compose it is also different because the authors have to release their adult’s perspective and change it into how children perceive things.
Unfortunately, some adults tend to neglect and do not aware about how children’s literature in nature. Their interest to teach moral values to children makes
them choose children’s books that are good for them not because of how children will enjoy the stories. It shows the powerlessness of children in having their freedom to
pick their own books. In the end, they are also powerless in reading because what adults expect they do is how they can get the messages only.
3. The Hidden Adults
The truth about children’s texts is the simplicity of the texts. The simplicity is considered as the proper way to provide reading for children because they can get
easier access in reading and absorbing what’s inside the texts. As children have the same need to read texts like adults do, they should get the degree or level of reading
that fits in them. It means that the level of reading should be reachable and understandable for children. However, the simplicity of texts for children is
undermined by some adults as simplicity both in content and context of the stories. This is because adults lack of awareness that the simple world of children also
consists something that is complex hidden and unspoken. It reveals that the simplicity is only the surface in children’s text. Far beyond the surface, there is hidden and
unspoken side that is more complex and complete. This is the shadow and unco
nsciousness in children’s literature.
Based on the visible simplicity and invisible complexity, it shows the binary opposition exists even in children’s literature. Simplicity is considered as childlike
because children business seems to be simple and complexity is nonchildlike because the nonchildlike or adults are complex. It also means that children’s literature also
possesses nonchildlike or adultlike that places beyond the scope of consciousness since it is hidden. The binary opposition takes an impor
tant role in children’s literature. As David Rudd in Perry Nodelman 2008:206 states
David Rudd draws on Derrida’s concept of différance to explain how this dichotomy affects children’s literature: “Without a recognition of what is
different from, differences cannot be sustained. Hence differences is always tainted by ‘the other,’ and must always be dependent upon it. . . . Children’s
literature is different, certainly, yet intimately bound to its parent literature, hence the constant slippage.”
Rudd’s statement above proves that the binary opposition has an important role to make children’s literature different by providing childlike side and the
nonchildlike perspective in the same time. This binary opposition undeniably always exists to create the dif
ference by making one part of it as ‘the other’. ‘The otherness’ in children’s literature allows the hidden adult because its position of nonchildlike or
adultlike is beyond consciousness. Since adults lack of awareness about the unconscious or hidden part
in children’s literature, they only use the visible element to dominate and have authority over children. They tend to see children’s literature is
about what it is written about than what it is written for Rising, 2013:6. It shows that the values in the stories are the emphasize rather than the intended readers of the
stories.
B. Children’s Independence
Independence is the state of not being helped, ruled, or influenced. Each person in the world experiences the learning of independence since the very young
age. The number of stages may differ from one expert to another. The best time to educate humans by showing things they need to learn is the time when they are still
children. As children have less experiences and knowledge, they live under the
control of adults. The intention of adults is to educate and teach the children so children know what to do. Teaching children new things is important but adults
should realize that showing is a better way to make children learn about things rather than telling or even dictating them what to do Lewis on Nodelman, 2008:214. By
showing things to know by children, it will make them learn by themselves. They need to get accustomed to doing it regularly so they can slowly but sure learn to be
independent. This independence will be owned by children if adults limit or even do not control children what they have to do.
This is not an instant thing to make children independent. It should be trained many times until children can enjoy taking initiative to do simple things, such
as taking care of their toys. Literature becomes an effective way to train children independence because it contains actions and phenomena of the characters. The
characters will show actions and thoughts during the stories. Temple in Nodelman 2008:214 stated that readers emphasize their attention on what characters do and
