Contemporary Gender Roles in Children’s Literature

Children’s literature creates foundational pathways for a child’s

language development and acquisition, as well as encourages an

actively engaged imagination. Remember the monster under the

bed? Did you leave the light on just in case? Were unicorns or

fairylands just around the corner? American author Ursula K. Le

Guin said, “Children know perfectly well that unicorns aren’t real,

but they also know that books about unicorns, if they are good

books, are true books.” High-quality children’s literature is

essential for parents and teachers to foster an appreciation and

love of reading in young readers, which, hopefully, they will carry

into adulthood.

The Children’s Literature Association emphasizes how important

children’s literature is for developing young readers at an early

age. Narratives that rely more heavily on pictures and images

than text encourage early-aged interaction with storytelling. The

pictorial nature of the narratives, in these early readers, like

board books, is an essential part of developing a child’s sense of

plot, theme, character, setting, and conception of time, to name

a few important literary aspects.

The study of children’s literature is the examination of literature

appropriate for children from birth to adolescence. It includes

fiction and nonfiction, for those age levels, as well as poetry and
prose. The variety of literature available for children is diverse

and wide-ranging in topic and complexity.

Professor of children’s literature Dr. Chen references the

Essentials of Children’s Literature, stating, “The best children’s

books offer readers enjoyment as well as memorable characters

and situations and valuable insights into the human condition.”

All good literature should do just that -- however, children, by

nature of their particular age and corresponding developmental

stages, require literature that is tailored to their specific needs.

Selecting children’s literature as your field of study can be a

rewarding and fulfilling career choice. Here’s a closer look at the

benefits and opportunities that can come from studying

children’s literature.

Children’s literature is important for child development

Literature written for children must take into consideration the

six stages of language development. Children begin making two-

word sentences by 18 months, usually a sentence is a noun and a

verb. Before this age children are pre-linguistic then develop a

one-word sentence phase. More complex grammatical structures

-- conjunctions, embedding (questions), permutation, use of

prepositions of place -- do not occur, generally, until after 18

months old.
Understanding language developmental stages allows parents and

teachers to pick appropriate texts to read with children at the

exact right time to coincide with their developmental stage. For

example, a reliable child’s sleep cycle is essential to growth and

development. Swedish author and psychologist Carl-Johan

Forssen Ehrlin knows this and wrote a popular book, The Rabbit

Who Wants to Fall Asleep. The author employs “psychological

techniques” to help children fall asleep as a result of reading or

hearing this book be read aloud.

Children’s literature tackles important issues

In their early years, children are exposed to moral and ethical

conundrums at crucial stages in the development of their own

worldview. Children’s literature can allow teachers and parents to

tackle important issues. Kat Patrick writes in The

Guardian, “Kids’ books offer ways to make sense of a world that

is suddenly spinning so quickly we’re permanently dizzy; it’s one

of the few formats that helps you do everything at once in the

way the internet landscape demands; escape, understand and

take action.”

opics such as bullying, disabilities, and other religious traditions

can be brought up using specific texts designed to engage children

at their own developmental level. Simply put, children’s books

encourage the motto: Question Everything.

Children’s literature is big business

If you were wondering about the solvency of investing in studying

children’s literature, rest assured it is a growing and thriving

market. China alone has a very vibrant and important children's

book publishing industry, according to Publishers Weekly. It

explains, “The entire Chinese children’s book market is expanding

in terms of both sales and output diversity. [It] now accounts for

25.19% of the country’s total retail book market.”

Children’s literature booms in other countries, too --

around 10,000 children’s books are published in the UK

annually. The Independent explains that some of the most

enduring and best-selling books -- from Alice in Wonderland to

Harry Potter -- have been written for children, with one eye on
adults too. Author of the internationally best-selling Harry Potter

series, J.K. Rowling, says, “I didn’t write with a target audience

in mind. What excited me was how much I would enjoy writing

about Harry. I never thought about writing for children –

children’s books chose me. I think if it is a good book anyone will

read it.”

Children’s literature applies to other fields of study

Linguistics, phonetics, psychology, art and drawing, and creative

writing are all fields of study which overlap and intersect with

children’s literature (and there are more). Even English language

learners benefit from incorporating children’s literature into their

studies. The British Council's Young Learners Centre in Paris use

children's literature in their teaching of English. The organization

explains, “Now more and more English as a foreign language

(EFL) teachers of young learners are using carefully selected

stories from the world of children's literature because they have

become more familiar with an acquisition-based methodology

and because stories comply to the major objectives in most

countries for foreign language teaching to young learners:

linguistic, psychological, cognitive, social and cultural.”

There is no doubt over the value of high-quality children’s

literature and its importance to teaching across curricula.

Another example is how literature can bridge storytelling with

science and the natural environment. Dr. Liam Heneghan of

DePaul University wrote a very well received book on the subject,

Beasts at Bedtime: Revealing the Environmental Wisdom in

Children’s Literature. He describes how incorporating pastoral
settings in picture books is an important way to elicit and instill

curiosity and wonder for the natural world at an early age.

Children’s literature encourages empathy, fights racism, and

promotes understanding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)

D. Jillian Roberts, an internationally renowned child

and adolescent psychologist based in British Columbia, Canada,

writes, “Developing empathy allows children to put themselves in

another’s place and to better understand their experience. In

today’s busy world, it’s important that children learn how to be

deeply present to others’ thoughts and feelings. Empathy is key

to social and emotional development [...].”

