Lesson 2

Traditional
Literature
Traditional Literature
Is stories for children and adolescents that is
purposively created to entertain and teach
values. These stories have been passed on from
one generation to the next, initially an oral
tradition but later written. Mostly these stories
are collective works that describe natural
phenomena and communicate values, practices,
and beliefs. Most themes of the traditional
literature are the contrast between good and
evil or strong and weak, beauty and ugliness, or
rich and poor.
Classification of
Traditional
Literature
Legends
Legends are folklores or tales about a person or place.
It comes from the Latin word “legenda or legendus”
meaning to read or worth reading. Legends are
orally transmitted and later written. The narratives
in legends are adapted and altered overtime to make
them more interesting for readers. They are believed
to be historical narratives yet have not been proved
nor documented in history.Legends mostly
demonstrate human values and aim to teach morals.
Common themes in legends include truth, betrayal,
revenge, choices, mortality, and heroism.
The Legend of Robin Hood
Robin Hood is very prominent
legendary figure of all time. He is
known as an Englishman of the
medieval period. He was an outlaw
and was a known enemy to the
sheriff of Nottingham. He became
famous due to his compassion for the
poor. He steals from the rich to feed
and give money to the poor.
Myths
Myths are a symbolic narrative of gods,
goddesses, demigods, and superhumans involved
in extraordinary circumstances. These stories are
of unknown origin and based on tradition. Myths
are associated with religious beliefs or sacred
tales that explain the world and human
phenomena related to the actions of gods. Myths
project universal subjects such as birth and
death or the life after death, the origin of man,
and the story of the good and wicked.
 Cupid and Psyche
Cupid is known by many as the child of Venus, the
Roman goddess of beauty. Cupid is famous for his
bow and arrows of heart that whoever will be hit
by falls in love. The story started when Psyche, a
beautiful princess, was envied by Venus. As revenge,
she requested her son to make Psyche fall in love
with a hideous monster. Nevertheless, as Cupid was
hit by one of his arrows and he fell in love with
her.
Cupid is a popular figure to children as the child
with wings carrying a bow and arrow.
Fairytales
Fairytales are magical stories of
fantastical characters, princesses,
elves, fairies, dragons, unicorns,
witches, devils, and goblins. These
stories are primarily introduced
to children to help them
distinguish between good and evil,
teach lessons.
 Cinderella
Is one of the famous fairytale characters who is portrayed in
many movies with different versions. Charles Perrault in 1697
wrote the original story. It was popularized by the Grim
Brothers in 1812. The story of Cinderella popularized famous
quotes such as “Have courage and be kind,” “A dream is a wish
your heart makes.” “Where there is kindness, there is goodness.”
It is a story of hope and magic. The main character is Ella, an
orphan, who had to live with her stepmother and stepsisters.
She struggled with her life until she met the prince at the ball
and became a princess. She was famous for her glass slipper,
which the fairy godmother gave her along with a beautiful gown
Fables
Fables originated from the Latin word
“fabula” which means “story”. Fables are
fictional stories that aim to teach a lesson
and entertain the readers. They are
concerned with the forces of nature such as
plants, winds, lightning, and trees. The
characters are animals that personify
human traits. They are generally short
stories filled with humor.
The Tortoise and the Hare
The Tortoise and the Hare is one of the famous fables
familiar to children. The story began when the hare
boasted his speed and challenged the hare into a foot
race, which the tortoise accepted. The hare started
running fast to insult the tortoise. In the middle of the
race, the hare took a nap. The tortoise, although slow,
decided to continue going. When the hare woke up, he
realized that the tortoise already finished the race. The
story teaches children no to boast of their talents and
unique qualities. Instead, be steady and always keep
trying no matter how slow on runs.
 Epic
An epic is a long narrative poem that portrays the
extraordinary labor of extraordinary people. It comes from
the Greek word “epos” that means “story, word, and poem.”
