Uncategorized
We’ve Moved Our Blog
Please visit wowlit.org/blog to view the Worlds of Words blog.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Stepping Back in Time in Contemporary International Books
by Kathy G. Short, The University of Arizona
The need for book reviewers who are either cultural insiders or who consult with cultural insiders in writing their reviews has become increasingly apparent to me. Seemi Aziz Raina and Yoo Kyung Sung in their research on the representations of Muslims and Korean Americans in children’s literature have identified many subtle issues that would be difficult to identify by someone who does not have some kind of insider knowledge. They have also found that the recency of that insider knowledge is critical.
One issue that both have found prevalent is that many of the books that portray children in other parts of the world, such as Pakistan or South Korea, show contemporary society as set in the past. Children in Pakistan and Korea live in small rural villages or remote areas of the desert, wearing clothing and living in homes that signal “long-ago” within a supposedly contemporary picture book or novel. For example, Ted Lewin’s illustrations in The Day of Ahmed’s Secret show camels and no traffic on the modern streets of Cairo, when in actuality the streets are filled with traffic jams of cars and trucks. The Trip Back Home by Janet Wong with illustrations by Bo Jia, shows modern Korea as a small village in which farmers raise pigs in their front yard and wear old-fashioned clothing. The technological sophistication of modern Korea with a rich urban life and contemporary fashions is absent. The main character in this book goes from urban U.S. to rural Korea to visit family and, in doing so, steps back in time. The message that American children receive is that the rest of the world is backward, living in the past, setting up a sense of superiority for their lives as Americans who are privileged and progressive.
An immediate assumption is that these dated images of contemporary society are the result of cultural outsiders who don’t do their research, however both Yoo Kyung and Seemi have found that cultural insiders often include these dated images of their countries of origin, something that reviewers would be unlikely to question. These insiders, who often immigrated to the U.S. as children or young adults, seem to be writing from their memories of that country, unintentionally creating stereotypes. Others, who are second or third generation Americans, write out of their parents’ memories, creating an even larger time gap, particularly since the book supposedly portrays contemporary life. These stereotypes become so strong that even a historical fiction novel like The Shadows of Ghadames, set in Libya in the late 1800s, is assumed to be contemporary society by our undergraduate teacher education students. Clearly, both of these countries do have rural areas where one might be more likely to see what urban dwellers in those same countries would label as a traditional lifestyle. The problem is that contemporary urban life is virtually absent from these books, even those by cultural insiders.
As a reviewer, I do not have intimate knowledge of the range of cultures present in children’s books, and so often ask someone from that culture for a response to a book that I need to review. What I am struggling with now is why I was asked to write that review and if I should agree to do so. It seems that editors should search out reviewers who are cultural insiders and who could raise critical issues in how those cultures are being represented within books. The reviews would thus become a way for all of us to gain deeper insights into those cultures, instead of reinforcing our stereotypes.
Please visit wowlit.org to browse to browse or search our growing database of books, to read one of our two on-line journals, or to learn more about our mission.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )A Book Never Stands Alone: Do Reviewers Have a Social Responsibility?
by Kathy G. Short, The University of Arizona
Book reviews, by definition, are a summary and evaluation of a particular book. Clearly reviewers make those evaluations within their in-depth knowledge of the broader field and body of literature. The reviews themselves sometimes connect the book to other literature, especially in longer reviews, but the general approach to reviewing is from an individualistic standpoint –- the book stands alone. Several recent examples have made evident why this is problematic.
One example comes from Yoo Kyung Sung’s research of Korean American picture books. She found that out of 24 picture books of contemporary realistic fiction, 18 focused on the experiences of newly arrived Korean immigrants in the U.S. Readers are left with the impression that all Korean-Americans are new immigrants, struggling with language and adjusting to American society. The experiences of Korean-Americans who have been in the U.S. for several generations are almost completely absent. This overrepresentation of one particular type of experience for Korean-Americans establishes stereotypes across the set of books. Another new book on the Korean immigrant experience in the U.S. is thus a cause for concern, no matter how well written or illustrated.
