Disruptive themes and children’s literature: literary mediation between texts on war and death

Abstract

Although children’s literature has always addressed themes considered controversial and sensitive, over the last decade an increasing number of researchers have sought to define and discuss the various terms often used as synonyms: controversial, sensitive, disruptive, difficult, among others. Subjects such as death, loss, indiscipline, violence, and war, although sensitive, are part of young readers’ reality. However, the presence of these themes in literature for children generates controversy, since many adults believe they are protecting children by avoiding such subjects. In this context, this article aims to recognize the importance of literature as a space for aesthetic formation when addressing disruptive themes, with emphasis on how war, as an expression of the theme of death, is represented. The article argues that, when approached with sensitivity and appropriate mediation, war and death contribute to the development of children’s higher mental functions. To this end, an analysis will be conducted of the books Migrantes, by Issa Watanabe (2021), and A caminho de casa, by Jairo Buitrago (2012), focusing on how the experience of death is embedded in narratives about war. The analysis is grounded in the contributions of Àries (1995); Azevedo; Balça; Sastre (2017); Compagnon (2006); Doná (2024); Hanan Díaz (2020); Harari (2020), among others. It is expected that this study will contribute to broadening the possibilities for the use of literature in the school context, especially literature aimed at the formation of autonomous readers.