CATEGORIES OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENT’S LITERATURE

Topics
• Poetry • Realistic Fiction
• Picture Books • Non-Fiction
• Traditional Literature • Historical Fiction
• Modern Fables • Multi-cultural and International
• Modern Fantasy Literature
A
Poetry
Mother Goose

Mother Goose is often cited as the author of hundreds of children’s stories that have been
passed down through oral tradition and published over centuries. Various chants, songs, and even
games have been attributed to her, but she is most recognized for her nursery rhymes, which
have been familiar with readers of all generations. Her work is often published as Mother Goose
Rhymes.
Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes
Despite her celebrated place in children’s literature, the exact identity and origin of
Mother Goose herself is still unknown. Some believe that the original Mother Goose was a real
woman who lived in Boston during the later half of the 17th century. After being widowed by
Isaac Goose, a woman named either Elizabeth Foster Goose or Mary Goose (depending on
sources) moved in with her eldest daughter, entertaining her grandchildren with amusing jingles
which quickly gained popularity with the neighborhood children. According to the legend, her
son-in-law, a publisher, printed her rhymes, and thus the reputation of Mother Goose was born.
Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes
However, literary historians often dismiss the possibility of a Bostonian Mother Goose,
as the existence of various French texts that refer to Mother Goose at a much earlier date make
the American legend improbable.  These texts, dating as early as 1626, even show that the French
terms “mère l’oye” or “mère oye” (Mother Goose) were already familiar to readers and could be
referenced. The figure of Mother Goose may even date back as the 10th century, according to
other sources.  In an ancient French legend, King Robert II had a wife who often told incredible
tales that fascinated children.
Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes
Regardless of Mother Goose’s origins, Charles Perrault was the first to actually publish a
Mother Goose collection of rhymes and other folk tales in 1697, essentially initiating the fairy
tale genre. With the subtitle Les Contes de ma Mère l'Oie (Tales of my Mother Goose), the
collection quickly gained popularity all over France. By 1729, Perrault’s collection had been
translated into English, in the form of Robert Samber’s Histories or Tales of Past Times, Told by
Mother Goose.  Samber’s volume was eventually republished in 1786 and brought to the U.S.
Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes
English publisher of children’s literature John Newbery later focused on the nursery
rhymes, publishing Mother Goose's Melody, or, Sonnets for the Cradle, which helped Mother
Goose become further associated with children’s poetry. 

The Owl and The Pussycat by Edward Lear

Edward Lear was an English artist, illustrator, musician, author and poet, who is known
mostly for his literary nonsense in poetry and prose and especially his limericks, a form he
popularized.
What is literary nonsense?
Literary nonsense (or nonsense literature) is a broad categorization of literature that
balances elements that make sense with some that do not, with the effect of subverting language
conventions or logical reasoning. Even though the most well-known form of literary nonsense
is nonsense verse, the genre is present in many forms of literature.
The effect of nonsense is often caused by an excess of meaning, rather than a lack of it.
Its humor is derived from its nonsensical nature, rather than wit or the "joke" of a punchline.

Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll

Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English
author, poet and mathematician. His most notable works are Alice's Adventures in
Wonderland (1865) and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass (1871). He was noted for his
facility with word play, logic, and fantasy. His poems Jabberwocky (1871) and The Hunting of
the Snark (1876) are classified in the genre of literary nonsense.

Little Red Riding Hood by Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl was a British popular author of irreverent children's literature and short stories, a
poet, and wartime fighter ace. His books have sold more than 300 million copies worldwide.
Dahl has been called "one of the greatest storytellers for children of the 20th century".

Life Doesn’t Frighten Me by Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou was a poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three
books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and
television shows spanning over 50 years.

