Genres of ChildrenÕs Literature
An introductory level class, this course focuses on recognizing, identifying and understanding the issues in the primary genres of childrenÕs literature.
HELPFUL RESOURCES
Bang, Molly. Picture This: How Pictures Work. San Francisco: Seastar Books, 2000.
Beckett, Sandra L. Reflections of Change: Children's Literature Since 1945. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1997.
Doonan, Jane. Looking at Pictures in Picture Books. Stroud: Thimble Press, 1993.
Hunt, Peter and Millicent Lenz. Alternative Worlds in Fantasy Fiction. London: Continuum, 2001.
Livingston, Myra Cohn. Climb into the Bell Tower: Essays on Poetry. New
York : Harper & Row, 1990.
Moebius, William. ÒIntroduction to Picturebook Codes.Ó ChildrenÕs Literature: The Development of Criticism. Ed. Peter Hunt. London: Routledge, 1990. 137-147.
Nikolajeva, Maria and Carole Scott. How Picturebooks Work. New York: Garland, 2001.
ASSIGNMENTS
Book to Movie. For this paper, the students will read one book and watch one movie based on that book. For the first part of the project, the students will compare changes: what is different between the two? For the second part, they will look at the cultural implications of these adaptations: what does it mean that these things have been changed? Film theory could be helpful here, as well as cultural theory.
Annotated Bibliography. Each student will find 10 picture books on one topic or by one author or illustrator. They will then compile an Annotated Bibliography, with annotations that not only summarize the text, but discuss the visual aspects of the books, as well.
Fairy Tale Project: Students will choose one fairy tale, and find at least five versions of it. They will then write a paper with three parts: first, they will introduce the time and place in which each version was produced. Then they will write about changes that have occurred across time and culture. Finally, the students will spend time analyzing the cultural implications of the variations. The students donÕt need sources other than the five versions of the fairy tales, but if they want to use them, that is fine.
Historical novel: Have each student read a different historical novel that presents a non-European culture. The students may give a presentation of that novel, first giving an outline that lasts no more than one minute, followed by an evaluation of the novel in light of the article ÒIs that Book Politically Correct? Truth and Trends in Historical Literature for Young PeopleÓ by Hazel Rochman, Masha Kabakow, and Diane Stanley. You may, on the other hand, allow the students to write this as a two to three page paper.
READING
Week 1: Introduction
ÒPrefaceÓ
Introduction to Part one
Week 2: Oral Culture
Introduction to Part two
From The World of Storytelling Anne Pellowski
ÒHow Spider Obtained the Sky-GodÕs StoriesÓ Ashanti Tale
ÒHow Tortoise Cracked his ShellÓ Chinua Achebe
From Spiderman Anancy James Berry
AesopÕs Fables Translated by George Fyler Townsend
Week 3: Oral Culture, continued
ÒThe Oral Tradition: Alive, Alive-ohÓ John Langstaff
ÒOral Narration in Contemporary North AmericaÓ Kay F. Stone
From A Wonder Book for Boys and Girls Nathaniel Hawthorne
ÒThe Story of the Milky Way: A Cherokee TaleÓ Joseph Bruchac and Gayle Ross
ÒDancing Drum: A Cherokee LegendÓ Terri Cohlene
ÒMunsmegÓ Richard Chase
ÒMutsmagÓ R. Rex Stevenson
Week 4: Fairy Tales
ÒReading Fairy TalesÓ Maria Tatar
ÒReflections: The Uses of EnchantmentÓ Bruno Bettelheim
ÒThe Frog King, or Iron Henry,Ó ÒHansel and Gretel,Ó Mother Holle,Ó Snow-White and the Seven Dwarves,Ó ÒRapunzel,Ó ÒThe Water of LifeÓ Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
ÒBeauty and the BeastÓ Marie Le Prince de Beaumont
ÒJack and the BeanstalkÓ Joseph Jacobs
ÒSnow White in New YorkÓ Fiona French
Week 5: Fairy Tales, Continued
ÒBrothers Grimm and Sister JaneÓ Jane Yolen
ÒCinderella: Saturday Afternoon at the MoviesÓ Louise Bernaikow
ÒCinderella, or the Little Glass SlipperÓ Charles Perrault
