ERIC Number: EJ1466820
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-May
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0034-0561
EISSN: EISSN-1936-2714
Available Date: 2025-02-11
Examining Power in Picturebook Biographies
Reading Teacher, v78 n6 p432-438 2025
This study was developed in response to the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) position statement elevating the use of nonfiction literature in the K-12 curriculum. Using an intersectional, critical multicultural lens, we examined award-winning picturebook biographies for their potential to invite examination of the concept of power following two guiding questions: "how do subjects acquire power?" and "how do subjects use their power?" The findings show that most subjects of biographies are depicted as having intrinsic power that comes from within and is used to pursue a personal dream. A smaller number of books depict subjects as having collective power, acquired within the contexts of their communities and subsequently using their power to uplift their communities. The teaching implications include suggestions for unpacking abstract ideas about power through picturebook biographies in tangible ways with elementary grade readers.
Descriptors: Elementary School Curriculum, Picture Books, Biographies, Self Determination, Individual Power, Empowerment, Self Actualization
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Curriculum and Instruction, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa, USA; 2Teacher Education Department, Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA