Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s historical representation within children’s and young adult literature

Abstract

PurposeEducation initiatives require substantive changes for history, social studies, English, and language arts teachers of any grade level. History and social studies teachers are to integrate multiple texts from diverse perspectives, which increases teachers’ uses of trade books and primary sources; English and language arts teachers are to spend half their allotted time on non-fiction topics, which enhances the position of historical content. The compulsory changes are not accompanied with ready-made curricula. Trade books are a logical starting point for teachers inexperienced with the new expectations, yet, research indicates that historical inaccuracies and misrepresentations frequently emerge. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approachThe authors’ inquiry explored trade books’ historical representation of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, America’s longest serving president. The data pool was organized by early grades (Kindergarten-4), middle grades (5-8), and high school (9-12) to contrast patterns of representation between and within grade ranges.FindingsFindings included patterns of representation regarding Roosevelt’s noteworthiness and accomplishments, advantages and assistances, and moral and political mistakes.Social implicationsClassroom suggestions included guiding students to identify historical gaps and interrogate primary sources to fill these gaps.Originality/valueSimilar research has not been conducted on this historical figure.