Children's Literature: A Very Short Introduction

Children's Literature: A Very Short Introduction PDF

Author: Kimberley Reynolds

Publisher: OUP Oxford

Published: 2011-10-06

Total Pages: 160

ISBN-13: 0191620122

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Children's literature takes many forms - works adapted for children in antiquity, picture books and pop-ups - and now includes the latest online games and eBooks. This vast and amorphous subject is both intimately related to other areas of literary and cultural investigation but also has its own set of concerns, issues and challenges. From familiar authors including Beatrix Potter and Roald Dahl, classic books such as Pooh, Alice in Wonderland, and The Secret Garden, to modern works including Harry Potter and the Twilight series, thisVery Short Introduction provides an overview of the history of children's literature as it has developed in English, whilst at the same time introducing key debates, developments, and figures in the field. Raising questions about what shape the future of literature for children should take, and exploring the crossover with adult fiction, Reynolds shows that writing for children - whether on page or screen - has participated in shaping and directing ideas about culture, society and childhood. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

A Single Shard

A Single Shard PDF

Author: Linda Sue Park

Publisher: HarperCollins

Published: 2001-04-23

Total Pages: 165

ISBN-13: 054735004X

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The Newbery Medal-winning tale of an orphan boy whose dream of becoming a master potter leads to unforeseen adventure in ancient Korea. Tree-ear is an orphan boy in a 12th-century Korean village renowned for its ceramics. When he accidentally breaks a delicate piece of pottery, he volunteers to work to pay for the damage. Putting aside his own dreams, Tree-ear resolves to serve the master potter by embarking on a difficult and dangerous journey, little knowing that it will change his life forever. "Despite the odds against him, Tree-ear becomes courageous, brave and selfless, a hero as enduring as the porcelain Park so lovingly describes." (New York Times) “Intrigues, danger, and a strong focus on doing what is right turn a simple story into a compelling read. A timeless jewel.” (Kirkus starred review) *A broken piece of pottery sets events in motion as an orphan struggles to pay off his debt to a master potter. This finely crafted novel brings 12th-century Korea and these indelible characters to life." (School Library Journal starred review) "Tree-ear's determination and bravery in pursuing his dream of becoming a potter takes readers on a literary journey that demonstrates how courage, honor and perseverance can overcome great odds and bring great happiness. Park effectively conveys 12th century Korea in this masterful piece of historical fiction." (Kathleen Odean, chair of the Newbery Award Selection Committee)

Bernard Pepperlin

Bernard Pepperlin PDF

Author: Cara Hoffman

Publisher: HarperCollins

Published: 2019-09-17

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 0062865463

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“Bernard and his newfound friends—revolutionary rats, wise-cracking cats, and coffee-chugging squirrels, to name a few—will delight and inspire readers of all ages!” —Erin Entrada Kelly, Newbery Medal-winning author of Hello, Universe The drowsy Dormouse from Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is transported to modern-day New York City for the adventure of a lifetime in this middle grade novel that’s perfect for fans of Stuart Little and written by critically acclaimed author Cara Hoffman. When a girl in a blue dress crashes the Mad Hatter’s eternal tea party, the sleepy Dormouse feels more awake than he has in a long time. He wishes he could follow her and be a part of her adventure. And as luck would have it, a surprising twist of fate sends the Dormouse on an adventure of his own, where he must not fall asleep. For he is destined to save a magical world outside Wonderland, and it will take all his courage—and a few new friends—to do it.

Books Children Love (Revised Edition)

Books Children Love (Revised Edition) PDF

Author: Elizabeth Laraway Wilson

Publisher: Crossway

Published: 2002-10-30

Total Pages: 542

ISBN-13: 1433516349

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A love for reading is one of the most precious gifts that we can give children. It nurtures their imagination and creativity, lets them explore other worlds, and opens their minds to new truths and knowledge in appealing, inspiring ways. But how can we sort through thousands of children's books to discover the really worthwhile ones? Elizabeth Wilson offers us a newly revised, comprehensive guide to the very best in children's literature. Just as in the original volume, she comments on the tone and content of excellently written, captivating books in over two dozen subject areas. Hundreds of new titles have been added while retaining timeless classics and modern favorites-all of which respect traditional values. So that no matter what the children's ages are or whether they love fact or fiction, you can trust these books to share things that you can believe in and kids will delight in.

