This study analyses three children’s books, selected from a list of bestsellers during 2016. The selected books are intended for children aged 6–9 and are categorized as easy reading. The aim of the study is to analyse how girls and boys are portrayed in children’s literature from a gender perspective. With this study we want to bring greater awareness and understanding of gender in children’s literature. When children read, they create new experiences and ideas about the world around them. As a teacher it is therefore important to have gender awareness when choosing books in the classroom. The analyses showed that the books contained not only reproductions of traditional gender patterns but also characters who went against the norms. This result agreed in part with previous research and the prevailing discourses in society.

Syftet med detta arbete är att öka kunskapen om jämställdhet och genusnormer kopplat till barnlitteratur. Vi har använt metoden barnlitteraturanalys för att undersöka hur karaktärerna skildras utifrån ett genusperspektiv. Undersökningen baserades på tre verk som valdes utifrån topplistan för barn- och ungdomslitteratur 2023. Detta val grundas på att det är många barn som läser de böckerna. Utifrån analyserna framkom det både karaktärer som är stereotypt porträtterade samt normbrytande. De tydligaste dragen som upptäcktes var att särskilt mammorna porträtteras stereotypiskt. Utöver detta framställs kvinnorna som normbrytande då de är ledare. / The purpose of the study is to increase knowledge about equality and gender norms in children’s literature. Children’s literature analysis was used as the method. In the analysis, we examined how characters are depicted from a gender perspective. The study was based on three books selected from a top list of children’s and youth literature 2023. The reason for selecting books from the top list is because many children encounter these books in some way. It was found in the analysis that characters are both stereotypical and norm breaking. The most prominent aspects were that adults, especially mothers, were stereotypical portrayed. Furthermore, women are depicted as leaders, which is norm breaking.