It is one of the oral traditions that narrates the heroic
adventures of the known characters or heroes with
superhuman qualities. It has a formal narrative, usually in the
third-person omniscient narrator. The setting in the entire
story varies and is unknown ground. The plot is full of
circumstances and give the heroes unsurmountable obstacles.
Popular epics for children and adolescents include Homer’s
“Iiiad and Odyssey,” an old English “Beowulf” written in
poetry form and Hesiod’s “Hercules” or Heracles”.
Lesson 3
Historical and
Realistic Literature
Historical Fiction
• Is a kind of a narrative that allows the reader to
go back to a particular period. The characters of
a historical fiction may interact with characters
known to history. Events and themes of
historical fiction depict details of the period as
accurately as possible. However, the authors are
still allowed to be inventive in terms of dialogues,
scenes, and storyline. Social norms, the culture,
and practices, the customs and tradition are
captured in the historical fictional prose.
Cue for Treason
The Cue for Treason is a suitable
literary piece for children and
adolescents to understand the
struggles of the peasants in the past,
as well as, the lack of freedom of
women to excel in a male-dominated
world.
Types of Historical Fiction
Historical fiction includes historical fantasy
and alternate history. As opposed to
science fiction, fantasy is a genre that
shows supernatural and magical elements
that do not exist in the real world. The
characters are purely imagined and
narrative is highly speculative. A well-
developed and well-illustrated setting is a
necessary element in fantasy.
Historical Fantasy
Is a terminology used to
refer to a historical fiction
that combines the elements
of fantasy and history.
The Bear and the Nightingale
The Bear and the Nightingale is a Russian historical fantasy set
in ancient Russia when Conventional Christianity rejected the
idea of mystical figures. It introduced a girl named Vasya
Petrovna who can communicate with fantastical and
mythological beings. She fed them, talked to them, which made
her weird to onlookers. She was compassionate, curious but
disappointed by society, especially on how people treated
women. A Winter King demon and his brother Bear became
interested in her. Vasya had no apparent internal conflict ,
which is why the story is good for young readers. It is also rich
in lessons including a peek through the past and women’s
position in society. It is weave of rich cultural , vibrant
supernatural, physical and historical settings.
Alternate History
Is a type of speculative fiction where
stories are historically relevant yet events
are resolved differently. It offers the
readers possibilities and answers “what
ifs’ or assumptions in the stories.
Alternate history offers a time travel
from one historical period to another,
which makes the setting interesting.
Therefore, the setting occurs at no
particular time or in no particular place.
Ink and Bone
Ink and Bone is an alternate historical story that features the Library of
Alexandria. The Great Library is portrayed as an influential force that
controlled the flow of information around the world. The story narrates
the adventures of Jess Brightwell, who filled himself with knowledge from
his reading. Since personal ownership of books from the Great Library is
forbidden, Jess reads books that are illegaly owned by his family, who
trades in the black market. His family sends him to the Great Library to
be a spy. He discovers that the knowledge obtained from the Great Library
is considered far more valuable than the lives of humans. Many of his
friends who sought to rescue original books died or were killed including his
best friend Thomas, who started a printing press that the Library was
against.
The story depicts the Great Library of Alexandria that stood and was
destroyed. However, the story Ink and Bone is set in the future between
2025 and 2030, which is an alternate reality of the past.
Realistic Fiction
Is considered a present-day fiction
that represents natural everyday
occurrences of the real world, with a
vivid and accurate portrayal of the
realistic settings. The stories mirror
reality in fictional characters. The
plot emphasizes personal issues, social
events, or concerns of everyday life.
Types of Realistic Fiction
Realistic Fiction includes
family stories, social
realism, survival, detective
stories, and animal stories.
Family Stories
Family stories feature the stories that most families
encounter such as scheming, sibling rivalry, and
reconciliation. These stories are patterned after the
Victorian ideals of a poor but virtuous family, with
dutiful and obedient children who draw their
strengths from each other. An excellent example of
classic family stories that belong to realistic fiction is
Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women.” It shows the
realistic portrayal of the family in 19th century
America and Lucy Maud Montgomery’s “Anne of
Green Gables.”
Little Women
Little Women features the four women daughters – Jo, Beth,
Amy and Meg – who was with their mother in England when
their father served as a pastor during the civil war. The family
slowly lost fortune and was struggling. All the four had personal
struggles., Jo wanted to be a writer, struggled to act as a real-
lady, Meg, who loved the finery, needed to follow her heart and
set aside her desired wealthy life, Beth needed to conquer her
difference, and Amy had to sacrifice her pride. The family bond
started to loosen when Amy had to go to Europe with her aunt;
Jo traveled to New York to pursue her writing career, and Beth
succumbed to sickness and died. The story was concluded with
Jo marrying a German expatriate, Professor Bhaer, while
Laurie and Amy tied the knot.
Stories of Social Realism
The stories of social realism emphasize realistic stories of
self-identity, abuse, friendship, sexuality, and other
social issues that make up human development. Writers
of social realism are convinced to expose young minds to
harsh realities to help them learn and prepare them.
Stories of social realism includes “ The Cather in the
Rye” by JD Salinger that features a boy who refused to
grow. “The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn by Mark
Twain that depicts the struggles of young people in
society, “Of Mice and Men” that involves the struggle
between chasing dreams or love.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Huckleberry Finn ran away from his alcoholic and abusive
father. Together with his friend Jim, he escaped. On their
way, they met several struggles one of which was from the
hands of the con artists pretending as aristocrats.
Previously, Huck’s main concern was to free himself from
the physical, emotional, and mental constraints society
puts on his shoulder. Nevertheless, as soon as he knew Jim,
he was inclined to helping him. While he struggled for his
freedom, he had to free Jim from slavery. The Adventures
of Huckleberry Fin exposes young readers to harsh realities
in society to teach them lessons and let them see adversity
in the characters’ eyes. This will also allow them to see the
world as it is.
Survival Stories
Like stories of social realism, survival stories
deal with the realities in life, specifically on
the characters’ quest for survival. Most of the
time, the conflict is between man and his
social realities or man vs. nature. Survival
stories show characters’ encounters with cruel
forces such as insensitive society or natural
calamities. These stories also depict how the
characters survive and rise above adversities.
 The island of Dolphins
The Island of Dolphins deals with the 12-year-old girl
named Karana, who was stranded with her brother
Ramo. Her goal was to endure and fight against the
threat of wild dogs that killed her brother and the killer
hunters Aleut. To survive, she had to use everything
around her as a resource. Later, she became friends with
the dogs since she nursed them back to health instead of
killing them. Through her sacrifices, Karana survived and
was found. The story of Karana in the island of Dolphins
teaches young readers to continue fighting against the
difficulties in life, which makes it an excellent material for
 Detective and Mystery
Stories
A detective story is one of the types of realistic fiction
that children of all ages love due to its mystery, twists,
and revelations. It provides thrill, excitement, a bit of
danger and action. Detective stories were popularized by
Edgar Allan Poe who stories are centered on solving
puzzles and crimes. The success of detective stories
depend on the characters’ careful planning and
demystifying the clues. The writer of these stories must
be very creative to decide when to reveal or how much to
reveal to the readers.
 The Secret Spy Society the Case of
the Missing Cheetah
It follows three friends who found out that their
teacher was a spy. They were asked to spy on their
neighbor ,who was believed to have kidnapped the pet
cheetah of Josephine Baker. They sneaked into the
house, found the cheetah but were caught. They were
rescued by the lady spies. In the end, the girls decided
to create a club of spies. “The Secret Spy Society the
Case of the Missing Cheetah” is one of the adored
children’s detective stories, especially for the very
young readers. It makes them, imagine, observe, and
Quick Check:
What is Differentiate
historical
considered fantasy and
historical alternate
fiction? historical
fiction?
Thank You!!!!