Finding Books that Look Like You: Gender roles in Books

While staff seems to accept and even embrace stories where girls break the old gender barriers by being independent and adventurous and (gasp) being the hero, I still face resistance to books such as My Princess Boy by Cheryl Kildodavis. It's a process, as they say.  I will continue to slowly introduce 'controversial' titles as long as they are well written and have a valuable message. 

Add your favorites in the comments.  How do you deal with resistance on 'sensitive' topics?

Dyson loves pink, sparkly things. Sometimes he wears dresses. Sometimes he wears jeans. He likes to wear his princess tiara, even when climbing trees. He's a Princess Boy.

Here are some other titles that challenge the traditional expectations of gender roles in children's books.

Amazing Grace 

By Mary Hoffman.
Grace loves to act out stories. She eventually overcomes restrictions of gender and race to play the part of her dreams, Peter Pan, in the school play.

Anna Banana and Me

By Lenore Blegvad.
Anna Banana is a fearless young girl. When she plays with a timid boy, he eventually becomes as brave as his friend

The Art Lesson

Written and illustrated by Tomie DePaola

Tommy loves to draw but feels constrained in art class. A new teacher finally strikes a compromise to allow for Tommy’s creativity.

Boy, Can He Dance!
By Eileen Spinelli.
Tony doesn't want to become a chef like his father. Instead, he wants to dance. 

The Chalk Box Kid

By Clyde Bulla.
Gregory does not have anywhere to grow a garden, so he creates one of his own.

Ira Sleeps Over

Written and illustrated by Bernard Waber.

When Ira is invited to sleep over at Reggie’s house, he must decide whether to take his beloved teddy bear. In the end, he learns that it is acceptable for boys to have teddy bears.

Little Granny Quarterback

By Bill Martin Jr. and Michael Sampson. 

Granny, who was a star quarterback in her youth, leaps into her television to assist her favorite team with the winning touchdown.

Mama and Me and the Model T

By Faye Gibbons. 

When the Model T arrives, Mama proves that she, like the men, can drive.

The Paper Bag Princess

By Robert Munsch.

Princess Elizabeth rescues her prince from a fire-breathing dragon. When he doesn't  appreciate her efforts, she decides not to marry him after all.

Sam Johnson and the Blue Ribbon Quilt

Written and illustrated by Lisa Campbell Ernst.

Sam isn't welcome in the women’s quilting club, so he organizes a men’s quilting group. Eventually the men and women join to make a quilt together.

The Story of Ferdinand

By Munro Leaf. 

This classic about the value of peace presents Ferdinand, a young bull who prefers smelling flowers to butting heads.

Tough Boris

By Mem Fox.

Boris is tough, but in the end when his parrot companion dies, he—like all pirates—cries.

When Sophie Gets Angry, Really, Really Angry

Written and illustrated by Molly Bang. 

Sophie gets angry and deals with her strong feelings by climbing trees

White Dynamite and Curly Kidd

By Bill Martin Jr. and John Archam-bault. 

A child excitedly watches Dad ride the rodeo bull and wants to grow up to be a bull rider like him. The twist is that she’s a girl

.

Titles selected from the list prepared by Lisen C. Roberts and Heather T. Hill 

( http://journal.naeyc.org/btj/200303/Books4Children.pdf)

Finding Books that "Look" Like You: Girls in Books

When students come to the library to select a book, I want them to not only feel welcome in the library, but to feel represented by the contents of their library. It is THEIR library and while I want them to explore new frontiers and make fresh discoveries, I also want each of them to see themselves and their own worlds in those books.  

Nine years ago, when I first started working at elementary school libraries in Ontario, I was amazed and shocked by the selections available to the JK-6 classes.  At the time I rotated between 11 schools which ran a wide gamut of economic and cultural populations.  Coming from a Catholic school education where books on adoption, divorce, multi-generational families and death were not to be seen (this was back in the 80's, I would hope the libraries there have been updated also), I was giddy over the fact that my libraries now had such topics. Looking at the stark difference between my students' appearance and the illustrations in the picture book collection, I knew an overhaul of the collection was in order.  The picture books seemed to only tell stories about blond, blue eyed nuclear families with a bouncy Irish Setter.  Almost all had a stay-at-home mom, and dad in a suit and happy, rosy cheeked children.  Don't get me wrong, I don't have a problem with the 1950's family archetype. I grew up with it and have fond memories of many of those titles.  I just don't want every book to look like that. And where were the books where girls wore the cape and saved the day?    During the next two years I devoured every children's book that had even a hint of diversity.  My co-workers laughed at me and my partner as we excitedly showed them each new batch of "diversity" books.  We we both new to the role and missed most of the nervous looks resulting from titles like Nappy Hair by Carolivia Herron and Asha's Mums by Rosamund Elwin and Michele Paulse. They were much more at ease when students selected the less traditional  and less controversial, girl-power titles. I have listed some of the most popular ones below.  The word Princess appears in may of the title.  At first I thought that having Princess appear so often would be contrary to the intent of this list, but I think it actually works better this way.  When a student wants to fit in with his or her peers, who all seem to be in the princess phase, what better way to provide options than with books that expand the idea of what a princess is and looks like?

Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman

Paperbag Princess by Robert Munsch
Marty Mcguire by Kate Messner
Princess Knight by Cornelia Funke
Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell
I Like Myself by Karen Beaumont
Princess Smartypants by Babette Cole
Princess Pigsty by Cornelia Funke
Not All Princesses Dress in Pink by Jane Yolen


I am happy to encourage the enthusiasm my co-workers show for books with strong female characters, flaws and all.  Check out this website when you are looking for a just right book to inspire your  female students. 

Girls do not have to be relegated to the role of sidekick or damsel in distress; they can be the leaders, the heroes, the champions that save the day, find the cure, and go on the adventure. From the A Mighty Girl website.

A Mighty Girl was created after the the co founders started looking for "empowering and inspirational books" for young family members.  Users can search the book lists by topics such as Mighty Girls & Women, Fiction, History / Biography, Personal Development and Social Issues.  There are also filters for audience age, language and a multicultural option.  The multicultural fiction search is fantastic.  Have a look at the screen capture , which shows the many categories to select from.