MACMILLAN Racism in Contemporary African American Children’s and Young Adult Literature (Critical Approaches to Children's Literature)

Applying critical race theory to contemporary African American children’s and young adult literature, this book explores one key racial issue that has been overlooked both in race studies and literary scholarship―internalised racism. By systematically examining the issue of internalised racism and its detrimental psychological effects, particularly towards the young and vulnerable, this book defamiliarises the very racial issue that otherwise has become normalised in American racial discourse, reaffirming the relevance of race, racism, and racialisation in contemporary America. Through readings of works by Jacqueline Woodson, Sharon G. Flake, Tanita S. Davis, Sapphire, Rosa Guy, and Nikki Grimes, Suriyan Panlay develops a new critical discourse on internalised racism by studying its effects on marginalised children, its manifestations, and the fictional narrative strategies that can be used to regain and reclaim a sense of self. Review “This book is an important, relevant, and much needed reading of the marginalised in Children and Young Adult Literature. Through a multi-dimensional racial analysis of African-American female protagonists in Children and Young Adult Literature, Suriyan Panlay presents a critical discourse on internalised racism which makes visible that which has been silent and unexplored. Written from an outsider perspective, this book enriches both race and literary scholarships.” (Malachi Edwin Vethamani, Professor of Modern English Literature, University of Nottingham, Malaysia) “The book will reach an audience anywhere Children’s/Young Adult Literature is studied. It is seriously original, questioning, and challenges long-held assumptions and attitudes that have been taken for granted. This book deserves to become the standard work on the subject.” (John McRae, Special Professor of Language in Literature Studies, University of Nottingham, UK) “Suriyan Panlay’s book represents an important scholarly contribution to the literature on critical race theory, critical discourse analysis, and theories of culture, identity, and agency. I highly recommend this book to all those who wish to explore the unspoken meanings of a literature that has been often overlooked in literacy studies.” (Richard Donato, Professor, Language, Literacy, and Culture, University of Pittsburgh, USA)< From the Back Cover Applying critical race theory to contemporary African American children’s and young adult literature, this book explores one key racial issue that has been overlooked both in race studies and literary scholarship―internalised racism. By systematically examining the issue of internalised racism and its detrimental psychological effects, particularly towards the young and vulnerable, this book defamiliarises the very racial issue that otherwise has become normalised in American racial discourse, reaffirming the relevance of race, racism, and racialisation in contemporary America. Through readings of works by Jacqueline Woodson, Sharon G. Flake, Tanita S. Davis, Sapphire, Rosa Guy, and Nikki Grimes, Suriyan Panlay develops a new critical discourse on internalised racism by studying its effects on marginalised children, its manifestations, and the fictional narrative strategies that can be used to regain and reclaim a sense of self. About the Author Suriyan Panlay is a Lecturer in the Department of English in the Faculty of Liberal Arts at Thammasat University, Thailand. His research and teaching focuses on children’s and young adult literature, contemporary literature, critical race theory, critical theory, postcolonial literatures and theory, feminist criticism, translation of children’s and young adult literature, and TEFL.