Published on
Updated
Reading 3 min.
in collaboration with
Amélie Boukhobza (Clinical psychologist)
Originally drawn to externalize violence to which the author was a victim at school, Mortelle Adèle became in just a few volumes the star of budding readers. But behind the little girl’s extravagant adventures, the authors intend to take ever greater action against school bullying. With success.
And 21! Since the end of May 2024, the series Mortelle Adèle has a new volume and new adventures for the little redhead star of the playgrounds. That’s not all: 4 collector’s volumes, 4 novels, a TV series in pre-production and a multitude of derivative objects delight children who swear by it: as a result, this last volume is currently number 1 in book sales. books.
A character created when the author was a victim of violence
But if children are captivated by this little girl, let us say, insolent (and who plays with conventions!), it is undoubtedly because she also crystallizes many of the concerns of schoolchildren. The author, Antoine Dole alias Mr Tan, makes no secret of it: he created the character in 1995, at the age of 14, to deal with a situation of school harassment from which he suffered.
“At school, I was the victim of violence, and Adèle helped me confront it. She allowed me to say everything that I couldn’t express in real life. Imagination is a great vehicle to get through existence” he explains in numerous interviews.
From his imagination is therefore born his double, but the one who faces all this without any fear. “VSThis little alter ego who dared to say everything and was afraid of nothing was a way of reducing the distance that I put between the world and me.
A final volume which openly commits against school bullying
If Adèle is therefore not the type to let herself be walked on or to let her friends down, this latest volume goes further this time in the fight against school bullying since the authors (Mr Tan and, for 10 years, Diane Le Feyer) wanted to deliver several messages to their young readers. Thus, a booklet (“school bullying is rubbish”), a memo, both drawn and written in the same tone of the comic strip and even songs were born, planned to address all the themes seen in class: laws, causes, how to react, how to talk about it to an adult.
Thanks to Adèle, the message has a good chance of getting through
But can this effort change the situation in playgrounds, or at least open dialogue in groups of children? Yes, answers Amélie Boukhobza, clinical psychologist and member of our committee of experts. Because the chosen narrative has several assets that can work.
“I find it interesting and that it can have an impact. Especially since the series “Mortelle Adèle”, known for its irreverent tone and black humor, can make the subject of school bullying more accessible to young people readers.”
- First of all, by seeing Adèle confronted with situations of harassment, children can recognize behaviors that they themselves may have experienced or observed. Result: better awareness (than in theoretical lessons)!
- But that’s not all, the dark humor and offbeat tone of the series make it possible to deal with the subject of harassment without falling into pathos. “It can help young readers to take a step back from their own experiences or those of their classmates. By laughing with Adèle, children learn that bullying is not inevitable and that solutions exist.
- Finally, Adèle’s strength of character and her refusal to conform to norms can also inspire people to develop resilience in the face of bullies.
Under her red hair, Adèle would be a real heroine in your child’s life.
Slide: School bullying: these signs that should alert us as parents