ÒAshputtleÓ Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
ÒThe Indian CinderellaÓ Cyrus MacMillan
ÒThe EmperorÕs New ClothesÓ Hans Christian Andersen
ÒThe Little MermaidÓ Hans Christian Andersen
Week 6: Poetry
ÒJohn HenryÓ African American Ballad
ÒKemp OwyneÓ Ballad
ÒThe Tree in the WoodÓ Folk Song
ÒA Frog Went A-CourtinÕÓ Folk Song
From Navajo Visions and Voices Across the Mesa Shonto Begay
From Divine Songs for Children Isaac Watts
From A ChildÕs Garden of Verses Robert Louis Stevenson
ÒThe Old ManÕs comforts and How He gained themÓ Robert Southey
ÒThe Spider and the FlyÓ Mary Botham Howitt
ÒTwinkle, Twinkle Little starÓ Jane Taylor
From the Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes Iona and Peter Opie
From An Appalachian Mother Goose James Still
Week 7: Poetry, continued
From Struwwelpeter OR Happy Tales and Funny Pictures, Freely Translated Heinrich Hoffman
ÒThe Owl and the Pussy CatÓÉÓThere was a Young Lady Whose NoseÓ Edward Lear
A Apple Pie Kate Greenaway
From Where the Sidewalk Ends and A Light in the Attic Shel Silverstein
ÒAunt SueÕs Stories,Ó ÒMother to SonÓ Langston Hughes
Òknoxville, tennesseeÓ Nikki Giovanni
ÒI Love the Look of WordsÓ Maya Angelou
From The Dragons are Singing Tonight Jack Pretlutsky
From A Wreath for Emmett Till Marilyn Nelson
ÒLittle Red Riding Hood and the WolfÓ Roald Dahl
Week 8: Picture Books
Part six: ÒWords and PicturesÓ
Week 9: Fantasy
ÒFantasyÓ C. W. Sullivan
ÒWhy Are Americans Afraid of Dragons?Ó Ursula K. Le Guin
From The Wonderful Wizard of Oz L. Frank Baum
From TomÕs Midnight Garden Philippa Pearce
From A Wrinkle in Time Madeleine LÕEngle
Week 9: Fantasy, Continued
ÒLiking and Not Liking FantasyÓ Perry Nodelman
From AliceÕs Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass Lewis Carroll
From The Adventures of Pinocchio Carlo Collodi
From Father Goose, His Book L. Frank Baum
From The Wind in the Willows Kenneth Grahame
From E. Nesbit ÒThe Last of the DragonsÓ
Week 10: Realism
ÒRealism and ChildrenÕs Literature: Notes from a Historical PerspectiveÓ Elizabeth Segel
ÒDidacticism in Modern DressÓ John Rowe Townsend
ÒThe Purple Jar,Ó ÒThe Birthday PresentÓ Maria Edgeworth
From Ramona the Pest Beverly Cleary
From Tom BrownÕs School Days
From Jacob Have I Loved Katherine Paterson
From The Great Gilly Hopkins Katherine Paterson
From ForeverÉ A Novel Judy Blume
Week 11: Realism, Part 2
ÒInsiders, Outsiders, and the Question of Authenticity: Who Shall Write for African American Children?Ó Nina Mikkelsen
From The Watsons go to Birmingham—1963 Christopher Paul Curtis
New Boy in School May Justus
The Slave Dancer Paula Fox
From NobodyÕs Family is Going to Change Louise Fitzhugh
Week 12: Realism, Part 3
ÒÕAs the Twig is BentÉÕ Gender and Childhood ReadingÓ Elizabeth Segal
ÒBoys Will be Boys: The Making of the MaleÓ Marina Warner
ÒReview of The Adventures of Tom SawyerÓ William Dean Howells
ÒHuck, ContinuedÓ E. L. Doctrow and David Bradley
From The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Chapter 12, ÒTom Shows His GenerosityÓ Mark Twain
From Little Women ÒJo Meets ApollyonÓ Louisa May Alcott
From Anne of Green Gables Chapter 10 ÒAnneÕs ApologyÓ Lucy Maude Montgomery
Week 13: Mystery
ÒA Little Ghostly HistoryÓ Leslie McFarlane
ÒKeeping Nancy Drew AliveÓ Sara Paretsky
From The Tower Treasure Franklin W. Dixon
From The Secret of the Old Clock Carolyn Keene
From Be Careful What You Wish ForÉ R. L. Stine
Week 14: Nonfiction
From the Colloquy Aelfric
From Orbis Sensualim Pictus Johan Amos Comenius
ÒOf the Danger of PleasureÓ John Huddlestone Wynne
Coming Home: From the Life of Langston Hughes Floyd Cooper
Week 15: Film
ÒToy-Based Videos for Girls: My Little PonyÓ Ellen Seiter
ÒThe Little MermaidÓ Hans Christian Andersen
ÒMoral Simplification in The Little MermaidÓ A. Walter Hastings
ÒAmerican Film Adaptations of The Secret Garden: Reflections of Historical and Social ChangeÓ Juliane Gillispie
From The Secret Garden Frances Hodson Burnett