Politics and Ideology in Children's Literature

Book excerpt: This volume examines how children's books retain the ability to transform, activate, indoctrinate, or empower their readers. From utopian and dystopian voices to children's literature written in response to war situations to critiques of misogynistic assumptions that normalize or eroticize violence, these essays demonstrate the potential of children's literature to radically challenge cultural norms. Contents include: national identity in The Hunger Games * aspects of socio-political transformation in children's literature * the figure of the child in WWI children's literature * echoes of the past, aspirations for the future in the teenage novels of Eilis Dillon * portraits and paratexts in the work of Mrs. S.C. Hall * Catherine Breillat's cinematic perspective on Bluebeard * identity and ideology in the work of O.R. Melling * eco-critical perspectives on the life and works of Beatrix Potter * sexualized violence and rape myths in contemporary young adult fiction * the emergence of the gallant Fascist in Italian children's literature of the inter-war period. *** "It may seem odd to think of literature for children as containing political and ideological themes and ideas, but in fact, many theorists believe that such messages are quite prevalent in these stories and novels. The contributors do a nice job of addressing both modern and classic literature....a worthy addition to the resources on children's literature. Recommended." - Choice, July 2015, Vol. 52, No. 11 (Series: Studies in Children's Literature - Vol. 7) [Subject: Literary Criticism]