Only happy endings allowed...

Children's books that don't have happy endings should be banned, it was claimed yesterday.

Youngsters are already exposed to enough misery in their lives and should be protected from such stories, says a parents' group.

**So in order to get this they want to ban books that they do not think are suitable for kids to read, so much for free choice on the part of parents.

The Happy Ending Foundation is planning a series of Bad Book Bonfires for later this month, when parents will be encouraged to burn novels with negative endings.

**Book burnings, reminds me of a certain Austrian painter & decorator who used to organise that in Germany...

The foundation has also written to school librarians across the country to coincide with Children's Book Week, which began on Monday, urging them to take ' controversial' books off shelves.

Last night critics of the group said children needed a healthy balance in their reading.

**So true, imagine if you will a world where books have bee burned, where competition in schools has bee stopped and according to these people everyone lived happily ever after. What happens when their offspring start to apply for jobs and some of the poor darlings get turned down...

Others said the book burnings were a sinister reminder of similar events in Nazi Germany.

Among the stories on the foundation's blacklist are best-sellers such as A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket and Marcus Pfister's Milo and the Magical Stones.

Works that make the approved list include Raymond Brigg's The Snowman and Enid Blyton's Famous Five series.

The Snowman appears to have a sad ending because he melts, leaving the boy he has befriended alone. But the foundation claims it ends positively because the boy is contented, having the snowman's scarf to remember him by.

Adrienne Small founded the organisation when her ten-year-old daughter became depressed and withdrawn after reading the first book in the Lemony Snicket series.

**Dear god, what the hell is wrong with this woman?

She said: "I talked to other mothers and friends and we decided to do something positive with books that were more upbeat.

"I'm not trying to say the world should be viewed with rose-tinted glasses but you have got to do your best to protect your children."

Mrs Small, 47, who is married with two teenage children, founded the organisation in 2000 and there are now 11 groups across the country, including London, Bristol, Manchester and Glasgow.

Clare Hughes, head of the foundation's East of England Cheering Committee, said: "I've seen the way my children respond to real life, whether that be the disappearance of a child, like Madeleine McCann, or bombings, and that gives them enough nightmares.

"Books should let them be assured that the goodies-will come out on top."

**I am sure that Gen. Varus thought that the goodies according to Rome would come out on top but alas the Germans had other plans and the Romans lost 3 Legions at the battle of Teutoburg Forest. - So depending on which side you support either thats a good ending in the Germans under Arminius of the Cherusci who was the good guy or a defeat and a sad ending to a worthless barbarian savage and so something that needs to be airbrushed from history(Trevor Phillips take note here)

But children's charity Kidscape condemned a campaign which would lead to young people 'missing out on the magic of literature'.

Director Michele Elliott said: "There is a distance between you and a book which allows you to experience emotions and think about what's happening - but it's not happening to you. That's incredibly healthy.

"There has to be a balance. I would not feed children a complete diet of morbid books."

Award-winning children's author Kevin Brooks, whose books have a reputation for emotional rollercoasters and disturbing cliffhangers, said the proposed burnings were reminiscent of the Nazi regime.

"Controversy and bad stuff is everywhere," he said. "It is far better to find out about it in books where it is written with some feeling and poetry and power."

**Whats the odds some New Liebour politico offers support to these new age, tofu eating, Guardian reading asshats...

Tags:Cool Britannia

**Disclaimer: Most characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living, dead, or half dead, is purely coincidental. None of the non-fictitious people, places or things named in this website were harmed during the creation of the site. We're not sure if the Loch Ness monster is fictitious or non-fictitious, you decide. We would like to state that some of the books recommended on this site are very good reads, particularly Winnie-the-Pooh. However, we would NOT recommend monster hunting at Loch Ness as a happy day out because a) it rains a lot in north Scotland and b) as previously stated, we don't know if there is actually a monster to hunt. However, if you like logs then Loch Ness is a fine place to go log hunting.

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