children's literature essay

Once upon a time: a brief history of children’s literature

Director, Centre for Medieval and Early Modern Studies, The University of Western Australia

Researcher, The University of Western Australia

Lecturer in medieval and early modern history, The University of Western Australia

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Susan Broomhall receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

Joanne McEwan receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

Stephanie Tarbin receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

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April 2 is International Children’s Book Day and the anniversary of the birth of one of the most famous contributors to this genre, Hans Christian Andersen . But when Andersen wrote his works, the genre of children’s literature was not an established field as we recognise today.

Adults have been writing for children (a broad definition of what we might call children’s literature) in many forms for centuries. Little of it looks much fun to us now. Works aimed at children were primarily concerned with their moral and spiritual progress. Medieval children were taught to read on parchment-covered wooden tablets containing the alphabet and a basic prayer, usually the Pater Noster. Later versions are known as “hornbooks”, because they were covered by a protective sheet of transparent horn.

Spiritually-improving books aimed specifically at children were published in the 17th century. The Puritan minister John Cotton wrote a catechism for children, titled Milk for Babes in 1646 (republished in New England as Spiritual Milk for Boston Babes in 1656). It contained 64 questions and answers relating to religious doctrine, beliefs, morals and manners. James Janeway (also a Puritan minister) collected stories of the virtuous lives and deaths of pious children in A Token for Children (1671), and told parents, nurses and teachers to let their charges read the work “ over a hundred times .”

These stories of children on their deathbeds may not hold much appeal for modern readers, but they were important tales about how to achieve salvation and put children in the leading role. Medieval legends about young Christian martyrs, like St Catherine and St Pelagius, did the same.

Other works were about manners and laid out how children should behave. Desiderius Erasmus famously produced a book of etiquette in Latin, On Civility in Children (1530), which gave much useful advice, including “don’t wipe your nose on your sleeve” and “To fidget around in your seat, and to settle first on one buttock and then the next, gives the impression that you are repeatedly farting, or trying to fart. So make sure your body remains upright and evenly balanced.” This advice shows how physical comportment was seen to reflect moral virtue.

Erasmus’s work was translated into English (by Robert Whittington in 1532) as A lytyll booke of good manners for children, where it joined a body of conduct literature aimed at wealthy adolescents.

In a society where reading aloud was common practice, children were also likely to have been among the audiences who listened to romances and secular poetry. Some medieval manuscripts, such as Bodleian Library Ashmole 61 , included courtesy poems explicitly directed at “children yong”, alongside popular Middle English romances, saints’ lives and legends, and short moral and comic tales.

Do children have a history?

A lot of scholarly ink has been spilled in the debate over whether children in the past were understood to have distinct needs. Medievalist Philippe Ariès suggested in Centuries of Childhood that children were regarded as miniature adults because they were dressed to look like little adults and because their routines and learning were geared towards training them for their future roles.

But there is plenty of evidence that children’s social and emotional (as well as spiritual) development were the subject of adult attention in times past. The regulations of late medieval and early modern schools, for example, certainly indicate that children were understood to need time for play and imagination.

Archaeologists working on the sites of schools in The Netherlands have uncovered evidence of children’s games that they played without input from adults and without trying to emulate adult behaviour. Some writers on education suggested that learning needed to appeal to children. This “progressive” view of children’s development is often attributed to John Locke but it has a longer history if we look at theories about education from the 16th century and earlier.

Some of the most imaginative genres that we now associate with children did not start off that way. In Paris in the 1690s, the salon of Marie-Catherine Le Jumel de Barneville, Baroness d’Aulnoy, brought together intellectuals and members of the nobility.

There, d’Aulnoy told “ fairy tales ”, which were satires about the royal court of France with a fair bit of commentary on the way society worked (or didn’t) for women at the time. These short stories blended folklore, current events, popular plays, contemporary novels and time-honoured tales of romance.

These were a way to present subversive ideas, but the claim that they were fiction protected their authors. A series of 19th-century novels that we now associate with children were also pointed commentaries about contemporary political and intellectual issues. One of the better known examples is Reverend Charles Kingsley’s The Water Babies: A Fairy Tale for a Land Baby (1863), a satire against child labour and a critique of contemporary science.

