Non-Sexist Books for Children

The following discussion offers suggestions for non-sexist
books for children.  It took place on WMST-L in September 2004.
For additional WMST-L files available on the Web, see the
WMST-L File Collection.

Can someone recommend a good series of non-sexist children's books
appropriate for ages up to 5 years?  Thank you.


Diana Scully, Ph.D.
Director of Women's Studies/ Professor of Sociology and Women's Studies
Virginia Commonwealth University
1000 Franklin St., Room 101
Box 843060
Richmond, VA 23284
Phone: 804-828-4041
FAX: 804-828-4983
dhscully  AT  vcu.edu

Morgantown, West Virginia's, Community Coalition for Social Justice has
been using funds donated by our city council to purchase books and a few
videos for the public library on social justice issues, including a
number of books for children.  The lists are available at
http://www.geocities.com/ccsjwv/LibraryList.html and
http://www.geocities.com/ccsjwv/DisabilityList.html - the latter list is
particularly focused on books for children that are related to
disabilities.

Barb Howe
West Virginia University Center for Women's Studies
CCSJ Secretary

Mother Nature's Children -- by Genevieve Vaughan, illustrated by
Liliana Wilson\
available in English and Spanish, beautifully illustrated, a
children's introduction to the gift economy, set at Stonehaven Ranch,
a beautiful retreat center which practices the gift economy in
Central Texas.

"The idea of the gift economy is based on the realization that Mother
Nature gives everything free and than when we live according to her
ways we have good relations with each other. When we give to each
other only to exchange, to get back an equivalent or make a profit,
we put ourselves into a competitive frame of mind and our relations
with each other deteriorate. Violence and macho behavior are fostered
by exchange and by many aspects of life in the city. Life in the
country, in harmony with Mother Nature, is good for all her children.
Since 1984 Stonehaven Ranch near San Marcos, Texas, has been devoted
to practicing and promoting the idea of the gift economy."

Dora the Explorer and Maisy Mouse are better than most.

Sylvia Henneberg
s.henneberg  AT  moreheadstate.edu

The Feminist Task Force of the American Library Association has a
project of identifying children's books depicting strong,
self-actualizing girls and women. There are lists available fro 2002,
2003, and 2004 at http://www.libr.org/FTF/bloomer.html. See also
Bookwomen's Eighty Books for 21st Century Girls at
http://www.wnba-books.org/anniversaries/80women.html . We also have a
bibliography on our website of recommended picture books, "Brave, Active
& Resourceful Females in Picture Books,"though it hasn't been updated
since 1992, at
http://www.library.wisc.edu/libraries/WomensStudies/bibliogs/picbook.html.
There are also several books that do this. Some I've got on hand (there
may be more recent ones) are
GENDER POSITIVE! A TEACHERS' AND LIBRARIANS' GUIDE TO NONSTEREOTYPED
CHILDREN'S LIT. K-8 (perhaps the 5 year old would be ready for some of
the books described), by Patricia L. Roberts, et.a l McFarland, 1993
ONCE UPON A HEROINE: 450 BOOKS FOR GIRLS TO LOVE, by A. Cooper-Mullin
and Jennifer M. Coye. Contemporary Books, 1998
GREAT BOOKS FOR GIRLS, by Kathleen Odean. Ballantine, 1997
LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE GIRLS: 375 GREAT BOOKS FOR READERS 2-14,  by Erica
Bauermeister and Holly Smith. Penguin, 1997
Sincerely,
Phylllis Holman Weisbard
--
****************************************************
Phyllis Holman Weisbard, Women's Studies Librarian
University of Wisconsin System
430 Memorial Library, 728 State Street
Madison, WI 53706
608-263-5754; pweisbard  AT  library.wisc.edu
http://www.library.wisc.edu/libraries/WomensStudies/
****************************************************

The Jane Addams Peace Association presents an annual award for children's
books that promote peace and social justice.  You can get a list of
winners on their website, www.janeaddamspeace.org

Emily Regan Wills