ABSTRACT

Racially mixed children make up the fastest growing youth demographic in the U.S., and teachers of diverse populations need to be mindful in selecting literature that their students can identify with. This volume explores how books for elementary school students depict and reflect multiracial experiences through text and images. Chaudhri examines contemporary children’s literature to demonstrate the role these books play in perpetuating and resisting stereotypes and the ways in which they might influence their readers. Through critical analysis of contemporary children’s fiction, Chaudhri highlights the connections between context, literature, and personal experience to deepen our understanding of how children’s books treat multiracial identity.

chapter 1|10 pages

Introduction

chapter 2|11 pages

Multiracial Identity in the United States

Historical and Current Discourse

chapter 3|15 pages

Multiracial Stories in Picturebooks

chapter 4|14 pages

Multiracial In/Visibility

The Legacy of Pathology in Contemporary Fiction

chapter 5|18 pages

Multiracial Blending

The Post-Racial Myth in Contemporary Fiction

chapter 6|24 pages

Multiracial Awareness

Power and Visibility in Contemporary Fiction

chapter 7|22 pages

Voices of the Past

Multiracial Identity in Historical Fiction

chapter 8|21 pages

Hidden Identities

Whiteness and Passing