Jews and Jewishness in British Children's Literature

This incisive literary analysis examines how British children's literature has constructed Jewish identity across three centuries, tracing evolving representations from the Enlightenment through post-9/11 anxieties. Travis meticulously explores how these literary portrayals are deeply politicized, reflecting broader societal debates about faith, national identity, and minority communities within Britain's cultural landscape. The study reveals an enduring tension in how children's books establish, maintain, or challenge the boundaries between Jewish and Gentile characters.

What distinguishes this work is its unflinching examination of how major historical forces—the British Empire, the Holocaust, contemporary multiculturalism—have shaped these literary depictions. The chapters on gender representation and refugee narratives provide particularly revealing insights into the complex ways Jewishness has been coded in children's fiction. Readers interested in critical race theory, postcolonial studies, or the politics of representation will find this an essential text for understanding how children's literature both reflects and shapes cultural attitudes toward Britain's longest-standing minority community.