Honors Students Create Exhibits Exploring Children's Literature

News item published on: 2026-11-03 15:54:00

Students in Honors 300, taught by Dr. Karlie Herndon, have curated three exhibits exploring different aspects of children's literature using materials from University Libraries' Special Collections. Located in the Cleanth Brooks Reading Room in McCain Library and Archives, the exhibits showcase the students' research and offer unique perspectives on children's literature. An opening reception will be held Monday, November 16, at 3 p.m., providing an opportunity to view the exhibits and learn more about the students' projects.

The Ways in Which We Are Different: Minority Representation in Children’s Literature, curated by Breelee Alexander, Kamaranachimdi Nwobi, and Molly Brandon, sophomore Honors College students, highlights how minorities within communities of gender identity, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, and religious practices are represented within children’s media. This exhibit amplifies the voices that have been historically silenced in the field of children’s literature. Spanning from ground-breaking representations like The Snowy Day (1962) by Ezra Jack Keats to modern literature like It Feels Good to Be Yourself (2019) by Theresa Thorn, this exhibit aims to highlight the beauty of the ways in which we are different.

AB-Centuries was curated by Terry Clayton, Carlisle Roberts, Jack Wyatt Welch-Dick, and Fallin Wildebrandt and explores children’s literature from the 1700s to the 2000s through a variety of ABC books. Specifically, these materials look at the evolution of books designed to teach children basic skills over the past several centuries. Focusing on earlier alphabet books, primers, and illustrated materials, the exhibit highlights the ways education through children’s books has changed throughout history. Earlier books primarily focused on discipline, religion, and morals. In contrast, the newer materials are more focused on education, and any moral message tends to be more subtle. Examining these changes, the exhibit shows how the approach to children’s education has shifted alongside society’s perceptions regarding how children learn and develop. Together, these books offer a glimpse into not only the history of childhood learning, but also the history of children’s literature as a whole.

The Art of Make-Believe: Exploring Artistic Styles in Children's Literature, curated by Mure Fadare, Kathryn Hasenkampf, Kaylee Parfaitt, Camryn Rhodus, and Anne Trest, is a display of four art styles commonly seen in children’s picture books. The exhibit explores wood block, watercolor, pen and ink, and collage art styles, which enhance the story through visual depictions of characters and advanced yet differing techniques. An illustrator’s art style can be as important as the story itself, with the art heavily influencing the mood of the book. Art is such an important aspect of storytelling, and this exhibit displays these differences and what each style contributes to the story it tells.

The exhibits are available for viewing Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., in the Cleanth Brooks Reading Room (room 305) in McCain Library and Archives. For more information, contact .