[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by Nogrod

What would be the full imagination then the teachers should encourage? Aren't the prevailing theories of the universe by physics imaginative enough? Which one is more imaginative and more awesome: the pantheon of the early Greeks or the universe of the quantum-physics?

You need both. And just because it is science does not mean quantum physics is in any way 'gritty'. Sit me down with say a Stephen Hawking book and you will soon see getting all mad and cosmic - to me they are like mystic texts and they make me feel "....................................". Sorry but I cannot describe the sensation when reading about something like a Black Hole or the End of the Universe.

In fact, you only have to look at the high fantasy of Doctor Who to see how science can be utterly mind-bending and imaginative.

Originally Posted by Lalaith

I get thoroughly depressed when I hear people moaning that Harry Potter is not "real" enough.. I read some article about how he should get a few ASBOs etc to make the whole story more "down with the kids."
Yeah right.

And the biggest critics of all if they did make Harry Potter more 'street' would be kids themselves - they have an uncanny knack of being able to detect the brown and smelly stuff that's meant to be 'on their level'. Kids want heroes and what kind of hero has an ASBO?! Harry is just right - he breaks some rules, yes, but he does nothing out of malice and likewise he is not a prig. Like most kids he struggles against the odds, makes a few mistakes along the way but at heart is a great person, and what could be more 'real' than being like that?

Originally Posted by davem

Clearly there is a desire, a need, among the general populace for those things, while at the same time there seems to be a conviction among certain members of the 'literati' & the educational establishment that it shouldn't be there, that such desires are 'wrong', immature & need to be gotten rid of.

People who try and stop kids from reading and writing fantasy are the same kind of curmudgeonly Victor Meldrews who also tell their little ones that Father Christmas is not real so they 'learn to be grateful to their parents' or give them no gifts apart from a waterpump for an African village for Christmas as they don't want their kids to grow up 'not knowing the real meaning of Christmas' or something. And the well meaning parents who drag the nippers to classes in this and that every single evening so they will never be bored (because of course, being bored equals causing trouble or doing something so heinous as daring to watch TV or look at a comic!) - when being bored makes you use your imagination. It all seems so Scroogey, goblin-like and mean. Kids need some time to be kids and just have mad imaginations and fun.