United States
Reading Children's Literature
First Edition©2013 Carrie Hintz; Eric Tribunella
Informed by recent scholarship and interest in cultural studies and critical theory, Reading Children's Literature: A Critical Introduction is a compact core text that introduces students to the historical contexts, genres, and issues of children's literature. A beautifully designed and illustrated supplement to the individual literary works assigned, it provides helpful apparatus that makes it a complete resource for working with children's literature both during and after the course. View the flyer.
Table of Contents
Preface Introduction for Students Chapter 1: Historicizing Childhood Introduction Historical Models of Childhood The Romantic Child The Sinful Child The Working Child The Sacred Child The Child as Radically Other The Developing Child The Child as Miniature Adult Differences Among Contemporary Children Child Crime Child Sex Child Soldiers Children’s Literature and the History of Childhood Reading Critically: The History of Childhood Anne of Green Gables Explorations Discussion and Essay Questions Suggested Activities Suggested Readings Approaches to Teaching Anne of Greene Gables in the Secondary School
Chapter 2: The Early History of Children’s Literature Introduction Questions of Definition Defining Literature Defining Children’s Literature
Chapter 5: Picturebooks, Visual Media and Digital Texts Introduction Defining the Picturebook A History of Picturebooks Precursors to Picturebooks The Picturebook as a Commercial Form Twentieth-Century Picturebooks How Words and Images Relate Wordless Picturebooks The Relationship of Authors and Illustrators Artistic Choices in Producing Picturebooks Size of Book Size of Picture Against the Page Composition of Objects on the Page Use, Amount, and Quality of Color Strength of Line Medium Used Mixed Media Setting Text within the Pictures Concerns About Picturebooks Availability and Cost of Picturebooks Books as Toys Challenging and Expanding the Picturebook Genre The Invention of Hugo Cabret: New Frontiers for the Picturebook Re-inventing the Concept Book Graphic Novels Digital Media for Children Pre-Digital Interactive and Non-Linear Texts Types of Digital Texts for Children Interactivity, Connectivity, and Immersion: Navigating Digital Texts Reading Critically: Picturebooks There is a Bird on Your Head Explorations Discussion and Essay Questions Suggested Activities Suggested Readings
Chapter 7: Historical Fiction Introduction Defining the Historical Novel Common Moments or Events in Historical Fiction for Children The Use of Historical Setting in Children’s Literature Trauma and Historical Children’s Fiction Nostalgia and Nationalism Popular Culture and Series Books Awards for Historical Children’s Literature Fiction vs. History Rethinking the Writing of History The Strengths of Historical Fiction Problems with Representing the Past Accuracy Authenticity Presentism Artistic Freedom and Historical Responsibility The Use of Afterwords, Authors’ Notes, and Epilogues Time-Travel and Time-Slip Narratives Reading Critically: Historical Fiction Johnny Tremain and My Brother Sam is Dead Explorations Discussion and Essay Questions Suggested Activities Suggested Readings Approaches to Teaching Johnny Tremain in the Secondary School
Chapter 8: Nonfiction – History, Science, Life Writing Introduction Nonfiction and Informational Books: Some Disctinctions Conduct Literature Nineteenth-Century Conduct Books Reinventing the Boy’s Own Book and Girl’s Own Book Tradition Contemporary Health and Sexual Education Books Life Writing: Biography, Autobiography, Memoir, Diaries Life Writing for Children Autobiographies, Memoirs and Diaries Picturebooks and Graphic Autobiographies, Biographies and Memoirs History Writing Exploring the Past in Nonfiction Innovative Approaches to Historical Nonfiction Science and Discovery Early Science Books: A Sense of Wonder Contemporary Science Books Experimentation in Science Writing for Children Critical Issues in Nonfiction Fictional Stories in Nonfiction Simplification and Complexity Accuracy and New Research
Chapter 12: Censorship and Selection Introduction Censorship: Definitions and Key Terms Censorship Challenges Selection Prizing as Censorship The First Amendment and Freedom of Speech Children’s Vulnerability Versus Children’s Resilience Key Moments in the Censorship of Children’s Literature Specific Reasons for Censorship Self-Censorship/Subtle Censorship Individual vs. Groups Selection and a Parent’s Right Critical Reading as Anti-Censorship Activity Reading Critically: Censorship and Selection The Harry Potter Series Explorations Discussion and Essay Questions Suggested Activities Suggested Readings Approaches to Teaching Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in the Elementary School
Chapter 2: The Early History of Children’s Literature Introduction Questions of Definition Defining Literature Defining Children’s Literature
Children’s Literature as Genre
The "Birth" of Children’s Literature?