Picture Books
What is a picture book?
A picture book combines visual and verbal narratives in a book format, most often
aimed at young children. With the narrative told primarily through text, they are distinct
from comics, which do so primarily through sequential images. The images in picture books can
be produced in a range of media, such as oil paints, acrylics, watercolor, and pencil. Picture
books often serve as pedagogical resources, aiding with children's language development or
understanding of the world.
The majority of picture books are constructed in the same way as books for older children
and adults, but there are a number of special types.
 Board books are picture books printed on sturdy cardboard — called paperboard — for
young children who tend to be less careful with books. Paperboard is used for both the
cover and the interior pages. The pages are specially folded and bound together.
 Soft books, also aimed at very young children, are made of cloth or soft plastic.
 Pop-up books employ paper engineering to make parts of the page pop up or stand up
when pages are opened. The Wheels on the Bus, by Paul O. Zelinsky, is an example of a
best-selling pop-up book.
 Touch and feel books included textured surfaces in the pictures. Pat the Bunny, by
Dorothy Kunhardt, is a popular touch and feel book.
The majority of picture books are constructed in the same way as books for older children
and adults, but there are a number of special types.
 Concept books teach children about specific themes such as the alphabet or shapes. A
famous example is A is for Apple by Georgie Birkett.
 Easy reader books are for children who are beginning to learn how to read and include
simple text and descriptive illustrations.
 Non-fiction children's books are used to teach children in a simple and accessible way.
 Wordless picture books tell a story only through images. They encourage creativity and
can be appreciated by children who cannot yet read. A famous example of a wordless
picture book is The Snowman by Raymond Briggs.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a 1969 children’s picture book designed, illustrated, and
written by Eric Carle. The book features a hungry caterpillar that eats a variety of foods before
pupating and emerging as a butterfly. It has won many children’s literature awards and major
graphic design awards. It has sold upwards of 50 million copies worldwide, selling roughly a
copy per thirty seconds since its publication. The book has been lauded as “one of the greatest
childhood classics of all time.” Its ‘eaten’ holes and collage artwork were innovative for its
time. The book includes counting, days of the week, food, and a butterfly’s life cycle, which
contribute to juvenile education. Carle’s original work has been the basis for various tie-
in products.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Synopsis
On an early Sunday morning, “a tiny and very hungry caterpillar” hatches from his egg.
Then, he searches for something to eat. For the following five days, Monday through Friday, the
very hungry caterpillar eats through an increasing quantity of delicious fruit: one apple on
Monday, two pears on Tuesday, three plums on Wednesday, four strawberries on Thursday, and
five oranges on Friday. Each day, however, the caterpillar is still hungry. On Saturday, he feasts,
eating a piece of chocolate cake, a strawberry ice cream cone, a pickle, a slice of Swiss cheese, a
slice of salami, a lollipop, a piece of cherry pie, a sausage, a cupcake and a slice of watermelon.
That night, he gets a stomach ache from the unhealthy overeating.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
To recover from Saturday’s stomach ache, the very hungry caterpillar eats one green leaf
on Sunday (a week has passed), and then feels much better. He is no longer little and hungry; he
is now a big and fat caterpillar. He builds a cocoon around himself. He stays inside of it for two
weeks, after which he nibbles a hole and pushes his way out. Finally, he develops into a large,
beautiful, multi-colored butterfly. As a butterfly, the cycle begins again. Carle’s story mimics a
caterpillar’s actual life cycle: eating, growing, spinning, and finally metamorphosing into a
butterfly.
Eric Carle
Eric Carle was an American author, designer and illustrator of children's books. His
picture book The Very Hungry Caterpillar, first published in 1969, has been translated into more
than 66 languages and sold more than 50 million copies. His career as an illustrator and
children's book author took off after he collaborated on Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You
See?. He illustrated more than 70 books, most of which he also wrote, and more than 145 million
copies of his books have been sold around the world.

The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss

The Cat in the Hat is a 1957 children's book written and illustrated by American author
Theodor Geisel, using the pen name Dr. Seuss. The story centers on a tall anthropomorphic cat
who wears a red and white-striped top hat and a red bow tie. The Cat shows up at the house of
Sally and her brother one rainy day when their mother is away. Despite the repeated objections
of the children's fish, the Cat shows the children a few of his tricks in an attempt to entertain
them. In the process, he and his companions, Thing One and Thing Two, wreck the house. As the
children and the fish become more alarmed, the Cat produces a machine that he uses to clean
everything up and disappears just before the children's mother comes home.
The Cat in the Hat
Plot
The story begins as an unnamed boy who is the narrator of the book sits alone with his
sister Sally in their house on a cold and rainy day, staring wistfully out the window. Then they
hear a loud bump which is quickly followed by the arrival of the Cat in the Hat, a
tall anthropomorphic cat in a red and white-striped top hat and a red bow tie, who proposes to
entertain the children with some tricks that he knows. The children's pet fish refuses, insisting
that the Cat should leave. The Cat then responds by balancing the fish on the tip of his umbrella.
The game quickly becomes increasingly trickier, as the Cat balances himself on a ball and tries to
balance many household items on his limbs until he falls on his head, dropping everything he
was holding. The fish admonishes him again, but the Cat in the Hat just proposes another game.
The Cat in the Hat
The Cat brings in a big red box from outside, from which he releases two identical
characters, or "Things" as he refers them to, with blue hair and red suits called Thing One and
Thing Two. The Things cause more trouble, such as flying kites in the house, knocking pictures
off the wall and picking up the children's mother's new polka-dotted dress. All this comes to an
end when the fish spots the children's mother out the window. In response, the boy catches the
Things in a net and the Cat, apparently ashamed, stores them back in the big red box. He takes it
out the front door as the fish and the children survey the mess he has made. But the Cat soon
returns, riding a machine that picks everything up and cleans the house, delighting the fish and
the children. The Cat then leaves just before their mother arrives, and the fish and the children
are back where they started at the beginning of the story. As she steps in, the mother asks the
children what they did while she was out, but the children are hesitant and do not answer. The
story ends with the question, "What would you do if your mother asked you?"

