Gender+Roles+by+Ashley+Hurt,+Michelle+Jackson,+Megan+Hardesty

== Gender roles in literature have changes over the years just as they have in daily living. Though the roles have taken a turn toward being more balanced, there are areas of life that seem to be designated as “men” and “women”. Many men and women take offense to this fact; however, others embrace it. The future of these gender roles lies in the hands of our children, and they learn from the adults, literature and media surrounding them. == ==Think back to the 1400’s when Joan of Arc was living. She fought in battles (figuratively and literally) that were thought to only be touched by men. A martyr, she fought for what she believed was right. The boys and girls who read her story notice this and they learn from it. Instead of sitting back and watching things occur that she didn’t believe in, she embraced her thoughts and feelings in order to attempt to make things and people around her better. Students can learn from Joan of Arc’s story by embracing the idea of standing up for what they believe in no matter what gender they are or what situation they find themselves in. She was fighting to break down barriers just as many men and women are trying to do today.== ==Later, in the 1700’s and 1800’s, women such as Jennie Wiley (also known as White Squaw) faced new challenges they were not expecting to happen upon. After her family was attacked by Native Americans, Jennie was captured by the Native Americas and renamed White Squaw. After years of being held captive, she escaped and was reunited with her husband. Wiley was not prepared, as a woman, to take on such a large task of escaping and surviving long enough to reunite with her husband. Her determination is a wonderful lesson to both boys and girls that anything is possible, no matter who they are or where they are from. Laura Ingalls Wilder was also expected to take care of the home and children while the husband and other men in the family went out and “took care of business” on the farm. Wilder’s stories tell of a time when women cooked, cleaned, milked the cows and gathered eggs. Rarely did women in the 1800’s build a barn or plow the fields. This idea of gender roles also takes place in books such as __Anna Sunday__ when Anna cuts her hair to look like a boy in order for her to search for her father who was wounded in war.== ==Following these times, there was a part of history in sports when women were discouraged from playing. Instead, they were taught to take care of the men and the children. The movie, “A League of Their Own” is a perfect example of this fact. The women’s league was dictated by men and played by women because of the draft for the war. There are also many books regarding this fact. If you think about it, there aren’t any women playing Major League Baseball, playing in the National Hockey League, or the National Football League. The fact that women and men each have their place in sports is evident in literature today. There are books about the first woman to cross Niagara Falls (Annie Edson Taylor), the woman to change the face of cycling (Tillie Anderson), and books about men who were successful in advancing the particular sport they played.== ==In regards to books students are currently reading at the elementary level, several changes are beginning to take place in regards to gender roles. Yes, when dealing with sports, there are numerous books for children to read in which boys play football and girls are cheerleaders; however, the books normally have a moral to them. Take for example the Bernstein Bears. The books about the boys with the club and the school’s football team each teach children that they can actually play any sport in which they can work hard. The children’s stories being written today teach our children that working hard, having determination and always doing their best is what leads them to succeed. In the book, __Kitten Red, Yellow, Blue__ children will read about a female police officer and a female pilot. These are two occupations in which women typically aren’t portrayed.== ==Though women characters typically don’t play football or work at a construction site, there are more and more women characters starting to show up in what were predominately male roles. There are numerous texts in libraries in which females and males are equally portrayed while playing sports, running a home, taking care of the children and occupations.== ==It’s important for teachers to take gender roles into consideration when reading to the class. Brown, Tomlinson and Short state, “Classroom and school library collections need to have a wide range of topics with a balance of male and female main characters.” ((Lynch-Brown, Tomlinson, & Short, 2011). Students should be made aware that they are capable of completing any task regardless of gender biases. There are many women who are successful in stereotypical male roles, while many men are excited to be a part of roles that have been viewed as predominately female in prior years.==

