The Happy Endings Foundation (THEF) believes children's books should only have happy endings. THEF was originally founded in 2000 by Adrienne Small after she read the first book in A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket to her daughter.
As well as making her feel thoroughly miserable, Mrs Small noticed her daughter seemed to take a more negative approach to life. Sadly, this situation worsened substantially, as her daughter subsequently read all 13 books in the series.
Mrs Small has now left her career as a tax inspector to focus on THEF full-time. She plans to rewrite all 13 Lemony Snicket books to give them happy endings.
7 comment(s):
Tell me you aren't really buying this? I mean, really, "Happy Endings"?
I was seeing where they are going and I was thinking that's great but then I got to the bad book bonfire part and they lost me. These guys are advocating book burning. That can't be good.
garth
These idiots aren't protecting their children... they're setting them up for a rude awakening to life in the real world. Children need to learn that not everything ends happily, or they will be vulnerable to preditors and manipulators.
Life isn't always happy or fair. It's better to learn that from a book than from being victimized.
You've been Handler'd
http://www.inkygirl.com/happy-endings-foundation-a-book-marketing-ploy/
Hm...there's an idea...maybe I'll re-write all the Winnie the Pooh stories and have them end in morbidly grotesque fashions.
The color selection on her website made me sad
Life doesn't always have happy endings so would you rather set your child up for a bigger let down or tell them the truth from an early age? What would do your child more harm?
It's just like reading your children fairy tales where they have to be this beautiful, dimitted princess and let a prince rescued them from all their problems!
Is this really what children should believe?
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for happy endings but at the same time also for reality.
Lemony Snickets has inspired me greatly. Over the years I have read many "children's books" but never before have I encountered a writing style such as his. The point of his books is his dry sense of humour! His books have taught me things I may never have learnt otherwise and I have learnt so many new words in the process.
Besides, Mr Snicket clearly states on the back cover of all his books that the story DOES NOT have a happy ending!
If a happy ending is what you wanted you should never have picked up his book, just as he advised. Furthermore if you disagreed with his contents you shouldn't allow your children to continue to read the rest of the books in the series!
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