This article is a critical content analysis of Children's Choice award‐winning picture books from 2000 to 2014. The “critical” part of the analysis consists of selecting archetypes for males presented in these texts based on applying feminist poststructuralist literacy theory that situates literacy and language at the center of gender identity manifestation. In this analysis, the dominant archetypes for male characters tended to be Wildman, Friend, and Creator. In many books, male protagonists used literacy to maintain or develop a positive identity throughout the plot of the book, as reading, writing, and symbolic communication increased choices for male characters and offered insight through language, often inspiring change. Our findings suggest that deficit views of young males’ literacy practices still appear in award‐winning picture books but are becoming more complex and positive. This matters because picture books reveal values of literacy as characters read or write or engage in symbolic communication.
In this Teaching Tips article, we discuss our efforts to create and utilize translanguaging interactive read‐aloud videos as part of a community‐wide reading program focused on the reading and discussing of a shared book. Offering translanguaging spaces for bilingual readers in area elementary classrooms and the community, these videos were designed to help readers develop their literacy skills by encouraging them to engage with the chosen book's content by drawing on their full linguistic repertoires. After introducing our project, we outline the translanguaging theoretical framework guiding our read‐aloud videos and offer suggestions for teachers interested in exploring ways to create translanguaging spaces in their classrooms.
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