Description
Book SynopsisSerious scholarship on African American children''s and young adult literature is a relatively recent phenomenon. To date, only a handful of book-length worksaside from doctoral dissertationshave been devoted to the exploration of this body of work and the historical works that are at its foundation. Embracing, Evaluating, and Examining African American Children''s and Young Adult Literature features 12 original essays that present research related to African American children''s literaturebooks intended for youth that are written by and about African Americansconducted by scholars from leading academic institutions. Editors Wanda M. Brooks and Jonda C. McNair offer a bouquet of diverse perspectives on African American children''s and young adult literature, focusing attention on texts, on readers, and on pedagogical strategies that have the potential to bring the texts and the readers together. Beginning with a foreword by one of the leading scholars in the field of African American
Trade ReviewA broad picture of what is currently being done in this field....Literature scholars, literacy researchers, and teachers should all find relevance in these essays... * School Library Journal, 4/1/2008 *
The selections in this book take research, theory, and practice about African American literature to a more profound level than ever before and provide important directions for examining other multicultural literature. -- Barbara Kiefer, Charlotte Huck Professor, The Ohio State University
This carefully edited volume adds significantly to the professional and scholarly body of work concerning African American literature for children and adults. This book will, I hope, open up conversations among people from a variety of disciplines; the resulting sharing will be enriching for everyone. * Language Arts, January 1, 2010 *
Table of ContentsPart 1 Foreword Part 2 Preface Part 3 Part I: Textual Analysis Chapter 4 1. A Comparative Analysis ofThe Brownies' Book and Contemporary African American Children's Literature Written by Patricia C. McKissack Chapter 5 2. "The Random Brushing of Birds": Representations of African American Women in Biographies Chapter 6 3. Following Tradition: Young Adult Literature as Neo-slave Narrative Chapter 7 4. Arna Bontemps, Langston Hughes, and the Roots of African American Children's Literature Chapter 8 5. A Triumphant Mulatto: Racial Construction in Mildred Taylor'sThe Land Part 9 Part II: Reader Response Research and Theory Chapter 10 6. Historical Fiction and Cultural Evocations in a Community-Based Literary Club Chapter 11 7. My Boys and My Books: Engaging African American Young Men in Emancipatory Reading Chapter 12 8. Reader Responses to African American Children's Literature: A Sociolinguistic Perspective Chapter 13 9. Reading Our Richly Diverse World: Conceptualizing a Response Development Zone Part 14 Part III: Pedagogical Issues Chapter 15 10. African American Children's Literature in Rural Schools Chapter 16 11. Where Life and Children's Literature Meet: African American Males in the Elementary Grades Chapter 17 12. Fences, Physical and Proverbial: Pre-service Teachers' Engagement withThe Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson Part 18 Index Part 19 About the Contributors
