African-American History in Children's Literature
Alicia Eames, Curriculum Connections -- School Library Journal, 2/3/2009
Black History in the Pages of Children’s Literature (Scarecrow, 2008)
February has arrived and teachers and librarians across the country have readied displays, pulling together books and other materials that highlight the considerable contributions of African Americans and the fundamental role they have played in shaping our nation’s history. While it can’t be denied that many experiences are deeply rooted in race, African-American history shouldn’t be limited to a group of people and events studied in isolation.
In the preface to Black History in the Pages of Children’s Literature (Scarecrow, 2008), Rose Casement writes, “In spite of …February being designated as Black History Month, few students, Black or White, leave school with an understanding of the depth and breadth of historical Black experiences in America.” To increase student understanding, Casement encourages language arts and social studies teachers to integrate books that include the experiences of African Americans into their curriculums.
She recommends titles for elementary and middle grade students, and in each chapter targets a specific period in American history, from pre-Colonial days to the present. The author provides a cogent overview of each era, includes detailed annotations for the recommended titles, and ends with observations that encourage teachers to think more deeply about how history is recorded and perceived. She also advises her readers on selecting fiction and nonfiction titles that accurately reflect the black experience. Throughout, Casement reminds her audience that “no major event in America’s history could be authentically represented without the inclusion of the African Americans who were here every day in every way as part of the drama of our nation’s history.”
Embracing, Evaluating, and Examining African American Children's and Young Adult Literature (Scarecrow, 2008), edited by Wanda M. Brooks and Jonda C. McNair, takes a different approach, exploring the traditions and content of “books intended for youth that are written by and about African Americans” through a collection of 12 essays centered on “textual analysis, reader response research and theory, and pedagogical issues.”
Essays include Kimberly N. Parker’s “My Boys and My Books: Engaging African American Young Men in Emancipatory Reading,” which chronicles a successful summer book club targeting four teen-age boys and highlights the importance of adult readers as role models and mentors, especially for students who initially identify themselves as nonreaders. “African American Children’s Literature in Rural Schools” by Patricia E. Bandré speaks to the lack of available literature written by and about African Americans in a sampling of Ohio rural schools and points a gentle finger at teacher awareness. Bandré concludes, “Only when teachers take the time to truly consider the impact of the books they chose to share with students, and the influence personal biases have on book selection, can equity begin to become a reality.” Teachers, librarians, and other serious students of children’s literature will find much to think about and discuss in both of these titles.
Read Andrea Davis Pinkney's reflections on celebrating Black History Month. And don't forget to stock your shelves with some new children's books on the topic before joining in on the 20th National African American Read In.
