The stories we read as children stay with us because of how they point to adult themes. This class will explore what diverse depictions of young people in popular books and movies reveal about justice, how these stories define childhood, and why race, gender and class are vital lenses for examining what is simply part of experience for kids. Students will be guided through composing argument-based projects and the class will include a group creative project, such as writing and illustrating an original children's story based on their own experiences growing up.