By Reading, Viewing, Questioning, and Discussing Together

By Guest Author Tracy Nemecek

A few summers ago, I taught a class at a local literary center that invited middle school students to take a closer look at diversity, representation, and inclusion in children’s literature.  As an undergraduate double major in Psychology and English, I was excited about the opportunity to both teach and learn at the intersection of my academic interests.  I found myself feeling energized as I prepared for the course, and later by the students’ interest in the topic. I also came to discover just how useful the information I was presenting in my class could be to me as a parent in my attempts to both model and promote a mindset of curiosity informed by critical thought.

Over the course of the weeklong class, we looked at a variety of children’s books from the 1940’s through the 2000’s and had many thoughtful conversations. The students became interested in looking at their own favorite childhood books to see how the content, characters, and illustrations stood up to the criteria we were using to analyze the stories we had been reading together.  

Inspired by my students, I realized I wanted to reflect on a beloved story that I had read in elementary school.  After the class came to an end, I talked about it with my daughter (who was in middle school at the time) and we both decided to read one of my favorite childhood books, Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and me, Elizabeth by E. L. Konigsburg, a story about two tween girls who began their relationship around a shared interest in witchcraft and endured some strained dynamics and disagreements to ultimately become friends.¹

My daughter and I discussed the book using some of the criteria that I had taught to my students. The points of analysis that we used originate with The Council on Interracial Books for Children’s list of ways to analyze children’s books for racism and sexism.²  Below are a few selections from the list, followed by suggestions for questions you might use as springboards for your own family conversations about books and other media.

• Look for stereotypes, passive/active doers, and visibility/invisibility. 

Who are the main characters?  What characters are present but in the background? Why do you think the writer made those choices? Do you think the author is suggesting that what is true for one character is true for everyone?  Which characters are driving the action or change in the story?  How does this look like/look different from our community? Who do you feel is missing from the story? 

• Check the power dynamics across relationships and look at the storyline for messages about who is in charge.

Is one character making many/most of the decisions?  How did they get to be in charge?  What do you think about the kind of leader they are?  Why do you think others are willing to follow this leader?  Who else could be in charge? How might such a change impact the outcome of the story?

• Consider the potential impact of the story on childrens’ self- and social identities.  Is there an opportunity for identification with an array of characters and traits?

What kinds of messages is this story sending about how people should be and act?  Do you agree with those messages?  What are the standards for beauty, strength, and intelligence?  What might it mean for characters who don’t meet those standards?  How do you feel about that?

As my daughter and I read and talked together, we engaged with the points and questions in the following ways:

• The story was published in 1967. The two central characters are a black girl (Jennifer) and a white girl (Elizabeth) attending fifth grade in New York state. Jennifer’s racial identity is visible in the illustrations (which are in black and white) but is only mentioned in the text once, and in a small way you could easily miss. My daughter and I talked about visibility/invisibility and what kind of impact a more straightforward focus on the friends’ racial differences might have made on the story overall.  We wondered what it might have been like for Jennifer to be the only black student in the school, particularly as the book was published in the midst of the American civil rights movement.
• Jennifer presents herself as a witch when she first meets Elizabeth, and Elizabeth becomes Jennifer’s apprentice in the ways of witchcraft as their relationship develops.  This involves the creation of rules and demands that Elizabeth must follow as a part of her “training”, and as a result, Jennifer is portrayed as the one who is more in control of the relationship.  As we considered the power dynamics between Jennifer and Elizabeth, we talked about the potential reasons that could explain why Elizabeth was willing to accept Jennifer’s controlling requests, and how a longing for connection might make a person change their standards for respect of self and others.
• The girls’ interactions take place primarily at the local library and the neighborhood park. Jennifer and Elizabeth do not acknowledge each other while at school. As my daughter and I considered the potential impact of the story on readers’ self- and social identities, we were curious about the role that their racial differences might have played in their choice to keep their friendship separate from their school life.

Inspired by our discussion of this book, we have been able to expand our focus to include other books, as well as shows and movies, and reflect on their messaging from a similar point of view.  We have talked about the absence of recurring characters from a variety of racial backgrounds on “Friends,” and the insensitivity of including characters of diverse body types and gender and sexual identities primarily for the purposes of setting up running jokes.³  We had a conversation about a warning that appeared on screen before the movie “Sixteen Candles” that appropriately acknowledges a cultural stereotype reflected in the film, and about the noticeable absence of any similar warning about the boundary violations and blatant disregard for the rights and safety of a female character who experiences loss of consciousness after alcohol use.⁴

In my conversations with both my students and my daughter, we reached the conclusion that we weren’t looking to walk away with two piles of books and other media, one labeled “good/right/okay to continue reading or watching” and the other labeled “bad/wrong/need to discontinue reading or watching”.  Instead, we made it clear that we want to be active consumers of information and entertainment who think about how stories and characters align with and are distinct from our own worldviews.  

Media selections need to present children with a diversity of perspectives, characters, backgrounds and settings in order to expand their exposure to the variety of traits, personalities, and cultures that comprise our world. However, media that reflects bias can be a powerful teaching tool, too. Books, shows, or movies with problematic representations can give children and the adults who care for them an opportunity to learn how to spot and talk about stereotypes, notice who is and isn’t featured, and think about how they might rewrite a storyline or make changes to an illustration.  Ultimately, the decision to continue engaging with a particular book, show, or movie rests with each family, as some sources may not be the right teaching tools to use. 

Giving children the power to apply critical thinking skills provides them with an alternative to mindlessly taking in information and believing it is true and accurate simply because it is available.  This empowerment can come from and contribute to the strengthening of competencies such as: 

Self-awareness:  the awareness of values, examination of prejudices and biases, linking values to feelings.

Social awareness: taking others’ perspectives, identifying social norms, and systemic understanding.

Relationship skills: cultural competency, being an upstander.

Responsible decision-making: making informed and reasoned judgments, understanding the operation and application of critical thinking, promoting community well-being.⁵

The act of applying critical thinking to books and other media doesn’t simply involve offering criticism or deciding if something is right or wrong.  Rather, it is a conscious intention to take a closer and more thoughtful look at what we are learning and how we are being entertained.   Doing this can enable us to actively participate in creating a more balanced and accurate view of the world and our place in it.

References:

1. Konigsburg, E.L. (1967). Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and me, Elizabeth. Atheneum Books.
2. The Council on Interracial Books for Children. (1980). 10 Quick Ways to Analyze Children’s Books for Racism and Sexism. [Brochure]. The Council on Interracial Books for Children.
3. Bright, K.S., Kauffman, M., & Crane, D. (Producers). (1994–2004). Friends. [Television series]. Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions and Warner Bros.
4. Green, H.A. (Producer) & Hughes, J. (Director).  (1984). Sixteen Candles [Film]. United States: Universal Pictures.
5. What is the CASEL framework? – CASEL. (2023, March 3). CASEL. https://casel.org/fundamentals-of-sel/what-is-the-casel-framework/#responsible

Tracy Nemecek is a parent to two daughters, ages 19 and 16.  She is also a licensed mental health counselor in private practice in Rochester, NY and an SEL educator who works with both children and adults in a variety of school and community settings. 

Learn more at https://intentionalliving-counseling.com.