Changes in and to children's literature mirror, as well as construct, changes in social norms. For example, the 1908 book by Kenneth Grahame, Wind in the Willows, is a frolicking fantasy tale starring a cast of anthropomorphic animals. Themes of camaraderie, friendship, and adventure do not serve as vehicles for political discourse. When Jan Needle published Wild Wood nearly a century later in 1981, the author imbued the basic structure of Grahame's story with political awareness. Issues like social justice are explored in Wild Wood, issues that were not touched upon in Wind in the Willows. A similar vehicle of storytelling was used for a different literary function. Both 1908 and 1981 were times ripe for the exploration of labor issues and class-consciousness, and it is in many ways ironic that Needle would have been more overtly political than his forebear.
There seems to have been a deliberate awakening of a special children's identity in the literature of the early twentieth century. Even before the turn of the century, authors like Ethel Turner were inspiring young readers to view reading and literature as keys to personal and psychological development. Among the opening lines of "Seven Little Australians" is the marvelously mischievous, "Not one of the seven is really good, for the very excellent reason that Australian children never are." Young readers are here allowed to celebrate the expression of childlike mischief, in the same way that readers of "The Unicorn in the Garden" are able to embrace the realm of magic without completely denying the importance of reason.
Readers of children's literature...
The lighter-hearted children's literature from Leslie Reese's award-winning The Story of Karrawingi the Emu to Axel Poignant's Piccaninny Walkabout do not outwardly address issues such as race, class, gender, and political power. Yet older examples of children's novels and storybooks are readily incorporated into a canon that highlights the importance of critical literacy in the classroom. Morals and moralizing can be disguised, thinly or not, in children's literature. While there are certainly differences in tone, style, and execution between early twentieth century and later works, children's literature remains a powerful vehicle for social identity construction. Australia's unique canon offers ample opportunities to explore the evolution of critical discourse in children's literature.
References
"Children's Book of the Year Awards." Retrieved online: http://cbca.org.au/awards.htm
DAWCL. Website retrieved: http://www.dawcl.com/introduction.html
Leland, C., Harste, J., Ociepka, A., Lewison, M. & Vasquez, V. (1999). Exploring critical literacy: You can hear a pin drop. Language Arts, v77 n1 p70-77 Sep 1999.
Shor, I. (1997). What is critical literacy? Journal for Pedagogy, Pluralism, and Practice. Retrieved online: http://www.lesley.edu/journals/jppp/4/shor.html
Thurber, J. (1939). The unicorn in the garden. Retrieved online: http://english.glendale.cc.ca.us/unicorn1.html
Turner, E.S. (1894) Seven Little Australians. Retrieved online: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/4731/4731-h/4731-h.htm
