With Gaiman Win, Children's Media Becomes More Mature

According to the Associated Press, judges of the 88th annual Newberry Awards decided to give the top prize, a pendant with a seal on the back depicting an author reading to a gaggle of little Jacks and Jills at his feet, to Gaiman for his novel, "The Graveyard Book." The novel is about a boy who is raised by a vampire, a witch and a werewolf.

It is the first such award for Gaiman. He is known more for his haunting and mature "Sandman" comic book series.

Gaiman "I never really thought of myself as a Newberry Award winner." Gaiman said. "It's a very establishment type of award...And I'm so used to working in, and loving, essentially the gutter."

The award comes on the heels of critical acclaim by librarians of other, more mature books for children, including Higgin's "The Black Book of Secrets," a novel which features a flawed protagonist with emotional issues and a checkered past. This brings up an issue. Is there such a thing as too much maturity in children's lit?

According to an article on tennessean.com, "The Giver", a book about a boy's struggles with humanity, has been turned into a successful play, and another novel, "Chloe's Prayer" is receiving attention from press and tourists alike. However, such thought-provoking faire is hardly in demand, especially in libraries, which caters the most to people in the age bracket that the Newberry medal is concerned with--children.

"Librarians simply do not have money to pay for books that kids won't find interesting," According to the the School Literary Journal, an organization that tracks the promotion of children's literature. "And that includes most of the century's Newberry winners."

As for Gaiman, he is adamant that his novel isn't geared at children or adults. Yet he admits it isn't excitedly typical kid stuff.

"The Graveyard Book is not a children's book. It is a book for all ages. It's the sort of book I would have read when I was eight. But I doubt most eight-year-olds were like me."