Shadow and Substance
Afro-American Experience in Contemporary Children's Fiction
Description:... The purpose of this monograph is to provide classroom teachers, librarians, and teacher educators in the field of children's literature with information that will enable them to make better informed selections of recent literature for and about Afro-Americans. The first chapter of the work places contemporary realistic fiction about Afro-Americans in a sociocultural and historical context, while the second chapter discusses the "social conscience" books that are written primarily to help whites know the condition of blacks in the United States. The third chapter reviews "melting pot" books that were written for both blacks and whites on the assumption that both groups need to be informed that nonwhite children are exactly like other American children--except for their skin color. The fourth chapter examines "culturally conscious" books that were written for Afro-American readers and that attempt to reflect both the uniqueness and the universal humaneness of the Afro-American experience from the perspective of an Afro-American child or family. The fifth chapter presents a brief overview of the work of five Afro-American writers who have made significant contributions to children's fiction since 1965, and the final chapter summarizes the current status of children's fiction about Afro-Americans and suggests some areas yet to be covered in fictional works. (FL)
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