Dr. Seuss, pseudonym of Theodor Seuss Geisel, American writer and illustrator of immensely
popular children’s books, which were noted for their nonsense words, playful rhymes, and
unusual creatures.
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
The Giving Tree is an American children's picture book written and illustrated by Shel
Silverstein. First published in 1964 by Harper & Row, it has become one of Silverstein's best-
known titles, and it has been translated into numerous languages.
This book has been described as "one of the most divisive books in children's literature";
the controversy stems from whether the relationship between the main characters (a boy and the
eponymous tree) should be interpreted as positive (i.e., the tree gives the boy selfless love) or
negative (i.e., the boy and the tree have an abusive relationship).
The Giving Tree
Plot
The book follows the lives of an apple tree and a boy, who develop a relationship with
one another. The tree is very "giving" and the boy evolves into a "taking" teenager, a middle-
aged man, and finally an elderly man. Despite the fact that the boy ages in the story, the tree
addresses the boy as "Boy" his entire life.
In his childhood, the boy enjoys playing with the tree, climbing her trunk, swinging from
her branches, carving "Me + T (Tree)" into the bark, and eating her apples. However, as the boy
grows older, he spends less time with the tree and tends to visit her only when he wants material
items at various stages of his life, or not coming to the tree alone (such as bringing a lady friend
to the tree and carving "Me +Y.L." (her initials, often assumed to be an acronym for "young
love") into the tree. In an effort to make the boy happy at each of these stages, the tree gives him
parts of herself, which he can transform into material items, such as money (from her apples), a
house (from her branches), and a boat (from her trunk). With every stage of giving, "the Tree was
happy.”
The Giving Tree
In the final pages, both the tree and the boy feel the sting of their respective "giving" and
"taking" nature. When only a stump remains for the tree (including the carving "Me + T"), she is
not happy, at least at that moment. The boy returns as a tired elderly man to meet the tree once
more. She tells him she is sad because she cannot provide him shade, apples, or any materials
like in the past. He ignores this (because his teeth are too weak for apples, and he is too old to
swing on branches and too tired to climb her trunk) and states that all he wants is "a quiet place
to sit and rest," which the tree, who is weak being just a stump, could provide. With this final
stage of giving, "the Tree was happy.”
Shel Silverstein
Shel Silverstein was born on September 25, 1930 in Chicago, Illinois, and began writing and
drawing at a young age. 
He is best known as the author of iconic books of prose and poetry for young readers. His works
include such modern classics as A Light in the Attic (HarperCollins, 1981), recipient of the
School Library Journal Best Books Award in 1982; Where the Sidewalk Ends (Harper & Row,
1974), a 1974 Michigan Young Readers Award winner; and The Giving Tree (Harper & Row,
1964).

Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Where the Wild Things Are is a 1963 children's picture book written and illustrated by
American writer and illustrator Maurice Sendak, originally published in hardcover by Harper &
Row. The book has been adapted into other media several times, including an animated short
film in 1973 (with an updated version in 1988); a 1980 opera; and a live-action 2009 feature-film
adaptation. The book had sold over 19 million copies worldwide as of 2009, with 10 million of
those being in the United States.
Sendak won the annual Caldecott Medal from the children's librarians in 1964,
recognizing Wild Things as the previous year's "most distinguished American picture book for
children". It was voted the number one picture book in a 2012 survey of School Library
Journal readers, not for the first time.
Where The Wild Things Are
Plot
The story focuses on a young boy named Max who, after dressing in his wolf costume,
wreaks such havoc through his household that he is sent to bed without his supper. Max's
bedroom undergoes a mysterious transformation into a jungle environment, and he winds up
sailing to an island inhabited by monsters, simply called the Wild Things. The Wild Things try to
scare Max, but to no avail. After stopping and intimidating the creatures, Max is hailed as the
king of the Wild Things and enjoys a playful romp with his subjects. Finally, he stops them and
sends them to bed without their supper. However, to the Wild Things' dismay, he starts to feel
lonely and decides to give up being king and return home. The creatures do not want him to go
and throw themselves into fits of rage as Max calmly sails away home. Upon returning to his
bedroom, Max discovers a hot supper waiting for him.

Maurice Bernard Sendak was an American author and illustrator of children's books. He

became most widely known for his book Where the Wild Things Are, first published in
1963. Born to Polish-Jewish parents, his childhood was affected by the death of many of his
family members during the Holocaust. Sendak also wrote works such as In the Night
Kitchen, Outside Over There, and illustrated many works by other authors including the Little
Bear books by Else Holmelund Minarik.
Traditional Literature
What is a traditional literature?
"Traditional literature encompasses books rendered from oral tradition--stories that have
been passed down for ages (Kiefer, 2007)--and as a result are commonly shared throughout the
world. This literature includes folktales, myths, fables, and legends." Barone, D. M. (2011).

Aesop’s Fables
Aesop's Fables, or the Aesopica, is a collection of fables credited to Aesop, a slave and
storyteller who lived in ancient Greece between 620 and 564 BCE. Of diverse origins, the stories
associated with his name have descended to modern times through a number of sources and
continue to be reinterpreted in different verbal registers and in popular as well as artistic media.
Aesop’s Fables
The fables originally belonged to oral tradition and were not collected for some three
centuries after Aesop's death. By that time, a variety of other stories, jokes and proverbs were
being ascribed to him, although some of that material was from sources earlier than him or came
from beyond the Greek cultural sphere. The process of inclusion has continued until the present,
with some of the fables unrecorded before the Late Middle Ages and others arriving from outside
Europe. The process is continuous and new stories are still being added to the Aesop corpus,
even when they are demonstrably more recent work and sometimes from known authors.
Aesop’s Fables
Manuscripts in Latin and Greek were important avenues of transmission, although
poetical treatments in European vernaculars eventually formed another. On the arrival of
printing, collections of Aesop's fables were among the earliest books in a variety of languages.
Through the means of later collections, and translations or adaptations of them, Aesop's
reputation as a fabulist was transmitted throughout the world.
Aesop’s Fables
Initially the fables were addressed to adults and covered religious, social and political
themes. They were also put to use as ethical guides and from the Renaissance onwards were
particularly used for the education of children. Their ethical dimension was reinforced in the
adult world through depiction in sculpture, painting and other illustrative means, as well as
adaptation to drama and song. In addition, there have been reinterpretations of the meaning of
fables and changes in emphasis over time.

