Children's Literature

1. Module overview
Children's literature is a rather slippery term encompassing a variety of genres, child/adult
concerns, engagement with historical/contextual issues on, for example, gender; class; nonsense;
the nature of time; slavery. Other issues addressed are subjectivity, agency, the role of parental
figures in the development of the child.

2. Aims and Objectives

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and
understanding of:

 key theories relevant to the genre;

 what characterises a literary work written for children;
 forms and writing techniques demonstrated in the work selected;
 the issues relating to children’s literature, such as representations of childhood, gender
identity and theories of reading.

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

 contextualise the selected work and consider critical responses to it;

 discuss, orally and in writing, issues relating to the form and content of the writing you
have studied;
 draw upon secondary sources to inform you argument.
 relate the work on this module regarding identity and representations of childhood, for
example, to themes addressed in the core at levels 1 and 2;

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

 participate, responsively and constructively, in small and large group discussions with
your peers on specific topics;
 write critically, reflectively and accurately about a specific area of study;
 use appropriately a range of secondary material.
1. Syllabus
In this module you will consider significant issues, such as representations of child - and
adulthood, gender and subjectivity, the role of realism and fantasy, from the First Golden Age of
Children's Literature (1860-1914), including works by Lewis Carroll, Kenneth Grahame and F.
Hodgson Burnett. Thereafter we will focus on the Second Golden Age (1945 - 1960) by
analysing how, for example, Tom's Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce both draws on and
develops themes from the First Golden Age before considering more contemporary authors, e.g.
Philip Pullman. You will also have the opportunity to compare the themes raised in British texts
to three American novels - Uncle Tom's Cabin, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Roll of
Thunder, Hear my Cry - to gain an overview of the range and complexities of the genre.
You will be encouraged to use your knowledge gained from the core strands to support and
develop your analysis of literary/ theoretical issues and your historical/ contextual research.

2. Learning and Teaching

Teaching and learning methods

Teaching methods include

 mini-lectures to introduce selected writers and key themes;

 seminars to enable you to examine specific texts and topics in discussion with your peers;
 individual meetings with the tutor to discuss assessment planning and essay feedback.

Learning activities include

 close reading and careful analysis of selected texts and themes;

 engagement in seminar discussions as participator and listener;
 preparation for and completion of two coursework essays.

This module includes a Learning Support Hour. This is a flexible weekly contact hour, designed
to support and respond to the particular cohort taking the module from year to year. This hour
will include (but not be limited to) activities such as language, theory and research skills classes;
group work supervisions; assignment preparation and essay writing guidance; assignment
consultations; feedback and feed-forward sessions.
Study time
Type Hours

Independent Study 114

Teaching 36
Type Hours

150
Total study time

Resources & Reading list

Textbooks

Hunt, P., (ed.) (1990). Children’s Literature: The Development of Criticism. Routledge.

Butt, D., (ed.) (1992). Stories and Society: Children’s Literature in its Context. Macmillan.
Hunt, P (1999). An Introduction to Children’s Literature. Penguin.
Foster, S., and Simons, J. (1995). What Katy Read: Feminist Re-Readings of ‘Classic’ Stories
for Girls. Macmillian.
Stephens, J (1992). Language and Ideology in Children’s Literature. London.

3. Assessment

Assessment strategy

Assessments designed to provide informal, on-module feedback

 group guidance on the two coursework assignments;

 opportunities for individual consultation by appointment with the tutor to discuss
preparation for assessment and to review essay feedback.

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
Breakdown
Method Percentage contribution

Essay 50%

Essay 50%

Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
Breakdown
Method Percentage contribution

Essay 50%

Essay 50%