The other examples come from the research of Seemi Aziz Raina who is looking at the representations of Muslims within books published in the United States. One issue that concerns her is when only one book is available to reflect a particular cultural experience and so becomes representative of an entire culture. For example, Shabanu by Suzanne Staples Fisher was the only novel on Pakistan available to American readers for over 10 years. Seemi points out that the book is authentic, for the most part, in the portrayal of a particular subculture within Pakistan. The problem is that this subculture reflects less than 1 percent of the population in Pakistan and reinforces Western stereotypes about the oppressive treatment of women and the Middle East as a land of camels, tents, and deserts, frozen in time. The recent publication of more books set in Pakistan is providing a wider range of representations but Shabanu stood alone for a long time as the exemplar of life in Pakistan. Another example is Ask Me No Questions by Maria Budhos, the one children’s novel that portrays the impact of 9-11 on Muslims in the United States. The problem for Seemi is that this book portrays a Muslim family who are undocumented immigrants. The impact of 9-11 in creating fear, danger, and discrimination for all Muslims, the vast majority of whom were legal immigrants to the U.S., is absent from children’s books, again creating the potential of stereotypes.
These examples beg the question — Does the reviewer have a social responsibility to raise questions about the possible impact of a book within the broader collection of books available about a particular culture? The social responsibility of authors has been debated, but what about reviewers? What is their social responsibility?
Please visit wowlit.org to browse to browse or search our growing database of books, to read one of our two on-line journals, or to learn more about our mission.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 1 so far )Reviewer’s Assumptions about Audience
by Kathy G. Short, The University of Arizona
Having written book reviews for various publications, I am aware of the difficulty of succinctly conveying a summary of the text, description of the illustrations, discussion of themes, and evaluation of the book in a few sentences. Many book reviews are one short paragraph, providing little space to convey much of a sense of the book. My conversations with other educators over the past several months have led me to wonder about the unwritten rules for writing these reviews that have developed out of a need to be so brief. I wonder if we have fallen into some practices as reviewers that send unintended messages to the readers of those reviews.
Yoo Kyung Sung is writing her dissertation on a postcolonial analysis of picture books published in the U.S. that focus on Korean-American protagonists. Part of her analysis included reading and analyzing the reviews of these books. She found that none of them evaluated the cultural authenticity of the books or raised questions about authenticity or accuracy, even though there were some serious problems in most of the books. Reviewers seemed to accept that the books were authentic, particularly if written by a Korean American; a stance that is understandable since none of the reviewers were cultural insiders.
What I find particularly interesting is that Yoo Kyung found that the reviewers assumed a particular audience and intention. They assumed a non-Korean-American audience as readers of the book and so focused on the ways in which the book could build multicultural awareness for a broad mainstream audience. They particularly highlighted themes that are shared across cultures, such as adjusting to a new school or dealing with a bully. On one hand, this decision makes sense because this type of review would persuade a larger group of librarians or teachers to purchase the book. Also, Yoo Kyung points out that these reviews could reflect the audience that the authors of the books had in mind—that even when the authors are insiders, they are writing for a broad mainstream audience rather than to Korean-American children. Clearly, there are major market implications and publishers would want to reach this broader market.
On the other hand, this constant focus on speaking to a mainstream audience is a matter of concern. Rudine Sims Bishop argues that authors of color who write for children within their own culture often write to enhance children’s self-concept, challenge existing stereotypes, and pass on the central values and stories of their culture to their children. Authors writing outside their culture for a broader audience often intend to build awareness of cultural differences and improve intercultural relationships. Both intentions are significant, but they result in different stories for different audiences. By always focusing on multicultural awareness within reviews, the needs of children from within a culture and these differing intentions are overlooked. Reviews that only focus on cross-cultural connections may also unintentionally devalue the needs of readers within a culture.
