Okay, I think I figured out my "Test" for kiddie lit, and TV.

[capri0mni]

(Which I mentioned in my previous entry)

How does this strike you?

• The protagonist (often a child, but not necessarily) is faced with a complex problem.



• The protagonist finds her or his solution to the problem through the experiences encountered in the course of the story,



• without help from (or in spite of) an Authroity Figure.

...And that last part could be why there are so many Fail!kids' stories from Evangelical Christian publishers and producers....