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Madeline in London
Written by Ludwing Bemelmans

Summary: This is a story of a young girl named Madeline who lives in Paris with eleven other girls and Miss Clavel, a nun. They live next door to Pepito, the son of the Spanish Ambassador. One day, Pepito moves to London. The girls decide to surprise him for his birthday and gift him a horse! While in London, Pepito, Madeline, and the horse go on adventures around the city. After the horse gets into trouble, Pepito is no longer able to keep his birthday gift, but Madeline and the girls decide to take him in!

Analysis: The family structure in Madeline in London is unique because there is no family present at all. It appears as though Madeline has been sent off to boarding school to live with Miss Clavel and the other girls. No mention is given to any of Madeline's family members. All of the children who were able to afford this private school are white. Miss Clavel is also white. Pepito, Madeline's new friend, is the son of the Spanish Ambassador; therefore, is of high-enough standard to be friends with Miss Clavel's girls. Miss Clavel, the chef, and the maid are all women, while all other positions are held by men: policeman, driver, gardener, guards, and vet. This book does not include main characters who are of color or lower class. Childhood looks like children training to become proper adults: girls walk in straight lines, preparing the house for guests, and taking care of adult problems, such as a sick horse.

Children's names are in the title of this book, yet we do not follow their storyline. We are not aware of their emotions or aspirations. While the title of the book is Madeline in London, we did not follow her actions throughout the entire story.  While the story involves the children, they somewhat serve as background characters. The children did not change throughout the course of the story. Since there was very little insight, there was no character development. The girls woke up and went to bed with the exact same character qualities, plus a horse.

Based on the relationship between the adults and children in the story, children are expected to follow adults' instructions. When directions are not followed, then Madeline and Pepito get into trouble around London. The story is run by adult demands: preparing the home, traveling to London, buying a horse, finding Madeline, relocating the horse, traveling home, going to bed, etc. The adults have the power in the story. None of the decisions in the story were made by a child except for Madeline running away, but readers are not privy to those details. Even so, running away is described as a mistake that must be fixed by the adults.

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Ira Sleeps Over
Written by Bernard Waber

Summary: A young boy named Ira is headed to his first sleepover, but there is one problem: he has never slept without his teddy bear before! Ira is debating whether or not to bring the teddy bear, especially after his sister tells him that Reggie, his friend, will make fun of him. Ira decides not the bring the teddy bear. Reggie and Ira have a lot of fun playing games, but when bedtime rolls around, Reggie decides to tell ghost stories. To Ira's surprise, Reggie pulls out his own teddy bear! Ira heads back home to grab his and show Reggie, but Reggie is already asleep by the time Ira returns. Ira is no longer embarrassed to be sleeping with his teddy bear.

Analysis: "Family" in this book is portrayed to be a nuclear family with married parents, a daughter, and son. The family lives in a suburban neighborhood, and the father works in an office. The family is white and appears to be middle-upper class. The lower class, "broken" families, nor other races/ethnicities are portrayed. Childhood looks like children who are trying to stand up for themselves, but have their families to rely on for reassurance. Children have the comfort of running back home to their parents. The child's biggest worry is whether or not he will take a teddy bear to a sleepover.

The main character, Ira, played the main role in this text. The reader follows him throughout the story and is privy to his thoughts and feelings. That being said, the parents/adults still play a strong role throughout the story. Ira constantly refers back to his parents for reassurance or guidance. Ira and his friend pretend-play as grownups working at the office. The boys still listen to the father when he says that it is time for bedtime. Ira changes throughout the course of the story by realizing that his teddy bear is not embarrassing at all. At the start, Ira was very self-conscious and unsure about whether or not he would be made fun of for his teddy bear. By the end of the story, Ira realizes that he isn't the only one with a teddy bear and is no longer embarrassed.

The relationship between the children and adult characters in the story is positive. The children have fun, but abide by the parents' demands or rules, such as bedtime. When Ira is upset, he goes to his parents for advice. His parents are kind and supportive, but not demanding. While the parents do have rules that Ira must abide by, Ira ultimately holds the power within the story. He is the one that makes the final decision regarding his teddy bear. He also heads back to his room to grab the teddy bear without acknowledging the adults. While both Ira and the parents hold some power within the story, they are both respectful of one another's wishes.

