Metafiction as a Dialogic Space: A Bakhtinian Exploration of Metafictional Children’s Novels

In an age of unprecedented ambiguity and uncertainty, children must develop critical thinking skills to navigate a complex and ever-changing world. Interactive narratives such as metafiction offer a powerful tool for cultivating these skills. This article draws on Mikhail Bakhtin’s concept of dialogue, which emphasizes the intersubjective nature of meaning-making, to analyze two metafictive children’s novels— The Bad Beginning (2001) by Daniel Handler, and The Name of This Book Is Secret (2018) by Raphael Simon—to explore how metafictive elements in these children’s novels can foster dialogues and encourage dialogic thinking. Through a close reading of these novels, this study examines how metafictive elements, such as direct address to the reader, the subversion of traditional narrative conventions, and the inclusion of playful and interactive elements, encourage readers to question assumptions. By transforming the reading experience into a collaborative process of meaning-making, these novels not only entertain but also empower young readers to become active participants in a dynamic and ever-evolving dialogue with the text and the world around them. This research contributes to a growing body of scholarship that explores the unique potential of metafiction to cultivate critical thinking, creativity, and a lifelong love of reading in children.