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In this pioneering and timely book, Lampert examines the ways in which cultural identities are constructed within young adult and children's literature about the attacks of September 11, 2001. Looking at examples including picture books, young adult novels, and a selection of DC Comics, Lampert finds the co-mingling of xenophobia and tolerance, the binaried competition between good and evil and global harmony and national insularity, and the glorification of both the commonplace hero and the super-human. Specifically, Lampert identifies three significant identity categories encoded in 9/11 books for children--ethnic identities, national identities, and heroic identities--arguing that their formation is contingent upon post-9/11 politics. These shifting identities offer implicit and explicit accounts of what constitute good citizenship, loyalty to nation and community, and desirable attributes in a Western post-9/11 context.
Lampert makes an original contribution to the field of children's literature by providing a focused and sustained analysis of how texts for children about 9/11 contribute to formations of identity in these complex times of cultural unease and global unrest.
List of contents
Permissions List of Figures Chapter 1: Children’s Literature and its Cultural Influence Chapter 2: Identity Shifts After 9/11 Chapter 3: Ethnic Identities Chapter 4: National Identities Chapter 5: Heroic Identities Chapter 6: Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index
About the author
Jo Lampert is a Senior Lecturer with the School of Cultural and Language Studies at the Queensland University of Technology, Australia.
Summary
Looking at examples including picture books, young adult novels, and DC Comics, Lampert explores ethnic, national, and heroic identities in this pioneering and timely book that examines the ways in which cultural identities are constructed within young adult and children’s literature about the attacks of September 11, 2001.
Additional text
"Children’s Fiction about 9/11 is deftly written and cogently argued…Jo Lampert shows a real attention to detail and provides important insights into both the texts she examines and the influence of the September 11th attacks on cultural constructions of identity. In her examination of the responses to 9/11 in children’s literature, Lampert’s study becomes another strong addition to Routledge’s Children’s Literature and Culture series." --Paula T. Connolly, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Children’s Literature Association Quarterly
