Raising Your Kids Right

Children's Literature and American Political Conservatism

By Michelle Ann Abate

SERIES: Rutgers Series in Childhood Studies

Rutgers University Press

Dr. Seuss's classic character the Lorax has delighted children for decades while passing along a powerful message about environmental responsibility. The book's young readers, and their parents, would likely be surprised by the emergence of a new character, Truax, a kindly logger created by a longtime employee of the wood products industry, who, not surprisingly, has a far different viewpoint to share. Yet the Truax character, and the book of the same name, is just one example of a growing genre of conservative-themed narratives for young readers spawned by the continuing strength of the American political right.

Highlighting the works of William Bennett, Lynne Cheney, Bill O'Reilly, and others, Michelle Ann Abate brings together such diverse fields as cultural studies, literary criticism, political science, childhood studies, brand marketing, and the cult of celebrity. Raising Your Kids Right dispels lingering societal attitudes that narratives for young readers are unworthy of serious political study by examining a variety of texts that offer information, ideology, and even instructions on how to raise kids right, not just figuratively but politically.

Few people are aware of the right's attempts to use children's literature ideologically to indoctrinate American youth. While this book will certainly be valuable to scholars of children's literature and education, those outside of academe should also sit up and take notice. Philip Nel, coeditor of Tales for Little Rebels

Raising Your Kids Right is an eye-opening examination of how the contemporary conservative movement has deployed children's literature. Michelle Ann Abate adds a crucial dimension to the study of the conservative movement while simultaneously expanding the discussion about the intersections of children's literature and American politics. Children's Literature Association Quarterly

A timely and engaging study of the rise of conservative children's books published in the United States. It is a valuable study of the political nature of some of children's literature as it zeros in on a handful of high-profile conservative titles published since the 1990s. Jan Susina, Teachers College Record

A brilliant study that marks a significant intervention in both the fields of political science and children's literature. The Lion and the Unicorn

The role of children's literature in laying the groundwork for future generations to embrace conservatism is worth exploring and understanding. Abate's book helps open that conversation, while leaving plenty of questions for future scholars to pursue. Journal of the History of Childhood and Youth

Few people are aware of the right's attempts to use children's literature ideologically to indoctrinate American youth. While this book will certainly be valuable to scholars of children's literature and education, those outside of academe should also sit up and take notice. Philip Nel, coeditor of Tales for Little Rebels

Raising Your Kids Right is an eye-opening examination of how the contemporary conservative movement has deployed children's literature. Michelle Ann Abate adds a crucial dimension to the study of the conservative movement while simultaneously expanding the discussion about the intersections of children's literature and American politics. Children's Literature Association Quarterly

A timely and engaging study of the rise of conservative children's books published in the United States. It is a valuable study of the political nature of some of children's literature as it zeros in on a handful of high-profile conservative titles published since the 1990s. Jan Susina, Teachers College Record

A brilliant study that marks a significant intervention in both the fields of political science and children's literature. The Lion and the Unicorn

The role of children's literature in laying the groundwork for future generations to embrace conservatism is worth exploring and understanding. Abate's book helps open that conversation, while leaving plenty of questions for future scholars to pursue. Journal of the History of Childhood and Youth

Michelle Ann Abate is an associate professor in the English department at Hollins University. She is the author of Tomboys: A Literary and Cultural History, and the editor of the journal Children's Literature.

Introduction. “In Adam’s Fall, We Sinned All”: The Conservative Tradition in U.S. Children’s Literature, Culture, and Politics
1 “Give Me Some of That Old-Time Reading”: William Bennett’s The Book of Virtues and the Rise of Right-Leaning Literature for Young Readers
2 “I Speak for the National Oak Flooring Manufacturers Association”: Truax, the Anti-Green Movement, and the Corporate Production of Children’s Literature
3 Not Just Christianity, But the Christian Right: The Battle over Public Education and the American Sunday School Movement in the Left Behind Series for Kids
4 Patriot Acts: Fighting the War on Terror via the Canon Wars in Lynne Cheney’s Picture Books
5 Pundit Knows Best: The Self-Help Boom, Brand Marketing, and The O’Reilly Factor for Kids
6 “One State, Two State, Red State, Blue State”: Bringing Partisan Politics to Picture Books in Katharine DeBrecht’s Help! Mom! Series
Conclusion. “The Gosh-Darnit, Doggone It, You-Betcha Wink Heard ’Round the World”: The 2008 Presidential Election, the State of the Conservative Movement, and the Future of Rightist Books for Young Readers

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