The moral of the story

By the 18th century, children’s literature had become a commercially-viable aspect of London printing. The market was fuelled especially by London publisher John Newbery, the “father” of children’s literature. As literacy rates improved, there was continued demand for instructional works. It also became easier to print pictures that would attract young readers.

More and more texts for children were printed in the 19th century, and moralistic elements remained a strong focus. Katy’s development in patience and neatness in the “School of Pain” is key, for example, in Susan Coolidge’s enormously popular What Katy Did (1872), and feisty, outspoken Judy (spoiler alert!) is killed off in Ethel Turner’s Seven Little Australians (1894). Some authors managed to bridge the comic with important life lessons. Heinrich Hoffman’s memorable 1845 classic Struwwelpeter reads now like a kids’ version of dumb ways to die .

By the turn of the 20th century, we see the emergence of a “kids’ first” literature, where children take on serious matters with (or often without) the help of adults and often within a fantasy context. The works of Lewis Carroll, Robert Louis Stevenson, Mark Twain, Francis Hodgson Burnett, Edith Nesbit, JM Barrie, Frank L Baum, Astrid Lindgren, Enid Blyton, CS Lewis, Roald Dahl and JK Rowling operate in this vein.

Children’s books still contain moral lessons – they continue to acculturate the next generation to society’s beliefs and values. That’s not to say that we want our children to be wizards, but we do want them to be brave, to stand up for each other and to develop a particular set of values.

We tend to see children’s literature as providing imaginative spaces for children, but are often short-sighted about the long and didactic history of the genre. And as historians, we continue to seek out more about the autonomy and agency of pre-modern children in order to understand how they might also have found spaces in which to exercise their imagination beyond books that taught them how to pray.

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Children's Literature by Peter Hunt LAST REVIEWED: 27 November 2013 LAST MODIFIED: 27 November 2013 DOI: 10.1093/obo/9780199791231-0014

The study of children’s literature as an academic discipline has developed since the 1980s from its roots in education and librarianship to its place in departments of literature and childhood studies. Although its practitioners position themselves at different points on the spectrum between “book-oriented” and “child-oriented,” the study is held together by the “presence” of some concept of child and childhood in the texts. The distinctions that apply in other literary systems between “literature” and “popular literature” or “literature” and “nonliterature” are not necessarily useful in this field. Nevertheless, criticism tends to fracture between a liberal-humanist and educationalist view that children’s literature should adhere to and inculcate “traditional” literary and cultural values and a more postmodern and theoretical view that texts for children are part of a complex cultural matrix and should be treated nonjudgmentally. In addition, the discipline is multi- and interdisciplinary as well as multimedia: its theory derives from disciplines such as literature, cultural and ideological studies, history, and psychology, and its applications range from literacy to bibliography. Consequently, children’s literature can be defined and limited in many (sometimes conflicting) ways: one major problem for scholars is that the term children’s is sometimes taken to transcend national and language barriers, thus potentially producing a discipline of unmanageable proportions. As a result, this article is eclectic, but it excludes specialist studies to which children’s books are peripheral or merely instrumental, such as folklore or teaching techniques. Children’s literature is also studied comparatively and internationally, with German and Japanese writing being particularly important. This article largely confines itself to English-language texts and translations into English.

Reference Resources

Children’s literature has been well catered for in terms of reference books, partly because the subject is of interest to the general public as well as to academics. General Reference Books thus range from large illustrated encyclopedic guides to collections of academic essays, as well as short introductions aimed primarily at students.

