The Power of the Pen: A Follow-Up on Maggie

Yesterday, I wrote about how awesome it is that parent bloggers are starting to have the kind of voices that may influence the world around them, from what happens in the marketplace to what happens in the lives of random individuals.

Here's another example of the "power of the pen." You may remember my post about Paul Kramer's book geared to children, entitled Maggie Goes on a Diet.  If you read that post, you'll remember my wrath about the possible effects books like this, and resulting societal attitudes, can have on kids' self-esteem at increasingly earlier ages.

I learned about the book from a column written on NJ.com by Jamie Tripp Utitus. As it turns out, Jamie eventually found my post and let me know that Kramer contacted her about it and has created a revised version of the book, entitled, Maggie Eats Healthier.

Photo by Paul M. Kramer

That's pretty darn amazing.


And it's a real testament to the power that writers may wield just by putting their minds and pens to important use.  Here was a book that was roundly criticized (except, of course, by Fox News) for very valid reasons that are especially near and dear to those of us who have children.

For all I know the controversy may have boosted Kramer's fame or potential sales. But he didn't have to respond in any fashion to the deluge of criticism he got. Her certainly didn't have to edit the book. In any event, Kramer could have gone about his daily routine with no more thought about it.

But he didn't.  He not only heard the messages of disapproval - he listened too.

I have to admire that.

In the revised version, the focus shifts from Maggie "dieting" to eating in a more healthy way, described as a "lifestyle change." There's nothing wrong with sending that kind of positive message to kids.  My primary criticism of the book was not that teaching kids about eating better or exercising is bad - far from it. My outrage came from the connection between weight loss and success, popularity and happiness, which could warp children's sense of self-esteem.

While it does feel good to be healthy and fit, it doesn't feel good to kids who are still growing and may not fit that mold to think that they can't be happy or play sports or be well-liked by peers if they're not super thin.

The interesting thing is, the original book will still be sold, along with the revised version. I would have preferred that only the revised version with the better framed message be sold, but at least this way, parents who may want to use the book as a teaching tool have a better option now.

More importantly, it proves that by speaking our minds, we can make a difference. We should speak up, find an audience, and make our voices heard - especially when the issues involved may affect our kids.

Photo from acornucopiaofliterature.blogspot.com

Check out this article in which Kramer himself describes his intent and his changes to the book.  Then tell us what you think about the revision - is this a positive step, or does selling both versions not really change much?  Would you buy the new version?