Biography is a literary genre which is increasing in numbers and quality in contemporary children’s literature. In particular, biographical narrations intertwine their traditional structure and style with a reflection on gender equality and environmental consciousness. From one point of view, biography is studied in its chronological development with regards to its contribution to pedagogical history; from the other one, it is deepened in its modern contribution in depicting life-paths which differ from rigid models, with three aims: from an educational perspective, they offer new possibilities of identification and empathy, but, at the same time, they are instruments of knowledge that enable readers to face reality; finally, reading these literary works can also mean to develop a critical and ecological thought.

Keywords

biography, pedagogical history, gender studies, ecofeminism, nonfiction, biofiction, hybridization

Publications

Malpezzi, C. (2020). What food do we feed girls as artists upon? Food, artistic and gender equality in children’s literature. Ars educandi, 17 (17), 89-104. https://doi.org/10.26881/ae.2020.17.06

Zago, G. (2016). La biografia nella storiografia e nella storiografia dell’educazione. Linee evolutive di un rapporto complesso. Espacio, Tiempo y Educación, 3, 203-234. ISSN: 2340-7263. https://doi.org/10.14516/ete.2016.003.001.11

Zago, G. (2016). Il dizionario come biografia collettiva o prosopografia degli educatori italiani. Società e storia, 151(3), 571-576. ISSN: 0391-6987

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