African-American children's literature is a vibrant but sometimes neglected form of expression. Its roots stretch back to the songs and folklore of the antebellum South, and it has often been shaped by social thinkers wishing to promote a healthy respect for the African-American tradition. This expression has captured the issues and feelings of the civil rights movement, and it flourishes today in our multicultural society. Free Within Ourselves is a narrative history of African-American children's literature from its origins to the present day.
Written by a leading authority on the subject, this volume gives special attention to the social conditions that gave birth to African-American children's literature and to the political, philosophical, and cultural forces that have shaped its development. Free Within Ourselves surveys the most important periods, discusses major genres and movements, and explores a wide range of authors and illustrators. Teachers will treasure this book as a convenient and masterful guide to the subject, literature students will value its insightful comments on texts and traditions, and social studies students will welcome its use of literature as a means of understanding the social history of African Americans.
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