The Grimm Brothers’ Fairytales

Grimms' Fairy Tales, originally known as the Children's and Household Tales, is a
German collection of fairy tales by the Grimm brothers or "Brothers Grimm", Jacob and
Wilhelm, first published on 20 December 1812.
One Thousand and One Arabian Nights Stories
One Thousand and One Nights is a collection of Middle Eastern folk tales compiled in
Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age. It is often known in English as the Arabian Nights, from
the first English-language edition, which rendered the title as The Arabian Nights' Entertainment.
Filipino Folktales and Legends
Modern Fables
Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
ONCE upon a time there were four little Rabbits, and their names were— Flopsy, Mopsy,
Cotton-tail, and Peter.
They lived with their Mother in a sand-bank, underneath the root of a very big fir tree.
"NOW, my dears," said old Mrs. Rabbit one morning, "you may go into the fields or down the
lane, but don't go into Mr. McGregor's garden: your Father had an accident there; he was put in a
pie by Mrs. McGregor."
"NOW run along, and don't get into mischief. I am going out."
THEN old Mrs. Rabbit took a basket and her umbrella, to the baker's. She bought a loaf of brown
bread and five currant buns.
FLOPSY, Mopsy, and Cottontail, who were good little bunnies, went down the lane to gather
blackberries;
BUT Peter, who was very naughty, ran straight away to Mr. McGregor's garden and squeezed
under the gate!
FIRST he ate some lettuces and some French beans; and then he ate some radishes;
AND then, feeling rather sick, he went to look for some parsley.
BUT round the end of a cucumber frame, whom should he meet but Mr. McGregor!
MR. McGREGOR was on his hands and knees planting out young cabbages, but he jumped up
and ran after Peter, waving a rake and calling out, "Stop thief!"
PETER was most dreadfully frightened; he rushed all over the garden, for he had forgotten the
way back to the gate.
He lost one of his shoes among the cabbages, and the other shoe amongst the potatoes.
AFTER losing them, he ran on four legs and went faster, so that I think he might have got away
altogether if he had not unfortunately run into a gooseberry net, and got caught by the large
buttons on his jacket. It was a blue jacket with brass buttons, quite new.
PETER gave himself up for lost, and shed big tears; but his sobs were overheard by some
friendly sparrows, who flew to him in great excitement, and implored him to exert himself.
MR. McGREGOR came up with a sieve, which he intended to pop upon the top of Peter; but
Peter wriggled out just in time, leaving his jacket behind him.
AND rushed into the toolshed, and jumped into a can. It would have been a beautiful thing to
hide in, if it had not had so much water in it.
MR. McGREGOR was quite sure that Peter was somewhere in the toolshed, perhaps hidden
underneath a flower-pot. He began to turn them over carefully, looking under each.
Presently Peter sneezed— "Kertyschoo!" Mr. McGregor was after him in no time,
AND tried to put his foot upon Peter, who jumped out of a window, upsetting three plants. The
window was too small for Mr. McGregor, and he was tired of running after Peter. He went back
to his work.
PETER sat down to rest; he was out of breath and trembling with fright, and he had not the least
idea which way to go. Also he was very damp with sitting in that can.
After a time he began to wander about, going lippity— lippity—not very fast, and looking all
around.
HE found a door in a wall; but it was locked, and there was no room for a fat little rabbit to
squeeze underneath.
An old mouse was running in and out over the stone doorstep, carrying peas and beans to her
family in the wood. Peter asked her the way to the gate, but she had such a large pea in her
mouth that she could not answer. She only shook her head at him. Peter began to cry.
THEN he tried to find his way straight across the garden, but he became more and more puzzled.
Presently, he came to a pond where Mr. McGregor filled his water-cans. A white cat was staring
at some gold-fish; she sat very, very still, but now and then the tip of her tail twitched as if it
were alive. Peter thought it best to go away without speaking to her; he had heard about cats
from his cousin, little Benjamin Bunny.
HE went back towards the tool-shed, but suddenly, quite close to him, he heard the noise of a hoe
—scr-r-ritch, scratch, scratch, scritch. Peter scuttered underneath the bushes. But presently, as
nothing happened, he came out, and climbed upon a wheelbarrow, and peeped over. The first
thing he saw was Mr. McGregor hoeing onions. His back was turned towards Peter, and beyond
him was the gate!
PETER got down very quietly off the wheelbarrow, and started running as fast as he could go,
along a straight walk behind some black-currant bushes.
Mr. McGregor caught sight of him at the corner, but Peter did not care. He slipped underneath
the gate, and was safe at last in the wood outside the garden.
MR. McGREGOR hung up the little jacket and the shoes for a scare-crow to frighten the
blackbirds.
PETER never stopped running or looked behind him till he got home to the big fir-tree.
He was so tired that he flopped down upon the nice soft sand on the floor of the rabbit-hole, and
shut his eyes. His mother was busy cooking; she wondered what he had done with his clothes. It
was the second little jacket and pair of shoes that Peter had lost in a fortnight!
I AM sorry to say that Peter was not very well during the evening.
His mother put him to bed, and made some camomile tea; and she gave a dose of it to Peter!
"One table-spoonful to be taken at bed-time."
BUT Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail had bread and milk and blackberries, for supper.

