Ideological assumptions about childhood play into the production and selection of children's literature. Various ideologies proclaim that children should be happy and free from stories of evil, children's literature should help children encounter the joys in life, it should be filled with bright colors to keep children's attention, and it should teach a good lesson (Nodelman & Reimer, 2003; Tunnell & Jacobs, 2008). However, many authors and illustrators of historical fiction challenge mainstream or traditional ideologies by telling stories that shed light on some darker moments in human history. They challenge the notion that children should only be exposed to literature that has a happy ending or mirrors dominant ideologies. In this article, the author describes how fifth graders interpreted Japanese American Internment picturebooks and developed awareness of injustice and irony as presented in the visual and written narratives. (Contains 6 figures.)