Berenstain, Stan & Jan. (1986). //The Berenstain Bears No Girls Allowed.// New York, NY: Random House. (ISBN: 0-329-03007-8)
==Brother Bear and his male friends create a club and exclude Sister Bear from joining. They are upset, because she always beats them at all of the boy activities that she participates in. She is able to throw better, run faster and beat them at baseball. Sister Bear gloats about it. When Brother Bear and his friends build a boys only club house to exclude Sister Bear, she becomes very angry. (From Personal Collection and Classroom Library)==

Berenstain, Stan & Jan. (1993). //The Berenstain Bears and the Female Fullback//. New York, NY: Random House. (ISBN: 0-679-83611-X)
==At Bear Country School, the football team is only for boys. When Brother Bear tries out for the football team, Bertha does as well. The coach refuses to let her play football for the school’s team. All of the girls want her to be able to play, but the boys do not. Gender stereotype issues are addressed in this picture book. (From Personal Collection and Classroom Library)==

Carlson, Nancy. (1985). //Louanne Pig in Making the Team.// Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda. (ISBN: 0-87614-281-1)
==This picture book, by Nancy Carlson tells the story of Louanne Pig. Louanne wishes to try out for the cheerleading squad and her friend, Arnie wishes to try out for football. Louanne has a hard time with the skills needed for cheerleading and Arnie cannot catch the ball. Louanne and Arnie practice after school with one another to help with try-outs. This book shows children that girls can sometimes play football as well as boys and that boys can cheer as well as girls. (Checked out from Natcher Elementary School Library)==

Catalanotto, Peter. (2005). //Kitten Red, Yellow, Blue.// New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. (ISBN: 0-689-86562-7)
==//Kitten Red, Yellow, Blue// is a very easy picture book about both colors and occupations. Sixteen calico kittens are born, and the owner gives them away to members of the neighborhood, each of whom has a different occupation. While this book shows some level of stereotypical gender-roles in the workplace—a male firefighter, a female ballerina, a male construction worker, and a male mechanic—it also does an excellent job of presenting females in non-stereotypical occupations—a female police officer, a female doctor, a female pilot, and a female karate instructor. When very young children see pictures of people working in all kinds of professions, they begin to understand that boys and girls can grow up to do whatever job they want. (Checked out from the Lexington Public Library)==

Cristaldi, Kathryn. (1992). //Baseball Ballerina.// Illus: Carter, Abby. New York, NY: Random House. (ISBN: 0-679-81734-4)
==In this story, a tomboy, who plays on a baseball team called the Sharks is forced by her mother to take ballet. She is not very happy to be taking ballet and is afraid of what her teammates will think of her. During the ballet recital, her friend Mary Ann’s crown falls off and the girl reaches out and catches it. The crowd, which includes her Sharks teammates, cheers and they all congratulate her on a great recital. (Checked out from the Warren County Public Library)==

Demi. (2011). //Joan of Arc//. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish Children. (ISBN: 978-0-7614-5953-8)
==Joan of Arc is a historical and religious figure that many people have heard of, but don’t necessarily know her story. This book, by author/illustrator Demi, is a complete biography of Joan of Arc from humble birth to martyr’s death. The illustrations include lots of gold, halos, and rays, reminiscent of European religious icons, which helps give the feel of the time period in which the story takes place. //Joan of Arc// is a book that could be used with young children to show the heroic courage of one woman who changed the course of history in the 1400s. The book could be inspiring to both boys and girls. Joan of Arc’s story certainly shows that while gender stereotypes have existed for many centuries, people have been fighting and breaking these stereotypes for just as long.==

Green, D.L. (2012). //Zeke Meeks vs. the Gruesome Girls.// Illustrated by: Alves, Josh. North Mankato, MN: Picture Window Books. (ISBN: 978-1-40486805-2)
==The book, //Zeke Meeks vs. the Gruesome Girls// is about a third grade boy who has two sisters. He finds out that he is going to have a new neighbor and he is very disappointed to find out that it is a girl. Charlie, his new neighbor is good at video games and sports and she tries to prove that she and Zeke have things in common and that boys and girls can play together and enjoy it. (Personal Collection and Classroom Library)==

