Breaking the boundaries: liberation or breach of trust?

This paper emerges from literary and literacy perspectives and proposes, in a context of cultural shift and with reference to theories of the literary 'slipstream', that some of the labels attributed to literature for the young are no longer helpful and may indeed complicate the entry of young readers (especially those less motivated) into the larger worlds of the aesthetic and literary continuum. It stresses the often profound significance of children's literature, the idea of an ethics of hope, and the importance of deep literacy.