From: Steven Engelfried <sengelfried>
Date: Sun, 24 Jul 2005 12:21:24 -0700 (PDT)

I like the way Carolyn Lehman puts it: "My favorite anti-stereotyping characters are ones who are so true to themselves that they defy both the traditional roles and the counter roles. They have to be who they are, and take whatever fits from both gende rs' toolboxes." "Permanent Rose" by McKay is one that typifies this. Those characters are all so unique, they don't really challenge gender expectations, they just sort of steamroll right over them. The friendship between Rose and Tom has nothing to d o with boy/girl stuff, nor does David's fascination with Rose's family. The fearless energy of Saffy and Sarah is just how they are...nothing to do with "girl power." Even Caddie's hesitance to marry Michael doesn't come across as a statement for femini ne independence...it's just the right thing for her to do. Sharon Creech is another author who does this well: "Heartbeat" and "Love That Dog" are two good examples where challenging gender stereotypes might have been a central
 theme (girl athlete, boy poet), but that fact is almost irrelevant compared to more powerful elements: what's in the hearts of the individual characters....
  Among the books that do play directly with gender expectations, an older favorite of mine is "White Dynamite and Curly Kid" by Martin/Archambault/Rand. Lucky wants to be a bull rider like dad and has an exciting time watching dad win, and on the last pag e you learn Lucky's a girl. It's not like we're misled...we (and this includes all the kids I've read it to and probably myself the first time I read it) just assume Lucky's male because of the sport. I don't usually discuss the surprise after I read it
 to the kids...just sort of let it sit there for them to ponder.
 
- Steven Engelfried, Beaverton City Library (OR)
  sengelfried at yahoo.com
  503R6%99




                
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Received on Sun 24 Jul 2005 02:21:24 PM CDT