Greven, Alec. (2008). //How to Talk to Girls//. Illus. Kei Acedera. New York, NY: Collins. (ISBN: 978-0-06-170999-9)
==//How to Talk to Girls// is a book written from the perspective of an 8-year-old boy. Alec offers practical advice to his peers on how to talk to girls, win them over, and “keep” them once you “have” them. While the book is cute and endearing, it is somewhat concerning because of the knowledge that a 4th grader shows when it comes to relationships. The book expertly illustrates modern gender-relations for intermediate-level children, and comes from the best source—a child! Gender relationships among children are becoming more complicated, at a younger age, and this book highlights some of those complications. (Checked out from the Lexington Public Library)==

Heller, Alyson. (2010). //After-School Sports Club: Touchdown!// Illustrated by: Bjorkman, Steve. New York, NY: Simon Spotlight. (ISBN: 978-1-41699413-8)
== This is a short, leveled reader that is appropriate for beginning readers to practice recognizing words. This is a story about an after-school sports club. The kids in the sports club learn how to play flag football. There are boys and girls who are learning to play flag football. (Personal Collection and Classroom Library) ==

Hooks, Bell. (2002). //Be Boy Buzz.// Illus: Raschka, Chris. New York, NY: Hyperion Books for Children. (ISBN: 078680814-4)
==//Be Boy Buzz// is a celebration of boyhood! The simple language and minimalistic illustrations appeal to boys of all ages, and show that being a boy includes beauty and sensitivity. The book can be used to show many sides of a boy’s personality, and is an excellent portrayal of how boys interact with each other as well. There should be an equivalent book for girls! (Checked out from the Lexington Public Library)==

Keehn, Sally M. (2002). //Anna Sunday.// New York, NY: Philomel Books. (ISBN: 0-399-23875-1)
==//Anna Sunday// is a book for young adults and is set in the 1800’s during the Civil War. Anna cares for her little brother since her mother’s passing. When their father, a soldier is shot and could possibly be dead, Anna cuts off her hair and dresses as a boy. She travels from her home in Pennsylvania and goes in search of her father in Virginia. (Checked out from Warren County Public Library)==

Kimmel, Elizabeth Cody. (2007). //The Top Job//. Illus: Robert Neubecker. New York, NY: Dutton Children’s Books. (ISBN: 978-0-525-47789-1)
==It’s career day at an elementary school, and students are describing the jobs that their parents have. One girl tells about her dad’s job as an astronomer, another describes her mom’s job as a jeweler, and a young boy talks about how him mom is a NASCAR driver. The narrator launches into a story about how her dad changed a light bulb last weekend, and she got to go with him. It turns out that the light bulb was on the top of the Empire State Building! This book about jobs gives students a look at the varied jobs available to them as well as a non-stereotypical look at gender roles in the workplace. The book also encourages students to seek interesting, challenging, and unusual jobs as they grow up. (Checked out from the Lexington Public Library)==

Lewis, J. Patrick. (2009). //The Underwear Salesman and Other Jobs for Better or Verse.// Illus: Bloch, Serge. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. (ISBN: 978-0-689-85325-8)
==//The Underwear Salesman// is a collection of poems about a variety of occupations available today. Many of the occupations are completely “out there,” such as bathroom attendant, sword swallower, and Queen of England. However, many of the jobs are much more realistic and offer some amusing insights into what each job entails. This book is a great one to use with students in intermediate grades for a number of reasons. For one, the poems show a variety of poetry styles and types. Secondly, the occupations discussed in the book give students a look at the many, varied occupations that are available to them beyond the traditional jobs they see every day. Finally, the book does not gender-stereotype people into jobs. The illustrations, on most of the pages, do not show gender and therefore allow students to use their imagination to determine the types of people who actually //do// these jobs. (Checked out from the Lexington Public Library)==