Reading is one of the best ways to step into someone else’s shoes,

or to access another’s point of view. It allows children and young

adults to imagine other worlds and other ways of thinking that

might be completely foreign or vastly divergent from their

everyday lives. Children’s literature can allow for discussions

regarding diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

An excellent example of a picture book that takes on these topics

is The Other Side by Jaqueline Woodson. A Publishers Weekly

review of the book explains, “evocative watercolors lay bare the

personalities and emotions of her two young heroines, one

African-American and one white. As the girls, both instructed by

their mothers not to climb over the fence, watch each other from

a distance, their body language and facial expressions provide

clues to their ambivalence about their mothers' directives. […]

Pictures and words make strong partners here, convincingly

communicating a timeless lesson.” Race can be a difficult subject

to tackle -- children’s literature, and high-quality picture books,

can allow for early discussions and classroom integration of these

topics.
 Those interested in pursuing children’s literature as a course of

study should expect to delve deeply into an enjoyable, lifelong

learning and enriching field, encouraging children’s development

through the unique powerful combination of storytelling and the

imagination.

Getting children to read is an important aspect of preparing them for success

in school. While there are many different philosophies about how children
learn language, most agree that exposure to diverse usage of language is an
important part of the developmental process. Children's literature is
important because it enhances development of language skills and other
critical thinking skills that provide the foundation of learning.

Focusing only on literature's value in developing language skills, however,

overlooks other contributions that reading adds to a child's development.
Children read for fun, and in the process, develop better reading skills and
abilities to enjoy more reading. Because reading children's literature
stimulates a child's imagination, reading provides an important visual
experience.

Books provide "windows" into worlds that many would never be able to
physically visit and see and encourage students to consider situations that
would never have even occurred to them.

Reading to Children

Exposing these children to language is an important part of the primary

school curriculum. A great deal of research supports the correlation between
language exposure and language development latter in life. Children's
literature provides other valuable experiences as well.

Reading picture books to children introduces them to reading strategies that

will be used develop and extend reading skills. In general, these books are
carefully written so that most words can be sounded out. The pictures
provide clues as to what the words mean.
Children enjoy making connections between pictures in the and the way
those ideas were represented with words. Getting children to enjoy stories
is an important part of teaching them to read because once children come to
enjoy stories, they are more motivated to pick up books and work their way
through the words to enjoy the story.

In fact, "work their way through the words" is probably a poor choice of
words here - children that enjoy stories get a great deal of intrinsic value out
of being able to "discover" a story based on the words.

Children's Reading Abilities

A public library's children's librarian shared with me a story about a time a

mother of a "prominent" family came and asked for help in finding a book for
her child because the daughter was not reading. Trying to be helpful, she
started the conversation by asking the child, "Do you like to read?"

The mother was furious - of course her child loved to read! The angry
mother immediately went to the head librarian at Dwight Foster and
registered a blistering complaint about the Youth Services Librarian.

When the librarian finally got her chance to explain her side of the story to
the head librarian, the situation was diffused. To this day, this librarian will
not ask a child if they like to read. Reading abilities can generate
controversy.

To those that are unfamiliar with children's literature, this may seem strange,
but when one appreciates that children's literature is about much more than
simply reading, one can more fully appreciate why people get touchy about
their children's reading abilities.

It is probably best to let children choose their own reading levels. Enhancing
reading skills means exposing young readers to additional words and
concepts. While a variety of tests are used to assess reading abilities,
children know what they are comfortable and uncomfortable with.

A highly motivated reader will employ reading strategies and other resources
to master text that is beyond what a test can measure. Likewise, a highly
unmotivated reader might not extend the effort needed to complete a book
that a test might indicate should be an easy read. Let children choose what
to read.
School Library Media Centers

A children's library so that books are grouped by reading levels and are
readily available for students to "browse." In an elementary school library,
books might be arranged in the following sequence:

Leveled Readers (categorized from lowest to highest)

Easy (Not leveled)

Intermediate - Beginning Chapter Books (include some illustrations,

large fonts, and more white space on the page. These books provide a
transition to the highest level)

Fiction (representing all other books, these books are further

categorized by the fiction genres identified earlier)

In some school district, children in first grader are told to start with leveled
books based on district assessment and work their way through the reading
levels and then progress through the reading sequence. Others allow
teachers to carefully watch students select books and use their choices to
informally assess what students are ready to read.

Public Libraries

A public library might arranges books by reading level in the following

sequence:

Picture Books (up to approximately 2nd grade)

Chapter Books (approximately 3-4th)

Plus (approximately 3-8th)

Teen

Nonfiction (all others)

Young Adult (sometimes actually shelved in Adult Fiction Room - not in

children's collection. This classification is also used to remove
controversial books from the children's room)
 Helping Children Find Books

Do not asks children if they enjoy reading or at what level they read. Instead,
show them 2 books - one representing the best guess as what that child's
lowest potential reading level is and another representing the highest
potential reading level. Lets children look at books and decide for
themselves. Then, direct them to the section of the library containing the
reading level that the child has indicated.

What is so great about children’s literature?

 Posted by Susan Stephenson |
 Tuesday 23 May 2017, 09:31 AM (EST)




Children's literature is an important way of helping kids become well-

rounded individuals with empathy, healthy imaginations and
communications skills. Education writer Susan Stephenson explains.
I’m truly passionate about children's literature and the vital importance of reading
to kids. My family tells me this is bordering on an obsession, and there is often eye-
rolling and rib-nudging when I climb onto my soap box at a coffee morning.

A newcomer to our circle turned to me the other day and demanded, "What's so
great about children's literature anyway?" Ah, I'm so pleased she asked!

It brings families closer together

Children's literature is often shared in a family read-aloud. This becomes a special

time for physical closeness: turning off ubiquitous screens; reflecting on what is read
and discussing it; and sharing the enjoyment of reading.

Our society is becoming more fragmented, so family closeness is something we need

to defend and prioritise.

