The Cheetah Girls Analysis

Connecting with the Words
In this article, Brooks et. al (2010) focuses on black females and ways they are portrayed through some of the struggles within them. “This article examines how black girlhood is constructed through fiction” (p. 7). It is important to make a connection when reading something. Connections can be made either by text to self, text to text, or text to world. According to this article, Sharon Draper states that she likes to give her readers a strong character to read about so that the reader can fully connect (Draper, 2009, p. 8). This supports my belief of the importance of making a connection through reading. I gathered the understanding of the importance of sharing pieces of literature, similar to the ones that were mentioned, in my classroom because of the diversity it shows to the students. There are many pieces of literature that I have personally read that gave me

insight to the culture or background of someone that differed from me. By making connections with these types of literature, I am able to relate with characters as well as have a greater appreciation for the things that I have and the way that I was raised. I believe that the stories in this article serve the same purpose for children or readers of any race, gender, or age. With all of this being said, I believe that African American females are being analyzed by the stereotype that the media creates. I think it is important to give students the opportunity to take grasp at forming their own opinion by providing them with literature that can deliver insight.
This article addresses a popular book series; “The Cheetah Girls” for upper elementary students. The stories from this series are very eye opening and relatable to the struggles that girls go through. In the article Harris (2005) discusses his beliefs on the series keeping his focus on identity.
According to Harris, The Cheetah Girls series depicts middle and working class multiracial female protagonist experiencing facets of American life such as youth culture, entitlement, and consumerism.

Harris argued that despite the cutting-edge representations and privileging of multiracial ethnicity and urban language, the series contains subtle stereotypes about facial features and color stratification. Across the series of books however, Harris points out, for series fiction, The Cheetah Girls characters are outstanding and increasingly thoughtful on issues such as race relations, adoption, and poverty (p. 13).
I firmly agree with Harris’ statement. By reading this series, one may form an interest in the issues of poverty, and adoption because of the exposure they received from the reading. I think this article did a great job of comparing the pieces of literature to how they are related and affect black women and girls in society. This poses the question, I wonder what other groups have similar books that showcase stereotypes and show a stronger side for their

readers?
I think Brooks et. al (2010) showed strength in developing the conclusion throughout this article. The points that were made appeared valid and obtainable. The articles states (p. 10) that themes such as female body, economic oppression, male domination, family relationships, sexuality, language, and religion are explored throughout literature. These topics may seem like they are “out of bounds”, however, they often exist in schools and throughout society today. By reading this article, I learned how very important to expose children to these topics so that they are aware of what’s going on. I plan to incorporate books into my curriculum based on the cultures and backgrounds of the students in my class. This is a way to increase diversity as well as create an open learning environment for my students. I shall pose one more question; at what age do you think it’s appropriate to start exposing children with topics such as the ones outlined in this article?