Seria wydawnicza:
 |
Filoteknos, vol. 15/2025Shaping the Exploration of the Planet. |
Spis treści
Filoteknos, vol. 15 • 2025 • DOI: 10.23817/filotek.15-1
TZINA KALOGIROU ORCID: 0000-0003-1116-4986
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
WOJCIECH P. MAŁECKI ORCID: 0000-0003-4768-713X
University of Wrocław
DOROTA MICHUŁKA ORCID: 0000-0002-7237-2618
University of Wrocław
MAGDALENA OCHWAT ORCID: 0000-0002-0178-165X
University of Silesia in Katowice
Can “Green Education” Save the World?
Texts of Culture for Young Audiences
in the Face of Contemporary
Civilisational Challenges (from Empathy to Agency)
Filoteknos, vol. 15 • 2025 • DOI: 10.23817/filotek.15-2
ANNA BARCZ ORCID: 0000-0002-8687-5259
Tadeusz Manteuffel Institute of History Polish Academy of Sciences
After the Environmental Turn:
Ecological Resilience in Children’s and Youth
Literature (Overview and Update of Issues)
Abstract: The aim of this article is to present an overview on the environmental turn in YACH literary studies on the example of predominantly Polish scholarship; and update the YACH research position on the future orientated studies. To achieve this, the article is divided into three parts. In the first, it conceptualises resilience as “ecological resilience” of the adolescent age and present references to other YACH literary scholars to develop the argument why are we redirected towards “after the environmental turn” within our cultures of adaptation; in the second, it illustrates “eco-resilience” in a leading example based on an intimate form of a fictional teen’s diary, i.e. The Carbon Diaries 2015 by Saci Lloyd; in the third conclusive part – it summarises this overview and update the position to explain why such a great epistemological potential for resilience studies in interpreting, teaching or just communicating global risks through YACH sources exist and can be developed further.
Filoteknos, vol. 15 • 2025 • DOI: 10.23817/filotek.15-3
JANA MIKOTA
University of Siegen
The Motif of the Environmentalist
in Children’s and Youth Literature in Germany
Abstract: At the latest since the Fridays for Future movement, the child or youth environmental activist has been the focus of social debates. This article examines the environmentalist in German-language children’s and youth literature since the beginnings of ecological children’s and youth literature in order to identify differences and similarities: Different narratives of the motif can be identified, especially in current children’s and youth literature, and correspond with the development of children’s and youth literature since the 1970s in West Germany.
Filoteknos, vol. 15 • 2025 • DOI: 10.23817/filotek.15-4
BEATA MYTYCH-FORAJTER ORCID: 0000-0002-0588-2087
University of Silesia in Katowice
To Calm Your Head :
Environment- and Young Reader-Friendly
Picture Books and Illustrated Books
Abstract: The article To Calm Your Head. Environment- and Young Reader-Friendly Picture Books and Illustrated Books is a proposal for a comparative reading of four works dedicated to children. On their example, it became possible to combine two models of writing about the environmental crisis. The first of them, activist, invites children to various forms of climate action, while the second emphasizes the need for reflection, shows minimalism in the use of resources and includes man on the list of endangered species, thus allowing them to abandon the building of ecological guilt the readers.
Filoteknos, vol. 15 • 2025 • DOI: 10.23817/filotek.15-5
KAISU RÄTTYÄ ORCID: 0000-0002-2454-1472
Tampere University
Climate Anxiety and Hyperobjects
in Two Picturebooks on Climate Activism
Abstract: This article explores the ways in which climate change is presented in texts and pictures as a hyperobject and what kind of climate anxiety is connected to characters in picturebooks. The analysis focuses on two picturebooks, Greta and the Giants, by Zoë Tucker and Zoe Persico (2019), and Our House is on Fire, by Jeanette Winter (2019). Both books present young climate activists solving problems that threaten the environment. Ecocritical content analysis (EcCA) was used to identify anxiety-related emotions in picturebooks connected to climate change issues and show how these emotions can be expressed in texts and pictures. The analysis was performed by applying the typology of ecological settings in texts and pictures and the taxonomy of characters’ climate anxiety. The nonlocality, interobjectivity, plurality, and viscosity of the hyperobject exist in both books, allowing young readers to encounter it. Moreover, global warming causes sadness- and threat-related emotions in both books; Winter’s picturebook even depicts strong depression-related emotions.