It can be a necessary escape for some kids

There are increasing numbers of children who feel depressed about the world and
their place in it. For them, positive messages in a children's book can inspire and
give them hope.

Kids need dreams, and children's literature gives them wonderful dreams. Dreams,
and hope, and stories about characters who aren't helpless make children feel less
helpless themselves.

It fosters communication with kids

By reading the books their kids read, parents have an area of mutual interest and a
way into discussion with their children. This becomes especially important as kids
get older.
Taking an interest in their books shows youngsters the channels of communication
are open. Open and honest discussion about literature also gives them a framework
for later literature studies at school.

It lets kids explore the world

Children's literature gives kids a way to explore parts of the world they cannot or
haven’t yet directly experienced. Young readers who love dinosaurs can find out so
much more about them. Tweens who like martial arts can read a book with a main
character who shares that enthusiasm, and learn indirectly about overcoming fear
and solving problems.

It develops empathy

By reading children's literature, or listening to it read aloud, we are putting

ourselves in someone else's shoes. We experience their reality. This exposure to other
lives increases our empathy and tolerance. One thing our world needs is more
tolerance! By understanding another person's perspective, we are less likely to be
egocentric, or bully others.

It helps kids become creative thinkers

Human beings have loved stories since they yakked around the cave campfire
thousands of years ago. In modern society we are surrounded by stories - in movies,
computer games and even advertisements.

I have nothing against screen-based entertainment, so long as it has limits and is

part of a balanced life. But children's literature is especially important as a way of
developing kids' imaginations. When reading or listening to books being read aloud,
children are entering the fictive dream and building imagination muscle. We know
our 21st Century learners will need to be creative thinkers, and for that, they need
imagination.
My coffee friend looked dazed by all this information. “Is there anything children’s
literature can't do?” she asked. I’m fairly sure it can’t reduce 25 inches of belly fat
in one month, but I wouldn't be surprised if it helped put a human on Mars. And I
just bet that human would be a reader!

Kids can learn how to build their own stories with this brilliant digibook!

A version of this article first appeared on The Book Chook. Image: Presidio of Monterey.

About this author

Susan Stephenson

Susan Stephenson is an educator with more than 20 years' teaching experience who
loves to encourage kids to create and communicate. She is fascinated by what books
and technology offer children’s learning, and frequently writes about this at The Book
Chook. Find her on Twitter, Google+, Pinterest or Facebook.

Comment (0)

What’s so important about children’s

literature?: Nostalgia meets research
How fun!” That’s the reaction when I tell people I study children’s literature.
And they are so right. Children’s lit research is fascinating and yes, lots of
fun. Often they follow this comment with reminiscences about a beloved
childhood book and perhaps (cringe) a remark about how “cute” it was. For
many adults, children’s literature is comfort food, wrapped in nostalgia,
recalling blissful times lost in a book with a happy ending. I confess to some
nostalgia of my own, along with a few fantasies about fairy godmothers and
that teaser “happily ever after.” I came to the study of children’s literature
as any ex-English major would, through appreciation of the beauty and
economy of its written word. I marveled at how authors managed to convey
so much in so few words, often putting them into the mouths of their quite
inarticulate child characters. I’m still wowed by that, but now it is the
ideological content of this literature that interests me more. Nostalgia can
obscure the impact of children’s literature on our future citizens and
prevent critical scrutiny.
In my first children’s literature class in library school, the TA seemed to
know about every children’s book there is, past or present. She knew all the
picture books, myths, classics, newest authors, illustrators, graphic novels,
fantasies, even nonfiction. Asked how she had amassed this great store of
knowledge, she explained that she had held every unpaid and low-paying
child-related job there is: babysitter, daycare worker, Scout den mother,
camp counselor (She knew all the songs, too), teacher’s aide, library
assistant, and finally our TA. Let’s face it; outside of pediatrics, most jobs
involving kids are low paying, low status.
So it is not surprising that in academia, children’s literature does not have
quite the status of biotechnology or the cachet of art history. Most academic
library collections of children’s books began as support for education
students needing classroom materials for teaching reading and language
arts. “Kiddie lit” was not seen as important or worthy in its own right.
Then civil rights and feminist research opened our eyes to the way
children’s literature reflected and perpetuated inequalities in our society.
Such research opened the door to a host of new perspectives. Researchers
are now asking questions such as: Does J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series
use national character stereotypes to reflect a xenophobic, imperial, or
racist worldview?1 Do Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight books reflect changing
racial attitudes and beliefs of Mormons?2 Does German children’s literature
since World War II paper over Germans’ complicity in Nazi treatment of
Jews?3 Should we burn Babar4 for its colonial attitudes? Like textbooks,
 children’s literature is loaded with ideology and can be viewed through
many lenses. Serious research is ongoing. But this work requires a robust
research collection of current and historic children’s literature and
secondary sources. The average public library’s stock of current favorites and
classic fairytales won’t do.

Applications beyond education

In my library, books for children and teens are among the most frequently
circulated books in our whole collection. They literally fall to pieces from use.
Yet they may be overlooked by noneducation students. Librarians are well
positioned to bring the rich resources of a good academic children’s lit
collection to the notice of students and scholars from other disciplines. It
can offer novel research topics and unexpected sources. For example:
 Media and art faculty and students may find in children’s books,
illustrations, spin-offs, and animation a wealth of inspiration, ideas, and
techniques.
 Sociology and history scholars may analyze notions of family or class
in books such as Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist or Frances Hodgson Burnett’s
The Secret Garden.
 Counselors may use books about characters coping with abuse,
poverty, bullying, etc., as bibliotherapy, e.g., Ann Dee Ellis’s This is What I
Did.5
 Language learners may find amusing titles at a comfortable reading
level to practice their target language.
 Undergrads (and others who may not admit it) read young adult
novels for fun. If you haven’t read any lately, you may find the quality
amazing.