Feeling Like a Kid

Feeling Like a Kid PDF

Author: Jerome Griswold

Publisher: JHU Press

Published: 2006-12

Total Pages: 178

ISBN-13: 9780801885174

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A lively and illustrated inquiry of how children's literature reflects the curious mind of a child—now available in paperback. Outstanding Academic Title for 2007, Choice Magazine In this engaging book, Jerry Griswold examines the unique qualities of childhood experience and their reappearance as frequent themes in children's literature. Surveying dozens of classic and popular works for the young—from Heidi and The Wizard of Oz to Beatrix Potter and Harry Potter—Griswold demonstrates how great children's writers succeed because of their uncanny ability to remember what it feels like to be a kid: playing under tables, shivering in bed on a scary night, arranging miniature worlds with toys, zooming around as caped superheroes, and listening to dolls talk. Feeling Like a Kid boldly and honestly identifies the ways in which the young think and see the world in a manner different from that of adults. Written by a leading scholar, prize-winning author, and frequent contributor to the Los Angeles Times, this extensively illustrated book will fascinate general readers as well as all those who study childhood and children's literature.

Wild Things

Wild Things PDF

Author: Bruce Handy

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2017-08-15

Total Pages: 336

ISBN-13: 1451609957

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An irresistible, nostalgic, insightful—and totally original—ramble through classic children’s literature from Vanity Fair contributing editor (and father) Bruce Handy. “Consistently intelligent and funny…The book succeeds wonderfully.” —The New York Times Book Review “A delightful excursion…Engaging and full of genuine feeling.” —The Wall Street Journal “Pure pleasure.” —Vanity Fair “Witty and engaging…Deeply satisfying.” —Christian Science Monitor In 1690, the dour New England Primer, thought to be the first American children’s book, was published in Boston. Offering children gems of advice such as “Strive to learn” and “Be not a dunce,” it was no fun at all. So how did we get from there to “Let the wild rumpus start”? And now that we’re living in a golden age of children’s literature, what can adults get out of reading Where the Wild Things Are and Goodnight Moon, or Charlotte’s Web and Little House on the Prairie? In Wild Things, Bruce Handy revisits the classics of American childhood, from fairy tales to The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and explores the backstories of their creators, using context and biography to understand how some of the most insightful, creative, and witty authors and illustrators of their times created their often deeply personal masterpieces. Along the way, Handy learns what The Cat in the Hat says about anarchy and absentee parenting, which themes link The Runaway Bunny and Portnoy’s Complaint, and why Ramona Quimby is as true an American icon as Tom Sawyer or Jay Gatsby. It’s a profound, eye-opening experience to reencounter books that you once treasured after decades apart. A clear-eyed love letter to the greatest children’s books and authors, from Louisa May Alcott and L. Frank Baum to Eric Carle, Dr. Seuss, Mildred D. Taylor, and E.B. White, Wild Things will bring back fond memories for readers of all ages, along with a few surprises.

Poetics of Children's Literature

Poetics of Children's Literature PDF

Author: Zohar Shavit

Publisher: University of Georgia Press

Published: 2009-11-01

Total Pages: 218

ISBN-13: 0820334812

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Since its emergence in the seventeenth century as a distinctive cultural system, children's literature has had a culturally inferior status resulting from its existence in a netherworld between the literary system and the educational system. In addition to its official readership—children—it has to be approved of by adults. Writers for children, explains Zohar Shavit, are constrained to respond to these multiple systems of often mutually contradictory demands. Most writers do not try to bypass these constraints, but accept them as a framework for their work. In the most extreme cases an author may ignore one segment of the readership. If the adult reader is ignored, the writer risks rejection, as is the case of popular literature. If the writer utilizes the child as a pseudo addressee in order to appeal to an adult audience, the result can be what Shavit terms an ambivalent work. Shavit analyzes the conventions and the moral aims that have structured children's literature, from the fairy tales collected and reworked by Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm—in particular, “Little Red Riding Hood”—through the complex manipulations of Lewis Carroll in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, to the subversion of the genre's canonical requirements in the chapbooks of the eighteenth century, and in the formulaic Nancy Drew books of the twentieth century. Throughout her study Shavit, explores not only how society has shaped children's literature, but also how society has been reflected in the literary works it produces for its children.

How I Met My Monster

How I Met My Monster PDF

Author: Amanda Noll

Publisher: Flashlight Press

Published: 2019-11-03

Total Pages: 32

ISBN-13: 1947277111

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One night, when Ethan reaches under his bed for a toy truck, he finds this note instead: "Monsters! Meet here for final test." Ethan is sure his parents are trying to trick him into staying under the covers, until he sees five colorful sets of eyes blinking at him from beneath the bed. Soon, a colorful parade of quirky, squeaky little monsters compete to become Ethan's monster. But only the little green monster, Gabe, has the perfect blend of stomach-rumbling and snorting needed to get Ethan into bed and keep him there so he falls asleep—which as everyone knows, is the real reason for monsters under beds. With its perfect balance of giggles and shivers, this silly-spooky prequel to the award-winning I Need My Monster and Hey, That's MY Monster! will keep young readers entertained.