Filoteknos, vol. 15 • 2025 • DOI: 10.23817/filotek.15-6
JUSTYNA TYMIENIECKA-SUCHANEK ORCID: 0000-0002-8709-9116
University of Silesia in Katowice
University of Warsaw
Bull Terrier – “Gladiator” Dog .
Reflections on the Margins of Reading
the Short Story Snap by Ernest Seton-Thompson
Abstract: The purpose of this article is to interpret the story Snap. The Story of a Bull Terrier by the Canadian writer Ernest Seton-Thompson from the perspective of the human-dog relationship within the context of a specific breed. I continue the previously explored topic of the bull terrier as an “other” Other and consider the problem of whether and how Seton-Thompson’s work shapes the young reader’s sensitivity towards this particular canine breed. I am trying to present the story Snap within a broader context, examining it against the background of the animalthemed works, predominantly aimed at children and teenagers, of this English-born prose writer. In essence, this article constitutes a contribution to the “second wave” of critical animal geographies, i.e. a certain type of cultural ecology.
Filoteknos, vol. 15 • 2025 • DOI: 10.23817/filotek.15-7
JANNEKE VAN DE STADT
Williams College
Cats, Kinship, and Community
in Recent Children’s Books about the Holocaust
The very fact that we want to tell children stories about
the Holocaust suggests that there is a lesson to be taught.
But what is the lesson we think they will learn?
Adrienne Kertzer, My Mother’s Voice
Abstract: Animals of all kinds “people” children’s literature. The picture-book genre is no exception especially in narratives premised on the Holocaust. Focused on the particular role and function of their respective feline characters, my essay compares three picture books and one graphic novel spanning the first decade of the 21st century – Patricia Polacco’s The Butterfly (2000), Karen Hesse’s The Cats of Krasinski Square (2004), Meg Wiviott’s Benno and the Night of Broken Glass (2010), and Manuela Santoni’s La lettera perduta (2023) – through what is a less-commonly utilized interpretive lens in Holocaust studies: indigenous cultural theories of human dependence on animals for psycho-social, spiritual, and existential survival. Through the key themes of shelter, bonding, nourishment, and interdependence, on both physical and metaphysical levels, I examine closely how these books broaden and complicate received notions of family and community. Often presented as points of disjunction or separation, in these books family and community emerge as deeply entwined socio-cultural networks. Rather than compete along an “either/or” axis, they stand out as “both/and” quantities, with cats serving as critical inter
Filoteknos, vol. 15 • 2025 • DOI: 10.23817/filotek.15-8
DOBRAWA LISAK-GĘBALA ORCID: 0000-0002-2442-5412
University of Wroclaw
Animalitas versus Humanitas :
A Comparative Analysis of a Comic Book Series
by Henryk Jerzy Chmielewski
and a Graphic Novel by Gosia Kulik
Abstract: Regarding the context of the longstanding discussion about the status of nonhuman hominids, this article compares two Polish graphic narratives about a chimpanzee functioning in the human environment. The first case is Henryk Jerzy Chmielewski’s comic book series Tytus, Romek i A’Tomek addressed to young audiences. Chmielewski presents the relations between the intelligent ape protagonist and his human companions in a playful and simplified way. Practices meant to humanize the chimpanzee named Tytus do not entail moral dilemmas. The second case, the graphic novel Ta małpa poszła do nieba by Gosia Kulik, is designed as a pseudo-prequel to celebrated series about Tytus. This serious narrative, addressed to more mature recipients, renders a complex network of events that precedes and succeeds the death of a little chimpanzee “adopted” by a human family. Kulik emphasizes not only what is “human” in the animal, but also what is “animal” in humans. In the article, her novel is interpreted through the prism of the concepts by Giorgio Agamben and Raymond Corbey.
Filoteknos, vol. 15 • 2025 • DOI: 10.23817/filotek.15-9
DOROTA MICHUŁKA ORCID: 0000-0002-7237-2618
University of Wrocław
Discrete Presence.