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Understanding children's literature : key essays from the second edition of The International companion encyclopedia of children's literature

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• 1. Introduction: The Expanding World of Children's Literature Studies Peter Hunt, Cardiff University
• 2. Theorising and Theories: How Does Children's Literature Exist? David Rudd, Bolton Institute
• 3. Critical Tradition and Ideological Positioning Charles Sarland, Liverpool John Moores University
• 4. The Setting of Children's Literature: History and Culture Tony Watkins, University of Reading
• 5. Analysing Texts: Linguistics and Stylistics John Stephens, Macquarie University
• 6. Readers, Texts, Contexts: Reader-Response Criticism Michael Benton, Professor Emeritus, University of Southampton
• 7. Reading the Unconscious: Psychoanalytical Criticism Hamida Bosmajian, Seattle University
• 8. Feminism Revisited Lissa Paul, University of New Brunswick
• 9. Decoding the Images: how Picture Books Work Perry Nodelman, University of Winnipeg
• 10. Bibliography: the Resources of Children's Literature Matthew Grenby, University of Newcastle upon Tyne
• 11. Understanding Reading and Literacy Sally Yates, Literacy Consultant UK
• 12. Intertextuality and the Child Reader Christine Wilkie-Stibbs, University of Warwick
• 13. Healing Texts: Bibliotherapy and Psychology Hugh Crago, Co-Editor Australia and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy
• 13. Theory into Practice: the Views of the Authors Peter Hunt, Cardiff University General Bibliography Glossary Index.
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(page 1) p. 1 Introduction: what is children's literature?

• Published: October 2011
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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 (the Harry Potter books, His Dark Materials , The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, The Book Thief, Persepolis ), there has been some debate about whether such books are suitable for adults, and if this kind of reading is a symptom of the dumbing down of culture. For the most part, however, what children's literature is, is taken for granted.

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Children's Literature

Lisa Rowe Fraustino , Hollins University

Journal Details

Editorial correspondence should be addressed to:

The Editors Children's Literature Hollins University P.O. Box 9677 Roanoke, VA 24020 E-mail:  [email protected]

Manuscripts submitted should conform to the style in this issue. Submission as an e-mail attachment (MS Word) is preferred. To facilitate anonymous review, the author’s name should not appear on the essay. Please provide full contact information in a separate document. Double-spacing should be used throughout text and notes.

The Hopkins Press Journals Ethics and Malpractice Statement can be found at the ethics-and-malpractice  page.

Peer Review Policy

Children's Literature  is the annual publication of the Children's Literature Association and the MLA Division on Children's Literature.

Essays submitted to  Children's Literature  should be original work that is not under review elsewhere. We will consider translations of previously published work, if the material is seen as useful for our readers. Submissions are initially reviewed by the editor. Strong submission are then sent to two reviewers. Both author and reviewers remain anonymous to each other throughout the process.

We publish theoretically-based articles that demonstrate an awareness of key issues and criticism in children’s literature. We typically require at least one round of revision in response to reviewers' comments; often published essays go through two or more rounds of revision. Accepted essay are edited by the editor, the JHUP copy-editor, and a proof reader. Authors can expect a twelve to twenty-four month time frame from first submission to publication.

Editor-in-Chief

Lisa Rowe Fraustino Hollins University

Book Review Editor

Melissa Jenkins, Wake Forest University

Editorial Assistant

Lisa J. Radcliff,  Hollins University

Children’s Literature Advisory Board

Janice M. Alberghene,  Fitchburg State University    Ruth B. Bottigheimer,  SUNY at Stony Brook    Elisabeth Rose Gruner,  University of Richmond    Margaret Higonnet,  University of Connecticut    U. C. Knoepflmacher,  Princeton University    Roderick McGillis, University of Calgary

Children’s Literature Association Officers 2016–2017

Kenneth Kidd,  University of Florida,  President   Teya Rosenberg,  Texas State University,  Vice President/President-Elect   Annette Wannamaker,  Eastern Michigan University,  Past President   Gwen Athene Tarbox,  Western Michigan University,  Secretary   Roberta Seelinger Trites,  Illinois State University,  Treasurer

Children’s Literature Association Board of Directors

Philip Nel,  Kansas State University , 2014-2017   Sara Schwebel,  University of South Carolina , 2014-2017   Marah Gubar,  Massachusetts Institute of Technology , 2015-2018   Joe Sutliff Sanders,  Kansas State University , 2015-2018   Eric L. Tribunella,  University of Southern Mississippi , 2015-2018   Thomas Crisp,  Georgia State University , 2016-2019   Elisabeth Gruner,  University of Richmond , 2016-2019   Jackie Horne,  Independent Scholar , 2016-2019   Nathalie op de Beeck,  Pacific Lutheran University , 2016-2019

Send books for review to:   Melissa Jenkins     English Department     Wake Forest University     P.O. Box 7387     Winston Salem, NC 27109-7387     Email queries to: [email protected]      

Review copies received by the Johns Hopkins University Press office will be discarded.

