In recent years, children's trade books have included a growing number of stories that negatively portray the well-known adults in a child's world--parents, teachers, and librarians. This paper examines children's and adults' reactions to such negative characterizations and defends their presence in children's literature. It then lists and annotates eighteen books presenting negative images of parents and seven presenting negative images of teachers. A book that negatively portrays a librarian is discussed, as well as children's reactions to it. (GW)