All Children, Except One, Grow Up’: Adultification in Alex Wheatle's Crongton Knights and Jewell Parker Rhodes' Ghost Boys

In this paper, Piu DasGupta looks at “adultification” – what it means, and its implications for children’s literature and children’s writers.

Abstract

In this paper I look at “adultification” – what it means, and its implications for children’s literature and children’s writers. To do so, I compare two Middle Grade books – Crongton Knights by Alex Wheatle and Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes. I  examine the ways in which these books both portray and present strategies of resistance to the practice of adultification. I also briefly consider different ways in which those studying and writing children’s literature can be “allies”, by opening up spaces and discourse around this topic. This paper was researched and presented as part of my postgraduate MA studies at Manchester Metropolitan University in 2023.