Children's Literature Discussion

2892 Words6 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The impact of childrens literature then and now

Children's Literature Discussion

"The history that makes us wish fairy tales did happen, that life were

like a children's book and we all lived happily ever after, is not an

easy history to read or write. If we persist in thinking that children

need hope and happy endings then the stories we give them about the

Holocaust will be shaped by those expectations… For there are those

who would tell us yet another fairy tale, one in which the mass murder

of millions of people did not happen I know that it did, and I know

that we need to find ways to tell children."

(Kertzer, 1999, p.253)

Children's literature continues to inspire both children and adults,

and more recently while doing so, has prompted questions to emerge

concerning the appropriateness of particular content. When adults

begin to delve beyond the pastel coloured, cheery fairy-tales and

nursery rhymes into something deeper the realism they discover becomes

disquieting. Should children be permitted to read and immerse

themselves in illustrations of soldiers, concentration camps and

bombs? Should young people be dwelling upon and receptive to concepts

of war and violence through literature? The manner, which authors

explore and attempt to depict these sensitive and graphic issues such

as acts of violence and war, comes into question when a microscope is

placed over such contemporary and historical children's literature.

However, the answers seem to be unattainable or non-existent until the

stories are examined closely.

Analysis into junior fiction classified as 'Realism literature'

reveals an array of contradicting opinions and perspectives given by

academics, critics and the like. A critical perspective will be

gathered within this pape...

... middle of paper ...

...al. Port Melbourne: Thomas C.

Lothian Pty Ltd.

6. Heffernan, J. and Mclean, A. (2001). My Dog. Hunters Hill: Margaret

Hamilton Books.

7. Innocenti, R & Gallaz, C. (1985). Rose Blanche. Mankato: Creative

Education Inc.

8. Johannessen, L. R. (2003). Making history come alive with the

nonfiction literature of the Vietnam War. The Clearing House, 76,

March, 120-127.

9. Kertzer, A. (1999). "Do you Know What 'Auschwitz' Means?"

Children's Literature and the Holocaust. The Lion and the Unicorn 23,

February, 238-256.

10. Lehr, S. (1995). Battling Dragons: Issues and Controversy in

Children's Literature. InTomlinson, C. Justifying Violence in

Children's Literature (pp 39-50). Portsmouth: Heinemann.

11. Whitehead, W. (1991). Old Lies Revisited: Young Readers and the

Literature of War and Violence. London: Pluto Press.

Show More
Related

  • Positive During A Conflict: Anne Frank, Dear Miss Breed

    788 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the midst of that catastrophe, many people took their own lives so they wouldn’t have to face conflict afterwards. This shows why many people think a conflict will never have a positive outcome.

    Read More

  • Summary Chapter 2

    247 Words  | 1 Pages

    In Chapter 2 of Children’s Books in Children’s Hands: A Brief Introduction to their Literature, the authors talk about the 12 main elements of a literary work: genre, plot, setting, characterization, theme, point of view, intersexuality, tone, mood, style, voice, and the stance of the implied reader (Temple, Martinez, and Yokota 24). All of these literary elements capture the reader’s imagination and creates a successful piece of literature. However, the authors stress the importance of genre in Chapter 2, so I will briefly go over the different types of genres there are in literature and how it affects the readers greatly.

    Read More

  • My Education In Laura Cichoracki's The Elephant In The Playroom

    801 Words  | 2 Pages

    As a future educator, I have reflected on how my own personal experiences have formed me into the person that I am today, and how I can use my experiences to help my future students. I have also reflected on how I can information about family systems as well as risk and resiliency to better understand families that I will work with in the future, as well as how children with special needs impact a family’s structure. I believe all of these components are essential for teacher, student, and family collaboration and success.

    Read More

  • Our Kids Literary Analysis

    1339 Words  | 3 Pages

    In a country like the United States of America, with a history of every individual having an equal opportunity to reach their dreams, it becomes harder and harder to grasp the reality that equal opportunity is diminishing as the years go on. The book Our Kids by Robert Putnam illustrates this reality and compares life during the 1950’s and today’s society and how it has gradually gotten to a point of inequality. In particular, he goes into two touching stories, one that shows the changes in the communities we live in and another that illustrates the change of family structure. In the end he shows how both stories contribute to the American dream slipping away from our hands.

    Read More

  • Critical Analysis Of Sinister Children By Theodore Blau

    1476 Words  | 3 Pages

    “‘Sinister Children’” was the title psychologist Theodore Blau gave to left-handed children in the late seventies, due to their over abundance “among the academically and behaviorally challenged” and their greater vulnerability to obtaining mental diseases later in life (1). This condescending view on the left-handed population has existed for centuries. The word sinister itself comes from the Latin word sinistra, meaning left hand. In the article “Sinister Minds: Are Left-Handed People Smarter?,” written by Maria Konnikova, a psychologist from Columbia University, she explains how these outdated theories about the intellect of the left-handed community are wrong. In fact, the author elaborates how left-handed people may have higher brain abilities compared to the general population due to the

    Read More

  • Michael Ondaatje's The Collected Works of Billy the Kid

    2721 Words  | 6 Pages

    A question that arises in almost any medium of art, be it music, film or literature, is whether or not the depiction of violence is merely gratuitous or whether it is a legitimate artistic expression. There can be no doubt that Michael Ondaatje's long poem The Collected Works of Billy the Kid is a violent work, but certain factors should be kept in mind before passing it off as an attempt to shock and titillate; certainly, the poem does both of these, but they are not the primary purpose of the work. For one thing, social context needs to be considered; Billy lived in the "Wild West", a time associated with range wars, shoot-outs and great train robberies. The entire legend of Billy the Kid has been built around his criminal activities and notorious reputation; indeed, the more popular this myth becomes, the more people he is accused of having murdered. If anything, it was a cultural fascination with violence that "created" the legend, perhaps even more so than anything the "real" Billy ever did. Michael Ondaatje comments on this phenomenon and actually offers an alternative vision of who Billy the Kid was; perhaps he was not just a blood-thirsty killer but a man who, due to circumstance and human nature, was continually being pushed over the edge. Ondaatje is more concerned with the motivations behind the acts of violence than the acts of violence themselves: "A motive? some reasoning we can give to explain all this violence. Was there a source for all this? yup -" (54). If they shock, it is to shock the readers out of complicity and encourage them to think about the nature of violence and their own capacity for it.

