English 381: Children's Literature
Fall 2012 – Section # 22206019
MWF 11:00-11:50 a.m. – AN-150

This course provides an introduction to Children’s Literature. Through lectures, class discussions, writing assignments, oral presentations, and other means we will attempt to create a working definition of Children’s Literature by considering its elements, the nature of its general and specific appeal, and its significance within the literary tradition. By appraising the works on the reading list from literary, aesthetic, sociological, educational, psychological, and cultural perspectives we will discuss a variety of the topics and issues current in the discipline and begin a discussion of the continuing implications of Children’s Literature and culture.

Reading List
Marion Dane Bauer (editor), Am I Blue? Coming Out from the Silence - HarperCollins
Ari Berk / Loren Long, Nightsong - Simon & Schuster
Eve Bunting / David Diaz, Smoky Night – Sandpiper

Bruce Coville / Gary Lippincott, Jennifer Murdley’s Toad – Sandpiper

Kate Klise / Sarah Klise, Regarding the Fountain – HarperCollins

E. L. Konigsburg, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler – Atheneum

Margie Palatini / Howard Fine, Piggie Pie! – Sandpiper

H.A. Rey, Curious George – HMH Books

J. K. Rowling / Mary Grandpré, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – Scholastic

Pam Muñoz Ryan, Becoming Naomi León – Scholastic

Maurice Sendak, Where the Wild Things Are – HarperCollins
Mildred Taylor, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry - Puffin

Kay Webb (editor), I Like This Poem – Penguin UK, special order

E. B. White / Garth Williams, Charlotte’s Web – HarperCollins
One other book from the list of choices for Oral Presentation - as per assignment

The full course syllabus will be distributed during our first meeting and then posted on Blackboard. Please note that we will be starting with Charlotte's Web.

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