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ERIC Number: EJ748647
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006
Pages: 4
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1521-7779
EISSN: N/A
Sense of Place and Displacement: Exploring International Places in the Writing of Dianne Case
Lehman, Barbara
Journal of Children's Literature, v32 n2 p66-69 Fall 2006
This article profiles South African author Dianne Case, whose works are herein recommended to American children to gain a sense of what life was and, in some respects, still is like for many people in that country. Themes surrounding apartheid that pervade Case's stories echo many of her own life experiences. Case asserts that although young readers do not identify with the situations presented in her book, "92 Queens Road," and are baffled by the "stupidity of apartheid," they still need to be exposed to this history. American children also can benefit in comparing this time period to that of America's own continuing struggles for equality and its own history or legal segregation. Another work, "Love, David," presents issues with which children in South Africa still can identity with, namely issues surrounding street children, dangers in the townships, high unemployment, domestic violence, and glue sniffing by children. Case believes that education is essential to the way out of these situations and thinks that schools can help alleviate a diverse set of problems. Her book, "What a Gentleman!," celebrating the life of Nelson Mandela, was published by Kwagga, a company that she founded. A Kwagga is a mythical creature, half horse and half zebra, like a displaced horse, symbolic of some South African citizens. She uses Kwagga to facilitate creative writing workshops for adults who have numerous stories to tell to younger generations of readers, but who are not getting attention from mainstream publishers. Case's stories depict a strong sense of place, enabling readers to identify with their universal themes of love, survival, and justice. (Contains 4 notes.)
Children's Literature Assembly. 940 Vandalia Road, Morgantown, WV 26501. Tel: 304-291-2393; Fax: 304-291-2393; e-mail: jcl@wvnet.edu; Web site: http://www.childrensliteratureassembly.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: South Africa
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A