From Boys to Men
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€91.99
A01=Gregory M. Pfitzer
American identity formation
archival insights into juvenile literature
Author_Gregory M. Pfitzer
book history
boyhood in American print culture
boys
boys' moral instruction
Category=DSY
Category=JBSF2
children's books
children's publishing history
Cold War masculinity
constructions of race in mid-century literature
contested images of American heroes
cultural anxieties about delinquency
cultural history of American boyhood
debates over accuracy vs. inspiration
depictions of citizenship
educational role of popular biographies
eq_bestseller
eq_biography-true-stories
eq_isMigrated=1
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_nobargain
eq_non-fiction
eq_society-politics
gender socialization in print
gendered reading practices
historical perspectives on youth development
history
history of gender in publishing
influence of Cold War ideology
intersections of psychology and literature
literary constructions of manhood
literary shaping of national ideals
masculinity as cultural project
masculinity in Cold War era publishing
mid-twentieth century American culture
moral lessons in popular nonfiction
portrayals of responsibility in children's books
publishing
publishing industry archives
publishing strategies of Bobbs-Merrill
simplified historical storytelling
social concerns in mid-century pedagogy
sociological debates on boyhood
stereotypes in juvenile biographies
teaching success through narrative
twentieth century American readership
youth literature analysis
Product details
- ISBN 9781625347961
- Dimensions: 152 x 229mm
- Publication Date: 26 Jul 2024
- Publisher: University of Massachusetts Press
- Publication City/Country: US
- Product Form: Hardback
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While adult concern about gender in children’s books has made recent headlines, this discussion is far from new. As Gregory M. Pfitzer reveals, the writers and editors at Bobbs-Merrill, the publisher of the Childhood of Famous Americans book series published between 1932 and 1958, thought carefully about how their books would influence the development of their male readers. These books emphasized inspiring tales over historical accuracy and were written in simple language, with characters, dialogue, and stories that were intended to teach boys how to be successful men.
But this was a specific image of American manhood. Published in an era when sociologists, psychologists, and other experts worried about male delinquency, the men envisioned in these books were steeped in Cold War racial and gender stereotypes, and questions about citizenship and responsibility. Based on deep archival research into the publication history of the series, “From Boys to Men” sheds light on current controversies on children’s books and presentations of gender diversity.
Gregory M. Pfitzer is professor of American studies at Skidmore College and author, most recently, of “Fame is Not Just for the Fellas”: Female Renown and the Childhood of Famous Americans Series.