Natura tutelaris et curans in Ida Fink’s Short Stories
Abstract: In the article, the author discusses the role, place and function of nature in Ida Fink’s stories, presents the relationship between images of nature and the tragic history of the Holocaust. In the article nature entangled in the tragic history of humanity does not remain indifferent, it is seen as an autonomous and sovereign entity, revealed in a romantic-modernist and reflective perspective, entangled in a system of symbols and signs to be read. Such a message strategy allowed Ida Fink to frame the subjectivity of narratives (including images of nature) in an affective, experiential and empathetic form. Nature, in Fink’s works, does not take on a “role” of natura devorans (devouring) and natura atrox (atrocity) in its contact with Holocaust depictions, instead – nature is a space of calm, shelter and care (sedatio naturae, curans naturam), sometimes being both friendly and tame, it reveals her discreet presence that is perceived by Jews in hiding, by showing that she is merciful, saving and salutary. The action of peaceful and quiet nature also has a clear connection with human existence, not only thinking about the meaning of life and its rhythm, coexistence with nature, a kind of symbiosis and coexistence with the world, but also exposing a kind of “aesthetic escapism”.
Filoteknos, vol. 15 • 2025 • DOI: 10.23817/filotek.15-10
IWONA GRALEWICZ-WOLNY ORCID: 0000-0001-5508-9805
University of Silesia in Katowice
The Wishtree by Katherine Applegate –
an Ideal Eco-critical Read?
[…] in the Anthropocene there are no
non-committed observers –
there are only participants.
(Green, 2021)
Abstract: The bestseller book, published in more than twenty countries, entitled The Wishtree, by Katherine Applegate has been analyzed in terms of its usefulness in the promotion of eco-critical thought among young readers of literature. The analysis has been accompanied by reflections on desired features of a literary text aimed at making the young readers aware of the role they play in the world inhabited by other humans and non-humans. The article has also discussed the question of teaching considerateness and responsibility for other members of the eco-system. It will involve the type of education which builds the young people’s sense of agency, without paralyzing them – as it often happens – with fear of an inevitable disaster of the Anthropocene.
Filoteknos, vol. 15 • 2025 • DOI: 10.23817/filotek.15-11
ANNA JANUS-SITARZ ORCID: 0000-0003-2730-7048
Jagiellonian University
It Sees, Feels, Tells… and Fixes the World .
The Tree as a Literary Character
for a Young Audience
Abstract: Nature in the young adult and children’s literature is not just a set of events. It is inextricably woven into the fate of people, observes them, interferes: sometimes helps, admonishes them, allows to better understand the world around. One of such popular characters who actively enter the action is a tree. It communicates important values to human co-heroes and shows how to be useful (Silverstein’s Gift Tree). However, this article puts the question what is the special function of books that perform literary vision of the scientific research proving the intelligence of plants. In the novels of Harasimowicz Mirabelle tree and Applegate’s Wish Tree, the tree, drawing wisdom from many years of observations of the reality that changes around it, prompts the reader to reflect on how to fix this not the best world. Literary pictures of trees have a chance to convince young readers that nature knows more than we do. The analysis of literary visions of a tree in selected books for young people proves that such a way of meeting the literature presenting nature as a living, feeling, suffering organism can be of great importance in proecological thinking and ethical approach.
Filoteknos, vol. 15 • 2025 • DOI: 10.23817/filotek.15-12
MAŁGORZATA LATOCH-ZIELIŃSKA ORCID: 0000-0002-2481-6683
Maria Curie-Skłodowska University
Ada and Her Path to Freedom .
Books The War That Saved My Life and
The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
in an Ecocritical Mirror
Abstract: The article is an attempt at an ecocritical interpretation of two novels by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. Their protagonist is 10-year-old Ada, locked in a oneroom flat in London since she was born. She knows the world around only from the perspective of looking through the window, she is illiterate and does not even know her name. Although it is difficult to believe, the reason why her mother decided to lock her up was Ada’s deformed foot. The girl has to face not only her disability but also the sense of rejection and contempt from her mother. Everything changes after she and her brother flee from the city afflicted with bombings to the countryside, which appears to be the land of peace and safety. The contact with nature, human kindness and, above all, the courage and determination of the protagonist herself enable her to win a better future for herself and her brother. The proposed interpretation of Bradley’s novels, with reference to ecocriticism, disability studies, and intersectionality, offers expanded possibilities for interpretation and practical use in school settings.
