The Missouri Reader Vol. 36, Issue 1 | Page 9

class using the theories and methods of critical content
analysis (Krippendorff, 2003; Short, 1995). We
focused on ten children‘s books, some of which were
included in a critical review of children‘s literature
that included themes of poverty (Kelley, Rosenberfer,
Bothelho, 2005). We also chose books from book
lists, critical reviews of picture books and
recommendations from colleagues. All 10 books
include main characters clearly marked by social class.
The majority of the books focused on poverty from
the perspective of those living in poverty. Our
analysis of the books drew on an understanding of
social class that includes income and accumulated
wealth (economic class), the power to influence the
public/political sphere (political class) and education
and lifestyle (cultural class). We focused on how the
content of the books was constructed across the texts
and the illustrations. (See Table 1 for a list of books.)

How are Social Class and Poverty
Represented in Children’s
Literature?
In what follows, we focus on three themes that
arose across the books: the representation of social
class, the representation of labor and social action and
agency. We illustrate these themes with excerpts
from the children‘s literature. Along the way, we
hope to share some of the issues that teachers might
explore with students as they include these books in
their curriculum. We should also note that we think it
would be unreasonable to expect any one narrative
for young people to tell the complicated story of
poverty. Yet, unpacking the narratives told in books
reveals a telling story about what is included and
excluded.

Representation of Social Class
How do the authors represent social class? The
books we analyzed address the material realities of living
in poverty (e.g. housing, unemployment, health care,
education) across rural and urban settings. To a lesser
extent they represent issues that contribute to or cause
poverty (e.g. structural inequalities, exploitation) and

conditions that help people move out of poverty (e.g. fair
wages, health care and education).
Material Realities of Living in Poverty. In the book
Getting through Thursday (Cooper, 1998), the children
complain that the kitchen is empty, the toothpaste is
gone and their pet bird does not have food. The
mother, an African American woman who works as a
lunch lady, is depicted as resourceful and teaches
them to make due with what they have. Cooper
(1998) writes, ―every week‘s the same. The only
difference is the things we run out of.‖ In the book
Spuds (Hesse, 2007), the material realities of living in
poverty are described both in the illustrations and the
text: there is not enough food, the mother works
many hours and they live in a run-down house.
In the book Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen
(DiSalvo, 1991) and The Lady in the Box (McGovern,
1997), the issues of homelessness and housing are
addressed. In Tight Times (Shook Hazen, 1979) and
The Rag Coat (Mills, 1991), unemployment is
addressed. In The Rag Coat, the father must stop
working in a coal mine because he develops (and
eventually dies of) "miner‘s lung." In Going Home and
Amelia’s Road forced immigration and child labor are
addressed.
Many of the books included the dangers
associated with living in poverty. For instance, in The
Streets are Free the children play in the roads and get
their kites stuck in electrical wires. There is a lack of
infrastructure such as running water, roads and access
to government. Finally, the danger of getting arrested
is included in the book. In Something Beautiful the
dangers of urban poverty are illustrated (alleys, hate
speech written on walls). Many pages have bars on the
windows, possibly symbolizing danger and being
trapped in a social and economic situation. Several of
the books mentioned the danger of weather
conditions on those living without sufficient housing
(The Woman in the Cardboard Box, The Rag Coat, Going
Home, The All I’ll Ever Want). In Going Home, the
danger of crossing the border for Mexican Americans
is addressed.
The authors include some of the most serious
realities for people living in poverty. However, in all

©The Missouri Reader, 36 (1) p. 9