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Gender: pink, abandonment, defying stereotype
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From: Julie Ranelli <JRanelli>
Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2005 13:27:29 -0400
I have been thinking about several things regarding gender in books over the past couple weeks...
I think it may have been Megan who mentioned the wealth of pink in
"girls' books." That same day, I walked into Borders and was browsing what was new in YA paperback. My eyes quickly went to a very pink book by Meg Cabot, and next to it a totally pink book called "Perfect" by Natasha Friend. The synopsis on the back was not what I had expected from this pink book...sounded deeper, more serious, less stereotypical than I anticipated. I'm waiting for it to come as a hold from my library...wondering if anyone else read "Perfect" and had gender comments?
Also Diane asked recently about picture books that show women abandoning children. I can think of several books (some YA) that are about a man leaving the family. I responded off-line to Diane with Jacqueline Woodson's "Our Gracie Aunt." But the more I thought, the more I decided I could post to the group--Do you think picture books for children tend to portray a stable and nurturing mother (or grandmother) figure without also addressing the reality that some women cannot, or choose not to, nurture their families? ("Sometimes My Mommy Gets Angry" by Bebe Moore Campbell is one in which the child feels emotionally abandoned by her mother's mental illness/addiction--yet even in that one there is a nurturing grandmother who provides extra support.)
Finally, I just wanted to say that a fun picture book that goes against the old "a woman's place is in the kitchen" is "Sassy Gracie" by James Sage. Gracie is to cook 2 chickens for her master and his guest, but when the guest is late, she ends up eating both chickens...and then very cleverly works her way out of the wrath of both master and guest, turning them on each other and showing that the "girl in the kitchen" is smarter than either man!
Thanks for the discussion!
Julie Ranelli
School Library Media Specialist
Episcopal Center for Children
5901 Utah Ave. N.W.
Washington, DC 20015
(202) 36333 x278
jranelli at eccofdc.org
CONFIDENTIALITY WARNING!!! This communication may be confidential and legally privileged. If you are not the person to whom it is addressed, do not read, copy or let anyone else besides the addressee see it. Please respect the confidentiality of this personal information and respect the federal and state laws that protect its confidentiality. If this has been transmitted to you by mistake, we ask you to extend the courtesy of notifying us at the e-mail address listed above and telling us what went wrong. Thank you very much.
Received on Fri 29 Jul 2005 12:27:29 PM CDT
Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2005 13:27:29 -0400
I have been thinking about several things regarding gender in books over the past couple weeks...
I think it may have been Megan who mentioned the wealth of pink in
"girls' books." That same day, I walked into Borders and was browsing what was new in YA paperback. My eyes quickly went to a very pink book by Meg Cabot, and next to it a totally pink book called "Perfect" by Natasha Friend. The synopsis on the back was not what I had expected from this pink book...sounded deeper, more serious, less stereotypical than I anticipated. I'm waiting for it to come as a hold from my library...wondering if anyone else read "Perfect" and had gender comments?
Also Diane asked recently about picture books that show women abandoning children. I can think of several books (some YA) that are about a man leaving the family. I responded off-line to Diane with Jacqueline Woodson's "Our Gracie Aunt." But the more I thought, the more I decided I could post to the group--Do you think picture books for children tend to portray a stable and nurturing mother (or grandmother) figure without also addressing the reality that some women cannot, or choose not to, nurture their families? ("Sometimes My Mommy Gets Angry" by Bebe Moore Campbell is one in which the child feels emotionally abandoned by her mother's mental illness/addiction--yet even in that one there is a nurturing grandmother who provides extra support.)
Finally, I just wanted to say that a fun picture book that goes against the old "a woman's place is in the kitchen" is "Sassy Gracie" by James Sage. Gracie is to cook 2 chickens for her master and his guest, but when the guest is late, she ends up eating both chickens...and then very cleverly works her way out of the wrath of both master and guest, turning them on each other and showing that the "girl in the kitchen" is smarter than either man!
Thanks for the discussion!
Julie Ranelli
School Library Media Specialist
Episcopal Center for Children
5901 Utah Ave. N.W.
Washington, DC 20015
(202) 36333 x278
jranelli at eccofdc.org
CONFIDENTIALITY WARNING!!! This communication may be confidential and legally privileged. If you are not the person to whom it is addressed, do not read, copy or let anyone else besides the addressee see it. Please respect the confidentiality of this personal information and respect the federal and state laws that protect its confidentiality. If this has been transmitted to you by mistake, we ask you to extend the courtesy of notifying us at the e-mail address listed above and telling us what went wrong. Thank you very much.
Received on Fri 29 Jul 2005 12:27:29 PM CDT
