Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-xbtfd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-18T01:22:24.118Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Depiction of Disability in Children’s Literature: Changes for the Better, with Particular Attention to Three New Titles; Mama Zooms (Cowen-Fletcher, 1993), The Race (Mattingley, 1995), and No Time At All (Sallis, 1994)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 February 2016

Margie Sare
Margie Sare*
Affiliation:
Flinders University
*
Address for correspondence: Ms Margie Sare, Associate Lecturer, School of Special Education and Disability Studies, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide SA 5001.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Children’s literature has the power and potential to reflect societal attitudes. Changes in attitudes towards disability in Western literature can be traced by “turning the pages” through the history of children’s books. This paper addresses issues concerning children’s literature published during the past few decades. Have there been improvements since Baskin and Harris’ (1977) major review of children’s fiction depicting characters with disabilities written between 1940 and 1977? This study revealed that stereotypical portrayals of characters with disabilities were common. Furthermore, have there been attempts to move away from the educative properties of “quasi-fiction” used to promote integration of children with disabilities into regular schools? This paper concludes that many recently published children’s books of the 1980s and 1990s are presenting a more realistic and positive picture of characters with disabilities. Three new titles have been examined in detail. The success of these books in creating a climate of tolerance and empathy towards characters with disabilities is due to their high standards of literary merit and attractive, sophisticated presentation.

Type
Research Article
Information
Australasian Journal of Special Education , Volume 20 , Issue 2 , 1996 , pp. 53 - 59
Copyright
Copyright © The Australian Association of Special Education 1996

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bailey, J.(1992). Australian special education: Issues on the eighties, directions for the nineties. The Australasian Journal of Special Education, 16(1), 16–27.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baskin, B.H. & Harris, K.H. (1977). Notes from a different drummer A guide to juvenile fiction portraying the handicapped. New York: R. R. Bowker.Google Scholar
Baskin, B.H. & Harris, K.H. (1984). More notes from a different drummer A guide to juvenile fiction portraying the disabled. New York: R. R. Bowker.Google Scholar
Bond, G. (1994). Honesty and hope; Presenting human rights issues to teenagers through fiction. Children ‘s literature in education. 25 (1), 41–53.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brown, R. (1994). People in need: challenges and dilemmas. The Australasian Journal of Special Education. 75(2), 3–10.Google Scholar
Christensen, C.A. (1992). Deviant, disabled or different: The politics of labelling. Australian Disability Review. 3,5–12.Google Scholar
Cowen-Fletcher, J. (1993). Mama zooms. New York: Scholastic.Google Scholar
Crago, H. (1993). Why readers read what writers write. Children’s literature in education. 24 (4), 277–289.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Crew, G. (1993). First light. Port Melbourne: Lothian.Google Scholar
Egoff, S. (1980). Precepts, pleasures and portents: changing emphasis in children’s literature. In Egoff, S., Stubbs, G.T. & Ashley, L.F., (Eds.). Only connect Readings on children ‘s literature. (2nd ed). Toronto: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Gartner, A. & Joe, T. (1987). (Eds.) Images of the disabled, disabling images. New York: Praegar.Google Scholar
Hathorn, L. (1994). Way home. Milson’s Point, NSW: Random House Australia.Google Scholar
Edwards, H. (1980). Mum on wheels. Sydney: Hodder and Stoughton.Google Scholar
Hawker, F & Withall, L. (1979). Donna finds another way. Milton, Queensland: Jacaranda.Google Scholar
Hawker, F. & Withall, L. (1981). I knew I could do it. Milton, Queensland: Jacaranda.Google Scholar
Hawker, F. & Withall, L. (1981). Can you see what I’m saying? Milton, Queensland: Jacaranda.Google Scholar
Imai, M. (1994). Lilly’s secret. London: Walker Books Google Scholar
Klein, R. (1989). Came back to show you I could fly. Ringwood, Victoria: Viking Kestrel.Google Scholar
Landau, E.D., Epstein, S.L. & Stone, A.P. (1978). (Eds.). The exceptional child through literature. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.Google Scholar
Maslow, A.H. (1954). Motivation and personality. In Papalia, D.E. and Olds, L. (1995). Gething, L. (Aust. Ed). Life span development. (2nd. Aust.Ed). Sydney: McGraw-Hill.Google Scholar
Mattingley, C. (1995). The race. Sydney: Ashton Scholastic.Google Scholar
Nieuwenhuizen, A. (1992). (Ed.). Good books for teenagers. Port Melbourne, Victoria: Mandarin.Google Scholar
Nieuwenhuizen, A. (1995). (Ed.). More good books for teenagers. Dingley, Victoria: Mandarin.Google Scholar
Noel, , (1982) (Ed.). Able to enjoy Books and the young disabled. Sydney: IBBY.. Google Scholar
Quicke, J. (1985). Disability in modern children’s fiction. London: Croom Helm.Google Scholar
Robertson, D. (1992). Portraying persons with disabilities An annotated bibliography of fiction for children and teenagers. (3rd ed). New Providence, New Jersey: R.R. Bowker.Google Scholar
Rubinstein, G. (1994). Foxspell. South Melbourne: Hyland House.Google Scholar
Rudman, M.K. (1989). (Ed.). Children’s literature: Resource for the classroom. U.S.: Christopher Gordon.Google Scholar
Sallis, S. (1994). No time at all. London: Corgi.Google Scholar
Sare, M. (1994). Piety and pity to positive portrayal? An examination of disability as presented in children’s literature. Paper presented at the 18th National Conference of the Australian Association of Special Education, Partnerships in teaching and learning. Adelaide: Sept/Oct. 1994.Google Scholar
Shyer, M.F. (1984). Welcome home. Jellybean. Collins Educational.Google Scholar
Simpkin, J. (1993). (Ed.). Subject guide to Australian children’s books in print. (2nd ed). Port Melbourne, Victoria: D.W. Thorpe.Google Scholar
Southall, I. (1990). Let the balloon go. London: Mammoth.Google Scholar
Spence, E. (1993). The October child. Rydalmere, NSW: Hodder & Stoughton.Google Scholar
The Advertiser, Weekend. Christobel’s children. 30. 9. 95., 3–4.Google Scholar
Van Putten, V. (1995). The shortlist debate: This year’s episode! Children’s book council of Australia (SA branch) newsletter. 51, July.Google Scholar
Wrightson, P. (1971). I own the racecourse. Ringwood, Victoria: Puffin.Google Scholar