New World Orders in Contemporary Children's Literature: Utopian Transformations (Critical Approaches to Children's Literature)

New World Orders demonstrates how contemporary children's texts draw on utopian and dystopian tropes in their projections of possible futures. In examining a diverse range of international children's literature and film produced between 1988 and 2006, the authors explore the ways in which children's texts respond to social change and global politics, giving shape to children's perceived anxieties and desires. The book argues that children's texts are crucially implicated in shaping the values of their readers. Children's Texts Are Highly Responsive To Social Change And To Global Politics, And Are Implicated In Shaping The Values Of Children And Young People. New World Orders Shows How Texts For Children And Young People Have Responded To The Cultural, Economic And Political Movements Of The Last Fifteen Years. With A Focus On International Children's Texts Produced Between 1988 And 2006, The Authors Discuss How Utopian And Dystopian Tropes Are Pressed Into Service To Project Possible Futures To Child Readers. The Book Considers What These Texts Have To Say About Globalization, Neocolonialism, Environmental Issues, Pressures On Families And Communities, And The Idea Of The Posthuman. This Fascinating Volume Is The First Thorough Study Of How Children's Books Imagine And Propose Possible Worlds And Societies. A New World Order Or A New Dark Age? -- Children's Texts, New World Orders And Transformative Possibilities -- Masters, Slaves And Entrepreneurs: Globalised Utopias And New World Order(ing)s -- The Lure Of The Lost Paradise: Postcolonial Utopias -- Reweaving Nature And Culture: Reading Ecocritically -- 'radiant With Possibility': Communities And Utopianism -- Ties That Bind: Reconceptualising Home And Family -- The Struggle To Be Human In A Posthuman World -- The Future: What Are Our Prospects? Clare Bradford [and Others]. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 193-201) And Index. Front Matter....Pages i-vi A New World Order or a New Dark Age?....Pages 1-10 Children’s Texts, New World Orders and Transformative Possibilities....Pages 11-34 Masters, Slaves, and Entrepreneurs: Globalised Utopias and New World Order(ing)s....Pages 35-58 The Lure of the Lost Paradise: Postcolonial Utopias....Pages 59-78 Reweaving Nature and Culture: Reading Ecocritically....Pages 79-104 ‘Radiant with Possibility’: Communities and Utopianism....Pages 105-129 Ties that Bind: Reconceptualising Home and Family....Pages 130-153 The Struggle to be Human in a Posthuman World....Pages 154-181 Conclusion: The Future: What are Our Prospects?....Pages 182-185 Back Matter....Pages 186-207 "New World Orders shows how texts for children and young people have responded to the cultural, economic, and political movements of the last 15 years. With a focus on international children's text produced between 1988 and 2006, the authors discuss how utopian and dystopian tropes are pressed into service to project possible futures to child readers. The book considers what these texts have to say about globalisation, neocolonialism, environmental issues, pressures on families and communities, and the idea of the posthuman."--Jacket This book demonstrates how contemporary children's texts draw on utopian and dystopian tropes in their projections of possible futures. The authors explore the ways in which children's texts respond to social change and global politics. The book argues that children's texts are crucially implicated in shaping the values of their readers.