Suzy Davies's Blog: Book News - Posts Tagged "quest-narratives"
A Quest for Adventure by Suzy Davies
Some of the best qualities to cultivate in children are: patience, resilience, perseverance, courage, loyalty and kindness.
In these challenging Covid times, these qualities are all the more important and will effect outcomes for everyone all over the world.
In my opinion, and one which is backed by scientific studies, in order to succeed in life, children, and of course, their adults, need to practice deferred gratification. This means having the wisdom and good judgement to wait for what we may feel we want now, if this means a better outcome in the long run.
So, many of us are doing just this, sacrificing "normal everyday life" by wearing masks, adhering to lockdown bubbles, social distancing, and, more often than not, simply staying at home for the greater good.
Children are feeling lonely and isolated, cut off from friends and family and missing the freedom of play outdoors.
One of the most healing things to do is to make home a haven, and to bring in nature and outdoor activities indoors. And we can do this by reading adventure stories.
One of the most natural things about childhood is that kids have an innate sense of wonder and curiousity about the world around them.
I am fortunate to have had a happy childhood, which I remember vividly. One of the things I remember most is reading adventure books. And I also remember the real-life adventures, and today I'm going to share a snippet of information about The Boot Camp in Kendal in The Lake District. I went there when I was eight years old.
On this residential camp, every day was an outdoor adventure. I recall one particular day walking on nature trails that led to a wooded area. In this wood were all kinds of "ungirly," (for want of a better word,) things to do - at least they were considered tomboyish - in the 1960's. There were climbing frames, tyres swinging from trees, wooden horses, rope ladders and the like - a giant obstacle course to negotiate in teams. It was such fun! At the end of the day after hot showers and a change of clothes, we all chatted together about what we had achieved, how we problem-solved, what worked and what didn't, and how we felt about the challenges we had overcome. All this at a long trestle table, where we ate dinner together, washed down with mugs of hot tea. In our dorms, some of us had stashed away Kendle Mint Cake for a midnight feast.
When I reflect on this wonderful adventure today, I can remember how it boosted my confidence, and made me feel I could succeed at anything on which I had set my heart, mind and soul. I also learned how great it was when a team pulled together for a common goal. When a member of our team got stuck, we would help them.
And so, this was one small beginning that got me hooked on adventure, and now I am a writer who writes about this taste for adventure, this openness to new experiences, that has never ever left me. I am passionate about the value of adventure quests.
Adventure books, as you will know, follow the familiar pattern of Home-Away-Home, where the protagonist or hero starts out on an adventure, and the process of overcoming challenges and difficulties makes them "more than" they were before.
The quest narrative is a metaphor for life itself; and the emotional, physical and mental challenges the heroes meet bring out and develop qualities and character traits that were latent, and, perhaps, unknown before.
Of all the qualities a human being can have, it is my belief that courage is the greatest of all. For it is from this quality that all other qualities flow. By reading adventure books, children emulate role models who have the courage to be themselves - their best selves. But, perhaps even more important, they learn camaraderie and teamwork; the ability to reach out in a non-judgemental way to others. They learn not to fear reaching out to a fellow human being, and how by putting their needs before their own, they elevate themselves. In other words, bravery and kindness are a win. Through reading adventure stories, children learn about the world with those who are, in some ways, different than themselves. It takes courage to take the imaginative leap that is empathetic understanding; a quality every good hero has in their love for humanity.
In these challenging Covid times, these qualities are all the more important and will effect outcomes for everyone all over the world.
In my opinion, and one which is backed by scientific studies, in order to succeed in life, children, and of course, their adults, need to practice deferred gratification. This means having the wisdom and good judgement to wait for what we may feel we want now, if this means a better outcome in the long run.
So, many of us are doing just this, sacrificing "normal everyday life" by wearing masks, adhering to lockdown bubbles, social distancing, and, more often than not, simply staying at home for the greater good.
Children are feeling lonely and isolated, cut off from friends and family and missing the freedom of play outdoors.
One of the most healing things to do is to make home a haven, and to bring in nature and outdoor activities indoors. And we can do this by reading adventure stories.
One of the most natural things about childhood is that kids have an innate sense of wonder and curiousity about the world around them.
I am fortunate to have had a happy childhood, which I remember vividly. One of the things I remember most is reading adventure books. And I also remember the real-life adventures, and today I'm going to share a snippet of information about The Boot Camp in Kendal in The Lake District. I went there when I was eight years old.
On this residential camp, every day was an outdoor adventure. I recall one particular day walking on nature trails that led to a wooded area. In this wood were all kinds of "ungirly," (for want of a better word,) things to do - at least they were considered tomboyish - in the 1960's. There were climbing frames, tyres swinging from trees, wooden horses, rope ladders and the like - a giant obstacle course to negotiate in teams. It was such fun! At the end of the day after hot showers and a change of clothes, we all chatted together about what we had achieved, how we problem-solved, what worked and what didn't, and how we felt about the challenges we had overcome. All this at a long trestle table, where we ate dinner together, washed down with mugs of hot tea. In our dorms, some of us had stashed away Kendle Mint Cake for a midnight feast.
When I reflect on this wonderful adventure today, I can remember how it boosted my confidence, and made me feel I could succeed at anything on which I had set my heart, mind and soul. I also learned how great it was when a team pulled together for a common goal. When a member of our team got stuck, we would help them.
And so, this was one small beginning that got me hooked on adventure, and now I am a writer who writes about this taste for adventure, this openness to new experiences, that has never ever left me. I am passionate about the value of adventure quests.
Adventure books, as you will know, follow the familiar pattern of Home-Away-Home, where the protagonist or hero starts out on an adventure, and the process of overcoming challenges and difficulties makes them "more than" they were before.
The quest narrative is a metaphor for life itself; and the emotional, physical and mental challenges the heroes meet bring out and develop qualities and character traits that were latent, and, perhaps, unknown before.
Of all the qualities a human being can have, it is my belief that courage is the greatest of all. For it is from this quality that all other qualities flow. By reading adventure books, children emulate role models who have the courage to be themselves - their best selves. But, perhaps even more important, they learn camaraderie and teamwork; the ability to reach out in a non-judgemental way to others. They learn not to fear reaching out to a fellow human being, and how by putting their needs before their own, they elevate themselves. In other words, bravery and kindness are a win. Through reading adventure stories, children learn about the world with those who are, in some ways, different than themselves. It takes courage to take the imaginative leap that is empathetic understanding; a quality every good hero has in their love for humanity.
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