Summary of Learning

SUMMARY OF LEARNING / REFLECTION ON THE SET:

The books that I have selected to discuss in this project all surround the issues of GLBTQ, specifically of gay males, in children’s literature. When looking for these texts in children’s literature, there were few to choose from. The GLBTQ community is virtually invisible in children’s literature and it is difficult to find quality books that represent this community. Each book that was chosen for this project contains the common thread of homosexual males and are in my opinion examples of quality literature that should be incorporated in libraries. While reading various articles about this missing community in children’s literature, I found that the primary reason it is not easily found is due to the strong beliefs adults have about GLBTQ. They often think that this topic cannot be discussed with young children without containing the issue of sexuality. Therefore this issue tends not to be brought up at all. My concern with this community is the lack of information and familiarity children with homosexual parents are going to have because of the lack of children’s literature there is for them to read. Literature is such a powerful resource for children to relate with, and if that resource is taken away from certain children, how does that impact their experiences? It is my hope that through exploring the following three books that revolve around homosexuality the dialog will be opened as well as people’s minds.