This book is a must for parents who want their children to know how to recognize false-Christian ideas in literature. O'Brien makes a good case for reading what one's children read so that parents can guide them through the traps (intended by the author or not) of pagan ideas in children's literature.
Citing such works as Madeleine L'Engle's fantasy series (A Wrinkle in Time, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, and A Wind at the Door), O'Brien exposes the dangers of twisting the traditional meanings of Christian symbols. He warns that L'Engle, a "Christian" writer of considerable talent, softens the distinction between good and evil, pagan and Christian, and even goes so far as to imply that Christian fears about the supernatural are groundless. In one of her novels she portrays narrow-minded Christians condemning to death (for witchcraft) a woman involved in herbalism and extra-sensory perception.
In his book, O'Brien warns against letting one's children buy into the lie that "dragons" are really benign creatures that are largely misunderstood by the Western culture. He proposes that by doing this, one implies that what the dragon has traditionally represented (evil, the devil) is also harmless, or even a friend.
Children innately know that there is something in the world which is hostile to them. They do not know what it is, but it often takes shape as a monster in the closet or under the bed, or other shapeless creatures in the dark. O'Brien encourages parents to help their children defeat these monsters instead of "embrace their dark side," as pop psychology currently insists is the healthier thing to do. Children's literature must be carefully screened before a child is exposed to dangerous ideas which may become deeply lodged in his subconscious, thus rendering him unable to detect the influences of false culture, or to help establish healthy culture.
If parents care about their children's welfare (here and hereafter), they will do everything possible to steer their children clear of anything bad that appears good. They will not leave them to drift in a sea of uncertainty, where heroes are not virtuous (only less evil than the antagonist), and monsters appear to be cuddly buddies. Children need to know where danger lies, and the landscape of their imagination needs dragons that act like dragons.
This review was written long before the Harry Potter craze and should be read by parents before they let their children read Harry Potter.
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