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The Name Jar
Written by Yangsook Choi

Summary: Unhei is a young girl who recently moved from Korea to the USA. She is nervous to join her new school, and becomes embarrassed when the kids on the bus make fun of her unique name. When asked to introduce herself to the class, Unhei states that she "hasn't picked her name yet." This turns into a game as peers add name suggestions to a jar for Unhei to choose from. Meanwhile, Unhei feels bad leaving her name behind- especially because her grandmother and family took great care in choosing it. She gradually opens up to a storekeeper and new friend, Joey; she even shows Joey her special name block from Korea. In the end, Unhei decides to embrace her name, and the rest of the class is excited for her. Joey has also become a best friend in the process!

Analysis: "Family" in this story is illustrated as a nuclear family: a married father and mother, a son, and a daughter. The family is from Korea and recently moved to the United States; the grandmother is still living in Korea. Based off of the family's home, the family is of the middle class. The teacher is a male and the rest of Unhei's peers are learners from various backgrounds, races, and ethnicities. The lower class is missing from this story. Childhood consists of learners going to school and trying to fit in. Unhei appears to have no other responsibilities other than attending school and fitting in. During her free time, Unhei visited the Korean grocery store and spent time with her new friend.

Children are portrayed as the primary characters in this story. The reader follows Unhei's thoughts and feelings. The parents and teacher are briefly mentioned, but do not play a significant role. The Korean store owner is a friendly old man who gives Unhei some sort of comfort because he reminds her of home. Unhei's grandmother is another older figure who appears wise and offers Unhei some sage advice. Unhei does change throughout the course of the story. At first she wanted nothing but to fit in- enough so that she was even willing to change her name! By the end of the story, Unhei decided that her unique name fit her perfectly.  She also formed new friendships along the way! Her new friends accept Unhei for who she is, regardless of her background.

The relationship between the adults and children within this book is positive. Unhei battles her insecurities, but turns to her mother, the storekeeper, and grandmother in times of doubt. All three adults provide Unhei comfort when she is feeling uncomfortable or out of place. Unhei holds the power within the story; she has the authority to change her name if she would like to. An adult never tells Unhei that she is not allowed to do so. While Unhei turns to adults for advice and comfort, she ultimately chooses to "use her power for good" and keeps her original name.

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The Can Man
Written by Laura E. Williams
Illustrated by Craig Orback

Summary: Tim is a young boy who really wants a new skateboard for his birthday, but his family does not have the extra money to afford such a gift. Taking matters into his own hands, Tim decides to start collecting empty soda cans around town at five cents a pop. There is a local homeless man, fondly known as "the Can Man" who does the same thing, but he uses his earnings for food, shelter, and potentially a new coat. Since Tim is collecting all of the cans, there are none left for the Can Man. After cashing in his earnings, Tim changes his mind and decides that the right thing to do would be to give the money to the Can Man. The Can Man is able to afford a winter coat and also thanks Tim by buying him a repaired skateboard.

Analysis: "Family" in this story is described as a nuclear family: a married mother and family, a daughter, and a son. The mother and father appear to be a mixed race couple, but this is not explicitly stated. The father appears to be black and the mother is white. The family is from the lower class. Tim's best friend, however, may be in the middle class because he can afford a new skateboard while Tim's family cannot. The homeless man in the story, the "Can Man," is an older white man. The secondary characters within the story of of various races and ethnicities. This story takes place in an urban setting. While Tim is a child, he is expected to work for his money and anything he wants to purchase. In his free time, Tim goes around town and collects old soda cans to earn 5 cents each at the redemption center.

The child, Tim, takes on the primary role in this story. As the reader, we are aware of his motives and feelings. Tim is portrayed as a hardworking boy who ends up doing a good deed by giving his earnings to the Can Man. Tim does change throughout the story. At the start of the plot, he was an egocentric child who wanted a new skateboard for his birthday. Tim felt no guilt after collecting the cans that the Can Man usually collected to fund his basic needs. After recognizing that the Can Man didn't have a winter coat and that it was about to snow, Tim had a change of heart and decided to give his money to the Can Man. In the end, both characters won because the Can Man bought a coat and gifted Tim a secondhand skateboard.

