tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1265120169320473011.post8751479230542373432..comments2024-03-25T13:09:43.054-05:00Comments on Charlotte's Library: Where are the Good Mothers in Middle Grade Science Fiction and Fantasy?Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11835101886202235868noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1265120169320473011.post-21235614871264655872010-05-12T16:40:22.847-05:002010-05-12T16:40:22.847-05:00A Wrinkle in Time ... you, know, Mrs Whatshername,...<i>A Wrinkle in Time</i> ... you, know, Mrs Whatshername, Meg's mother....RM1(SS) (ret)https://www.blogger.com/profile/13101367196599109034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1265120169320473011.post-56284580606843787012010-05-09T21:41:14.160-05:002010-05-09T21:41:14.160-05:00Kat's mom in the Suddenly Supernatural series ...Kat's mom in the Suddenly Supernatural series by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel is a very positive figure, although those deal with ghosts and psychic stuff, not so much straight fantasy...Kel's mother in Tamora Pierce's Protector of the Small is a good character and a powerful figure in her daughter's life, although she's mostly far away. The only parents I can think of who are successfully present while their children indulge in wild and fantastical adventures are the Armitage family in Joan Aiken's short stories.Jenniferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05096787155616041727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1265120169320473011.post-48117573106398792082010-05-09T16:16:35.755-05:002010-05-09T16:16:35.755-05:00I'm not sure it's just a MG SFF issue; in ...I'm not sure it's just a MG SFF issue; in the two years I've been doing MG books for the Cybils, I can count on one hand the number of "good" moms. I think your point about kids wanting to escape their lives is a good one, and to think of it from an author's perspective: a good mother kind of gets in the way of the kids' ability to propel the plot. But, it is kind of tiresome (as a mother) to be so... marginalized. <br /><br />Sigh.<br /><br />And I agree: Mrs. Stanton, Percy's mom, and Mrs. Weasley are all really good moms that don't compromise the story.Melissahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00217383813263874657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1265120169320473011.post-76413261553066248432010-05-09T13:09:56.503-05:002010-05-09T13:09:56.503-05:00I would suggest to you that my books, Magician of ...I would suggest to you that my books, Magician of Oz and the soon-to-be-released Shadow Demon of Oz are the exception to your rule about mothers not being positive characters. I wrote my books with the goal that both the mother and father figures; Amanda & James Diggs, would serve as very positive roles models and both play a major part in the storyline of my series. In fact, the third and final volume of my Royal Magician of Oz series is called Family of Oz and specifically focuses on the influences of both Mother Diggs, Father Diggs and the new relationship developing between Buddy (Jamie Diggs' best friend) and... but wait! I'm giving away too much. You'll just have to wait... and read.James C. Wallace IIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09373678955007426557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1265120169320473011.post-68986220128822966932010-05-09T11:28:33.291-05:002010-05-09T11:28:33.291-05:00Spoiler ahead:
Nita and Dairene's mom, as we...Spoiler ahead: <br /><br />Nita and Dairene's mom, as well as Kit's in So you Want to Be a Wizard and sequels. Nita's mother eventually dies but she's around for the first few books and her influence is felt throughout the series.<br /><br />LizOld school librarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06471028755375188990noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1265120169320473011.post-10811349326785820752010-05-09T08:18:35.058-05:002010-05-09T08:18:35.058-05:00I hope you all saw Catherine Gilbert Murdock's...I hope you all saw Catherine Gilbert Murdock's essay in the Horn Book magazine, March/April 2009 edition, "The Adventures of Mommy Buzzkill"--she basically explained that if Mom were around in more of these books, she would NEVER let the kids run off and have such dangerous adventures! (Whereas fathers are expected to be clueless, or at least away at work and therefore benignly negligent, apparently. Not a big compliment to them, either!)<br /><br />Still trying to think of more examples of good mothers in sci-fi/fantasy...Kate Coombshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10138566291199003171noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1265120169320473011.post-19853038218939138932010-05-09T07:37:10.837-05:002010-05-09T07:37:10.837-05:00...well, they're only Muggles, after all. They......well, they're <i>only</i> Muggles, after all. They don't think.<br /><br />A good mother -- goodish, anyway, was Percy Jackson's Mom, in THE LIGHTNING THIEF. It wasn't her fault that she got caught up in crap, but she stayed with an absolutely foul and evil man, to protect her child... she was passive, in order to be strong. The characterization made me sad, but it was oh, so very true to life.<br /><br />In DUNE, the Bene Jesserit chick, Jessica, was a good mother to Alia and Paul Atreidies... of course, she was manipulated and the whole thing was deeply political, but she loved her children.<br /><br />This is such a good question!!tanita✿davishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01671822274852087499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1265120169320473011.post-20655052784141945912010-05-09T07:22:29.413-05:002010-05-09T07:22:29.413-05:00True--Mrs. Weasley is a good mother. But what are...True--Mrs. Weasley is a good mother. But what are Hermione's parents thinking????Charlottehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11835101886202235868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1265120169320473011.post-50959128937230435972010-05-09T07:19:30.762-05:002010-05-09T07:19:30.762-05:00I always thought the Weasley's were good paren...I always thought the Weasley's were good parents, and that Mrs. Weasley really cared about her children and Harry in a motherly fashion. <br /><br />KathrynUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15931663446141658859noreply@blogger.com