Please visit wowlit.org to browse to browse or search our growing database of books, to read one of our two on-line journals, or to learn more about our mission.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 1 so far )The Lack of Culture in Book Reviews
by Kathy G. Short, The University of Arizona
My major goal for teachers taking my course on multicultural literature this semester was to encourage them to develop a critical lens to use in reading and evaluating literature. We often discussed books in small group literature circles. Teachers were asked to read and respond to each book from a personal perspective as well as to research the background of the author and to locate book reviews to see how experts in the field evaluated the book. I wanted them to have a range of tools to use in evaluating books for cultural authenticity.
We were surprised to realize that book reviewers seldom commented on any issues of culture. Not only did reviewers not discuss cultural authenticity, they rarely commented about any cultural aspects of the books, except to note the ethnicity of the main character. For example, Becoming Naomi León by Pam Muñoz Ryan raises issues of bicultural identity and challenges stereotypes of Mexican fathers, but the book reviews did not comment on these aspects of the book. After reading multiple book reviews for many different books, we concluded that book reviewers seem to go to great lengths to avoid commenting on culture within their reviews. One librarian in the course was distraught when she realized the inadequacy of reviews for books reflecting specific cultural experiences because she has been using reviews to order books for many years. We wondered if the reviewers are not comfortable with their knowledge of diverse cultures and so avoid any specific comments about culture for fear of being accused of inaccuracy. Is the avoidance of culture an indication that most reviewers hold mainstream views and lack knowledge about culture and cultural authenticity? Or are other factors influencing the lack of reference to culture in reviews? Is the issue the lack of diversity within the book reviewers or the standards and criteria used to write book reviews? What other issues might be affecting the lack of culture in book reviews?
Please visit wowlit.org to browse to browse or search our growing database of books, to read one of our two on-line journals, or to learn more about our mission.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 6 so far )Wishing for Books
by Ann Parker, The University of Arizona
I wish I had a book.
I wish for all kids around the world to have books.
I wish I had an endless supply of books.
I wish that I could have history books.
I wish everyone would read a book they enjoy!
I wish everyone could read.
I whish I could red a book for the wrld.
Reading and own lots of books.
I wish I could levetat when ever Id wish.
I wish animals and I could talk.
I mirmaid real.
I wish for a dinosaur.
I wish I could fly!
While this might look like a disparate group of children’s wishes, to me they are connected: they represent the power that books have in our imaginations and in our lives. I can tell these wishes came from kids who love to read. The kids who wish they could fly, or levitate, or talk to animals, the kids who want a mermaid or dinosaur – these are the kids who know that in books, anything is possible. Who didn’t read Harry Potter and wish they had a Nimbus 2000 to go flying around on? Who wouldn’t want to talk to animals after reading Winnie-The-Pooh or Charlotte’s Web? Read Dino Bikes by Italian author/illustrator Eva Montanari, and you’ll want to go bike riding with a tyrannosaurus rex. Reading allows kids to open up their imaginations and envision a place where anything is possible.
And if kids know that in books anything is possible, that in books you can fly or levitate, or escape poverty or hunger, or live in peace with others, wouldn’t they want to share those books with kids all over the world? If reading books can help make your wishes come true, then wouldn’t you wish that ability on all the kids in the world?
These children’s wishes remind me that books open whole new worlds for readers, whether it is the world they live in or the world that exists only in the author’s – and reader’s – minds. Books allow imaginations to soar and allow us to wish for the fantastic – like owning a dinosaur – or the achievable, like wishing that everyone had the power to read and owned lots of great books.
Please visit wowlit.org to browse to browse or search our growing database of books, to read one of our two on-line journals, or to learn more about our mission.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 1 so far )Children’s Hope in the Midst of Despair
by Kathy G. Short, The University of Arizona
Many adults believe that children should not be burdened with books that raise difficult social issues, particularly war and violence. They argue for protecting the innocence of children, not realizing that what children want is perspective, not protection. As we sorted through children’s wishes for the world, wishes about war and peace were the most prevalent. Their comments ranged from general wishes, such as “I wish for peace to the world” and “ I wish that all the war in the world would just disappear” to more specific wishes, such as “I wish no children be in a war zone” and “I wish for kids in Iraq to not get blown up by mines in the war.” Children are aware of what is occurring around them in the world and our attempts to protect them from that knowledge reflect an adult’s naïve view of childhood rather than children’s need to gain perspective on these difficult events.
