Books to Encompass an Expanding Society

• Published in: PCTE Bulletin no. 19; pp. 10 - 15
• Main Author: McCombs, Elizabeth E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.05.1969
• Subjects: Bibliographies; Black Achievement; Black Culture; Black History; Black Literature; Black Youth; Childrens Literature; Elementary Education; Literature; Minority Groups; Reading Material Selection; Relevance (Education); Self Concept; Student Needs

The necessities of promoting wider social understanding among children and of helping them to develop self-insight and respect through careful, sensitive book selection are implicit in the aims set forth in a 1964 NCTE publication, "Children's Literature--Old and New." However, these aims seem ignored in "Adventuring with Books," a 1966 NCTE booklist for elementary schools, in which only 12 of the 1250 titles concerned the Negro. The sections on the picture-story book, books for beginners, fiction, biography, and social studies recommended the 12 titles, while sections on American history, folk and fairy tales, poetry, and sports contained no titles involving the Negro. Unless the black child can identify with the child in the book or with his cultural heritage, he is denied help in achieving self-insight and the chance to move easily into the main stream of American life. (JMC)