Filoteknos, vol. 15 • 2025 • DOI: 10.23817/filotek.15-13
AGNIESZKA MIERNIK ORCID: 0000-0002-1365-8560
Jan Kochanowski University of Kielce
The Transformative Role of Nature –
The Nightingale by Hans Christian Andersen
and The Lost Soul by Olga Tokarczuk
and Joanna Concejo
Abstract: This text attempts to present the symbolic role of nature in The Nightingale by H.Ch. Andersen and The Lost Soul by O. Tokarczuk and J. Concejo. Referring to the multi-layer character of the discussed texts, the key functions of nature in exploring the meaning of existence by literary protagonists are emphasized. Interpretation of the works from the perspective of depth psychology indicates that when the ego ceases to function as a controlling instance, a symbol is necessary as a bonding element. And at this stage of life, nature turns out to be the leading psychopompos, participates in the reconstruction of the parabolic road to the lost meaning, transforms the consciousness of the characters, and acts as a therapeutic catharsis opening to metaphysics, leading to the process of individuation.
Filoteknos, vol. 15 • 2025 • DOI: 10.23817/filotek.15-14
HANNA DYMEL-TRZEBIATOWSKA ORCID: 0000-0002-7753-5463
University of Gdańsk
Reality, Fiction and Fantasy :
Landet som icke är
by Kristina Sigunsdotter and Clara Dackenberg
as a Multiple-Address Picturebook
Abstract: Edith Södergran (1892–1923) was a legendary Swedish-speaking modernist artist. Today regarded as Finland’s greatest poet, she was barely recognized in her lifetime largely because since her poetry – replete with ecstatic, mystical undertones – broke from the lyrical conventions of her day and was a challenge to the reading public. Södergran’s enduring popularity inspired the Swedish artists Kristina Sigunsdotter and Clara Dackenberg to produce an oneiric picturebook titled Landet som icke är (2020). The article shows the complexity of the book, whose language imitates Södergran’s stylized idiom, and whose iconotext is intricately narrated, peppered with references to Södergran’s poetry and life, and interwoven with a range of intertexts. The study concludes that reading Landet som icke är requires a range of competencies and is an interesting proposition for children, provided that they are supported by experienced readers.
Filoteknos, vol. 15 • 2025 • DOI: 10.23817/filotek.15-15
VASSILIKI VASSILOUDI ORCID: 0000-0001-9647-9586
University of Crete
Environmental Participatory
Fact-fiction and Eco-pedagogy: Planet Agents
Abstract: Based on a popular fiction series in Greek, that is the Planet Agents (2014–2020), this study seeks to contextualize its publication in terms of genre and educational deliberations both at the national and global levels by tracing its convergence or deviance from the national curriculum on environmental education and the UNESCO agenda 2030. It further explores the discourse that underlies the series under study which fosters the child’s individual responsibility and action, thus leaving untouched the question of political liabilities; what is more, by presenting children across the globe as a collectivity responsible to save the world, it reinforces a neo-colonial view that avoids discussing the impact of Western politics on populations outside the West, rendering them subservient to western green priorities.
Filoteknos, vol. 15 • 2025 • DOI: 10.23817/filotek.15-16
OLGAHAN BAKŞI YALÇIN ORCID: 0000-0002-5527-9200
Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University
Ecoliteracy and Sustainability
in Moana (2016) and We Are Water Protectors (2020)
Abstract: The survival of humanity depends on understanding ecological systems and adjusting accordingly, to build a more sustainable world. To this end, we must recognize the significance of the cultivation of emotional, social, and ecological intelligence which would lead us to engaged ecoliteracy for the future of our planet. Thus, with the help of engaged ecoliteracy, children and young adults can develop strength, hope, and resilience in the face of ecological catastrophes and crises, instead of coping with fear, anger, and hopelessness Both the eponymous heroine in Walt Disney’s movie Moana (2016) and the young girl who fights to conserve the water of her community in Carole Lindstrom’s picturebook, We are water protectors (2020) are examples of eco-literate individuals who can inspire young minds to live in harmony with nature. Although these environmental texts belong to different genres, their shared emphasis on the significance of water is obvious and they not only promote an awareness of the interconnectedness of humans and the natural world but also instill a sense of responsibility for environmental stewardship. Therefore, this paper seeks to conduct a critical content analysis of the environmental themes portrayed in both the film Moana (2016) and the picturebook We Are Water Protectors (2020). Through this analysis, the study intends to raise awareness and promote potential ecoliteracy among child audiences and readers, to influence their perspectives on sustainability for the well-being and sovereignty of all communities worldwide.
