Temas sensíveis na Literatura para as Infâncias: análise de obras literárias que abordam a morte e o luto

Abstract

Children's literature books are important for the development of children's reading skills, as they contribute to the development of language and critical thinking, broaden their understanding of the world and knowledge of other cultures, and provoke aesthetic pleasure and reflection on social reality. In recent decades, the Brazilian publishing market dedicated to children's literature has increasingly offered a wide range of books that address complex social issues such as racism, violence, and war, as well as existential themes such as death, grief, fear, and sexuality. These works foster debate on diversity, social inclusion, and citizenship, with all subjects presented through literary language in an artistic, emotional, and original way. However, works that allow for dialogue around sensitive topics such as death and grief are often excluded from the literary repertoire offered to children in educational settings. Given these findings, this research aims to curate a selection of literary works that address the themes of death and grief, analyzing their literary quality in terms of thematic, textual, and graphic aspects, and sharing the selected books with other readers to learn their interpretations. The investigation was conducted through action research, in which we developed four methodological actions with the active participation of the public: Workshop, Literary Exhibition, Seminar, and Roundtable Discussion. These actions allowed us to present the books, collect data, and obtain contributions that brought new perspectives to this research. Throughout the work, contemporary studies by authors who advocate for literature as an aid in discussing death and grief are presented, and the risks of its censorship in the school environment are analyzed. Furthermore, four works are analyzed in light of their literary quality: The Tree of Memories (2014), by Britta Teckentrup; Sprout (2023), by Raíssa Kaspar and Fran Matsumoto; Waiting (2007), by Davide Cali and Serge Bloch, and A Beautiful Place (2020), by Alexandre Rampazo. The results indicate that books with literary quality are excellent resources for addressing death and grief; however, schools still need to advance in opening up dialogue and understanding sensitive themes in literature, so as not to censor reflection on complex issues during children's literary education.