Nelson, Blake. (2006). //Gender Blender.// New York, NY: Delacorte Press. (ISBN: 978-0-329-63232-8).
==In this book, students are paired up in a middle school health class to discuss gender issues. Tom and Emma, who were previously friends are paired up. The two of them used to be friends, but are very different now that they are in sixth grade. Tom and Emma smacked heads while on a trampoline in the gymnasium and when they woke up, they had switched bodies. While in the opposite body, the two are able to learn more about gender issues. (Checked out from the Warren County Public Library)==

Papademetriou, Lisa. (2007). //How to Be a Girly Girl in Just Ten Days//. New York, NY: Scholastic. (ISBN: 978-0-439-89058-8)
==Lisa Papademetriou’s book is a story about Nicolette Spicer, who is a tomboy. She wants to get the attention of her crush, Ben. Her best friend Lindsay suggests that she undergo a makeover and become more of a girly girl. Nick (as she is called) struggles with looking like a girl, but staying herself. (Checked out from Natcher Elementary School Library)==

Pattison, Darcy. (2006). //19 Girls and Me.// Illustrated by: Salerno, Steven. New York, NY: Philomel Books. (ISBN: 978-0-399-24336-3)
==The picture book, //19 Girls and Me// is about a boy named John Hercules Po and his kindergarten class. When he arrives, he discovers that the whole class is made of 19 girls and only 1 boy, John Hercules Po. His brother teases him and tells him that he will be turned into a sissy by having a class full of all those girls. John Hercules Po quickly discovers at recess that they are all just good friends and they play together and let their imaginations run wild. (Checked out from Natcher Elementary Library)==

Pierce, Tamora. (1983). //Alanna: The First Adventure.// New York, NY: Random House. (ISBN: 0-679-80114-6)
==Alanna wants to become a knight, but it is forbidden for girls to become knights. Therefore, she switches places with her brother Thom and disguises herself as a boy. Alanna works hard to master weapons, combat, magic, polite behavior and her own temper. Alanna has to learn how to tell the difference between friends and enemies along her adventure. This book is full of adventure, action and is fast-paced. (Checked out from Warren County Public Library)==

Qamar, Amjed. (2008). //Beneath My Mother’s Feet.// New York, NY: Athenuem Books for Young Readers. (ISBN: 1-41694728-0)
==//Beneath My Mother’s Feet// is a heart-wrenching story about a young girl who is torn away from everything she is familiar with and forced into preparations for an arranged marriage. Nazia’s father is injured and she is forced to clean houses with her mother in a wealthy part of Pakistan. Nazia does not want her future to be planned for her, so she rebels against all of her parent’s plans. (Checked out from the Warren County Public Library)==

Rosenstiehl, Agnes. (2010). //Silly Lilly in What Will I Be Today?//. New York, NY: Toon Books, a division of RAW Junior. (ISBN: 978-1-935179-08-5)
==This easy-to-read picture book, in comic-strip format, is about a young girl who explores a different “job” every day of the week—cook, city planner, musician, acrobat, vampire, teacher, and candy-taster. While the book does not necessarily present Lilly in typical “female” roles, neither does it allow her to explore many jobs outside of the realm of female-stereotyped occupations. Therefore, the book does not offer an accurate look at modern occupations available for girls and women. (Checked out from the Lexington Public Library)==

Rowling, J.K. (1998). //Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.// New York, NY: Scholastic Press. (ISBN: 0-590-35340-3)
==The //Harry Potter// series is still well-known and quite popular among adolescent readers. In this first book of the series, readers meet many of the main characters who will be further developed throughout the series. The main character is Harry Potter, and the two primary supporting characters are his best friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. The three learn to control their magical powers at their school, Hogwarts, and have many adventures together.== ==This book appeals to both boys and girls, although the adventure aspect of the book (and the series) makes it a great book to recommend to boys. Both the male and female characters in the book are well-developed, and the characters are not overly stereotypically masculine or feminine. The book encourages both boys and girls to use their resources to solve problems and to persevere in the face of adversity. (Personal Collection)==

