Reflection of Current Social Issues in Finnish Literature for Children and Adolescents

Abstract

The paper addressed the ways of how current and highly discussed social problems are reflected in the Finnish modern children’s literature. The author of the article notes that until these topics (ecology, climate change,
migration, integration of refugees, sexual violence, war, drug addiction, feminism, family distress, emotional development, etc.) become the subject of children’s and youth literature, they were actively discussed in media.
Thus, recently children’s literature in Finland has been responding to current and widely discussed problems in society more quickly than before. The article presents a thematic analysis of children’s and young adult lit-
erature published in Finland in 2017–2018 years. The article is based on annual statistical report entitled «Kirjakori» («Book Basket») prepared by the Finnish Institute of Children’s Literature. It consists of the complete
list of all books for children and young adults released in Finland in 2017. These data demonstrate how authors work today with current problematic topics establishing that the genre preferences in this segment are given to
picture books, dystopian novel and educational literature.

Keywords: modern children’s literature, Finnish children’s literature, social function of children’s literature, children’s reading in Finland, feminist children’s literature, dystopian novel for teenagers.