The Protected vs. the Unprotected Child

Donna Jo Napoli began her talk by telling an incident of a woman standing up in a crowd and berating her for writing a terrible thing in Song of the Magdalene. I have never read this book, which I understand to be about Mary Magdalene and a rape.
Ms. Napoli defended herself and then based her talk to us on the thoughts and emotions that sprang from that encounter.

Formost, empathy is critical to our society and when it is missing, society disintegrates.

In our society we have the protected and the unprotected child. The unprotected child is the child who may live in poverty, who may suffer abuse, who may suffer from parents who are mentally ill, who are drug abusers, parents who don't look out for their children. They are children who suffer in war and through famine. Often these childrens' stories are the subjects of books. It is critical that these children find and read these books so they understand they are not alone and that they can learn from others' experiences. Traumatic books can help children get through and resolve their own trauma.

Then there are the protected children who must also gain empathy and no one would ever wish the above circumstances on the protected child. Thank goodness they are protected. But the protected child must learn empathy and this may only happen through vicarious circumstances found in a book. It is safe, yet emotion evoking and if written beautifully, will move the child to empathy without having to experience the horrible.
It is critical that children learn about suffering from books.
Remember the emotion you felt in A Tree Grows In Brooklyn? Remember everything that you learned? Remember how you loved Anne Frank and understood the injustices of Hitler's decrees without living in 1940's Holland? Remember Laurie Halse Andersen's Speak? And you knew what it was like to be disconnected and desolate? And to watch out for the wrong guys?

If a hard book is in one's heart, it is that author's obligation to tell that story--for the sake of the children.