Retellings of classic fairy tales have become increasingly popular in the past decade, but little research has been done on the novelizations written for a young adult (YA) audience. Critical multicultural analysis determining the effect of race, gender, disability, and more has been completed for both original fairy tale retellings and fairy tale retellings for children, but scholars have neglected popular YA novelizations. This study aims to determine how traditional masculinity and femininity affect agency in both male and female characters in YA novelizations of Cinderella. To examine the role of traditional masculinity and femininity in young adult novelizations of Cinderella, a qualitative study was designed to look at the five main archetypal characters of Cinderella, the prince, the stepmother and stepsisters, and the fairy godmother. The study used critical multicultural analysis as defined by Botelho & Rudman (2009) to examine uses of agency and other utilization of power from the characters, and the Bem Sex Role Inventory (1974) was employed to determine traditionally masculine and feminine traits exhibited by characters. Each novel was analyzed on an individual level to determine how traditional masculinity and femininity affected the agency of the characters, after the books were examined on a broader level to establish themes found across the selection. The general trend seemed to indicate that traditionally feminine traits hinder the agency of female characters while affecting male characters less or not at all. The analysis is followed by a discussion about the implications for both educators and readers of young adult literature.

Current events and social movements aimed at bringing awareness to oppressed groups have reminded us that the United States has still not achieved justice and equality for all. Social and political tensions have become inescapable in our increasingly connected world. Therefore, students need to learn about diverse ways of knowing and being in a pluralistic society. Since publishing and education companies compete for business, the amount of digital and print resources available to teachers can be overwhelming. Because a vital component of a multicultural education includes diverse materials that authentically portray views and experiences from a wide range of cultures, traditions, and values, it is necessary to critically analyze the curricular content that teachers are expected to use in their classrooms. The purpose of this study is to analyze the literature that is included in district-approved book lists for public schools to determine how these texts support the principles of multiculturalism and multicultural education in sixth-grade classrooms. The tenets of critical multicultural analysis (CMA) guided this critical content analysis. Because teachers in these districts are limited to choosing books from approved lists to read with their students, the texts for this study were selected from approved literature lists that were provided by three public schools in North Texas. Although previous research on curricula and textbook analysis is available, little of that research analyzes approved literature lists in public schools. Since school districts are preparing to teach changing demographics and are striving to become more equitable, this study can offer insight into how the chosen texts align with broader district goals for meeting the academic, social, and emotional needs of each student.

Retellings of classic fairy tales have become increasingly popular in the past decade, but little research has been done on the novelizations written for a young adult (YA) audience. Critical multicultural analysis determining the effect of race, gender, disability, and more has been completed for both original fairy tale retellings and fairy tale retellings for children, but scholars have neglected popular YA novelizations. This study aims to determine how traditional masculinity and femininity affect agency in both male and female characters in YA novelizations of Cinderella. To examine the role of traditional masculinity and femininity in young adult novelizations of Cinderella, a qualitative study was designed to look at the five main archetypal characters of Cinderella, the prince, the stepmother and stepsisters, and the fairy godmother. The study used critical multicultural analysis as defined by Botelho & Rudman (2009) to examine uses of agency and other utilization of power from the characters, and the Bem Sex Role Inventory (1974) was employed to determine traditionally masculine and feminine traits exhibited by characters. Each novel was analyzed on an individual level to determine how traditional masculinity and femininity affected the agency of the characters, after the books were examined on a broader level to establish themes found across the selection. The general trend seemed to indicate that traditionally feminine traits hinder the agency of female characters while affecting male characters less or not at all. The analysis is followed by a discussion about the implications for both educators and readers of young adult literature.

The purpose of this study was to analyze teacher-selected children's literature for its potential use with critical pedagogy in the elementary classroom. This multi-analytical study uses tenets from critical multicultural analysis (CMA) and components from visual analysis (VA) to guide a critical content analysis of teacher-selected children's literature. Since it is the only nationally-recognized book list solely selected by educators, the texts for this study were selected from the Teachers' Choices Reading List titles. Although prior research on teacher-selected literature for the potential use of critical pedagogy in the elementary classroom does not exist, the results of this study show many opportunities for such within the last three years of the Teachers' Choices Reading List. A discussion on these results is presented through Paulo Freire's concept of critical pedagogy, as described in three stages: critique, hope, and action. Implications for practice and research are suggested based on the results of the study.