I censor books. It's true, and I'm not ashamed to admit it.
When I'm reading "Bella the Bravery Fairy" to my daughter, I leave out the words on the last page. Because Bella has just helped three baby birds learn to fly, and she closes the lesson by saying, "You can do anything, if you only believe you can." Hey, I think kids should believe in themselves. But they can't do anything if they believe they can. My child, for instance, cannot fly, no matter how hard she tries. And I would rather she not believe she can.
And don't even get me started on "The Little Red Hen." Yes, it's rude of the pig, the duck and the cat to refuse over and over again to help her with her seeds and wheat and flour. No question. But really, you don't yell out the window "Who will help me eat this bread?" if you don't intend on letting anyone touch it. That's just mean-spirited. Plus, I want to teach my kid that treating others well, even when they're not nice to you, is a virtue she should cultivate and be proud of.
In my version, they all sit down together and share the bread. The end. She likes it better that way anyway.