Filoteknos, vol. 15 • 2025 • DOI: 10.23817/filotek.15-17
TZINA KALOGIROU ORCID: 0000-0003-1116-4986
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
ARETI DIMITRA DOUKA ORCID: 0009-0008-5044-719X
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
University of Angers
Cultivating Ecological Empathy:
A Literary Journey Through the Seasons
Abstract: This article introduces a pedagogical project aimed at cultivating ecological consciousness and empathy in primary and middle school students. In response to the pressing climate crisis and the increasing human-nature disconnect, this initiative proposes a cultural shift in environmental understanding. It employs an interdisciplinary framework, integrating ecopedagogy, ecocriticism, and mindfulness to deepen students’ environmental sensibility and underscore the inherent links between human and natural systems. Essentially, this teaching project comprises a series of educational activities and instructional practices designed to build environmental awareness in young learners. The study demonstrates how literature can enhance students’ environmental appreciation and highlight the interconnectedness of natural and human populations.
Inspired by the four seasons, the project incorporates various literary forms, predominantly picture books, fairytales, and poems, to engage students. By engaging students in seasonally themed activities – such as investigating river ecosystems in autumn, reflecting on urban environments in winter, encouraging self-exploration in spring, and appreciating nature’s wonders in summer – the project aims to cultivate key sustainability competencies.. It prioritizes creative engagement, critical thinking, and a profound appreciation for the planet’s delicate equilibrium. Ultimately, this initiative seeks to empower the younger generation to envision and actively pursue a more sustainable and harmonious future by nurturing a deep, literature-informed connection with the natural world.
Filoteknos, vol. 15 • 2025 • DOI: 10.23817/filotek.15-18
SULTAN KOMUT BAKINÇ ORCID: 0000-0001-7815-389X
Istanbul Kültür University
An Ecocritical Reading of Just a Dream
by Chris Van Allsburg and The Curious Garden
by Peter Brown
Abstract: Recently, social sciences have shown an increasing amount of interest in environmental issues. The world has seen noticeable rapid changes in the environment during the second part of the twentieth century, which has made literary scholars and authors themselves more aware. Consequently, ecological systems and environmental issues have been the focus of literature. This chapter will examine two picture books by Peter Brown and Chris Van Allsburg that specifically discuss environmental issues. The specific aim is to investigate how environmental problems and concerns related to them are conveyed in Peter Brown’s The Curious Garden (2009) and Chris Van Allsburg’s Just a Dream(1990), and how the two works highlight the importance of consciousness and its potential to improve both the condition of humanity and the environment itself.
Filoteknos, vol. 15 • 2025 • DOI: 10.23817/filotek.15-19
IPEK ONMUS ORCID: 0000-0002-9917-0733
ILGIM VERYERI ALACA ORCID: 0000-0002-7512-1507
Koç University
Ecofantasy and Rural Industrialization:
An Ecocritical Reading of Two Stories
from Türkiye and China
Abstract: This paper provides readings of two different narratives of rural industrialization and its effects on human–nature and human–nonhuman interactions through the lens of ecocritical studies, namely Latife Tekin’s The Children of the Goldenmeadow Valley and Xiu Xinyu’s The Stars We Raised. These texts can be characterized as ecofantasy – a subgenre of speculative fiction that incorporates fantastical elements inspired by the natural world. This study examines the role of ecofantastical elements in these narratives, such as the talking plants in The Children of Golden-Meadow Valley and the sentient ‘stars’ in The Stars We Raised. It explores how these two texts engage with topics such as ecological consciousness and environmental justice, employing a set of three questions designed by the renowned ecofeminist scholar Greta Gaard for the studies of environmental children’s literature.
