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Author: Janice May Udry & Illustrator: Maurice Sendak       

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Brief Summary:
The book tells the story of two school-going children, John and James, who used to be best friends. However, John now feels hurt as James was inconsiderate of his feelings as he took all of the crayons, grabbed the best digging spoon, threw sand at John, and assumed a more important role by deciding on the rule games. John reminisces on the fun times that he once shared with James in the past, but as both children become bored over time, they decide to resolve their differences and rekindle their friendship.

Text Analysis:
This text reflects the expected gender and racial representation of this historical period with the two main characters being both male and white. Unsurprisingly, all marginalized groups such as females, people of color, and people with disabilities are omitted from this book. The boys, John and James, are portrayed as being boisterous and mischievous characters which reflects a stereotypical understanding of masculinity. Their clothing comprises solely of red and green which are also reflective of the expected norms at the time. The illustrator deliberately chose not to use other colors such as pink or purple, which have connotations with femininity. Although, use of these colors would have counteracted these stereotypes, their use here would have been very controversial during this time period.

In addition, the outdoor, imaginative games that these children play in the book are interesting. At the start of the book, James rides a cart, and has a whip in hand, with John assuming the role of a horse. As the story progresses, John trudges behind James who assumes a more dominant position with a flag raised, and is wearing a hat and cape resembling that of a king. These stark images serve as visual reminders of slavery and inferiority that exists across society and how this has manifested its way into children's play. Undoubtedly, James is the most powerful character in this story and as expected he does not appear to be a member of any minority group. As John says, '(James) always wants to be the boss' (p. 4).

Similarly, the time period is reflected in the fact that there are only children present in this story. The adults have left these children play freely, unsupervised in the outdoors for many hours. This behavior has become far more uncommon, as the world is now deemed too dangerous to allow children to play at their leisure without any supervision. Nowadays, children spend little time playing outdoors, and they are instead preoccupied with the use of ICT, which is, arguably, easier to supervise.

Furthermore, I noted that the children resolved their conflict, as James became bored of having nobody else to play with. This detail also provides a window into the 1950s/60s as children had smaller social circles than in modern times. Perhaps this is due to the lack of social media which has created an interconnected and complex world. Nowadays, it would be more likely that, in this scenario of mistreatment, that John would find someone new to play with.

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Author & Illustrator: Chris Van Allsburg 

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Brief Summary:
This book is set in fall, and opens dramatically with Farmer Bailey hitting a pedestrian while driving his car. Thankfully, the man survived but because he had lost his balance and appeared bewildered, Farmer Bailey helped him into his truck and drove him home to recuperate him. They called a doctor to examine the stranger's health, and the doctor diagnosed him with amnesia, but he reassured the family that he should begin to remember his lost memories in the coming days. Meanwhile, the stranger helps out with tasks on the farm and stays with the family for a period of three weeks. He became aghast when he noticed the leaves on the surrounding trees started changing color. It is at this point that the stranger decides to leave.

Text Analysis:
This text echoes the core beliefs and values of the 1970s/80s. In the first instance, this text comprises solely of white people, and no reference is made to people of color or those with disabilities. Secondly, the stranger is not given any name in this story as he is seen as an outcast, who is marginalized in society. What is more, the children in this book are silenced and do not speak at all. The text narration focuses on the actions and perceptions of the adults, who could be viewed as assuming the power in this book. Even the imagery points to subtle indications of this time period, as the face of the young boy in the story is shown, while the reader only gets a glimpse of the back of the young girl's head. This could indicate that males had more power than females at the time. Also, as would have been expected during the mid-twentieth century, the mother engages in the domestic housework tasks such as cooking.

The color palette chosen by the illustrator also reflects the gender norms of the time with female characters wearing shades of pink and yellow clothing, while male characters are seen wearing darker colors. The reference made to the house being cold also indicates an older time period where oil and gas heating was not commonplace.

