I would like to see The Tale of Despereaux. (“A hero doesn’t appear until the world really needs one”) So a review here, for your Boxing Day amusement.

This part caught my attention–the reviewer comments on how being bold and courageous and different is a standard lesson for kids–but usually within a certain framework:

…it’s never too early to start training kids that they’re going to have to be rebels if they want to fit into society as adults. (That is, be rebels in the acceptable way; it would be disastrous, for example, to champion an “unpopular cause” that actually was unpopular.)

Now that, that would be really terrible–taking on a socially unacceptable cause. It’s embarrassing, more than anything, really. Why can’t everyone fight for a greener world? and other assorted causes “we can all agree on.”

Kids! Be bold and rebellious–just not too bold and rebellious.

________________________

Brigitte adds: There’s a fun book on the subject by Joseph Heath and Andrew Potter, for those who are interested in why the herd of independent minds behaves the way it does.