Forty Years of Children's Literature in Israel: Genres, Trends and Heroes

Abstract

Adventure stories dominate Israeli chil­dren's literature. At various times over the past forty years, three types of adventure stories have been prominent: historical/ biographical, Holocaust, and neighbor­hood life. Each deals with reality, challeng­ing situations, and leadership in a different way. This paper examines: (1) the ways in which the cultural climate and sociological ethos participate in molding the hero's character; (2) whether the fictional world presented to Israeli children mirrors the Is­raeli reality of the time; (3) whether Israeli children's fiction satisfies the expectations and needs of readers, educators, parents, and critics; and (4) how the adventure story genre gained its prominence in Is­rael.