Role Models by Niki Burnham Summary and Analysis

Niki Burnham has been accused of being a bad influence on teen readers. Her books have foul language, gay characters and characters who smoke. But Burnham believes in educating teens about the real world. A writer's responsibility is to the reader not the publisher or critic or even the reader's parents. Unrealistic and "perfect" characters will not engage the young reader because they can't relate to them. A story is engrossing when the reader doesn't know what to expect - doesn't know how a character will react. Margaret Wise Brown's "The Runaway Bunny" appeals to all ages because the mischievous bunny doesn't listen to his mother and keeps running away. The story engages the young child because he may have entertained the idea of running away when he was angry after being confined...