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"From Boys to Men": The Boy Problem and the Childhood of Famous Americans Series

by Gregory M. Pfitzer

"From Boys to Men": The Boy Problem and the Childhood of Famous Americans Series

by Gregory M. Pfitzer

Overview

While adult concern about gender in children’s books has made recent headlines, this discussion is far from new. As Gregory M. Pfitzer reveals, the writers and editors at Bobbs-Merrill, the publisher of the Childhood of Famous Americans book series published between 1932 and 1958, thought carefully about how their books would influence the development of their male readers. These books emphasized inspiring tales over historical accuracy and were written in simple language, with characters, dialogue, and stories that were intended to teach boys how to be successful men.

But this was a specific image of American manhood. Published in an era when sociologists, psychologists, and other experts worried about male delinquency, the men envisioned in these books were steeped in Cold War racial and gender stereotypes, and questions about citizenship and responsibility. Based on deep archival research into the publication history of the series, “From Boys to Men” sheds light on current controversies on children’s books and presentations of gender diversity.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781625347954
Publisher: University of Massachusetts Press
Publication date: 07/01/2024
Series: Studies in Print Culture and the History of the Book
Pages: 440
Product dimensions: 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

GREGORY M. PFITZER is professor of American studies at Skidmore College and author, most recently, of “Fame is Not Just for the Fellas”: Female Renown and the Childhood of Famous Americans Series.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations

Preface
“Fiction Is the Lie through Which We Tell the Truth”

Part I: Moral Education: Exemplary Figures

Chapter One
The Boy Problem
Abe Lincoln and the Childhood of Famous Americans Series

Part II: Public Servants: Statesmen and Politicians

Chapter Two
Seeking a National Audience
Lee and Jefferson as Honorable Virginians

Chapter Three
The Series Concept
The Founding Fathers as Male Role Models

Part III: Military Readiness: War and Peace

Chapter Four
“Mama’s Boys” and “Infantile” Men
The Roosevelts and the Masculine Mystique

Chapter Five
Citizen Soldiers and Fetishizing the Military Male

Part IV: Social Relationships: Exclusivity and Race

Chapter Six
Frontier Manhood and the Dangers of “Going Native”

Chapter Seven
“Persecution Hounds” and the “Threat” of African American Masculinity

Part V: The Vocational and Recreational: Balancing Work and Play

Chapter Eight
“Boys at Work”
Technology and Business as Manly Pursuits

Chapter Nine
“Muscular Masculinity”
Protecting Our Boys from Delinquency through Sports

Part VI: The Intellectual Boy: The Power of Literacy

Chapter Ten
Male Delinquency and the Challenges of Historical Literacy

Conclusion
“Welcome Back, Miss Hazelrod”

Notes
Index

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