Reading Gender in Children

1
Reading Gender in Childrens Literature Critical
Library Pedagogy for Young Readers

• Michael M. Widdersheim
• PhD Student, University of Pittsburgh
• Melissa A. McCleary
• Youth Services Librarian, Pembroke Public Library

2
Libraries, technologies, and self-assembly

• Bibliographic control
• Social space
• Private reading
• Surveillance

3
Readers advisory, gender sexuality, and the
self
Intersections

• Gender stereotypes
• Sex
• Sexualization
• Transsexual characters readers
• Gendered reading learning
• Transvestism
• Gender book preferences
• The gender gap

4
Language and readers advisory Some problems

• Essentialization
• Assignment
• Othering
• Cultural imperialism
• Tokenism
• Complicity

5
Counter-techniques

• Consider story quality
• Exploit expert position
• Interrogate norms
• Use open-ended questions
• Recommend progressive titles
• Rely on passive (indirect) tools
• Create safe environment

6
Conclusion

• Critical readers advisory
• Toward a reorganization of imaginary life.
• Contacts
• missmccleary_at_gmail.com
• mmw84_at_pitt.edu