Parental Supervision & the child protagonist

In her recent review of my book Dunces Rock, a Goodreads reader, Gwen, raises an interesting point: At the beginning of the book, the protagonist Wilmot (age 11) is invited into the basement apartment of his former babysitter, a teenager named Headcase, which begins his initiation into the world of rock n' roll. Gwen questions whether this is an appropriate beginning to a novel for middle-school children, or whether it is rather an instance of "stranger danger" that we should warn our kids against?

This is an interesting point, because it came up for me during the writing of the book. In the original draft, Wilmot had no connection to the teen Headcase, when he accepted his invitation into the apartment. A number of members of my writing group strongly suggested that this was inappropriate and, since I agreed with them after it was pointed out, I decided to change the story slightly to make Headcase into Wilmot's former babysitter -- and thus a person he could trust. Perhaps this is not enough of a mitigating factor for some adults (a position that I respect, by the way). But it also poses a dilemma as a writer of fiction, because the child protagonist cannot possibly have adventures unless he/she somehow becomes free of adult supervision. And this is an unusual thing in today's day and age.

Think of some of the best beloved children's books, and you will realize that the child protagonist nearly always finds a way to be free of adult supervision in a way that would not be tolerated in today's 'real world.'

Pippi Longstocking: An incredibly rich, delightful and eccentric child who lives by herself in Villa Vilekula while her mother is 'an angel' and her father is lost at sea. She resists all attempts by authorities to be put in school, orphanage, or foster care.

Curious George: Every Curious George book begins with the Man with the Yellow Hat leaving George alone with the admonition: "Be a good little monkey, and don't be too curious!" We all know what's going to happen next (trouble!). Why does the Man with the Yellow Hat never learn?

The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe: Lucy enters the wardrobe world and goes home for tea with the faun Mr. Tumnus. Stranger danger? You bet. The guy's not even human.


A Series of Unfortunate Events: A family of orphans are embroiled in, well, a series of unfortunate events.

Treasure Island: Jim embarks on a voyage to Treasure Island under the nominal supervision of the Squire and the Doctor. He runs away from them, scampers about the island having adventures, and eventually saves the day.

The Lightning Thief: While running away from a seriously scary monster, Percy Jackson finds shelter in a strange compound populated by minor deities and demi-gods. Resonances of weirdo religious cults, anyone....?

I love all of the above-mentioned books, but they all depend on the child hero going out into the world to have adventures without the supervision of parents. I realize this is more acceptable in the fantasy genre (and in historical novels) than in contemporary 'realistic' fiction like my Dunces series. I sometimes wonder whether this is why fantasy has become such a popular genre, while realism in children's fiction has fallen into disfavour. Perhaps the sad truth is that in today's real world, children lead over-sheltered lives, and there is little chance for them to experience independent adventure.