Children's Literature and the Politics of Equality

Issues of equality in children's literature are not often brought into the public eye. When they are, they are frequently framed and sensationalised within a facile debate about 'political correctness'. In contrast, Pinsent performs a valuable service to teachers, librarians and all those interested in children's literature by charting a steady course through some deep and rocky waters. Beginning with a retrospective of the guidelines which did much to raise consciousness in the mid '70s and early '80s, she establishes her view that 'political commitment does not make a book inferior, and ... there are poor books whose adherence to the guidelines does not redeem them.' Through relevant, accessible reference to contemporary literary theory, she constructs a broad lens through which to view children's literature, from the 'classic' to the contemporary. She examines issues such as representation and bias in relation to 'race', ethnicity, language, culture, gender, disability and age alongside questions of how novels are both written and read. Stating that no text is value free, much of Pinsent's own analysis of texts concerns comment on authorial perspectives. Her questions then follow about the level of readers' experience or lack of it. How able are young readers to detect narrative viewpoint, divergent discourses, author ideology and where they are being positioned as readers? Book selection for the classroom and library is therefore a matter of sensitivity but ultimately the goal must be to develop critical readers. Pinsent's recommendations include developing a non-judgemental context of discussion and she concludes with some examples of school-based work. As we enter the Year of Reading, the National Literacy Strategy refers to children learning to read with discrimination. This book offers significant support to teachers and librarians in broadening their own knowledge about books and in developing the range of potential conversations with young readers about literature which addresses the real world.