The adults in the story are portrayed as the children's equals. The Can Man and Tim had equal powers in collected the soda cans around town; in fact, Tim was beating the Can Man in this attempt! While the parents are briefly mentioned, the do not hold any power or authority in the story. They simply comment on Tim's collection. Tim holds the power in the story, as he is the one who collected all the cans and ultimately gives his money to the Can Man. While Tim holds the power, he ends up helping out the adult and using his power "for good."

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The portrait of a "family" as changed drastically over the years. In 1961, when Madeline in London was written, it appears as though family was not valued at all. The author makes no mention of Madline's family, rather her classmates and caretaker, Miss Clavel. As time went on, it appears as though families made more of an appearance in children's literature. In the three remaining stories, Ira Sleeps Over, The Name Jar, and The Can Man, all three characters belong to a nuclear family with a married mother and father, a son, and a daughter. In 2001 with The Name Jar, families and characters of different races and ethnicities were introduced. The Name Jar seems to overemphasize the diversity of it's characters. The main character is from a different country, and the secondary characters each have a different skin color or appearance. The characters within The Can Man, however, are still diverse but it is no so "in your face" obvious. There are still characters of different races and ethnicities, but it doesn't appear to simply be a collection. All characters were from the middle or upper class until The Can Man in 2017. This was the first mention of the lower class at all. All four stories are missing characters from "broken" or blended families, as well as the LGBTQ community. The children in the first few stories appear to deal with no issues of importance. For example, Ira in Ira Sleeps Over worries about bringing a teddy bear to a sleepover and being made fun of. In The Name Jar, children begin to battle challenges such as acceptance. The Can Man is the first mention of real-world problems, such as money and poverty. These are not issues that children had to face in the three books prior. Typically, children spent their time at school or hanging out with friends, but Tim in The Can Man works and earns money for himself.

Madeline in London was the only book where the child did not take on the main role. In that story, the reader followed the perspective of the adults. Throughout the remaining three stories, however, the reader follows the perspective of the child. Madeline in London was also the only story where the child did not change throughout the plot. Madeline was a static character and did not experience any character development. The children throughout the other three stories, however, are dynamic and do learn somewhat of a life lesson.  Ira in Ira Sleeps Over learns to not be embarrassed of his teddy bear, Unhei in The Name Jar learns to embrace her culture and be proud of who she is, and Tim in The Can Man learns to think of the less fortunate before himself.

The relationship between adults and children in the stories seemed to change as time went on. In Madeline in London, the adults had the power within the story. While Madeline rebels at times, the adults have the power to bring her back, take away the horse, move the group, send children to bed, etc. In Ira Sleeps Over, Ira has more power than Madeline did. Ira is the one who ultimately makes the decision about whether or not he brings his teddy bear to the sleepover. That being said, he still turns to his parents for advice and bends to the wishes of the adult, such as going to bed. In The Name Jar, Unhei has even more power than Ira did. Unhei has the power to change her own name if she would like to. While Unhei also turns to adults for counsel, she ultimately wields the power in the story.  Tim in The Can Man is the only child who has equal (if not more) power than the adult. Tim competes against the Can Man to collect money, and ultimately wins. Tim has the power to make the Can Man's dream of a new coat come true. Regardless of the four character's level of power, they all use their power to make good choices and conduct good deeds.

Ultimately, children's literature has come a long way between 1961 and 2017. I struggled to find a story that took place back in the 1960s, as children's stories were not even being told. I am pleased to now see stories where children of all races, ethnicities, and backgrounds are represented, and real life issues, such as poverty, are being told. I understand that my selections may be one of few, so I hope that authors continued to publish books where children of all backgrounds can identify themselves. I found it interesting that the majority of my characters came from nuclear families. Had I not analyzed these books, I may not have recognized this. Coming from a nuclear family myself, I wonder if readers from single family homes may have noticed this sooner. This got me to question by biased perspective and how much I may have been missing. For example, coming from a suburban middle class family, I may not have taken a second glance to the similar families portrayed in some of these books. I hope many others can have this revelation so that this conversation can continue regarding diversity and representation in children's literature.