==Stauffacher, Sue. (2011). //Tillie the Terrible Swede: How one woman, a sewing needle, and a bicycle changed history.// Illus. Sarah McMenemy. New York, NY: Random House Children’s Books. (ISBN: 978-0-375-84442-3).== ==This picture book introduces readers to Tillie Anderson, a pioneer in women’s bicycling in the 1890s. Tillie was determined to not only learn how to ride a bicycle, but also redefine the sport of cycling to allow women to competitively race. The book shows children a part of the history of sports in America and how women were discouraged from participating. Tillie’s story, presented in this easy-to-read picture-book format, encourages girls to continue striving for athletic excellence and to work to make changes in the way girls are treated in athletics. (Checked out from the Lexington Public Library)==

Sturtevant, Katherine. (2000). //At the Sign of the Star//. New York, NY: Farrar Straus Giroux. (ISBN: 0-374-30449-1)
==//At the Sign of the Star// is set in London. Meg is a twelve year-old girl, who works with her father in his bookstore. Her mother has passed and she is an only child. Meg will one day inherit her father’s bookstore. Her father decides to remarry and since her new stepmother will have a son, Meg will no longer inherit her father’s store. Susannah, her new stepmother is determined to teach Meg girly things, such as cooking and needlework. Meg is not interested and she finds her solace in the books that she reads from her father’s shop. (Checked out from the Warren County Public Library)==

Van Allsburg, Chris. (2011). //Queen of the Falls.// New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. (ISBN: 978-0-547-31581-2)
==Van Allsburg’s book tells the story of Annie Edson Taylor, the only woman in history to have successfully gone over Niagara Falls alone (at age 62, in 1901). While Mrs. Taylor did not become famous as she had hoped, her message to listeners is that she is proud of what she accomplished. This book shows children that, throughout history, there have been strong, daredevil women who are unafraid to break the social norms of their time. The book also shows children, especially girls, that they should be proud of the decisions they make. (Checked out from the Lexington Public Library)==

Wheeler, Arville. (2000). //White Squaw: The True Story of Jennie Wiley.// Ashland, KY: Jesse Stuart Foundation. (ISBN: 0-945084-82-X)
==Jennie Wiley was a Kentucky pioneer who is known for her astounding bravery when her family was attacked by Native Indians. She watched the Indians kill her children and brother, then bargained for her own life and that of her baby. The Indians took her captive and gave her the name of White Squaw. After being held captive for a long time, Jennie was finally able to escape and not long after was reunited with her husband.== ==Reading this book about Jennie Wiley shows how brave women have been throughout history. The strength and love for her family that Jennie exhibited stands as an example for girls and women today. This book, one of few biographies about Jennie Wiley, is a fantastic read for intermediate students. The themes in the book—courage, determination, and love—are universal and timeless, allowing the book to have a strong impact on many young readers.==

Wilder, Laura Ingalls. (1935). //Little House on the Prairie.// New York, NY: Harper and Row.
==//Little House on the Prairie// and the other books by Laura Ingalls Wilder are classics that the majority of girls read as they grow up. The books are about the adventures and daily life of a pioneer family in the 1800s in the Midwest United States. The books are centered on a young girl, Laura, and are actual accounts of the author’s life. //Little House on the Prairie// has become a classic, in part because of the way Laura portrays the family unit. The Ingalls family is close-knit and always watches out for one another, teaching readers about priorities and values. The book, as well as the many sequels in the series, is also an example of excellent female character development. In her books, Laura shows the great strength of pioneer women. Although many of the events in //Little House on the Prairie// show stereotypical male/female roles, these were typical of the time period. There are also many events that break the stereotypes, especially for the time period in which the stories took place. Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books will always be a positive example for young girls growing up in modern times. (From personal collection and personal experience)==