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RE: Tight Times and Poverty
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From: Elliott batTzedek <ebattzedek_at_americanreading.com>
Date: Thu, 12 May 2011 11:53:13 -0500
I've found that folk tales are a great way to talk about economic privilege, since so many of them are about the ordinary person triumphing over the rich or royalty. Folk tales, ballads, etc have always chronicled resistance to imposed power, and helping kids learn to see behind familiar stories gives them vital tools. So start with Robin Hood...
Elliott batTzedek
American Reading Company
From: Megan Schliesman
Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2011 12:04 PM To: ccbc-net, Subscribers of Subject:
Tight Times and Poverty
Angie Miles noted in her post the other day that, " based on the quality and quantity of the posts that this is a pervasive topic in literature."
What I've been aware of is that even though we are seeing a number of recent books featuring children and families on the economic edge, and sometimes specifically about "tight times," we can look back and find outstanding examples across the years.
But I'm not convinced this is a pervasive topic in literature. And I'm not convinced that for every outstanding book there aren't those that, when they do portray poverty or "tight times,' fall back on stereotypes.
So I'm curious what others think about this? Has this been a common topic all along? Truthfully, when I generalize my perceptions about literature for children and teens--especially contemporary literature as opposed to historical fiction--the implied realities about characters' potrayed is that they are middle class. I do think this has changed somewhat in recent years, but I'm not sure if we look back across the deacedes this is true. I was talking with CCBC librarian Merri Lindgren about this today, and she said what she notes is that we are pointing to a small number of titles.
So right now I don't have answers, just questions and perceptions. Anyone else?
Megan
Megan Schliesman, Librarian Cooperative Children's Book Center School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison 600 N. Park Street, Room 4290 Madison, WI 53706
608/262-9503 schliesman_at_education.wisc.edu
www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/
Date: Thu, 12 May 2011 11:53:13 -0500
I've found that folk tales are a great way to talk about economic privilege, since so many of them are about the ordinary person triumphing over the rich or royalty. Folk tales, ballads, etc have always chronicled resistance to imposed power, and helping kids learn to see behind familiar stories gives them vital tools. So start with Robin Hood...
Elliott batTzedek
American Reading Company
From: Megan Schliesman
Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2011 12:04 PM To: ccbc-net, Subscribers of Subject:
Tight Times and Poverty
Angie Miles noted in her post the other day that, " based on the quality and quantity of the posts that this is a pervasive topic in literature."
What I've been aware of is that even though we are seeing a number of recent books featuring children and families on the economic edge, and sometimes specifically about "tight times," we can look back and find outstanding examples across the years.
But I'm not convinced this is a pervasive topic in literature. And I'm not convinced that for every outstanding book there aren't those that, when they do portray poverty or "tight times,' fall back on stereotypes.
So I'm curious what others think about this? Has this been a common topic all along? Truthfully, when I generalize my perceptions about literature for children and teens--especially contemporary literature as opposed to historical fiction--the implied realities about characters' potrayed is that they are middle class. I do think this has changed somewhat in recent years, but I'm not sure if we look back across the deacedes this is true. I was talking with CCBC librarian Merri Lindgren about this today, and she said what she notes is that we are pointing to a small number of titles.
So right now I don't have answers, just questions and perceptions. Anyone else?
Megan
Megan Schliesman, Librarian Cooperative Children's Book Center School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison 600 N. Park Street, Room 4290 Madison, WI 53706
608/262-9503 schliesman_at_education.wisc.edu
www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/
---Received on Thu 12 May 2011 11:53:13 AM CDT