Abstracting & Indexing Databases

• Web of Science
• Biography Index: Past and Present (H.W. Wilson), vol.22, 1994-vol.38, 2010
• Book Review Digest Plus (H.W. Wilson), 1988-
• Education Research Complete, 1/1/1993-
• Education Research Index, Jan.1993-
• Education Source, 1/1/1993-
• Humanities Abstracts (H.W. Wilson), 1/1/1988-
• Humanities Index (Online), 1988/00-
• Humanities International Complete, 1/1/1993-
• Humanities International Index, 1/1/1993-
• Humanities Source, 1/1/1988-
• Humanities Source Ultimate, 1/1/1988-
• Library & Information Science Source, 1/1/1972-1/1/1982
• MasterFILE Complete, 1/1/1993-
• MasterFILE Elite, 1/1/1993-
• MasterFILE Premier, 1/1/1993-
• MLA International Bibliography (Modern Language Association)
• OmniFile Full Text Mega (H.W. Wilson), 1/1/1988-
• Poetry & Short Story Reference Center, 1/1/1993-
• Professional Development Collection, 1/1/1993-
• RILM Abstracts of Music Literature (Repertoire International de Litterature Musicale)
• TOC Premier (Table of Contents), 1/1/1995-
• Book Review Index Plus
• Gale Academic OneFile
• Gale Academic OneFile Select, 01/1989-
• Gale General OneFile, 01/1989-
• Gale OneFile: Educator's Reference Complete, 01/1981-
• Gale OneFile: Leadership and Management, 01/1981 -
• InfoTrac Custom, 1/1981-
• ArticleFirst, vol.24, 1996-vol.39, no.1, 2011
• Electronic Collections Online, vol.31, no.1, 2003-vol.39, no.1, 2011
• Periodical Abstracts, v.19, 1991-2011
• Education Collection, 1/1/1991-
• Education Database, 1/1/1991-
• Literary Journals Index Full Text
• Periodicals Index Online
• Professional ProQuest Central, 01/01/1991-
• ProQuest 5000, 01/01/1991-
• ProQuest 5000 International, 01/01/1991-
• ProQuest Central, 01/01/1991-
• ProQuest Professional Education, 01/01/1991-
• Research Library, 01/01/1991-
• Social Science Premium Collection, 01/01/1991-
• The Annual Bibliography of English Language and Literature (ABELL)

Abstracting & Indexing Sources

• Children's Book Review Index   (Active)  (Print)
• Children's Literature Abstracts   (Ceased)  (Print)
• MLA Abstracts of Articles in Scholarly Journals   (Ceased)  (Print)

Source: Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory.

0.4 (2022) 0.4 (Five-Year Impact Factor) 0.00007 (Eigenfactor™ Score) Rank in Category (by Journal Impact Factor): Note: While journals indexed in AHCI and ESCI are receiving a JIF for the first time in June 2023, they will not receive ranks, quartiles, or percentiles until the release of 2023 data in June 2024.  

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Also of Interest

Joseph Michael Sommers, Central Michigan University

Kate Quealy-Gainer, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Linda Mahood, University of Guelph

Dora Malech, Johns Hopkins University

David L. Russell, Ferris State University; Karin E. Westman, Kansas State University; and Naomi J. Wood, Kansas State University

Ted Atkinson, Mississippi State University

Adam Ross, The University of the South

Meghan O’Rourke

Nathan L. Grant, Saint Louis University

Charles Henry Rowell

Maria Farland, Fordham University and Duncan Faherty, Queens College and The CUNY Graduate Center

Chrysogonus Siddha Malilang, Malmö University, Sweden

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Children’s Literature, Essay Example

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Prior to joining this class, I had the perception that children’s literature was all about simple and unfounded English sentence structure and fictional tales that anyone can easily make up. The fact that the course is titled children’s literature did not strike a chord with rules of writing, aesthetics, or seriousness in literary forms and theories. As I signed up for this class, I thought that literature for children entails stories for entertainment and nothing worth to study.

