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ERIC Number: EJ1355356
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022
Pages: 14
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1521-7779
EISSN: N/A
Far Apart, Close in Heart: Exploring Representations of Familial Incarceration in Children's Picturebooks
Maton, Rhiannon M.; Dexter, Breeanna; McKeon, Nicolette; Urias-Velasquez, Emily; Washington, Breanna
Journal of Children's Literature, v48 n2 p19-32 Fall 2022
Nationally, one in 100 adults is currently incarcerated. Meanwhile, more than 2.7 million U.S. children--or one in 28 children (The Pew Charitable Trusts, 2010)--currently have a parent who is incarcerated, and many more U.S. children face the daily effects of familial incarceration due to past parental incarceration or the incarceration of other family members and loved ones. For the purpose of this article, "familial incarceration" refers to the penal imprisonment of a child's close family member(s), including parents, siblings, grandparents, guardians or close caregivers, or others recognized by a child to be a member of their immediate family. In recent years there has been a steady increase in the number of published children's picturebooks addressing the topic of familial incarceration. Such texts present opportunities for children to see reflections of their own experiences, learn about families who are similar to and different from their own, and challenge the stigma often associated with incarceration. This study examines how selected texts depict the racial identities of family members who are incarcerated, issues and circumstances surrounding the theme of breaking the law, modes of communication used by children to stay in touch with family members who are incarcerated, and the various socioemotional support systems available for children.
Children's Literature Assembly. e-mail: info@childrensliteratureassembly.org; Web site: https://www.childrensliteratureassembly.org/journal.html
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Information Analyses
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A