The “Juv Move” Project at UNM

At the University of New Mexico, children’s literature had been left to the
mechanics of an approval plan and LC classification. The nonfiction titles
were particularly hard to find, as they were scattered amid thousands of
research-level titles in four separate subject-based libraries. Titles like The
Big Bug Book by Margery Facklam6 were sandwiched between the likes of
Hymenoptera: Braconidae (Opiinai) by Max Fischer.7 Our entomologists were
not amused coming upon such childish titles, nor were education students
pleased to trek to the science library to pry out one slim, outdated volume
from between much weightier tomes. Library staff was not served by this
arrangement either, since it was impossible to review the children’s
nonfiction for currency or usage.
As the new education librarian, I proposed consolidating all juvenile
literature into one collection to enable browsing and simplify collection
maintenance. This would also make the collection more visible and accessible
to researchers from any discipline.
The “Juv Move” project was finally undertaken when, following a fire, other
collections were being moved or replaced electronically, so that space could
be carved out for a new collection. Added to the original project at the last
minute was a huge gift: the College of Education’s own juvenile literature
library. This windfall came with no catalog records. Access had been limited
to business hours. Adding it to the main library’s collection would make it
searchable online and accessible to more users, many more hours of the day.
It also strengthened our own collection considerably. We accepted
immediately.
The project turned out to be a massive one involving participation by staff
from almost every unit in the library. Administrative support was crucial as
staff time (and muscle) were critical elements. Simply identifying the
scattered juvenile titles required generating many iterations of lists in our
ILS. New location codes and OPAC displays had to be created and approved.
As children’s literature selector, I evaluated thousands of titles to make
selection and weeding decisions, based on quality, condition, usage, and
currency. Other selectors gave generously of their time to evaluate juvenile
nonfiction titles in their subject areas and languages. They also volunteered
to weed sections of their subject areas to free up space. Special Collections
selectors evaluated rare books and local interest titles. Catalogers brushed up
on their original cataloging and added subject headings to older, bare-bones
records. Preservation and marking staff were kept busy. Access Services
staff and student assistants were invaluable in pulling books from the stacks,
wheeling heavy carts to selectors for review, then taking them to cataloging
and marking units, moving them to a holding area for sorting and staging,
and finally making the mass move to the new permanent location.
A new reading area, furnished for group work or private study, completed
the project. This reading corner has already become a popular spot for
serious researchers, casual browsers, and nostalgia seekers alike. We all
agreed, when the project was finally finished: it was so fun.
Notes

1. Marion, R. , “‘The Less You Lot Have Ter Do with These Foreigners, the Happie
Be’: Cultural and National Otherness in J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter Series. ,”
International Research in Children’s Literature 4, no. 1 ( 2011 ): 45-58 –.

2. Georgina, L. , “Vampires and Werewolves: Rewriting Religious and Racial Stere

Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight Series. ,” International Research in Children’s Litera
no. 2 ( 2012 ): 195-211 –.

3. Zohar, S. , A Past Without Shadow: Constructing the Past in German Books fo

(New York: Routledge, 2005 ).

4. Herbert, K. , Should We Burn Babar: Essays on Children’s Literature and the P

Stories (New York: New Press, 1995 ).

Children's Literature: A Very Short Introduction

 Kimberley Reynolds

Very Short Introductions

 Considers how children's literature has helped to shape and direct ideas about culture, society
and childhood

 Looks at different types of children's literature from picture books and explicit young adult
fiction to computer games and eBooks

 Raises questions about the future of children's literature; what shape should it take?

 Ideal starting point for anyone studying children's literature, or who is simply interested in
understanding why it is so popular with students, and why adults are now reading children's books

 Explores the crossover with adult fiction, considering how far negative depictions of the future
for children may contribute to a lack of social vision

 Part of the bestselling Very Short Introductions series - millions of copies sold worldwide

What is children’s literature?

• Books, stories, folklore, riddles, poems, etc

• From birth through age 18?

• Are there books for different age groups?

Discuss.

• “a significant truth expressed in appropriate

elements and memorable language” (Lukens,

pp. 9, 2007).

• Literature is more than a piece of writing that

clarifies or explains. It delights and reveals

(Anderson, 2006).
What differentiates between

children and adult literature

Children

• Simpler expression of ideas.

• Simple vocabulary

• Attention span
• Stories are told more directly with r/ship among

characters shown clearly.

• Children more open to experimenting with

more forms of literature than adults.

• Children find spontaneous pleasure in rhymes

& jokes, cartoons, comics, etc.

• Adults tend to stick to one type of literature.

“Read, read, read. Read

everything”- william

Faulkner

Different genres of children’s

literature

• A genre is a kind or type of literature that has a

common set of characteristics.

• A genre is a grouping of books with similar

style, form, or content. The same term is used

for movies, music, plays, TV shows, artwork,

etc.

• They often overlap, especially those of Early

childhood.

Genres of children’s literature

(according to Anderson, 2006)

Children’s Literature
• Concept books

• Alphabet books

• Counting books

• Pattern picture books

• Wordless picture books

Fiction

• Fantasy

• Animal fantasy
• Contemporary fiction

• Historical fiction

• Science fiction

Traditional Literature

• Myths

• Fables

• Folk songs

• Legends
• Tall tales

• Fairy tales

• Traditional rhymes

Biography & autobiography

Informational books

Poetry & verse.

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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, this Very 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.

Liter revew

Since the beginning of time, adults have

entertained children with stories and fables.
From these folktales developed an elaborate
tapestry of children's literature. Today children's
literature encompasses multiple genres and
appeals to readers of every age. Let's take a look
at a brief history of children's literature.

