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[CCBC-Net] Images of Families
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From: Jones, Lyn <ljones>
Date: Mon, 11 Nov 2002 11:30:49 -0500
How well does children's literature reflect the diversity of family life that we know exists in our culture?
I believe Kate DiCamillo's Because of Winn Dixie does a wonderful job of portraying the diversity of family. Opal lives with her father. Her mother has left both she and her father. Opal's single father is trying to fill the role of both mother and father. Instead of playing victim, Opal expands her immediate family by gathering new members such as her pet dog, Winn Dixie, Gloria, the Dewberry boys, Miss Frannie Block, Sweetie Pie Thomas, and Otis. This book addresses serious issues related to family, but shows Opal as a survivor and a person who has a diverse and interesting view of family.
Lyn Jones Fishers Jr. High School
Message----From: Megan Schliesman [mailto:Schliesman at education.wisc.edu] Sent: Friday, November 08, 2002 9:19 AM To: ccbc-net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu; jlocke at Spike.CI.Cambridge.MA.US Subject: Re: [CCBC-Net] Images of Families
Jennifer Locke wrote about the families in Bob Graham's books:
"The families' 'alternativeness' is not heavy-handed or even a central theme of these books but a nice and natural part of the story."
Not only do I wholeheartedly agree about how wonderful the families in Graham's books are, but I would argue that his books help push us toward erasing the very concept of "alternative" when thinking about and defining different types of families.
While "alternative" is a term that has been used historically to describe families that are not "traditional," it seems to me that we should begin to think twice about using either term, and instead focus on expanding our idea and understanding of what a loving family looks like--no adjective necessarily needed. (Of course there are times, in the interest of better serving specific library users, where we will want to know what someone is specifically looking for, be it books with same-sex parents, books featuring a bircial or multiracial family, etc.)
How well does children's literature reflect the diversity of family life that we know exists in our culture?
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
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Received on Mon 11 Nov 2002 10:30:49 AM CST
Date: Mon, 11 Nov 2002 11:30:49 -0500
How well does children's literature reflect the diversity of family life that we know exists in our culture?
I believe Kate DiCamillo's Because of Winn Dixie does a wonderful job of portraying the diversity of family. Opal lives with her father. Her mother has left both she and her father. Opal's single father is trying to fill the role of both mother and father. Instead of playing victim, Opal expands her immediate family by gathering new members such as her pet dog, Winn Dixie, Gloria, the Dewberry boys, Miss Frannie Block, Sweetie Pie Thomas, and Otis. This book addresses serious issues related to family, but shows Opal as a survivor and a person who has a diverse and interesting view of family.
Lyn Jones Fishers Jr. High School
Message----From: Megan Schliesman [mailto:Schliesman at education.wisc.edu] Sent: Friday, November 08, 2002 9:19 AM To: ccbc-net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu; jlocke at Spike.CI.Cambridge.MA.US Subject: Re: [CCBC-Net] Images of Families
Jennifer Locke wrote about the families in Bob Graham's books:
"The families' 'alternativeness' is not heavy-handed or even a central theme of these books but a nice and natural part of the story."
Not only do I wholeheartedly agree about how wonderful the families in Graham's books are, but I would argue that his books help push us toward erasing the very concept of "alternative" when thinking about and defining different types of families.
While "alternative" is a term that has been used historically to describe families that are not "traditional," it seems to me that we should begin to think twice about using either term, and instead focus on expanding our idea and understanding of what a loving family looks like--no adjective necessarily needed. (Of course there are times, in the interest of better serving specific library users, where we will want to know what someone is specifically looking for, be it books with same-sex parents, books featuring a bircial or multiracial family, etc.)
How well does children's literature reflect the diversity of family life that we know exists in our culture?
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
~ ~ ~ To send a reply to the entire CCBC-Net community,click on...
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mailto:ccbc-net-unsub at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
Received on Mon 11 Nov 2002 10:30:49 AM CST