Again, a lack of ICT is also evident, indicating that this story is set in the 1980s, and children instead spend their time playing with teddy bears, sky-gazing, and dancing to live music. Although, given that this book is entirely from the perspective of adults, it could be that this is how the adults perceived the children to spend their time, which may not authentically capture the vivid imagination of children and the creative use of space and time that would have been expected from this time period, prior to the advent of the internet.

The story is also reflective of the safety norms and attitudes towards strangers at the time. In the 1970s and 1980s, hitch-hiking would have been far more common, and interactions with strangers would have been considered relatively safe. Hence, Farmer Bailey doesn't hesitate to invite the stranger into his home to live with his family. An incident of this nature, is almost unimaginable nowadays.

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Author: Mary Hoffman & Illustrator: Caroline Binch 

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Brief Summary:
This book tells the story of Grace, who would enjoy re-enacting stories through imaginative play. She would pretend to be characters such as Joan of Arc, Anansi the Spider, Hiawatha, Mowgli and Aladdin. Grace would engage in these playful experiences, often alone (with only her cat for company), but sometimes, if they weren't preoccupied with other tasks, her mother or grandmother would participate too. At school, Grace's class are putting on a show called 'Peter Pan', and Grace longed to play the lead role. However, her classmates deemed that this would be unsuitable as she was a girl and she was black, two physical features which are typically not associated with the role. The teacher decides to hold auditions and after spending all weekend practicing for the part, Grace amazes everyone with a fantastic audition - in which there was a unanimous vote that Grace should play the part of Peter Pan. The story ends with her grandmother's wise thoughts - 'If Grace put her mind to it, she can do anything she wants'.

Text Analysis:
It is heartening to see that in the 1990s, children were given a voice in children's literature. In this story, Grace assumes a central role, despite being both female and black, and the story is told from her perspective. The toys she plays with, again reflect the norms of the time, as she uses dolls, books, and household items to occupy her time, prior to the birth of electronic tablets and iPads. She enjoys engaging in pretend play such as re-enacting a doctor's appointment, something which is still true of children today. It is also worth noting that the female characters in this story, predominantly, wear pink clothing, which reinforces the gender stereotypes of this era.

Interestingly, there is no mention made to any of Grace's friends in this book, and it begs the question of whether she has any. Perhaps, the other children in her neighborhood are not allowed to befriend her as she is black; something which would reflect the dispositions and attitudes of some during the 1990s. This may explain why Grace chooses to include her mother and grandmother in her imaginative play scenarios.

This story reinforces a stereotypical image of the Black community, as there is no mention of Grace's father. Rather than following a typical family structure, it appears that she lives only with her mother and grandmother. This could be seen as a deficit, but from the interactions evident between Grace and her mother and grandmother, it is clear that Grace comes from a loving, supportive home which reflects what Yosso (2005) described as 'community cultural wealth'.

It is interesting to note that Grace's classroom is quite diverse with both black and white children being taught within the one classroom environment. This indicates progress from earlier decades where black children were subject to school segregation. However, in spite of this integration, the children of this time unconsciously developed racist attitudes towards minorities. This is evident when Grace's classmates are horrified when she volunteers to play the part of 'Peter Pan', responding with comments such as 'You can't be Peter - that's a boy's name', and 'He isn't back'. It is also significant that the class teacher makes no effort to challenge these views posed by the children - another reminder that this story is set during the 1990s, when teachers did not view taking action for social justice as being central to their role.

Overall, this book reflects the thinking of this time period as it builds upon the Civil Rights Movement from earlier decades and echoes sentiments of Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, communicating the idea that there are no limits to what you can be, in spite of your race and heritage.