Emerging from Oral Tradition

Just as other forms of literature, children's
literature grew from stories passed down orally
from generation to generation. Irish folk tales
can be traced back as early as 400 BCE, while
the earliest written folk tales are arguably
the Pachatantra, from India, which were
written around 200 AD. The earliest version of
Aesop's Fables appeared on papyrus scrolls
around 400 AD.

In Imperial China, story telling reached its peak

during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD). Many
stories from this epoch are still used to instruct
students in China today. No such equivalent
exists in Greek and Roman literature. However,
the stories of Homer and other storytellers of
the era would certainly have appealed to
children.

As Europe became a cultural center of the world,

instructive texts became increasingly common.
These books were mostly written in Latin, with
the purpose of instructing children. During the
Middle Ages, very little literature was written for
the sole purpose of entertaining children.
Hornbooks, textbooks containing basic texts like
the Lord's Prayer and the alphabet, would not
appear until the 1400s. Alphabet books began
popping up around Russia, Italy, Denmark, and
other European countries roughly a century
later.

Find and Download Your Collector's

Resources

The Advent of Illustration

Chapbooks, pocket-sized books often folded
rather than stitched together, were the first
books to be illustrated for children. They usually
contained simple woodcut pictures to go along
with their contents--often popular ballads, folk
tales, or religious passages.

Meanwhile, during the 1600s, the concept of

childhood was evolving. Rather than being seen
as miniature adults, children were seen as
separate entities with their own needs and
limitations. Thus, publishers throughout Europe
began printing books specifically intended for
children. The purposes of these texts were still
frequently didactic, although several collections
of fairy tales were published with varying
success.

The trend of illustrating children's books

prevailed, and children's literature grew in
popularity throughout the eighteenth and
nineteenth centuries. In 1744, John Newbery
published A Little Pretty Pocket-Book. The
volume was heralded as the true first book
intended for children's pleasure reading. As
paper and printing became more economical,
the children's book industry veritably boomed
during the 1800s.

Modern Children's Picture

Books
It was in the 1920s that books could be mass
produced in color, and literacy became
sufficiently widespread to make children's
picture books a true industry unto its own.
Wanda Gag's Millions of Cats (1928) was one of
the most successful of this era, selling more than
a million copies. Other classic children's picture
books were published soon after: The Little
Engine that Could (1930); Babar (1931);
Madeline (1933); and Curious George (1941).
 Today,
the variety and quality of illustrated children's
books has made them an interesting and
desirable focus for rare book collectors. It's easy
to build a collection around a single illustrator
like Charles Van Sandwyk or to focus on
children's Christmas books.

Whatever the focus of the collection, condition is

always key. Some collectors allow a bit more
latitude for condition; after all, children are hard
on their books, making copies in exceptional
condition even more scarce. In this regard,
collecting children's books takes a fair amount of
patience. Rather than settling for a book in less
than pristine condition, keep shopping until you
find the book you want in the best condition
possible. The right children's book bibliography
is also an invaluable tool for collectors. You'll
find bibliographies dedicated to specific authors,
illustrators, and eras.

Job Opportunities
  Our Story
 hildren's Literature: A Very Short Introduction
provides an overview of the history of children's
literature as it has developed in English, introducing
key debates, developments, and figures in the field.
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. Raising questions about
what shape the future of literature for children should
take, and exploring the crossover with adult fiction,
this VSI shows that writing for children — whether on
page or screen — participated in shaping and
directing ideas about culture, society, and childhood.
Less

Abstract
Outside academia, the term ‘children's literature’ has a largely unproblematic, everyday
meaning. From newspapers and other media to schools and in government documents, it is
understood to refer to the materials written to be read by children and young people, published
by children's publishers, and stocked and shelved in the children's and/or young adult (YA)
sections of libraries and bookshops. Occasionally, questions are asked about whether
something is suitable for a juvenile audience, a question usually provoked by concern about
content – is it too sexually explicit? Too frightening? Too morally ambiguous? Sometimes
questions of suitability reflect concerns about style – will grammatically incorrect or colloquial
language or writing that includes swearing or abusive language or experimental writing
counteract lessons taught in school or instil bad habits? More recently, as large numbers of
adults have been reading books that were originally published as children's literature (
Abstract
‘An outline history of publishing for children in English’ traces children's literature from the
classical world to the present. Early texts were instructional, teaching children how to be good
Christians or good citizens. By the end of the 19th century, children's literature embraced
fantasy, fairy tales, nonsense, and an array of genres. Mid-20th century children's literature
depicted the white, middle-class world of happy heterosexual families, though children of
different backgrounds, ethnicities and, latterly, sexualities, were eventually introduced and
writers began to confront a range of topical issues. The prolonging of childhood led to the rise of
teen culture and the creation of young adult literature.
bstract
‘Why and how are children's books studied?’ is concerned with critics and approaches that have
proved particularly useful for the study of children's literature. Children's literature recapitulates,
extends, and modifies the range of narratives that make up ‘adults' fiction’ and those who study
it not only employ much the same body of critical and theoretical approaches, they also
customize and add to them. There are, for instance, approaches that focus on the intended
audience, others arising from the study of childhood, and those which take into account the
interplay between image and text. Generally, however, children's literature is studied in
precisely the same ways as any other body of texts.
abstract

 Transforming the texts of childhood’ explores

the variety of ways in which each new
generation is inducted into literary tradition.
The process is likely to involve stories that are
passed on orally, and is undoubtedly part of
learning to read. One distinctive of children's
literature is the avidity with which it embraces
developments in technology and new media
— in the 21st century, it is necessary to think
in terms of transliteracy — literacy that
crosses between media and is no longer
exclusively text-based. The most elaborate
transmedia networks have evolved around
bestselling fantasy fiction and blend literacy
skills with other kinds of learning and
entertainment.Contact Us
 abstracta
 Eventsa
 Selling Books
 Autographs & Signatures
 Collector's Resources
 Glossary