John Newbery Newbery’s Contemporaries: Thomas Boreman and Mary Cooper Sarah Fielding and the First Children’s Novel? General-Audience and Crossover Works Aesop’s Fables Chapbooks Folk and Fairy Tales Adult Works as Children’s Classics Instructional Works and Didactic Literature Textbooks The Sunday School and Evangelical Movement The Rational Moralists Didactic Poetry and Fiction The Golden Age The Growth of the Children’s Literature Industry The Crossover Appeal of Golden Age Books The Tensions that Define Children’s Literature Reading Critically: The History of Children’s Literature Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Explorations Discussion and Essay Questions Suggested Activities Suggested Readings Approaches to Teaching Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland in the Elementary School Chapter 3: Poetry Introduction Nursery Rhymes, Verse and Poetry A History of Poetry for Children Bunyan and Watts Mother Goose The Romantic Poets and Nineteenth-Century Children’s Poetry Nineteenth-Century Humorous and Nonsense Poetry Twentieth- and Twenty-First-Century Poetry Contemporary Poetry as a Reflection on Self and Other An Expanded Canon Poetry Picturebooks, Verse Novels, and Concrete Poetry Children’s Popular Culture and Poetry Poetry Written by Children The Separate Tradition of Poetry for Children Questions to Ask When Approaching a Poem for Children Reading Critically: Poetry Gary Soto’s "Ode to a Sprinkler" Explorations Discussion and Essay Questions Suggested Activities Suggested ReadingsApproaches to Teaching Gary Soto’s "Ode to a Sprinkler" in the Elementary School
Chapter 4: Fairy Tales
Introduction Definition of the Fairy Tale Fairy Tales and Revision Fairy Tales Worldwide Fairy Tales and Ancient Myth A History of the Literary Fairy Tale in the Western World The Early Modern Roots of the Literary Fairy Tale Fairy Tales in the Nineteenth Century Oral Tales vs. Literary Fairy Tales Fairy Tales: Mass Media and Film The Social Function of Fairy Tales Fairy Tales and Unhappy Endings Interpreting Fairy Tales Feminist Responses to Fairy Tales Fairy Tale Revision as Critical Practice Queer Fairy Tales Race in Disney’s Fairy Tales Reading Critically: Fairy Tales Trina Schart Hyman’s Retelling of Little Red Riding Hood Explorations Discussion and Essay Questions Suggested Activities Suggested Readings Approaches to Teaching Little Red Riding Hood in the Elementary SchoolChapter 5: Picturebooks, Visual Media and Digital Texts Introduction Defining the Picturebook A History of Picturebooks Precursors to Picturebooks The Picturebook as a Commercial Form Twentieth-Century Picturebooks How Words and Images Relate Wordless Picturebooks The Relationship of Authors and Illustrators Artistic Choices in Producing Picturebooks Size of Book Size of Picture Against the Page Composition of Objects on the Page Use, Amount, and Quality of Color Strength of Line Medium Used Mixed Media Setting Text within the Pictures Concerns About Picturebooks Availability and Cost of Picturebooks Books as Toys Challenging and Expanding the Picturebook Genre The Invention of Hugo Cabret: New Frontiers for the Picturebook Re-inventing the Concept Book Graphic Novels Digital Media for Children Pre-Digital Interactive and Non-Linear Texts Types of Digital Texts for Children Interactivity, Connectivity, and Immersion: Navigating Digital Texts Reading Critically: Picturebooks There is a Bird on Your Head Explorations Discussion and Essay Questions Suggested Activities Suggested Readings
Approaches to Teaching There is a Bird on Your Head in the Elementary School
Chapter 6: Domesticity and Adventure
