The Center for Children’s Books, School of Information Sciences, and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign published today Research on Diversity in Youth Literature (RDYL) 7 (1) "Representations of Adoption," guest edited by Shannon Gibney and Kimberly D. McKee.
"The RDYL editorial team is excited to publish peer-reviewed research about representations of adoption in youth literature, an important but under-researched topic in youth literature studies," said RDYL co-editors Associate Professor Sarah Park Dahlen and Sonia Alejandra Rodríguez of LaGuardia Community College. "As well, guest editors Shannon Gibney and Kimberly D. McKee include a forum with Korean adoptee graphic artists that is especially rich and thought provoking."
Table of Contents
Guest Editors' Introduction
- "Towards a Multi-Dimensional Literature of Orphans and Adoptees" by Shannon Gibney and Kimberly D. McKee
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- "Changing the Game in Transracial Adoption Children's Literature: A Critical Analysis of Colin Kaepernick's Literary Mixed Messaging" by Grace Newton
- "Eyes Turn to Adoptees: A Critical Content Analysis of Eyes That Weave the World’' Wonders" by Becky Leathersich
- "There is not a world where I would leave you.: Representing Adoption in Text-Based Gameplay" by Ryanne Kap
Forum
- "Doubles and the Ghost Kingdom: A Panel at the 2025 Adoptee Literary Festival" delivered by Shannon Gibney, Sarah Myer, and Lisa Wool-Rim Sjöblom
Book Reviews
- "Stephens, John and Vivian Yenika-Abgaw, editors. Children, Deafness, and Deaf Cultures in Popular Media. UP of Mississippi, 2022. 286 Pages. Print ISBN 9781496842053." reviewed by V Millen
- "Marotta, Melanie A. African American Adolescent Female Heroes: The Twenty-First-Century Young Adult Neo-Slave Narrative. UP of Mississippi, 2023. 176 pages. Hardcover ISBN: 9781496844972, Paperback ISBN: 9781496844989." reviewed by Christian M. Hines
- “Johnson-Feelings, Dianne, and Jonda C. McNair, editors. A Centennial Celebration of the Brownies' Book. UP of Mississippi, 2022. 182 pages. Hardcover ISBN 9781496841230.” reviewed by Vashalice Kaaba
Cover Art
- "Monstrous: A Transracial Adoption Story" by Sarah Myer
RDYL is co-edited by Sarah Park Dahlen and Sonia Alejandra Rodríguez with graduate assistant Emma X. Paulson. Book reviews are edited by Cristina Rhodes and Nithya Sivishankar.
The mission of Research on Diversity in Youth Literature is to publish scholarship attending to issues of diversity, equity, social justice, inclusion, and intersectionality in youth literature, culture, and media. RDYL is a peer-reviewed, online, and open-access journal.