Twaddle

Can I just say that I enjoy saying the word twaddle? It is a fun word! I always thought that Charlotte Mason invented the word twaddle, which she defined as dumbed-down, foolish literature. But I just googled it and apparently it is a word that originated in the 1780s and is defined as trivial, insignificant speech or writing. Lately I've been shopping thrift stores for quality books to send to my niece. Of course I know that many books sold today aren't worth looking at, but as I went through three bookcases of children's books, I found maybe 10-15 books that I thought worth purchasing. It was depressing to think that the majority of children are reading drivel.

Which books are twaddly?

To me, twaddle is one of those things that "you'll know it when you see it." I recognize twaddle when it is dumbed-down and/or talks down to children. Most baby and preschool board books are twaddle. Anything "abridged" should be avoided. But the most prevalent, and also the most distressing, twaddle items for children are ones that try to teach a moral lesson and also religious books. Many well-intentioned writers and also the consumer parents assume that if a book teaches a moral or is religious, it must be worthwhile. In my opinion, that is not so! Ms. Mason tells us that children should learn to hear the words of the scriptures from a young age and that their first exposure to scripture stories should be straight from the scriptures themselves. Some secondary sources may certainly be used, but I would look to see that they incorporate phrases and words from the scriptures and do not try to simplify concepts for "little minds." In our home we use only the scripture stories from the LDS online store in addition to scripture.

Which books are not twaddly?

Good, quality literature will challenge minds with beautiful, elevated language. It will espouse Ms. Mason's living ideas of "the great human relationships, relationships of love and service, of authority and obedience, of reverence and pity and neighbourly kindness; relationships to kin and friend and neighbour, to 'cause' and country and kind, to the past and the present."

Do not overlook the illustrations. I personally think there is such a thing as "picture twaddle." Look for well-illustrated books whose pictures are refined, and that develop an affinity and attraction for beauty.

Since I've lately been searching for books for Kindergarten and younger, here are some of my favorite Non-Twaddle Authors and Books for that age:

A. A. Milne (his books are a good example of literature that talk to children, not down to children)
Margaret Wise Brown
Barbara Cooney
A nice Mother Goose collection
Aesop's Fables
A Child's Garden of Verses
George and Martha books
Beatrix Potter
well-written and well-illustrated fairy and folk tales

A Twaddle-Free Home Library?

While there are certainly some books that are unquestionably good literature, I also think that each families' ideals will be slightly different. I come from a family with a great sense of humor and a love of fantasy and monsters (don't ask), so our list of favorite books that would probably not be included in Ms. Mason's canon includes the Sesame Street book "There's a Monster at the End of This Book" and Dr. Seuss classics like "There's a Wocket in my Pocket."

I've also found that children invariably receive twaddly books as gifts. I never disparage the gift but I've noticed that my children do not ask to read those books as often and when we do decide to thin our collection, those books are quietly disposed of.

When picking out books at the library, I usually allow my children to pick two or three books of their own choosing, whether they fit my standards or not. I then check out many other quality books and I think that over time children will become accustomed to good literature and will be able to discern what is twaddle.