Images of Poverty in Contemporary Realistic Fiction for Youth: Preliminary Results of a Content Analysis Using a Social Psychological Conceptual Framework

Abstract

This preliminary study of 20 contemporary realistic fiction books for youth in middle school and above, analyzed images of poverty using a framework adapted from Leahy (1981, 1983). Findings indicate that, as a whole, the books in this sample rely on concrete images of poverty and do not adequately represent current demographic data for people living in poverty in the United States. The paper concludes with suggestions for how teachers and school librarians/media specialists can use these books with students.