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Author: Trudy Ludwig & Illustrator: Patrice Barton

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Brief Summary:
This story revolves around Brian, an 'invisible' boy, and his experiences of school in the 21st Century. It opens with the teacher, Mrs. Carlotti, managing a class, and being preoccupied with children engaging in attention-seeking behaviors, that she fails to notice Brian. At recess, team captains choose the players of their choice for each team, except nobody chooses Brian. In the cafeteria, the other children discuss Madison's birthday party which occurred over the weekend, except it is apparent that Brian wasn't invited. During free play, Brian engages in drawing activities alone, while his classmates engage in board games. One day, a new student, Justin, joins the class. At first, his classmates laugh at him for using chopsticks at lunchtime and eating Korean cuisine, but Brian uses his talent for drawing to send Justin a written note, complimenting his taste in food. Brian and Justin then befriend each other and the story ends with them working together on a group assignment - which involved writing an imaginative story.

Text Analysis:
This story is also written from the perspective of a child which has become more common in children's literature since the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1992), and the importance of listening to children's voices has been highlighted. However, this story is unique as it listens to the voice of child who feels 'invisible'. It recognizes that children who feel marginalized deserve to be recognized and seen by others, but rather than focusing on a child who is overtly different in appearance, this book places the focus on those who feel hidden. It asks members of society to look beyond one's physical appearance and consider how the mental wellbeing of the child may be at risk. Attending to one's wellbeing has become a defining 'buzzword' of the 21st century, across governmental and local policies, and this story seeks to highlight that construct - reflecting modern-day values and attitudes.

The illustrator's choice of color in this 21st century book has also changed in style from other eras. Female characters are now seen wearing bolder colors such as blue and green, rather than relying on the stereotypical pink, seen in previous decades. The classrooms are inclusive and diverse, and children of various ethnicities (White, Black, Asian, Hispanic, etc.) are seen being educated together within the one classroom, in contrast with the segregation model of the past.

Many children today would be able to relate to Brian in this story, who doesn't get picked by his classmates to play with their soccer team at recess, and who doesn't get invited to birthday parties. These are modern ways of covertly excluding children in school environments that must be addressed. Lunchtime is described as Brian's 'least favorite part of the day' and this story serves to emphasize how feelings of loneliness and bullying continue to permeate modern-day schooling systems. It is Justin (also from a minority group) who holds the power in this story as he changes the way Brian feels by making him feel included, recognizing his talent and showing others that he deserves to be 'visible'.

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It is evident from this historical analysis, that the role of children in society has changed drastically since the 1950s. In Let's Be Enemies (1961) and The Stranger (1986), the children's voices are not heard and the narrative is driven from an adult perspective. The children seen in these books assume background roles, and their clothing and toys reflect typical gender stereotypes. In Amazing Grace (1991) and The Invisible Boy (2013), the books are written from a child's perspective, and more specifically, children who have felt marginalized in some way. Interestingly, I noticed a subtle change in the representation of these minorities group - from a focus on those who are overtly excluded (physically) to those covertly excluded (mentally/'hidden' differences). This could also be seen in the range of LGBTQA+ books recently published. This reflects a more nuanced understanding of inclusion, as it acknowledges that we are all different - but you may not be able to see those differences from our outer appearance. It is also noteworthy that Black people are only present in the books I chose which were published within the last 25 years. Until then, the characters present in stories were predominantly white.

What is more, the children's literature of the time tends to reflect the wider socio-political landscape. For example, The Invisible Boy (2013) was published alongside national wellbeing policies, while Amazing Grace (1991) was published in the aftermath of the Civil Rights Movement.

Although this selection of books is only a small sample, I noticed similar trends in other books published within the same timeframe. As time has gone, the range of children's literature available has begun to reflect the diverse, multi-cultural, interconnected world we live in. Although I did notice that none of the characters in the books I have chosen have a disability, which perhaps indicates a lacuna in the literature. Similarly, I observed how the school teacher in The Invisible Boy (2013) was a white, middle-class female which I found rather unsettling, as she held a lot of power in the book. This indicated that while we have made a lot of progress in the representation of diverse communities in texts, there is still more work to be done.