Filoteknos, vol. 15 • 2025 • DOI: 10.23817/filotek.15-20
BERNADETA NIESPOREK-SZAMBURSKA ORCID: 0000-0001-9935-6733
University of Silesia in Katowice
MAGDALENA OCHWAT ORCID: 0000-0002-0178-165X
University of Silesia in Katowice
Humanities Education for the Climate
in a Polish Studies/Slavic Studies Application
Abstract: The study presents an international interdisciplinary project obtained as a grant from the International Visegrad Fund in the category referred to as strategic projects, implemented with four partners from the Visegrad countries: Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, and Poland. The project assumptions are outlined here, namely: laying down the foundations in the Visegrad. Four countries for a humanistic, multifaceted, modern education of the general public with a sense of responsibility for the climate present and future of the planet, the premises underlying the project, its concept based on two complementary parts, its aims, and the implementation plan. Due to the completion of the project, the results are also described here that have already been obtained in terms of studying curriculum frameworks and teaching aids, with a particularly detailed presentation of survey research related to the climate catastrophe that took place in Poland, attracting substantial interest from the community and from the media. The activities concluding the project are also described, as well as program recommendations in the field of education at all levels, and hope is expressed in relation to the future outcomes of the planned pro-climate education.
Filoteknos, vol. 15 • 2025 • DOI: 10.23817/filotek.15-21
ANNA PODEMSKA-KAŁUŻA ORCID: 0000-0001-5179-0514
Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań
“The Green Children” –
A Tale of the Bizarre by Olga Tokarczuk
with an Environmental Message
to the Young Generation
Facing the Climate Crisis
Abstract: The aim of this paper is to indicate links between The Green Children, one of the ten bizarre short stories by Olga Tokarczuk, and present-day environmental protection problems. Apparently this text on the stay of a king’s physician in Volhynia in 1656 is not connected with the contemporary environmental discourse. In this short story the reader may find no fragments concerning global sustainable development goals or preventing degradation of the Earth’s resources. However, a thorough reading of this text shows that the short story by Olga Tokarczuk may be considered an influential contribution to the multigenerational discussion on the need to prevent climate disaster and promote good environmental practices. This short story should be analyzed and interpreted at lessons of the Polish language in secondary schools, since it provides an important message in line with the position of conservationists and supporters of Youth Strike for Climate. The story of the green children and their symbiotic relationships with nature is in line with the postulates of present-day teenagers, representatives of the generation of Greta Thurnberg and Fridays for Future. The Green Children is another important text within the environmental dimension of literary works by Olga Tokarczuk (after the novel Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, a collection of essays The Moment of the Bear and fragments of the Nobel Lecture The Tender Narrator delivered at the Swedish Academy in 2019). For many years now the writer has been involved in actions promoting the preservation of natural resources, she advocates attitudes ensuring coexistence of humans and nature and is a vocal opponent of instrumental treatment of animals and plants (the Nobel laureate is a vehement critic of the hunting traditions and advocates intensification of actions ensuring protection of tree stands).
Filoteknos, vol. 15 • 2025 • DOI: 10.23817/filotek.15-22
MARIA WACŁAWEK ORCID: 0000-0002-3307-5338
University of Silesia in Katowice
MAŁGORZATA WÓJCIK-DUDEK ORCID: 0000-0001-9032-8875
University of Silesia in Katowice
(Bio)biographies: A Parenetic Turn in Literature for
a Young Readership and in Education at School?
Abstract: The authors of the article consider the place of biography in Polish studies education and, more broadly, in humanities education. They suggest that the list of canonical writers about whom students learn during Polish language lessons should be supplemented with biographies of people who are not related to literature, but to other disciplines of science. An example of such a biography is the biography and achievements of Simona Kossak, an excellent Polish biologist, scientifically and privately associated with the Białowieża Forest. Silesian researchers argue that critical reading of Kossak’s biographies and texts strengthens the effect of an ecological turn in Polish language education, which thanks to such procedures becomes not only interdisciplinary, but by convincing that biography can be taken as a challenge to change attitudes and make bold decisions, it gives students a sense of agency.
Filoteknos, vol. 15 • 2025 • DOI: 10.23817/filotek.15-23
TZINA KALOGIROU ORCID: 0000-0003-1116-4986
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
ARETI DIMITRA DOUKA ORCID: 0009-0008-5044-719X
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
University of Angers
Reading or Fun, Reading for a Cause , Envisioning
a Biocentric Future in University Settings:
Fostering Positive Attitudes Toward Reading
for Social and Environmental Change
Abstract: As environmental crises intensify, the need for innovative educational approaches that inspire young adults to engage with sustainability and environmental justice becomes increasingly urgent. This paper examines the role of literature – specifically ecofiction – as a transformative tool for fostering ecological awareness and promoting a biocentric worldview among university students. By emphasizing the importance of reading for enjoyment, reading with purpose, and cultivating positive attitudes toward literature, we explore how storytelling can serve as a catalyst for social and environmental change. Through a university-based project focused on integrating ecofiction into discussions of sustainability, we assess the potential of literary engagement to shape students’ perceptions, ethical considerations, and actions toward a more just and sustainable future. The findings highlight the capacity of literature to not only enhance environmental literacy but also to empower young adults to envision and advocate for systemic transformation.
