CCBC-Net Archives
Images of Families
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From: Megan Schliesman <Schliesman>
Date: Wed, 06 Nov 2002 13:35:38 -0600
This month on CCBC-Net we are looking at images of families in literature for children and young adults.
I want to begin our discussion by mentioning two wonderful photodocumentaries about families: Families : A Celebration of Diversity, Commitment, and Love by Aylette Jenness (Houghton Mifflin, 1989) is based on a traveling exhibit that orignated at the Children's Museum of Boston, and features black-and-white photographs of families and text about their lives. The book includes the moving responses of children who viewed this exhibit, which includes gay and lesbian families, step families, exteneded families and many others.
Celebrating Families by Rosemary Hausherr (Scholastic Press, 1997) profiles individual children their family life-?ch child is featured in a portrait photograph that represents their family in some way (for example, a child in foster care created a handrawn portait of his biological mother to hold for his portrait; kids of divorced parents held up a two picture frames with a portrait of each parent) and a candid photograph of the child or children with their families.
The important thing about both of these books is their intentional approach to embracing a broad definition of what it means to be a family--diversity exists in multiple ways within these volumes. (Just as important is the engaging presentation of material that each achieves.) I always show students who come to the CCBC looking for books for a unit on families both of these titles because they provide such a wonderful framework for thinking about families, and launching points for further exploration.
What strength do you see in the portrayal of families and family life in books for the young? What gaps exist, either obvious or subtle? What are some of your favorite stories and books about families and family life?
Megan
Megan Schliesman, Librarian Cooperative Children's Book Center School of Education, UW-Madison 600 N. Park St., Room 4290 Madison, Wi 53706 608&2?03 schliesman at education.wisc.edu
Received on Wed 06 Nov 2002 01:35:38 PM CST
Date: Wed, 06 Nov 2002 13:35:38 -0600
This month on CCBC-Net we are looking at images of families in literature for children and young adults.
I want to begin our discussion by mentioning two wonderful photodocumentaries about families: Families : A Celebration of Diversity, Commitment, and Love by Aylette Jenness (Houghton Mifflin, 1989) is based on a traveling exhibit that orignated at the Children's Museum of Boston, and features black-and-white photographs of families and text about their lives. The book includes the moving responses of children who viewed this exhibit, which includes gay and lesbian families, step families, exteneded families and many others.
Celebrating Families by Rosemary Hausherr (Scholastic Press, 1997) profiles individual children their family life-?ch child is featured in a portrait photograph that represents their family in some way (for example, a child in foster care created a handrawn portait of his biological mother to hold for his portrait; kids of divorced parents held up a two picture frames with a portrait of each parent) and a candid photograph of the child or children with their families.
The important thing about both of these books is their intentional approach to embracing a broad definition of what it means to be a family--diversity exists in multiple ways within these volumes. (Just as important is the engaging presentation of material that each achieves.) I always show students who come to the CCBC looking for books for a unit on families both of these titles because they provide such a wonderful framework for thinking about families, and launching points for further exploration.
What strength do you see in the portrayal of families and family life in books for the young? What gaps exist, either obvious or subtle? What are some of your favorite stories and books about families and family life?
Megan
Megan Schliesman, Librarian Cooperative Children's Book Center School of Education, UW-Madison 600 N. Park St., Room 4290 Madison, Wi 53706 608&2?03 schliesman at education.wisc.edu
Received on Wed 06 Nov 2002 01:35:38 PM CST
