The scholarship that deals with children`s` culture has recognized children as a minority group, as an "other", similar to other groups of individuals, gendered or ethnic groups for example, devoid of political power (Nodelman, 1992). The way children are viewed in specific culture as well as their upbringing depends on the manner in which they are perceived by adults, especially in the educational system. Also, in literary context, adults are those who control the literary field for children throughout – from writing the books, distributing and, in fact, doing most of its consumption (Zipes, 2001).
In our talk, we intend to focus on an intersection of these two fields – literature and education - in Israel. We will discuss literary texts that are used in Israeli schools – the literary readers that are taught in classrooms. Textbooks and readers provide a significant basis for understanding the core values that the educational system wish to promote in a specific era. They also reflect the social zeitgeist and therefore provide a useful indicator for the goals and power relations in the educational field. We will examine the aesthetic phases and moral aspects in the Israeli literary readers throughout the years, from the 1950th up to the 1990s. Through this panoramic view we wish to shed light on this educational-cultural intersection that influenced generations of pupils in Israel.