Kiddie Lit: A Silver Lining in the Economic Downturn?

If the economic news has got your stomach in knots, and visions of breadlines and apple-sellers filling your nightmares, Slate‘s Erica S. Pearl offers at least one thing about the current crisis from which to take heart: While economic troubles are lousy for adults (and kids), they do make for some excellent children’s literature. Indeed, like absent mothers, economic struggles are one of those lousy things that are bad in real life, but fundamental to much good kiddie lit. In an accompanying slide show, Pearl suggests several children’s classics that draw the best from bad times, including The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew and Beverly Cleary’s Ramona and Her Father. Similarly, Lenore Skenazy sees a possible upside in the downturn for children, as a lack of money for fancy toys and extracurricular lessons might encourage more children to use their imaginations, read a book, or play outside. We’re not so sure. But it is certainly true that, in these increasingly grim economic times, the best children’s classics offer a useful reminder of the importance of things that money can’t buy–friendship, families, traditions, laughter, and childlike optimism–the latter of which these books provide a valuable dose of. What are some of your favorite books of children and families coping with difficult circumstances or economic struggles?

(Hat tip: Alexander Russo)