Abstract
ABSTRACTDespite receiving prestigious literary awards, two historical novels for young people—Sebestyen's Words By Heart and Fox's The Slave Dancer—have evoked the bitter criticism of such politically oriented groups as the Council on Interracial Books for Children. It is claimed that these books present a distorted and inaccurate view of black culture and history. The controversies that have surrounded these books are examined and the books themselves are discussed in relation to a third novel—Taylor's Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, a book lauded for both its literary qualities and its perspective on black history.It is argued that the traditional evaluation and criticism of the aesthetic values of children's literature must be joined by criticism which focuses on the sociohis- torical and cultural dimensions of that literature. I suggest that any liberties or inaccuracies in historical fact taken by authors must be justified by the contribution to the aesthetic qualities of the work. These liberties or i...
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
