When beginning and thinking about this project I was interested in selecting books published between 2008-2010. I completed a basic search on African American juvenile ficition to see what titles were available. I knew that if possible I wanted to find books written by authors other than the well-known African American authors such as Jerry Pinkney, Jacqueline Woodson, and Walter Dean Myers. Also my goal was not necessarily to look for books written by African American authors as long as some characters were African Americans and presented an accurate and positive portrayal of African American youth. None of the titles selected had been previously read or used in library programming.
With this project I wanted to identify recently published books that may offer contemporary settings and issues that may be of interest to today's youth. Five out of the nine books selected have contemporary settings. Two of the titles are set in the Depression era. One title takes place in the segregated South, prior to civil rights movement. The graphic novel takes place in the 20th century. While several of the books were not set in the 21st century I believe the the majority of the characters in the books offer a positive portrayal of African American youth throughout the United States, as books were set in SC, MA, LA, IL, NY, PA, MI, and VA. Today's youth may not be denied a library card, but they may still be able to relate to wanting something and being refused due to cirumstances beyond their control (i.e age).
For the online resources and new media, I was hoping to continue with the search to locate resources that presented a representation of African American youth. Often youth of color are at the mercy of mainstream media and do not have the same opportunities to see themselves positively portrayed in movies, games, and web content.
With the online resources I had hoped to be able to narrow a search for African American characters in online and video games. I was unsuccessful. Also with the book review site the reviewed books highlighted the mainstream African American authors of whom we are familiar. There was an annual Black History Month list available. Unfortunately I did not see many reviews for newer materials portraying African American youth.
The new media resources showed some improvement in presenting African American youth. The STACKS site provided video interviews with African American celebrities talking about their favorite books. The majority of the site would be enjoyable by youth of color, but they would not see themselves reflected in the many of the books and games available. The character on the39clues.com is the stereotypical young rapper-wanna-be male. The Digital Youth Network offered the most comprehensive representation of African American youth. I believe this is due to the population of Chicago and the program reflects the youth that are being served in Chicago schools and communities. Youth looking at this program may feel encouraged to pursue and participate because they are able to see peers and mentors that represent a familiar culture.