Filoteknos, vol. 15 • 2025 • DOI: 10.23817/filotek.15-24
SYLWIA JANKOWSKA ORCID: 0000-0002-7620-382X
University of Wrocław
Intersectional Representation of “The Owl House” :
Luz Noceda, a Bisexual Afro-Latina with ADHD
Abstract: This article delves into Luz Noceda’s intersectional identity as a bisexual, Afro-Latina individual with ADHD within the narrative framework of the animated series “The Owl House”, a television series created by Disney Channel in 2020. By critically analyzing Luz’s portrayal, this research investigates how intersectionality enhances our comprehension of her lived experiences and challenges within the enchanted setting. Luz’s depiction as a multidimensional character not only mirrors diverse identities but also serves as a vital representation for audiences, particularly adolescents. Through Luz’s narrative trajectory, viewers can empathize with her struggles if they share similar identities or gain insight into minority experiences, thereby fostering empathy and broader understanding. This study posits that media representations, exemplified by Luz’s character, exert significant influence in shaping societal attitudes and advancing inclusivity. By foregrounding Luz’s intersectional identity, this study contributes to scholarly discourse on media diversity and its profound implications for societal perceptions and individual identity development.
Filoteknos, vol. 15 • 2025 • DOI: 10.23817/filotek.15-25
ROSY-TRIANTAFYLLIA ANGELAKI ORCID: 0000-0002-5096-2211
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Ideology in Nonfiction Picturebooks for Children
and Museum Pamphlets
Abstract: The idea of a narrative approach to archaeological objects that Museum Studies have adopted derives from the Theory of Literature, which deals with a reconstruction of the past by means of accessing archaeological documentation or by making use of historical sources. Interpretations of the past, management of collective memory, introduction of nation building ideologies, experiential learning and contact with timeless values in ways that are fulfilling, are the goals set in both children’s nonfiction books that deal with History and Archaeology and History or Archaeological museums’ pamphlets. Based on scholarly work on Children’s Literature Studies, History, Archaeology and Museum Studies, this article focuses on nonfiction picturebooks for children that reflect the contemporary museographic explorations and compare them to the educational pamphlet of the Museum of Byzantine Culture in Thessaloniki, Hellas; Given that byzantine heritage was embraced as an integral part of Hellas’ national heritage when the country’s affinity to classical antiquity was disputed, therefore, since the early twentieth century Hellenic national museums perpetuate nationalist narratives, the article observes the
manner in which information about the byzantine past and art is communicated and examines the authors’ ideological orientation, as well as whether the narratives familiarize readers with interpretations of historical sources and archaeological artifacts.
Filoteknos, vol. 15 • 2025 • DOI: 10.23817/filotek.15-26
BOŻENA HOJKA ORCID: 0000-0002-4591-4346
University of Wrocław
ELŻBIETA JAMRÓZ-STOLARSKA ORCID: 0000-0002-3894-4336
University of Wrocław
The Metaphorical Conceptualizations of Music
in Polish Picturebooks for Children
Abstract: The article examines the verbal and visual ways of conceptualizing music in Polish books for young children. The theoretical basis is the cognitive theory of metaphor, initiated by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson (1980). Conceptual metaphor is understood here as a cognitive mechanism that allows for conceptualizing abstract domains of discourse in terms of other domains. Music, as an area of ephemeral auditory experiences primarily affecting the motional sphere of humans, is a special kind of communication. In our analysis, we explore the different areas of experience that Polish children’s book authors use to talk about music and the ways of thinking about it that they present to children. We discuss concepts, motifs, and linguistic techniques used to describe and explain musical phenomena. Their interpretation will be conducted considering the cultural background and in relation to the already recognized ways of conceptualizing music in the Polish language (Bilas-Pleszak 2005). We also examine the illustrative aspect to identify visual strategies and graphic solutions used to express music and auditory phenomena through visual language. Detailed analysis was conducted on picturebooks series published in recent years by PWM Edition: Uwerturki [Little Overtures] (by Kalina Cyz, Jagoda Charkiewicz) and Sonia w Krainie Sonostworów [Sonia in the Land of the Sonocreatures] (by Katarzyna Huzar-Czub), as well as musical picturebooks by Anna Czerwińska-Rydel published by Wytwórnia Publishing House.
