African American Children's Literature: The First One Hundred Years

African Americans have been depicted in general literature since the seventeenth century. Essentially, the depictions are stereotyped, pejorative, and unauthentic (Brown, 1933; Baker, 1961; Broderick, 1973; Sims, 1982). Literature created by African Americans for children first appeared in the late nineteenth century. This literature has never been a central component of schooling. Not unlike that of African American literature written for adults, African American children's literature has had a tumultuous past. That past included limited awareness among readers; circumscribed publication and distribution; omission from libraries, school, and bookstores; and uninformed criticism. Several factors contribute to this state of affairs but one important factor is the existence of literary canons. Canons, or sanctioned lists of works perpetuated by critics, educators, and cultural guardians, constitute the literature many students read. For example, in primary school, students read such as The Tale of Peter Rabbit (Potter, 1902; 1989), The Little Engine That Could (Piper, 1954; 1980), and Make Way for Ducklings (McCloskey, 1941). Elementary school students tend to read classics such as Little House on the Prairie (Wilder, 1953), Bridge to Terebithia (Paterson, 1977), and Charlotte's Web (White, 1952; 1975). By the time most students have graduated from high school they will have read books from a canon which includes The Scarlet Letter (Hawthorne, 1983), Lord of the Flies (Golding, 1962), and other works deemed necessary for cultural literacy. Unfortunately, literary canons tend to include a preponderance of books that reflect the experiences, values, perspectives, knowledge, and interpretations of Whites, particularly Anglo-Saxons. Few texts written by African Americans or other people of color are designated classics, even though many exhibit extraordinary literary merit, expand or reinterpret literary forms, or provide a