Learning Disabilities In Children And Adolescent Literature Summary

Prater, Mary Anne. "Learning Disabilities In Children's And Adolescent Literature: How Are Characters Portrayed?." Learning Disability Quarterly 26.1 (2003): 47-62. ERIC. Web. 8 Oct. 2015.
Mary Prater, author of "Learning Disabilities in Children's and Adolescent Literature: How are Characters Portrayed?" is dean of the McKay School of Education as well as a professor at Brigham Young University. She earned her Ph.D. at Utah State University. She has worked at many different universities throughout her career. Prater is the author or co-author of six books as well as an extensive list of publications. One of her research interests includes "the portrayal of disabilities in children's and young adult literature" according to her employee profile

3 of the Journal of the American Association of School Librarians, a division of the American Library Association. It mostly refers to the things that librarians should look for while ordering books about disabilities for their libraries. In her criteria, she includes accurate illustrations, appropriate language, as in proper terms for disabilities, and the way in which the disabled are portrayed. Furthermore, Wopperer includes realistic characterization, universal plots and settings, and accuracy as other criteria to be mindful of before choosing books to read in the classroom or to be held in the library. Within her article, Wopperer incorporates quotes from Beverley Brenna and references Mary Prater's studies and findings. I found this article to be strong and useful due to its references to other authors and researchers. I believe that librarians would benefit most from this particular selection and teachers would benefit second most. I felt that this source was reliable and useful for one studying how to choose books for children that depict disabilities, and I believe that I would recommend it to professionals when given the

Kurtts earned her Ph.D. at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where she is now "an assistant professor in the Department of Specialized Education Services" (Kurtts and Gavigan). Karen Gavigan also earned her Ph.D. at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and is now the "Director of the Teaching Resources Center" (Kurtts and Gavigan). The two women have "presented … at regional and international professional education conferences on the use of children's and young adult literature to help students and teachers understand disabilities" (Kurtts and Gavigan). In their publication titled "Understanding (Dis)abilities Through Children's Literature," Kurtts and Gavigan introduce the term "bibliotherapy" which is "the process of using literature in therapeutic ways" (Kurtts and Gavigan). These women have based their research and article on the idea that literature can be therapeutic especially for children with disabilities; the books that depict other children with certain disabilities can help the child to understand, relate, and make them feel not so alone. They believe that these types of books can also help non disabled children relate to the disabled. Kurtts and Gavigan also included references to Mary Prater's research done on the ninety books with disabled children. I felt that this piece was strong, useful, and recommendable because it lived up to its title and gave ways in which children could understand disabilities through literature