O‘Genres and generations — the case of the family story’ points out that, though children

's literature is sometimes referred to as a genre, it also contains all the genres and
subgenres used to classify writing, from ancient and broadly based terms such as
tragedy, comedy, epic, poetry, and drama, to recent and much more specific labels such
as chick-lit. Most covers key areas such as the adventure, family, school, and animal
story, and probably also fantasy, realism, poetry, historical, and war fiction. While most
genres straddle children 's and adults' literature, some are more developed in writing for
children, and the effects of writing within genre conventions can also be quite different.
. ‘Visions of the future’ explores children's literature both as a literature of acculturation
and of contestation. Not only can it induct its readers into the norms, values, and systems of
the societies in which they are growing up, but it can also be a literature of contestation,
offering alternative views and providing the kind of information and approaches that can
inspire new ways of thinking about the world and how it could be shaped in other, potentially
better, ways. Comparison of how children's literature has represented the future over time
reveals much about changing attitudes to the young and aspirations for CHILDREN’S
LITERATURE : A VERY SHORT INTRODUCTION BY KIMBERLY REYNOLDS
Presented By: Shas P Shareef Rineesh R R Aida Ann Issac
. 2. TOPICS COVERED An introduction to children’s literature. An outline
history of publishing for children in English. Why and how are children's books
studied? Transforming the texts of childhood. Genres and generations — the case
of the family story. Visions of the future. Ethical debates in children's literature.
. 3. AN INTRODUCTION TO CHILDREN’S LITERATURE It tells how children’s
literature has helped to shape and direct ideas about culture, society and childhood.
Children's books are like time machines. Coming across a much-loved book from
childhood can instantly transport an individual back to the moment of reading.
. 4. Children’s books are generally designed to tell children about the world and
how it works. They can provide a wealth of information about everyday life and
attitudes. Illustrated books can be particularly helpful in reminding us of what
houses, schools, and streets looked like; who looked after children and how; daily
routines and how families and communities interacted.
. 5. It provides an overview of history of literature right from Alice in
Wonderland to the modern works including Harry Potter and Twilight series.
Children's literature takes many forms - works adapted for children in picture
books and pop-ups and now includes the latest online games and eBooks.
. 6. AN OUTLINE HISTORY OF PUBLISHING FOR CHILDREN IN ENGLISH. History
- 1450’s till the present. It started as story telling – it was only verbal, usually
around a camp fire. It kept alive the ancient stories. Children and adults shared
common literature. There were hand written books (rare and very expensive so
only the rich could afford). They were written for religious purposes.
. 7. Then came the printed books after the coming of printing press which still
could only be bought by the rich. It was expensive since it was the beginning of
technological advancement. First book for the children were the “hornbooks”.
 literature review They are little wooden paddle with alphabets, vowels or Lord’s
prayer pasted onto it. Emphasized on giving lessons on proper behaviour.
. 8. Then came the Primers. It started with prayers so that children could
memorize, mainly for studies. Back then everything revolved around religion.
Sometimes with pictures, so that children could grasp well.
. 9. Then came the Chapbooks. They are small folded paper booklets as
chapters which had little stories, riddles, etc Very popular and cheap. After this
content started to change then stories started coming up – they would have stories,
jokes etc. They were forerunners of comic strips
. 10. Then after this the fairy tales. It was first told to adults, not to children
originally, then it started printing for children. First real children’s book: Pretty
Little Pocket Book . It had games, fables and rhymes specifically for children
published by John Newberry. It had more of love and play rather than just
religious content.
. 11. Then started the nursery rhymes. Most were again for adults originally
and then focussed on children. Then women writers came into picture, which
included the Little women series. Then came illustrations where they started to
recognize for the work they do. Then came Non fiction picture books in the
1900’s.
. 12. Due to the labour laws for children, they did not have to work for the
family. Children started reading many books as they were more accessible,
children could go to school and learn how to read and they had more free time and
so they did read.
. 13. WHY AND HOW ARE CHILDREN'S BOOKS STUDIED? It is concerned with
approaches that have proved particularly useful for the study of children's literature
like psychoanalytic and psychological approaches. Those who study children’s
literature not only employ the same approaches as in ‘adult fiction’, they also
customize and add to them.
. 14. There are, approaches that focus on the intended audience, others arising
from the study of childhood, and those which take into account the interplay
between image and text. Generally, however, children's literature is studied in
precisely the same ways as any other body of texts.
. 15. TRANSFORMING THE TEXTS OF CHILDHOOD Explores the variety of
ways in which each new generation is inducted into literary tradition. The process
 is likely to involve stories that are passed on orally, and is undoubtedly part of
learning to read. One distinctive of children's literature is the way in which it is
influenced by the developments in technology and new media .
. 16. GENRES AND GENERATIONS — THE CASE OF THE FAMILY STORY It
points out that, though children 's literature is sometimes referred to as a genre or
kind, it also contains all the genres and subgenres that are used to classify writing.
Broadly based terms such as tragedy, comedy, epic, poetry, and drama, to recent .
. 17. Most covers key areas such as the adventure, family, school, and animal
story, and probably also fantasy, realism, poetry, historical, and war fiction. While
most genres overlap children 's and adults' literature, some are more developed in
writing for children.
. 18. VISIONS OF THE FUTURE Not only can it induct its readers into the
norms, values, and systems of the societies in which they are growing up. But it
can also offer alternative views and provide the kind of information and approaches
that can inspire new ways of thinking about the world and how it could be shaped
in other, potentially better, ways.
. 19. Comparison of how children's literature has represented the future over
time reveals about changing attitudes to the young and aspirations for society.
. 20. ETHICAL DEBATES IN CHILDREN'S LITERATURE It considers the use of
children's literature to encourage readers to think and behave in particular ways.
Because it is aimed at a young and impressionable audience, it is important to be
alert to the many.
. 21. Access to information and ideas gathered from the Internet, satellite
television channels and computer games is changing what children are likely to
know about or have experienced in connection with such things as violence, self-
injury, and bullying. This is affecting how writers address readers and the way
they explore issues. Mainly the cultural differences should be taken care of by the
editors. Whatever is being written should be correct and appropriate.
. 22. THANK YOU

