We are inviting submissions for an open themed issue.
Deadline: February 15, 2012
We invite reviews of any children’s or adolescent title that is international in nature and of any genre. Topics can be related to social issues, cultural diversity, or universal topics, such as humor or fantasy. The review should take a critical stance in terms of the book’s cultural authenticity and accuracy. Particularly consider recent titles as well as titles from smaller presses that may not be as well known.
Please carefully read the guidelines that provide the required format and conceptualize the expected content of the review. Also read through published reviews in our previous issues and use the same format for a submission. Additionally, by examining previous reviews, a reviewer can discover various approaches that others have taken to discussing authenticity and determine the titles that have already been reviewed. If you have questions regarding a submission, please email Janelle.mathis@unt.edu.
Submit your WOW Review online. or email reviews to Janelle Mathis.
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WOW extends a call for critical reviews of children’s and adolescent international literature to be published in WOW Review: Reading Across Cultures, an electronic journal of Worlds of Words. Generally, WOW Review issues focus on a theme, though some issues are unthemed. Future issue themes and deadlines are listed at the end of the page. The criteria for reviews include:
•Books published throughout the world, including the U.S., that represent life within a specific cultural group, especially as related to the global community.
•The review lists the complete bibliographic information for the book.
•The review begins with a careful summary of the content or story, including both text and illustrations. Issues of culture that relate to the content should be highlighted using a broad definition of culture, including ethnicity, language, gender, geographical areas, age, socio-economics, historical eras, physically/mentally challenged individuals, religion, etc.
•Consideration of literacy excellence for text and illustrations, including criteria for evaluating particular genres as related to the authenticity of the book and an indication of the major themes highlighted within the book.
•A critique of the cultural authenticity of both text and illustration.
•Citation of sources used to evaluate authenticity, such as personal communication with individuals from a particular cultural group, perspectives from media sources, personal insights, author’s notes and research citations. Background information about the author and illustrator should be included.
•List other related texts that might extend thinking about a particular cultural group, life experience, or theme and other information useful to educators such as the age level of the audience for whom the book is most appropriate.
Evaluating cultural authenticity is complex and includes issues of accuracy, cultural values, and diverse lifestyles and perspectives within a cultural group as represented in text and illustration. Criteria for exploring cultural authenticity can assist reviewers in this process.
The reviews should be written in APA format, organized using a similar format to the reviews in the current journal issue, and be 500-800 words in length including the bibliographic and author information. Further guidance on determining cultural authenticity can be found in the introduction to the inaugural issue of WOW Review: Reading Across Cultures. Please submit reviews for possible publication via e-mail. Be sure to include your name, professional affiliation, and location.
Additional Resources:
1) Stories Matter, The Complexity of Cultural Authenticity in Children’s Literature (Fox & Short, 2003)
2) PDF of criteria for exploring cultural authenticity (Short, 2008)
Deadlines
WOW Review publishes original reviews on international books on the following schedule for issue foci and submission deadlines:
May 1, 2012
Theme: Representations of Contemporary Global Communities
As we introduce readers to the global community through literature, the available resources are frequently those that represent historical perspective on events and people of the past. Folklore, as well, offers insight into the past through cultural values presented through story. Such books can provide important contexts for considering diversity, images of contemporary people, events, and lifestyles and are critical to young readers developing authentic perspectives of life in other countries and cultures than their own. With this in mind, WOW Review issues a call for reviews of books that present contemporary representations of the global society. Within both picture and chapter books of all genres, what books might provide excellent points of connection, contemplation, and conversation as teachers and learners work to position themselves within this society and understand the others who whom they share the world. The reviews may include titles representative of any genre and any aspect of contemporary life—the realism of daily living; social, political and environmental issues and their effects on the people of a community, books that focus on the natural world, books that present both urban and rural life; or other topics that reflect today’s world. As young readers in a world where technology continues to shorten the path between global cultures, these future citizens will be expected to build relationships and make critical decisions within an international context. This issue of WOW is intended to provide examples of excellent resources for teachers who realize their role in preparing an informed and involved future citizenry.
Please carefully read the guidelines that provide the required format and conceptualize the expected content of the review. Also read through published reviews in our previous issues and use the same format for a submission. Additionally, by examining previous reviews, a reviewer can discover various approaches that others have taken to discussing authenticity and determine the titles that have already been reviewed. If you have questions regarding a submission, please email Janelle.mathis@unt.edu.
August 1, 2012
Open theme issue
