Proposal Title
Social Justice in Children's Books Through the Years
Description
We tend to think that issues of diversity and concern for racial justice are relatively new to the world of children's literature in America, but in fact, that is far from true. From their beginnings in the 1930s, distinctly American children's books examined racial issues in powerful ways--though not necessarily ways that would be acceptable in 2019. In this session, we'll look at ways that early children's books became identifiably American and how those books--even books such as "Goodnight, Moon"--anticipated the concerns of the Civil Rights movement and struggled to find means of expression for issues of social justice.
Grade
Primary, Intermediate, Middle/ Jr. High, High School
Location
Virginia Room
Start Date
7-25-2019 10:45 AM
End Date
7-25-2019 11:45 AM
Social Justice in Children's Books Through the Years
Virginia Room
We tend to think that issues of diversity and concern for racial justice are relatively new to the world of children's literature in America, but in fact, that is far from true. From their beginnings in the 1930s, distinctly American children's books examined racial issues in powerful ways--though not necessarily ways that would be acceptable in 2019. In this session, we'll look at ways that early children's books became identifiably American and how those books--even books such as "Goodnight, Moon"--anticipated the concerns of the Civil Rights movement and struggled to find means of expression for issues of social justice.
