An Australian wonders about the loss of respect for her nation's literature for children in the face of English authors such as JK Rowling, the again-revived Narnia tales, and Lord of the Rings. The Rowling juggernaut is certainly present throughout the English-speaking world, and perhaps is pushing local literatures aside, for now. Or, perhaps, Rowling's books are making new readers for all sorts of children's books. In any case, the home of the mother tongue is also the home of castles and knights and queens and pageantry, and the symbols of the British Isles reverberate throughout its former empire. So the British children's author does have a certain advantage in the fantasy department. Rowling lives in Edinburgh, and if you've ever been there, you know that half the town looks like Hogwarts.
It's not an advantage that can continue forever; with the longevity of Narnia, and the potential longevity of Potter, the bookshelves will be well stocked with English fantasy for years to come. Kids will want the old standards, and they will want new stories too, which Americans and Canadians and New Zealanders and Australians and Irish should be happy to provide.
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