Congratulations to Bachelor of Child and Youth Care Faculty Member Janet Seow on Her Recent Publications!
Tags: Vol. 5, January 2025, Issue 1
BCYC faculty member Janet Rosemary Seow published the chapter “Black Canadian Children’s Literature: Evolution, Writers, and Impact,” in The Routledge Handbook of Black Canadian Literature (2024). Seow’s chapter delves into Black Canadian children's literature, its development over more than 60 years, and the influential writers who have defined the genre. It examines stories that reflect the diverse experiences of Black childhood, as narrated by both Black Canadians and African immigrants who have made Canada their home. The Routledge Handbook of Black Canadian Literature was edited by Leslie Sanders and Andrea A. Davis.
In 2025 Seow will be publishing an article in the inter-disciplinary academic journal Jeunesse: Young People, Texts, and Cultures. “Black Youth Reading for Pleasure in Alternative Spaces” addresses the notable gap in understanding the pleasure reading interests of Black youth in Toronto, with even less known about the preferences of Black nerds. Research on the reading interests of Black youth and the impact of intersectionality on their lives and choices is limited. Studies focusing on Black literature often emphasize trend analysis and the scarcity of books promoting diversity. This article provides a unique perspective on an important subcultural group and their engagement with pleasure reading. It is based on qualitative participatory research conducted with Black youth aged 16-25 in Toronto, Canada.