Commodifying Subjectivity and Biographical Narratives in Children’s Nonfiction Series Books

• In Event: Discursive Representations in Children's and Youth' Literature

Abstract

This roundtable explores the commodification of subjectivity and biographical storytelling in children’s nonfiction series books. While fiction series have long captivated young readers, nonfiction series are a growing trend that warrants critical examination. Drawing on commodity theory and the commodification of childhood (Schor, 2003), this study analyzes how biographical series books package identity, culture, and history in ways shaped by market demands and dominant ideologies. We examine how series highlight well-known figures—often BIPOC celebrities—while marginalizing collective or less-publicized narratives. Using critical content analysis, we investigate subject selection, authorship, narrative framing, and design features in recent titles submitted to the 2024 NCTE Orbis Pictus Award. This session invites discussion on how nonfiction series books function as both educational tools and cultural products, shaping sociocultural knowledge through selective representation and visual appeal.

Authors

• Yoo Kyung Sung, University of New Mexico

• Julia Lopez-Robertson, University of South Carolina