Hope is a strength that children bring to difficult life issues. They are not ready to give up, but instead wish for a better and more peaceful world and are willing to act on that hope. Michael Foreman (2009), a British author and illustrator, has created A Child’s Garden: A Story of Hope, a picture book that metaphorically reflects a child’s hope for healing and renewal. A boy nurtures a small green sprout in the midst of rubble until it becomes a large flowering vine that covers the barbed wire fence that contains people in ruins. The garden becomes a playground for children, but is destroyed by soldiers on the other side. The boy despairs until he sees a girl on the other side of the fence begin to nurture a new green shoot and his hope grows along with the new plant.
When I Grow Up, I Will Win the Nobel Peace Prize by Isabel Pin (2006) is a picture book translated from German that uses humor and irony to contrast action and thought. The book follows a young child who constantly expresses his many wishes for peace in the world, while behaving otherwise in his daily life. The book captures the grandness of wishes against the struggle for peace in the small everyday episodes of life. Wishes may be a place to start but they do not replace the struggle to take action in daily life.
I am curious about books you have read with children that reflect hope for the world, particularly related to war and peace. What books have you read that moved you because of the message of hope in the midst of despair? How did children respond?
Please visit wowlit.org to browse to browse or search our growing database of books, to read one of our two on-line journals, or to learn more about our mission.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 4 so far )Wishes for the Necessities of Life
by Judi Moreillon, Story Power, Tucson, AZ
When I was a first-year librarian, I remember being surprised to learn that our school dispensed clothing to children who needed clothes – not because their clothing was torn or soiled but because they simply didn’t have clothes. I connect these children’s wishes about clothing, one of the necessities of life, to Four Feet, Two Sandals by Karen Lynn Williams and Khadra Mohammed with illustrations by Doug Chayka. In this story, two young girls meet in a refugee camp and share a pair of sandals. When one leaves the camp, she is given new shoes and attempts to leave her half of the pair of sandals with her refugee camp friend. Instead, the friend insists that she take both sandals as a souvenir of their friendship. There is an excellent review of this book in WOW Review.
Boxes for Katje by Candace Fleming with illustrations by Stacey Dressen-McQueen is another book that connects with these children’s wishes. I shared this historical fiction picture book with 8th graders who were exploring a “cultures meeting” text set. In the story, Rosie, a girl from Mayfield, IN, sends a package of necessities (soap, socks and chocolate) to Katje in Olst, Holland just after World War II. Through their exchange of letters, Rosie learns more about the deprivations of the Dutch people and involves her family then her neighbors and finally local businesses, in helping the people of Olst survive the winter. Helping children and youth take action on their wishes for the world is an important role for educators and parents. Books like Boxes for Katje show how children can and do make a difference in the lives of “others.”
How has children’s or young adult literature inspired/prompted social action from your students?
Please visit wowlit.org to browse to browse or search our growing database of books, to read one of our two on-line journals, or to learn more about our mission.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )WOW: Wishes for the World
Have you ever blown out candles on a birthday to make a wish? What about wishing on a shooting star? Children all around the world make wishes, and so do we. Worlds of Words invited visitors to our Tucson Festival of Books booth to make wishes for the world. We used Wish: Wishing Traditions Around the World by Roseanne Thong with illustrations by Elisa Kleven to start our conversations.
This month, members of the WOW Advisory Board are revisiting the wishes made by the younger visitors to our booth and reflecting on the interconnectedness of traditions, stories, and people the world around. What are your wishes and wishing traditions? Join the conversation.
Please visit wowlit.org to browse to browse or search our growing database of books, to read one of our two on-line journals, or to learn more about our mission.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )
Worlds of Words Blog 