Monday, July 22, 2013

The Disability in Kidlit Blog

Just want to point out the Disability in Kidlit blog, in case you've missed it. Cuz it's great, ya see.

This isn't just about listing books where disability factors in. No. We're talking critical looks at representation, conversations about myriad issues/concerns, and well-written thought pieces by folks who know of what they speak.

The blog may only be active for the month of July, but I, for one, hope it continues. It reminds me of Debbie Reese's American Indians in Children's Literature blog... and that's a good thing.

We talk about children's literature being a mirror for kids, and it's important to examine how we're really doing in that regard when it comes to our portrayals of others different than "the norm" (whatever the norm might mean these days....). Check it out, I say!



3 comments:

Linda B said...

Thank you for this site. I wouldn't have known about the books without your shout out. All of us could be reading these books & sharing them with others, including students.

Greg Pincus said...

What's interesting to me, Linda, is that in some cases... well... maybe the books shouldn't be shared. Or at least a bigger conversation needs to be had when the disability as portrayed doesn't match the disability as lived. Accurate portrayals rather than just portrayals would be the key....

That said - yes, lots of interesting books!

Debbie Reese said...

Thanks for pointing your readers to my site, Greg. In some research I did of books recommended in a leading practitioners journal (YOUNG CHILDREN), I found a few books in which characters with disabilities were shown being 1) inspired by Native leaders like Sitting Bull, or 2) dressed as Indians.

It was an interesting intersection of the ways the two populations are linked by authors.