support one another. It’s altogether very heartwarming, but the characters’ ages at the start of the series really date The Baby-Sitter’sClub.
Kristy is only 12 when she begins her job as a baby-sitter in Ann M. Martin’s novels, which is far younger than many would be comfortable with today. She and her friends were basically children looking after children, though this wasn’t too extraordinary in the 1980s. Now, it’s a little challenging to wrap our minds around.
1 The Rainbow Fish By Marcus Pfister
The Rainbow Fish Gives Away His Own Scales To Make People Like Him
The Rainbow Fish, published in 1992, was an attractive book to elementary school kids in the ’90s, thanks to its shimmery cover. Of course, the story by Marcus Pfister was appreciated by parents and teachers since it seemed aimed at teaching kids how to share. The story follows a beautiful fish called Rainbow Fish, who refuses to share his shiny scales and, therefore, doesn’t have any friends. He ultimately discovers that, to be happy, he should give away his shimmering scales until everyone, including him, has only one.
As good a lesson as this seemed back in the day, some modern readers have grown disturbed at the idea of children being taught that they should share parts of their own bodies to get friends. Of course, The Rainbow Fish is meant to be a metaphor for sharing wealth and physical belongings, but when taken literally, the theme hasn’t aged well.