In a couple of weeks I am starting a project. The main focus of this project will be to survey and study children's literature, mostly picture books, from the mid to late 20th and early 21st centuries. I will be studying classics from the canon of children's books written in English, as well as more contemporary, popular books. I will also be looking at the small section of books available that have a more overt socially conscious message or agenda. I will be looking at these books with an eye to their relationship with class, race, gender, sexuality, ability issues, ecology, capitalism and consumption.
I will to attempt to illustrate the ways in which we pass along certain cultural memes through the stories and images we aim at children, both consciously and unconsciously. How a large section of children's books are passing along a very narrow set of values and lifestyles. How there is a marked need for children's literature that offers more diversity in presenting politics, lifestyle and values, whether subtly or overtly.
I will be documenting my research by blogging about the books I am reading, and addressing the social messages they convey.
My goal is to compile my research in a few months time to be self-published as a zine.
Another part of this project will be to come up with an a list of books that show diversity in gender, race, class, ways of living and working and family structure as well as more progressive and radical ideas around these issues. I will also compile a list of books that should be noted for the racist, classist, and sexist ideas they present.
To support my research, I will be reading and researching other work previously done in and around this topic. A few of these books include, "Tales for Little Rebels :A Collection of Radical Children's Literature," "Should We Burn Babar?: Essays on Children's Literature and the Power of Stories," "Waking Sleeping Beauty: Feminist Voices in Children's Novels" and "Stories for Free Children."
I just read a short article featured in a journal called "Young Exceptional Children" (Volume 6 Number 4): Addressing Disability as a Part of Diversity: Through Classroom Children's Literature. Included in this article is something called "Nine ways to evaluate children's books that address disability as a part of diversity". It also includes a book list of literature that addresses/contains disability as diversity. It is a really good resource-if you are interested I can try to scan the pgs in-I think they need to be paid for otherwise!
ReplyDeleteHey Quinn,
ReplyDeletecheck out this story and this book! http://www.king5.com/new-day-northwest/Family-Embraces-Princess-Boy-104882999.html
YES! Kylee... I would love to read that article, if you are willing to scan it for me!
ReplyDelete