In Children’S Literature, It Is Not Easy Finding Books

In children’s literature, it is not easy finding books with diversity, especially books involving a character or characters with a disability. It is very hard to find picture books that teach young children about special needs and disabilities. Studies have shown the number of books featuring characters with a disability has increased in the last couple years, but the resources are still limited. While the number and varieties of disabled characters portrayed in children’s literature have increased, not all of these characters depict disabilities realistically. Many characters are described as either pitied â€Å"poor little things† or honored for just existing with a disability as â€Å"brave little souls†. Books can be mirrors for children who†¦show more content†¦Picture books often portray characters as â€Å"brave little souls†. According to Scott Pollard, an educator in disability studies, there are six pitfalls of disability fiction . One of those pitfalls is â€Å"portraying character with an impairment as â€Å"extra-ordinary† where the character’s ordinary humanity is not described but is represented as a positive stereotype.† In the article â€Å" ‘Poor Little Things’ and ‘Brave Little Souls’: The Portrayal of Individuals with Disabilities in Children’s Literature,† statistics indicate that a majority (63%) of the literature continues to categorize the protagonist as a hero, typified as the â€Å"brave little soul†. Looking After Louis, by Lesley Ely, is an example of being portrayed as â€Å"brave little soul†. Louis is an autistic boy in elementary. This story is told by one of Louis’s classmates. The narrator is upset because they get an extras recess because Louis had a good time playing soccer earlier. The narrator also states that if it were anyone else they wouldn’t have gotten an extra recess. Just because Louis has a disability and had so much fun earlier in the day, getting an extra recess rewards him. My Name is Isabella, by Eliza Woloson, is another book that seems to follow the â€Å"brave little souls†. This book is about two friends named Charlie and Isabelle. Isabelle has Down syndrome. This book mainly focuses on the differences andShow MoreRelatedCritical Thinking And Students Problem Solving Strategies Essay1086 Words   |  5 Pagesstudies/ professional life †¢ Upgrade their written and oral communication skills My courses are designed to be learner-centered and often employ nontraditional and experiential content as well as foundational texts. For example, in my Childrens Literature course, I ask students to write about their experience after reading a multicultural text and analyze their responses to the available framework for analysis. 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