Curious George by Margret and H.A Rey

Curious George is a children's book written and illustrated by Margret Rey and H. A.
Rey, and published by Houghton Mifflin in 1941. The first book in the Curious George series, it
tells the story of an orphaned monkey named George and his adventures with the Man with the
Yellow Hat. As of 1 May 2021, it has sold over 25 million copies, and has been translated into
various different languages such as Japanese, French, Afrikaans, Portuguese, Swedish, German,
Chinese, Danish, and Norwegian. It is also in the Indie Choice Book Awards Picture Book Hall
of Fame and has been the subject of scholarly criticism.
Plot of Curious George
The story opens with George, a little orphaned monkey, in the jungle of Africa. A Man
with a Yellow Hat observes him through his binoculars and decides to bring the monkey home
with him. He puts his hat on the ground and hides behind a tree. George, ever curious, comes
down from the tree. He puts the hat on but it is so large that he cannot see and this gives The
Man In The Yellow Hat the chance to capture him and put him in a bag. The man takes George in
a rowboat to his cruise ship where he tells George that he is taking him to a zoo in a big city and
that he will like it there. He then gives George the run of the ship and tells him not to get into
trouble. On deck, George sees some birds, tries to fly, and falls overboard. The crew notices that
George is missing, and spot him in the Atlantic Ocean. They throw him a lifesaver and pull him
aboard.
Plot of Curious George
When they arrive in America, George says goodbye to the sailors, and is then taken to the
man's house, where he has a meal, smokes a pipe, and then goes to bed. The next day, after
seeing the man make a telephone call to the zoo before leaving, George decides to try the
telephone himself, until he inadvertently calls the fire station and sets off a false fire alarm. The
firefighters (who hear the call and the alarm) are unaware that it is George. Then they look at a
signal screen (revealing a map) and the location highlights where the telephone call had come
from. Thinking there is a real fire, the firefighters get into their trucks quickly. But when they
rush to the house, all they find is no fire but a monkey (which is George). A thin firefighter
caught one arm and the fat one caught the other. They arrest him for the false alarm. They tell
George that since he fooled the fire department, they will have to shut him up in a prison where
he cannot do anymore harm.
Plot of Curious George
George wanted to get out so he climbed up to the window to try the bars. At that moment,
a watchman comes in and climbs on a wooden bed to catch George. The watchman, however, is
heavy that the bed tips over and pins him against the wall, thus stalling him. This buys George
enough time to run out the open door. After escaping, he spots a balloon vendor out in the street
and tries to grab a balloon but ends up grabbing the entire bunch and gets sent flying off into the
air. Down below, the houses and people look like toy houses and dolls, respectively. George is
carried by the breeze until it fades out, leaving George on top of a traffic signal, which mixes up
traffic. The man with the yellow hat finds him there, buys all the balloons from the street vendor,
and finally takes George to his new home at the zoo, where each animal gets its own balloon.

Charlotte’s Web by E.B White

Charlotte's Web is a book of children's literature by American author E. B. White and
illustrated by Garth Williams; it was published on October 15, 1952, by Harper & Brothers. The
novel tells the story of a livestock pig named Wilbur and his friendship with a barn spider named
Charlotte. When Wilbur is in danger of being slaughtered by the farmer, Charlotte writes
messages praising Wilbur such as "Some Pig" and "Humble" in her web in order to persuade the
farmer to let him live.
Plot of Charlotte’s Web
After a little girl named Fern Arable pleads for the life of the runt of a litter of piglets, her
father gives her the pig to nurture, and she names him Wilbur. She treats him as a pet, but a
month later, Wilbur is no longer small, and is sold to Fern's uncle, Homer Zuckerman. In
Zuckerman's barnyard, Wilbur yearns for companionship, but is snubbed by the other animals.
He is befriended by a barn spider named Charlotte, whose web sits in a doorway overlooking
Wilbur's enclosure. When Wilbur discovers that he is being raised for slaughter, she promises to
hatch a plan guaranteed to spare his life. Fern often sits on a stool, listening to the animals'
conversation, but over the course of the story, as she starts to mature, she begins to find other
interests.
Plot of Charlotte’s Web
As the summer passes, Charlotte ponders the question of how to save Wilbur. At last, she
comes up with a plan, which she proceeds to implement. Reasoning that Zuckerman would not
kill a famous pig, Charlotte weaves words and short phrases in praise of Wilbur into her web.
Charlotte weaves the words "Some Pig" into the web, and the next morning Lurvy sees the web
and runs to find Mr. Zuckerman. This makes Wilbur, and the barn as a whole, into tourist
attractions, as many people believe the webs to be miracles. After that, Charlotte weaves the
word "Terrific" into the web, and then the whole thing starts up again. Charlotte then tells
Templeton, a barn rat, to get another word for the web. He goes to the dump and finds the word
"radiant" which she then weaves into her web. Fern's mother starts to get worried that she is
spending too much time around the animals because she is telling her mother stories about the
animals talking. Mrs. Arable then goes to visit Dr. Dorian, who persuades her that being among
animals is natural and likely therapeutic for Fern.
Plot of Charlotte’s Web
Wilbur is eventually entered into the county fair, and Charlotte, as well as Templeton,
accompany him. He fails to win the blue ribbon, but is awarded a special prize by the judges.
Charlotte weaves the last words into her web, "Humble." Charlotte hears the presentation of the
award over the public address system and realizes that the prize means Zuckerman will cherish
Wilbur for as long as the pig lives, and will never slaughter him for his meat. However,
Charlotte, being a barn spider with a naturally short lifespan, is already dying of natural causes
by the time the award is announced. Knowing that she has saved Wilbur, and satisfied with the
outcome of her life, she does not return to the barn with Wilbur and Templeton, and instead
remains at the fairgrounds to die. However, she allows Wilbur to take with him her egg sac, from
which her children will hatch in the spring. Meanwhile, Fern, who has matured significantly
since the beginning of the novel, loses interest in Wilbur and starts paying more attention to boys
her age. She misses most of the fair's events in order to go on the Ferris wheel with Henry Fussy,
one of her classmates.
Plot of Charlotte’s Web
Wilbur waits out the winter, a winter he would not have survived but for Charlotte. He is
initially delighted when Charlotte's children hatch, but is later devastated when most leave the
barn. Only three remain to take up residence in Charlotte's old doorway. Pleased at finding new
friends, Wilbur names one of them Nellie, while the remaining two name themselves Joy and
Aranea. Further generations of spiders keep Wilbur company in subsequent years.

Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A Milne

Winnie-the-Pooh is a 1926 children's book by English author A. A. Milne and English
illustrator E. H. Shepard. The book is set in the fictional Hundred Acre Wood, with a collection
of short stories following the adventures of an anthropomorphic teddy bear, Winnie-the-Pooh,
and his friends Christopher Robin, Piglet, Eeyore, Owl, Rabbit, Kanga, and Roo. It is the first of
two story collections by Milne about Winnie-the-Pooh, the second being The House at Pooh
Corner (1928). Milne and Shepard collaborated previously for English humor magazine Punch,
and in 1924 created When We Were Very Young, a poetry collection. Among the characters in the
poetry book was a teddy bear Shepard modelled after his son's toy. Following this, Shepard
encouraged Milne to write about his son Christopher Robin Milne's toys, and so they became the
inspiration for the characters in Winnie-the-Pooh.

Modern Fantasy
What is a modern fantasy?
Modern fantasy has “story elements that violate the natural, physical laws of our known
world—events akin to magic.  Modern fantasy has known authors.  Some miraculous elements
found in modern fantasy are talking animals, imaginary worlds, fanciful characters, magical
beings, and so on.  Some types of modern fantasy include the following:  toys and objects
imbued with life, tiny humans, peculiar characters and situations, imaginary worlds, magical
powers, supernatural tales, time-warp fantasy, and high fantasy.”

A Christmas Carol by C. Dickens

A Christmas Carol, is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London
by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. A Christmas Carol recounts the story
of Ebenezer Scrooge, an elderly miser who is visited by the ghost of his former business
partner Jacob Marley and the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come. After their
visits, Scrooge is transformed into a kinder, gentler man.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by L. Carroll

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (commonly Alice in Wonderland) is an 1865 English
novel by Lewis Carroll, a mathematics professor at Oxford University. It details the story of a
young girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world
of anthropomorphic creatures. It is seen as an example of the literary nonsense genre. The
artist John Tenniel provided 42 wood-engraved illustrations for the book.
Bridge To Terabithia by K. Paterson
Bridge to Terabithia is a children's novel written by Katherine Paterson, about two
children named Leslie and Jesse who create a magical forest kingdom in their imaginations. The
book was originally published in 1977 by Thomas Crowell, and in 1978, it won the Newbery
Medal. Paterson drew inspiration for the novel from a real event that occurred in August 1974
when her son’s friend was struck dead by lightning.
Bridge To Terabithia
The novel tells the story of fifth grader Jesse Aarons, who becomes friends with his new
neighbor, Leslie Burke, after he loses a footrace to her at school. Leslie is a tomboy from a
wealthy family, and Jesse thinks highly of her. Jesse is an artistic boy from a poorer family who,
in the beginning, is fearful and angry. After meeting Leslie, however, his life is transformed. He
becomes courageous and learns to let go of his frustration. The two children create a kingdom for
themselves, which Leslie names "Terabithia."
Bridge To Terabithia
The novel's content has been the frequent target of censorship and appears at number
eight on the American Library Association list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books for
the decade 1990–2000.
It has been adapted for the screen twice: a 1985 PBS TV movie and a 2007
Disney/Walden Media feature film.
Chronicles of Narnia by C.S Lewis
Harry Potter by K.K Rowling