society.
Children's books have an essential role in the lives of our
young, but also encourage literacy in language learners.

The stories themselves are to promote vocabulary and

language skills, entertainment, learning experiences, subject
matter, social skills, and any number of skills in the early
reader. The experience of being read to by a caring adult
figure is immeasurable. The adult-child bonding is priceless.
The problem solving skills and interaction between the child
and the reader is extremely important, but the time taken
from the adult's life to be shared with the child is a definite
validation that, "You are the most important person in my
life at this moment."

The stories I write are based on life experiences and

memories. Each book I write shares a part of me, but I seek
to embellish the positive adult role models, the problem
solving experiences, and the learning experiences.

As a High School Spanish Teacher for 18 years, I constantly

sought children's books in Spanish as motivators, challenges
for the enthused and gifted, and to reinforce vocabulary and
grammatical structures.
As a State of Iowa employee who worked with Iowa's
newcomers, I worked with many cultures and various groups
of people seeking employment and community resource
services. Clients many times adults brought their children.
We had a toybox that contained a few books, but I always
wished there were books in both English and Spanish, as our
clientele was initially mostly Spanish-speaking. This is
actually where I got the idea to write my stories in both
languages and publish them separately.

In sales, I have learned that buyers of the Spanish version of

my books may be Spanish teachers, may be relatives of
youngsters in immersion schools or youngsters that live in
bilingual families.

Literacy is important in every language. Cultivating that

interest at an early age will encourage a love of learning,
and the more our population loves to learn, the brighter our
future looks. Maybe...just maybe...future generations will
learn to avoid some of the problems that we have created or
continued.

Children’s literature is a dynamic entity in its own right that offers its readers many
avenues for pleasure, reflection, and emotional engagement. As this article argues, its
 place in education was established centuries ago, but this association continues today in
ways that are both similar and different from its beginnings. The irony of children’s
literature is that, while it is ostensibly for children, it relies on adults for its existence. This
reciprocal relationship between adult and child is, however, at the heart of education.
Drawing on a range of scholars and children’s texts from Australia, Austria, Canada,
China, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, this
discussion canvasses some of the many ways in which children’s literature, and the
research that it inspires, can be a productive and valuable asset to education, in that its
imaginative storytelling is the means by which it brings the world into the classroom and
takes the classroom out into the world.

bstract
The term empathy has only existed in English for a little over a hundred years, but
the idea of feeling with another person is an old one. Because of its perceived
connection to moral behaviour, empathy and its development are of great interest to
educators, policy makers, psychologists, and philosophers. Reading children’s
literature is often considered important for developing (among other things)
children’s ethical and empathic understandings of society and its people. However,
claims as to the impact of reading on readers’ ability to become more empathic,
tolerant, and better people are divided. While many readers may attribute positive
influences that authors and texts have had on shaping their attitudes and actions,
there is no guarantee that a desirable affective and cognitive response will follow the
reading experience. The complexity of readers and texts refuses to be reduced to
simple universal statements about the capacity of narrative empathy to create a
particular kind of empathic reader or person: fiction that engages a reader with the
emotional plight of a character does not necessarily translate into actions in the real
world towards people who are similarly suffering, marginalized, or victimized. This
chapter asks: Does children’s literature foster empathy? There are two implicit
features of this question: one concerns narrative empathy; the other concerns
empathic reader response. The discussion will focus on how a selection of
‘multicultural’ picture books attempts to create narrative empathy by focussing on
cultural and spatial differences.
 purpose

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An Essay by Joshua Heinsz

Gender roles are established very early in a child’s life. In fact, it has been determined that most
children are able to identify themselves as either a boy or a girl by the age of three. While there
is no definitive evidence that children’s literature is a major factor in how gender role’s are
assigned and stereotyped, the importance of the messages in said works cannot be denied. By
engaging in these fictional worlds, consciously or not, children will project themselves as the
characters in their beloved stories and the roles that they play can become integral to the child’s
personality development.

More often than not, male characters are assigned to more dominant roles, exerting strong
leadership abilities and displaying the need for toughness and a necessity to suppress emotion.
This stems from the stereotype that men must be strong, and parents enforce this idea to prevent
their boy from being raised as a “sissy”. Which to use the word “sissy” as a negative connotation
is a problem in and of itself as it is associated with the feminine and suggests that both feminine
and negative are synonymous to young boys.

In contrast to the male characters, leading ladies have tendencies to be mild mannered,
submissive and worst of all: damsels in distress. They are often involved in both tales and
decorum of frivolity and lack the substance of character that is to be instilled in young men.
Aside from literature with female leads, it is even more problematic in works targeted to a male
audience. In said stories, the cast of girl characters is often minimal, lacking dimension and
suppressed under the roles of the boys. This therefore subconsciously teaches young boys that
they indeed are the more important roles in society.

