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Dr. Emily R. Aguiló-Pérez (she/her/hers). I am an Assistant Professor of English at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. My teaching and research are in the areas of children’s literature, girlhood studies, and children’s cultures (particularly Latinx). My work has appeared in The Looking Glass: New Perspectives on Children’s Literature, Oxford Bibliographies in Childhood Studies, and Jeunesse: Young People, Texts, Cultures, among other. My research has focused on girlhood as represented in literature and on Puerto Rican girls’ identity formation with Barbie dolls. In addition, I am a reviewer for Latinxs in Kid Lit . I have served on various local and national children’s book award committees, including the 2018 Pura Belpré Award and the 2022 John Newbery Award.

I previously served as faculty at The Pennsylvania State University, where I earned a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction and a minor in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, focusing primarily on girlhood studies and children’s literature. I received an M.A. in English Education and a B.A. in English Linguistics from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez campus

Throughout my academic work the intersections of my identities as a bilingual Puerto Rican woman have informed my scholarly and pedagogical practices. My book, An American Icon in Puerto Rico: Barbie, Girlhood, and Colonialism at Play (Berghahn Books, 2022), examines the social and cultural implications that experiences with Barbie had on the lives of a group of Puerto Rican women and girls.

In addition to my scholarly work, I have taught at various levels including elementary, high school, and college (undergraduate and graduate) since 2008. Courses taught include Children’s Literature, Examining Feminism through Barbie, Composition and Rhetoric, Research Writing, Teaching English to English Language Learners, College and Career Prep, Intermediate English Composition, and Basic English.

In this website, you can find a sample of my teaching and scholarly work, including media appearances. If you are interested in inviting me to speak about my work or areas of expertise, please feel free to contact me via the contact form or email below. You can also follow me on social media using the social media icons at the top of the page.