Realistic Fiction
What is a realistic fiction?
Realistic fiction creates imaginary characters and situations that depict our world and
society. It focuses on themes of growing up and confronting personal and social problems. This
genre portrays characters coming to understand themselves and others.
Anne of Green Gables Lucy Maud Montgomery
Diary of A Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Non-Fiction
What is non-fiction literature?
 Nonfiction is literature that, regardless of the subject matter, has a simple goal: to provide
information. It should be based on facts and conclusions of the author's research or expertise, as
opposed to the creativity of the author's imagination.
Genres of Non-Fiction Books
1. History
Historical nonfiction consists of true accounts of historical eras and events. Some
histories dwell purely in objective facts, and other histories are refracted through the lens of the
author’s personal beliefs. In either case, history books must present true stories in order to
qualify as nonfiction.
Genres of Non-Fiction Books
2. Biographies and autobiographies
This subset of nonfiction focuses on the life story of a particular subject. Biographies are
written in the third person about someone other than the author. Autobiographies are written by
the subject themselves. While autobiographies are, by necessity, written by someone who is
currently alive at the time of the writing, biographies may profile subjects both living and dead.
Genres of Non-Fiction Books
3. Travel guides and travelogues
Travelogues recount an author’s specific experience traveling somewhere. Travel guides
tend to be more instructive, offering suggestions and practical information for travelers bound for
a particular destination.
Genres of Non-Fiction Books
4. Academic texts
Academic texts are designed to instruct readers on a particular topic. It is not just a
collection of ideas about a topic—it needs to have a clear purpose.
Genres of Non-Fiction Books
5. Philosophy and insight
These books are a close cousin of academic texts, and many are published by university-
affiliated publishing houses. This genre runs the gamut from traditional philosophy (Plato,
Aristotle, Descartes) to scientific theories (Newton, Watson & Crick) to analysis of scientific or
cultural phenomena.
Genres of Non-Fiction Books
6. Journalism
Journalism is a broad subgenre of nonfiction and one that encompasses many media.
Journalism is most regularly consumed in the form of newspapers and magazines, along with
monthly journals, TV news reports, and more. Journalism reports on true events that typically,
but not always, have relevance to a contemporary audience. Journalism can also take the form of
books. This includes narrative nonfiction and true crime books.
Genres of Non-Fiction Books
7. Self-help and instruction
Self-help books are some of the best-selling books in the world of nonfiction. Many of
these books concern business success, buoying confidence, staying organized, relationship
advice, dieting, and financial management.
Genres of Non-Fiction Books
8. Guides and how-to manuals
Related to the self-help subgenre, but more focused on specific skills is the subgenre of
guides and how-to manuals. These include cookbooks, musical notations, athletic instructions,
and tutorials for home hobbyists.
I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
Anne Frank: The Diary of A Young Girl
Historical Fiction
What is a historical fiction?
Historical Fiction is set in a real place, during a culturally recognizable time. The details
and the action in the story can be a mix of actual events and ones from the author's imagination
as they fill in the gaps. Characters can be pure fiction or based on real people (often, it's both).
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Number the Stars
Number the Stars is a work of historical fiction by the American author Lois Lowry about
the escape of a family of Jews from Copenhagen, Denmark, during World War II. The story
revolves around ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen, who lives with her mother, father, and sister
Kirsti in Copenhagen in 1943.
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Multi-cultural and International Literature
Multicultural and international books serve three main functions:
• They help create an awareness, understanding, and appreciation for the differences of
others.
• They help children of color to view their culture in a positive light.
• They provide a vehicle for students to travel to different cultures and witness the rich
story-telling traditions these countries have to offer. 
Akong Bugsay by Amaya C. Aboitiz
Stories by Luis P. Gatmaitan, MD
Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly
Thank You!