When it comes to children’s literature, these stereotypical gender roles are just beginning to
come under fire. While the issue of race diversity within the genre has been explored and
evolved over the past several decades, we still have a long way to go when it comes to teaching
individuality in children and the disregarding of stereotypes.

One of the more notable children’s books of late to address this issue and breaking some of the
barriers of gender roles is Pinkalicious. The story is co-written by Elizabeth and Victoria Kann,
with illustrations by the latter. While the illustrations are bright and pink and our heroine very
much representative of society’s current ideas of what girls should enjoy, the forward thinking
comes from the father and the brother figures in the story. While both snub the excess of the
color pink, her brother Peter in the end embraces his love of the color as well. While this is a
franchise very much directed at young girls, it does at least convey the message to them that it is
quite alright for boys to love what is primarily considered a “girl color” as well.

Rewinding a bit to the year of Nineteen Eighty, we have a much more forward thinking plot with
Robert Munsch’s Paper Bag Princess with illustrations by Michael Martchenko. For those
unfamiliar with the tale, we are presented with our lovely ingénue, Princess Elizabeth who is to
be wed to the handsome and dapper Prince Ronald. In a what happens to be not-so-unfortunate
turn of events a dragon interrupts the preparations and not only burns down Elizabeth’s castle
and belongings, but kidnaps her prince as well. After finding nothing more than a paper bag to
adorn her body with, Elizabeth treks all the way to the dragons cave and uses cleverness and wit
to trick the dragon and rescue the prince. After risking her own neck, the spoiled prince is so
ungrateful for her deeds all because she looks unrefined in her paper bag garb. Being the
excellent role model she is, Elizabeth doesn’t think twice before calling Prince Ronald a “bum”
and hightailing it to her own happily ever after without him.

A little closer to the present, we were given a similarly strong princess role model in the form of
Princess Smartypants, written and illustrated by Babette Cole. In this tale, our heroine is
perfectly content with her life the way it is and the company of monster friends that she keeps.
Despite her mother’s wishes, Smartypants is perfectly happy to remain a “Ms.” With a number
of suitors calling for her, Smartypants foils nearly every one of them with the help of her creature
friends. When at last she is nearly outdone by a prince, she simply turns him into a frog,
therefore scaring away all past, present and future suitors so that she may live her days in
harmony with her friends in the way she so chooses.

Both above princess tales are excellent examples of the direction more contemporary children’s
book writers and illustrators should consider when storytelling for young audiences. I would say
this is especially so with the Paper Bag Princess. Princess Elizabeth is strong and independent,
while still virtuous and true. It is important that poise and good manners are not shunted aside in
these tales as well. Characters can still be well rounded and modern without losing morals that
are traditionally positive for both genders.

Though we can indeed say there is a notable increase in these strong leading ladies to set more
positive examples of femininity, there is still a distinct lack of advancement when it comes to
children’s books for young men. On the whole, literature for young boys still very much
preaches the importance of what are in truth unhealthy notions: a lack of full emotional range,
conformity and undermining what is often misconstrued as weakness. These supposed
weaknesses also tend to be associated with the feminine and further perpetuate gender-skewing
stereotypes.

With such a hole left in the market for books moving beyond the traditionally considered traits of
masculinity, The Only Boy in Ballet Class, written by Denise Gruska and Illustrated by Amy
Wummer, is truly a breath of fresh air. Here we meet Tucker who doesn’t want to play football
like the other boys; he instead has a passion for dance. His peers give him much grief, but despite
being considered strange, Tucker still has the courage to pursue his passion. Then when he is
suddenly needed to help the football players, it is his dance skills that lead the team to victory.
While it would perhaps be nice if the message did not have to be conveyed through such a
stereotypical sport, it is still appreciated all the same. In the end, Tucker and his love of dance
are embraced and his uniqueness is glorified.

The virtues behind The Only Boy in Ballet Class need to be more widespread in the culture we
create for young boys. Not every young man is destined to be a star athlete, and certainly none
should be taught that suppressing their emotions is a sign of strength. Being called a “sissy” or a
girl should not be given a negative connotation and having an appreciation of or desire to engage
in what are considered girlish activities should be embraced and not frowned upon.
Times have changed and so have modern gender roles. Women are easily capable of becoming
mechanics, CEOs and racecar drives. Men are equally as capable of being chefs, nurses and stay-
at-home dads. None of the above demoralizes one’s femininity or masculinity, and society is
increasingly pushing forward to embrace a broader definition of gender. So if we as adults are
breaking tradition, is it not our responsibility to ensure these new inclusive ways of identifying
ourselves should not be more readily taught to children in one of their most vital methods of
learning? Society is evolving, and it is time picture books did the same.

Cole, Babette. Princess SmartyPants. New York: G.P. Putnam and Sons, 1986.

Flood, Allison. “Study finds huge gender imbalance in children’s literature.” The Guardian.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/may/06/gender-imbalance-children-s-literature.

Glenn, Whitney. “Helping Children Understand Gender Roles and Avoid Gender Bias.”
http://voices.yahoo.com/helping-children-understand-gender-roles-avoid-316207.html?cat=7.

Gruska, Denise. The Only Boy in Ballet Class. Layton, UT: Gibbs Smith, Publisher, 2007.

Institute for Humane Education. “12 Picture Books that Challenge Traditional Gender Roles.”
Humane Connection. http://humaneconnectionblog.blogspot.com/2012/06/12-childrens-picture-
books-that.html.

Kann, Elizabeth and Victoria. Pinkalicious. New York: Harper Collins. 2006.

Kid Source Online. “Gender Issues in Children’s Literature.”

http://www.kidsource.com/education/gender.issues.l.a.html.

Munsch, Robert. The Paper Bag Princess. Willowdale, ON: Firefly Books, LTD. 1980.