A Celebration of Literature and Response

A Celebration of Literature and Response PDF

Author: Marjorie R. Hancock

Publisher: Prentice Hall

Published: 2004

Total Pages: 500

ISBN-13:

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Reinforced by teachers' experiences in actual classrooms, this book provides a wealth of ideas for projects, readings, and response-based activities that will engage all learners in the joy of reading and responding to literature. It blends an appreciation of children's books across all genres with an emphasis on meaningful instructional strategies for literacy programs. Coverage of multicultural/international literature helps illustrate the universality of themes in children's literature--providing a basis for establishing a library of literature that expresses the totality of children's experiences and speaks to children from all cultures and backgrounds. Coverage is based on Louise Rosenblatt's transactional theory of reader response, and organized around five main "celebrations" that the author uses as a framework for uniting the findings of reader-response theory with quality children's literature and exemplary reflective, literature-based practice. Includes expanded coverage on multicultural/international literature--including numerous examples of children's literature written and published in other countries. Includes extensive coverage of reader responses to literature--oral and written responses, as well as those made through the visual arts. For teachers of Children's Literature. Introduces future teaches to the full range of children's responses to literature--encourages the use of a variety of strategies to elicit authentic, heartfelt, meaningful responses from pupils. An appendix on children's literature awards. Highlights exemplary children's literature across all genres--focuses students' attention on established standards and offers guidance for choosing literature that meets such standards. CONTENTS I. CELEBRATING LITERATURE, RESPONSE, AND TEACHING. 1. Literature, Teaching, and Reader Response: Balancing Books and Readers in the Classroom. 2. Reader Response to Literature: From Rosenblatt's Theory to Research to Classroom Practice. II. CELEBRATING LITERATURE AND LITERARY GENRES. 3. The Art of the Picture Book: The Balance of Text and Illustration. 4. Traditional Tales and Modern Fantasy: The Domain of Imagination. 5. Poetry: The Power and Pleasure of Language. 6. Realistic and Historical Fiction: The Boundary of Reality. 7. Nonfiction: The Realm of Biography and Informational Books. 8. Multicultural and International Literature: Appreciating Cultural and Global Diversity. III. CELEBRATING RESPONSE CONNECTIONS TO LITERATURE. 9. Talking About Books: From Oral Response to Literature Circles. 10. Literature Response Journals: Written Reflections during Reading. 11. Literature as a Model for Writing: Apprenticing the Author's Craft. 12. Drama, Art, and Music: Expressive Arts as Response. 13. Response to Nonfiction: Blending Efferent and Aesthetic Response. IV. CELEBRATING INTERTEXTUAL AND INTERDISCIPLINARY CONNECTIONS. 14. Interdisciplinary and Intertextual Connections: Response through Literature Clusters, Theme Explorations, and Twin Texts. V. CELEBRATING RESPONSE GROWTH THROUGH ASSESSMENT. 15. Documenting Response to Literature: Authentic Perspectives. Appendix A: Children's Book Awards and Recognition. Appendix B: Professional Resources. Appendix C: Children's Literature and Technology. (c) 2004, 448 pp., Paper 0-13-110902-2 1090O-6 SE0306: Children's Literature / Methods HE0415: Children's Literature Course Guide Page SUPPLEMENTS Generic Supplements ESOL Strategies for Teaching Content: Facilitating Instruction for English Language Learners (0-13-090845-2) The Portfolio Planner: Making Professional Portfolios Work For You (0-13-081314-1) Positive Behavioral Supports: Five Plans for Teachers (0-13-042187-1) Surviving Your First Year of Teaching: Guidelines for Success (0-13-032573-2) OTHER TITLES OF INTEREST Jacobs/Tunnell, "Children's Literature, Briefly, 3/E, " 2004 (0-13-049924-2) Norton/Norton, "Through the Eyes of a Child: An Introduction to Children's Literature, 6/E, " 2003 (0-13-042207-X) Hillman, "Discovering Children's Literature, 3/E, " 2003 (0-13-042332-7) Darigan/Tunnell/Jacobs, "Children's Literature: Engaging Teachers and Children in Good Books, " 2002 (0-13-081355-9) Jacobs/Tunnell/Darigan, "Children's Literature Database, A Resource for Teachers, Parents and Media Specialists, 2/E, " 2002 (0-13-094618-4) Ertmer, "Education on the Internet: 2002-2003 update, " 2003 (0-13-1126385)