Grim scary tales that taught us life lessons

CHILDREN’S books can be dark but they teach young readers valuable lessons.

In Little Red Riding Hood, they learn never to trust strangers and by reading Watership Down, they discover death and conflict.

In Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl warns about the dangers of greed, with one child drowning in a chocolate river. Johnny Depp starred as Willy Wonka in the film version of the classic tale. But such edgy stories are no longer thought OK for primary school. Children’s author Geraldine McCaughrean says: “With a book to be sold into schools you get a list of things unacceptable. “No witches, no demons, no alcohol, no death, no religion. It really cuts down what you can write.” Here our columnists reveal what they learned as children from famous tales, which may now be on the no-read list ....