Introduction Defining Domesticity and Adventure Domestic Fiction for Children Realism and Everyday Life The Home as a Dangerous Place Illness and Disease Power Relations Social Class Psychological Complexity Adventure Fiction for Children Power Relations and Superheroics Escaping Civilization or Home Colonialism and Imperialism Hybridity: Domestic Adventures and Adventurous Domesticity Questions of Audience: Boy and Girl Readers of Domesticity and Adventure Contemporary Domestic and Adventure Stories Contemporary Examples Re-imagining Adventure and Domestic Fiction Adventure and Domesticity in Picture Books Reading Critically: Domesticity and Adventure Holes Explorations Discussion and Essay Questions Suggested Activities Suggested Readings Approaches to Teaching Holes in the Secondary SchoolChapter 7: Historical Fiction Introduction Defining the Historical Novel Common Moments or Events in Historical Fiction for Children The Use of Historical Setting in Children’s Literature Trauma and Historical Children’s Fiction Nostalgia and Nationalism Popular Culture and Series Books Awards for Historical Children’s Literature Fiction vs. History Rethinking the Writing of History The Strengths of Historical Fiction Problems with Representing the Past Accuracy Authenticity Presentism Artistic Freedom and Historical Responsibility The Use of Afterwords, Authors’ Notes, and Epilogues Time-Travel and Time-Slip Narratives Reading Critically: Historical Fiction Johnny Tremain and My Brother Sam is Dead Explorations Discussion and Essay Questions Suggested Activities Suggested Readings Approaches to Teaching Johnny Tremain in the Secondary School
Chapter 8: Nonfiction – History, Science, Life Writing Introduction Nonfiction and Informational Books: Some Disctinctions Conduct Literature Nineteenth-Century Conduct Books Reinventing the Boy’s Own Book and Girl’s Own Book Tradition Contemporary Health and Sexual Education Books Life Writing: Biography, Autobiography, Memoir, Diaries Life Writing for Children Autobiographies, Memoirs and Diaries Picturebooks and Graphic Autobiographies, Biographies and Memoirs History Writing Exploring the Past in Nonfiction Innovative Approaches to Historical Nonfiction Science and Discovery Early Science Books: A Sense of Wonder Contemporary Science Books Experimentation in Science Writing for Children Critical Issues in Nonfiction Fictional Stories in Nonfiction Simplification and Complexity Accuracy and New Research
Reading Critically: Nonfiction
We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball
Explorations
Discussion and Essay Questions Suggested Activities Suggested Readings Approaches to Teaching We Are the Ship in the Secondary School Chapter 9: Fantasy, Realism and Genre Fiction Introduction Genre Genre as a Guide for Readers Fantasy Early Roots of Fantasy Nineteenth and Early-Twentieth Century Fantasy Twentieth- and Twenty-First Century Fantasy Types of the Fantastic Anthropomorphic Fantasy Secondary World and High Fantasy Fantasy that Inhabits Our World Experiencing the Fantastic Fantasy as a Reversal of Expectations The Fantastic and the Natural World Realism The New Realism The Problem Novel Legacies of the New Realism Fantasy and Realism in Picturebooks Authors Working in Both Fantasy and Realism Literary Genres as a Response to Children’s Needs Fantasy Elements in Realistic Texts / Realistic Elements in Fantasy Texts Magical Realism Other Genres Science Fiction Utopian and Dystopian Fiction Detective and Mystery Fiction Horror Romance Fiction Formula Fiction Reading Critically: Fantasy, Realism and Genre Fiction The Works of Madeline L’Engle Explorations Discussion and Essay Questions Suggested Activities Suggested Readings Approaches to Teaching A Wrinkle in Time in the Secondary School Chapter 10: Race, Ethnicity, and Culture Introduction The History of Race, Ethnicity, and Culture in Children’s Literature The Early History of Racial Representation in Children’s Literature African-American Children’s Literature in the Twentieth Century Jewish Children’s Literature Latino/a Children’s Literature Asian-American Children’s Literature Native Americans in Children’s Literature A Word about Ethnicity Awards Key Terms and