What are Popular Novels Teaching Tweens?

Tweens are constantly bombarded with media messages. In the process of reading over fifty books for my book blog this semester, I noticed a disturbing trend. Many popular books such as The Diary of a Wimpy Kid are sending the message to boys that it is ok to disrespect friends and to behave in an unfeeling manner. However, others like Sue Nielson’s Word Nerd illustrate the opposite. The hero of Word Nerd, twelve-year-old Ambrose is an atypical character, with an unusual fashion sense and avocation. Consequently I wonder whether tween boys would relate to him as readily as with other popular characters such as Harry Potter, Artemis Fowl II, and Greg Heffley.  Critics have called Artemis Fowl II similar to J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter, primarily because of his decision to step into his missing father’s role, and the presence of mythical creatures in his stories. However, the connection stops there. Unlike Harry, Artemis Fowl II is a cruel-hearted criminal. The warmth, friendship, and inspirational values on display in the “Harry Potter” series are noticeably vacant in the Artemis Fowl collection of books.

If popular novels are teaching tween boys to suppress their feelings and engage in violent acts, what are some of the messages that tween girls are learning? Since tween literature is weighted towards a female audience, the message directed at tween girls is much more positive. The historical novels of Karen Cushman encourage girls to reach for the top, and poignantly illustrate their ability to do anything they set their minds to do. Rachel Renee Russell’s Dork Diaries series extends Cushman’s philosophy, rewarding Nikki Maxwell’s strength and determination at the expense of her superficial nemesis, MacKenzie Hollister. Tish Cohen’s The Invisible Rules of Zoe Lama, Jane Birdsall’s The Penderwicks, and Cynthia Lord’s Touchblue highlight strong role models for tween girls. If only books for boys functioned similarly.