Title
Why gender stereotypes still persist in contemporary children's literature
Publication Date
1-9-2001
Document Type
Book Chapter
Abstract
The hidden curriculum : are we teaching young girls to wait for the prince? / Susan Lehr -- Author profile : Virginia Hamilton -- Author profile : Katherine Paterson -- The unquenchable source : finding a heroic girl inside a man / T.A. Barron -- Author profile : Gary Paulsen -- Deconstructing Harry : casting a critical eye on the witches and wizards of Hogwarts / Deborah L. Thompson -- Popular series books and the middle-class children inhabiting them : are girls and boys really that frivolous? / Jennifer Armstrong -- Picture books for preschool children : exploring gender issues with three-and four-year-olds / Barbara Chatton -- Author profile : Mem Fox -- Illustrator profile : Jerry Pinkney -- Author profile : Andrea Pinkney -- Are authors rewriting folklore in today's image? / Margaret Chang -- Illustrator profile : Paul O. Zelinsky -- Truth as patchwork : developing female characters in historical fiction / Janet Hickman -- Author profile : Karen Cushman -- Author profile in two voices : Patricia and Fredrick McKissack -- Separating the men from the boys : coming of age in recent historical fiction for children / Daniel P. Woolsey -- Representations of Native American women and girls in children's historical fiction / Debbie A. Reese -- Why gender stereotypes still persist in contemporary children's literature / Belinda Y. Louie -- Author profile : Alice Mead -- Author profile : Pat Mora -- Parent characters in children's novels : lessons learned / Sylvia M. Vardell -- Parallels, polarities, and intersections : gender and religion in children's books / Ann Trousdale -- Why do educators need a political agenda on gender? / Kathy G. Short -- The anomalous female and the ubiquitous male / Susan Lehr., Children select role models from their friends, movies, television, and books. As teachers, librarians, and parents, we can provide alternative roles that present well-rounded male and female characters who have choices and options. How we can do this through the many genres in children's literature is the subject of this fine collection of essays. Beauty, Brains, and Brawn offers diverse perspectives on what it means to be a male or female child in children's literature, presenting stimulating views from the field's best-known authors, illustrators, and educators. The award-winning authors and illustrators include Jerry Pinkney, Katherine Paterson, Mem Fox, Gary Paulsen, Virginia Hamilton, Karen Cushman, Andrea Pinkney, Paul Zelinsky, and Patricia and Frederick McKissack. They talk about their motivation for creating the boys and girls in their books and they examine the child as audience. Essays from educators explore larger issues related to current research on gender and the classroom, multiethnic experiences and gender, and gender portrayals in contemporary fiction, historical fiction, and picture books. Topics include parental roles in books for children, the kinds of books available for very young children and the gender issues housed within them, diversity and gender, the politics of gender and gender stereotypes in children's literature, finding authentic female and male voices in historical fiction, and the clash of conservative and liberal values in children's literautre. Popular images in the media are also considered, such as the impact of Disney cartoon movies like Mulan or Pocahontas, and the populatiry of the Harry Potter books. Gender issues related to the adolescent in young adult literature have been written about extensively. The same has not been true for children's literature. Beauty, Brains, and Brawn is one of the first books to focus on gender issues directly related to the experiences of the child in children's literature. -- from back cover., Includes bibliographical references.
Publication Title
Beauty, brains, and brawn: the construction of gender in children's literature
First Page
142
Last Page
151
Recommended Citation
Louie, B., & Louie, D. (2001). Why gender stereotypes still persist in contemporary children’s literature. In S. Lehr (Ed.), Beauty, brains, and brawn: the construction of gender in children’s literature (pp. 142–151). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
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