[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$f-moNzSsxIb32fjK1UjW5vHR8gaHMNJcAtohAGmPKtxc":3,"$fiQ6D2mB1scRVfY04VryP2BM_KYTEkG5jQFfQIvhmYSU":12},{"author":4,"tags":11},{"author_id":5,"author_name":6,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"bio":9,"short_bio":9,"bio_jsonld":9,"slug":10,"image_url":9},87381,"Anne Boyd Rioux","A",3,null,"anne-boyd-rioux",[],{"quotes":13,"pagination":41},[14,22,30],{"id":15,"quote_text":16,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":19,"source":20,"quote_tag":21,"commentary":9},2856475,"The best stories, however, are living things, and as much as we may cherish the original, the true act of love comes in the retelling.",6,false,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":23,"quote_text":24,"author_id":5,"source_id":25,"has_image":18,"author":26,"source":27,"quote_tag":28,"commentary":29},810565,"And if boys enjoy books about aliens, which they certainly do, why not also books about girls?",2,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],"**The Backstory**\nAnne Boyd Rioux, a historian and author known for her work on women's history, likely wrote these words in response to the 1980s feminist critique that children's literature was often segregated by gender. At that time, there was a growing movement to promote inclusivity and challenge traditional notions of femininity and masculinity. As an advocate for women's rights and education, Rioux would have been deeply invested in pushing against these boundaries.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nRioux is not simply arguing for the inclusion of girls in stories; she's pointing out the arbitrary nature of gender-based categorization in children's literature. By highlighting the anomaly that boys are allowed to read about aliens but not about girls, Rioux reveals a double standard that reinforces patriarchal norms and limits young readers' exposure to diverse perspectives.\n\n**How to Use This**\nTo apply this mindset today, educators and writers can challenge traditional genre boundaries by incorporating diverse characters and experiences into their work. By doing so, they can help break down the artificial barriers that often separate boys' and girls' literature, fostering a more inclusive and empathetic reading culture.",{"id":31,"quote_text":32,"author_id":5,"source_id":25,"has_image":18,"author":33,"source":34,"quote_tag":35,"commentary":9},645753,"As girls gravitate to more contemporary fare and away from Little Women, they are missing a lot. Today’s successors to Little Women seem to have overlooked two of the most important themes of Alcott’s classic: companionate marriage and sisterhood. And many of them are missing the central premise altogether, namely that growing up means becoming a better person, one who can balance her own needs and desires with those of the people she loves.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[36],{"id":37,"tag":38},3308126,{"id":39,"tag_name":40},6031,"women-writers",{"currentPage":42,"totalPages":42,"totalItems":8,"itemsPerPage":43},1,10]