    Read More

  • Analyze Your Picture Book 'Children' By Gwyneth Jones

    1742 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the picture book don't think about purple elephants, Gwyneth Jones the illustrator uses different artistic qualities to assist with deeper understanding and emotion within the text. She uses elements mentioned in Children illustrations including color, texture and perspective. When Susie is playing throughout the day and on weekends the colors are bright but soft including blue, purple, green and yellow. The text moves forward to mention her anxieties when she goes to bed. The perspective of the illustrator switches from neutral to above her looking down. I see this as the illustrator conveying her emotions making it feel empty and vacant. The colors then stop completely and all the pages explaining her anxiety are only colored in grey. The only color objects are

    Read More

  • Dana Goldstein's Essay 'Why Children Can' T Write

    684 Words  | 2 Pages

    After reading this article I saw a different perspective on why children cannot write. In today’s world grammar is being put to the side and not focused on in the classroom. It seemed like it was the children that tried to avoid learning grammar. English class in the past were filled with lessons on grammar. Grammar was enforced in every aspect of schooling.

    Read More

  • What Makes a Successful Children's Book?

    2279 Words  | 5 Pages

    Northern Lights and Tom's Midnight Garden which are both prizewinning, children's books will be discussed in relation to David Rudd's 'defence' of the work of Enid Blyton. This will be achieved by answering the following questions and tying them into Rudd's essay. How can the success of a children’s book best be quantified? What criteria are used for judging children’s books? How do the chosen texts stand up to this criteria? Who are different groups that judge children's books and what criteria do each of them have? How have the criteria for judging the merits of children’s literature changed since the eighteenth century? What are the arguments for defending Enid Blyton? Finally, are the arguments presented sound, and if they are what impact does this have on how we judge children's books in general?

    Read More

  • The Boy In The Striped Pajamas Research Paper

    622 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Boy in the Striped Pajamas Opinion Essay “Those who kept silent yesterday will remain silent tomorrow” -Elie Wiesel. The Holocaust is a very common topic to read and to be taught about, especially in the form of fictional books. It is usually taught to make people remember what really happened in the past so that history doesn’t repeat itself.

    Read More

  • Dr. Seuss Contribution To Children's Literature

    1133 Words  | 3 Pages

    What kid hasn’t heard of Dr. Seuss? From “One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish” to “A person’s a person, no matter how small” to “From there to here, from here to there, funny things are everywhere”, Dr. Seuss has filled the lives of children with whimsical stories and ideas. (8) Using casual dialect and everyday objects, he was able to spark the imagination of others. All the while, he instilled lessons into his writings. It is not a surprise that Dr. Seuss received an award for a “Lifetime of Contribution to Children’s Literature”. His work will be read and enjoyed for decades to come. All in all, no matter which Dr. Seuss story that the reader might select, his or her imagination will be sparked, and the reader will surely be entertained.

    Read More

  • Childhood Shyness and Childrens Literature

    3158 Words  | 7 Pages

    Zimbardo, P. G. (1977). Shyness what it is what to do about it. Reeding, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company.

    Read More

  • Early Childhood Essay

    1345 Words  | 3 Pages

    The preschooler child displays a variety of physical, cognitive, and social abilities that are quite unlike any other age group. To understand this development fully one must first understand how humans come into being. All human life begins with the single interaction of sperm and ovum. This simple collision springs forth new life. One cell becomes two, two cells become four, and so on throughout the organism’s life span. The human life experience is broken down into nine periods of development. These include: the Prenatal Period ranging from conception to birth, Infancy and Toddlerhood ranging from birth to three years, Early Childhood or Preschool ranging from three to six years, Middle Childhood ranging from six to 12 years, Adolescence

    Read More

  • A Timeline of Children's Literature

    1209 Words  | 3 Pages

    Literature has been part of society since pen met paper. It has recorded history, retold fables, and entertained adults for centuries. Literature intended for children, however, is a recent development. Though children’s literature is young, the texts can be separated into two categories by age. The exact splitting point is debatable, but as technology revolutionized in the mid-twentieth century is the dividing point between classic and contemporary. Today’s children’s literature is extraordinarily different from the classics that it evolved from, but yet as classic was transformed into modern, the literature kept many common features.

    Read More

  • Early Childhood Reflection Paper

    721 Words  | 2 Pages

    Before learning about early childhood in this class I never realized all the way children at such a young age are developing. From the second part of this course I learned how much children are developing at the early childhood stage. I never realized children learn how about their emotions, having empathy, and self-concept at such a young age. I thought children had it easy. They play with friends, start school, and just be kids. One important thing that stood out to me in this chapter is that children’s self-esteem starts at this stage. According to Berk (2012), “self-esteem is the judgments we make about our own worth and the feelings associated with those judgments (p. 366)”. Self-esteem is very important for a child to have and it can

    Read More

More about Children's Literature Discussion

Open Document