Filoteknos, vol. 15 • 2025 • DOI: 10.23817/filotek.15-27
MATEUSZ ŚWIETLICKI ORCID: 0000-0001-7009-3837
University of Wrocław
“A Little Messed Up and Blue”:
Coming of Age Queer, Twin, and Anxious
in Tegan and Sara Quin’s (Junior)
High School Books
Abstract: This essay argues that Tegan and Sara Quin’s High School memoir and Junior High School graphic novels function as a transmedia narrative of queer adolescent anxiety, blending nostalgia, emotion, and musical self-representation to challenge heteronormative coming-of-age frameworks and highlight a reparative queer literary mode. While the overall premise remains consistent, when told through different media, Tegan and Sara’s story emphasizes various aspects of the anxiety related to being twins, experiencing a queer coming-of-age, and the process of coming out. This essay treats the Quins’ autobiographical works as examples of transmedia storytelling rather than mere adaptations. Their memories of youth, along with the anxieties tied to being teenage twins striving to be recognized as individuals rather than reflections of each other, closeted lesbians at a new school, and musicians questioning their talent and prospects, have become the core themes of Tegan and Sara’s work across media. Each new element in their story adds layers to the experiences of growing up queer.
Filoteknos, vol. 15 • 2025 • DOI: 10.23817/filotek.15-28
EWA BIŃCZYK ORCID: 0000-0002-8945-1371
Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń
MAGDALENA OCHWAT ORCID: 0000-0002-0178-165X
University of Silesia in Katowice
Ecologizing the Imagination as a Key to Survival :
Prof. Ewa Bińczyk
on Changes in the Economy and Science
Ewa Bińczyk in an Interview with Magdalena Ochwat
Filoteknos, vol. 15 • 2025 • DOI: 10.23817/filotek.15-29
MAREK OZIEWICZ ORCID: 0000-0002-5028-0771
University of Minnesota
TZINA KALOGIROU ORCID: 0000-0003-1116-4986
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
ARETI DIMITRA DOUKA ORCID: 0009-0008-5044-719X
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens / University of Angers
ELENI MITSOULA ORCID: 0009-0006-2626-9552
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
Toward Ecocentric Futures :
On Children’s Literature, Universal Climate Literacy,
and a New Vision for Education
Original idea and initiative: Tzina Kalogirou
Introduction: Areti Dimitra Douka
Interview with Marek Oziewicz: Eleni Mitsoula
Filoteknos, vol. 15 • 2025 • DOI: 10.23817/filotek.15-30
DOROTA MICHUŁKA ORCID: 0000-0002-7237-2618
University of Wrocław
Fantasies and Engaging with Fiction
from the Perspective of Multi-addressee .
In the Context of Hanna Dymel-Trzebiatowska’s Book
“Philosophical and Translatological Wanderings
in Moominvalley” (2023)
Abstract: The article is based on the review of the book by Hanna Dymel-Trzebiatowska Philosophical and Translational Wonderings in Moominvalley (2023). Interdisciplinary considerations concern the issue of the multi-addressee nature of works intentionally aimed at a young audience, and their basis is the analysis and interpretation of Tove Jansson’s series on Moomins, deeply rooted in philosophical contexts. In the interpretation of the saga of the Finnish writer, Dymel-Trzebiatowska refers to various aspects of the theory and practice of reception as well as to selected issues belonging to the area of theory and practice of translation. In interpretative contexts, the researcher also distinguishes psychoanalytical critique, cognitive poetics, existential philosophy, the broadly understood philosophy of ethics and childhood anthropology, thanks to which her book fits perfectly into contemporary discussions on the function, place, role and status of children’s literature, its meaning in the wider cultural literary circuit and – potentially – also its presence in the field of Polish language education.
Filoteknos, vol. 15 • 2025 • DOI: 10.23817/filotek.15-31
DOROTA NOWAK-RODZIŃSKA
Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice
MAGDALENA OCHWAT
University of Silesia in Katowice
The Symbiocene
in Artistic and Humanistic Practices