Controversies Authorship and Ownership Audience Perspective Reclamation Authenticity and Accuracy Artistic Freedom and Ethical Responsibility Reading Critically: Race in Children’s Literature The Snowy Day Explorations Discussion and Essay Questions Suggested Activities Suggested Readings Approaches to Teaching The Snowy Day in the Elementary School Chapter 11: Genders and Sexualities Introduction The Significance of Gender and Sexuality in Children’s Culture Gender and Sexuality in Childhood Toys and Clothes Disney Gender and Sexuality in Children’s Literature Defining Sex/Gender Sex and Gender Gender as Performance Gender as Identity Gender and Class Childhood Gender Boys and Girls Tomboys and Sissies Boys and Boyhood in Children’s Literature The Boys’ School Story Boys’ Adventure Fiction The Bad-Boy Book The Feral Tale The Unconventional Boy in Children’s Literature Boys and Popular Literature Girls and Girlhood in Children’s Literature The Girl’s School Story Domestic and Family Stories Girls’ Adventure Fiction Orphans and Good Girls Realist Fiction and Problem Novels for and about Girls Girls’ Contemporary Series Fiction The Diverse Girlhoods of Children’s Literature Sexuality in Children’s Literature Defining Sexuality The Sexuality of Children Queering the Classics of Children’s Literature LGBT Representations in Picture Books and Fiction for Younger Readers LGBT Representation in YA Literature Awards for LGBT Children’s and Young Adult Literature Reading Critically: Gender and Sexuality in Children’s Literature A Little Princess Explorations Discussion and Essay Questions Suggested Activities Suggested Readings Approaches to Teaching A Little Princess in the Secondary SchoolChapter 12: Censorship and Selection Introduction Censorship: Definitions and Key Terms Censorship Challenges Selection Prizing as Censorship The First Amendment and Freedom of Speech Children’s Vulnerability Versus Children’s Resilience Key Moments in the Censorship of Children’s Literature Specific Reasons for Censorship Self-Censorship/Subtle Censorship Individual vs. Groups Selection and a Parent’s Right Critical Reading as Anti-Censorship Activity Reading Critically: Censorship and Selection The Harry Potter Series Explorations Discussion and Essay Questions Suggested Activities Suggested Readings Approaches to Teaching Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in the Elementary School
Works Cited
Children’s Book Awards Index
Carrie Hintz
Carrie Hintz is an associate professor of English and teaches Children’s and Young Adult Literature at Queens College/CUNY and The Graduate Center, CUNY. She is the author of An Audience of One: Dorothy Osborne’s Letters to Sir William Temple, 1652-1654 (University of Toronto Press, 2005) and the co-editor, with Elaine Ostry, of Utopian and Dystopian Writing for Children and Young Adults (Routledge, 2003). She recently co-edited, with Kate Broad and Balaka Basu, Contemporary Dystopian Fiction: Brave New Teenagers (forthcoming from Routledge, 2013). She has also published articles in the fields of seventeenth-century literature and life writing. She served as President of the Society for Utopian Studies from 2006 to 2010, and she continues to write about the politics and aesthetics of speculative fiction for children and young adults.
Eric Tribunella
Eric L. Tribunella is an associate professor of English at the University of Southern Mississippi. His research interests include children’s and young adult literature, lesbian and gay literature, and gender and sexuality studies. He is the author of Melancholia and Maturation: The Use of Trauma in American Children's Literature (U. of Tennessee Press, 2010) and has published a number of articles in journals such as Children’s Literature, Children’s Literature Association Quarterly, The Lion and the Unicorn, and Children’s Literature in Education.
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