In overall, I came into the class with high expectations as a learner is always expecting to gain some new knowledge. In this class, I have learnt various aesthetics of children’s literature. I have learnt the different ranges of children literature from contemporary to classic material, the popular and the highbrow, works for infants to material for the young adults (Christensen 236). It is amazing how children’s literature can be analyzed from fictional to non-fictional material, to drama or even poetry, including visual narratives from graphic novels to comics and picture books. In terms of moral, it is always put in a humorous way and this make them to serve in two-fold. Notably, children’s literature tends to have a child’s perspective; repetition is a very common style in it.

I have learnt that children’s literature can be analyzed textually and interpreted from different theoretical perspectives, besides exploring historical approaches. As a child, I remember how, together with my age mates, had a profound fascination with illustrations and pictures in books sometimes not paying attention to the words written therein. In this class, I have learnt the importance placed on visuals in children’s literature. The fact that pictures have accompanied children’s stories since time immemorial underpins the role visuals play (from the papyrus in Byzantine Egypt to the computer generated graphic illustrations). Many people continue to appreciate occasional drawings, which are found in chapter books (Lerer 29). This is the difference between children’s literature and adult literature.

I signed up for the class not knowing that different genres exist in children’s literature. My perception that all children’s literature is the same changed as the class progressed (Thomas Jr 69). The different genres I have learnt include picture books, poetry books, traditional literature, modern fantasy, “fractured” fairy tales, science fiction, contemporary realistic fiction, historical fiction and biography, informational books (non-fiction), and graphic novels. Notably, children’s literature in all sense should have some aesthetic value as it represents special form of succession and transmission of culture, a combination of cultural design and spiritual communication between two generations. The aesthetic value of children’s literature should be different from that of adults. Since children are still in the formative age, the idea that “goodness is beauty” appeals as an aesthetic value in the molding of young souls in order to have a better functioning society especially in morals and embracing virtue (Thomas Jr 72). Therefore, every literature for children must have a moral behind it, which is not necessarily the case for adult literature.

I am familiar with “Cinderella” by William Wegman, and its moral still lingers in my mind. The aesthetic value of this book is found in the way it is interesting to read, proper articulation of words, well-constructed plot, appropriateness and appeal of the story for its intended age range, and themes and morals worth conveying to children.

Works Cited

Christensen, Nina. “Childhood revisited: On the relationship between Childhood Studies and Children’s Literature.” Children’s Literature Association Quarterly , 28. 4 (2003): 230– 239. Print

Lerer, Seth. Children’s literature. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2008. Print

Thomas Jr, Joseph T. “Review of Aesthetic Approaches to Children’s Literature: An Introduction, by Maria Nikolajeva.” ImageTexT: Interdisciplinary Comics Studies , 3. 3 (2007): Print

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Children’s Literature in Literacy Education Essay

Dramatic play, storytelling, picture books, popular culture and child’s development, significance of the fairy tales.

As the matter of fact, literature and literacy emerged from the human desire to share experience and to get a better understanding of the perception of the existence. It is worth stating that all the fairy tales and myths aim to help people to understand something that cannot be explained. Literature plays an integral role in the children’s development and the process of growing up. Literature is the need of the human being to express feelings and experience through words and stylistic devices.

A great variety of children literature address different needs; some books aim to explain the world around us, whereas other ones describe the daily routine, stress the conflict situations, and show some possible variants and option for a solution or omitting. Some books are written to highlight the differences that are common in the world, namely cultural, national, or racial. However, no matter what the content is, each book is created to transfer the vital message.

For the child to be able to understand and perceive the knowledge hidden in the book, he should be able to read. Reading is not only about pronouncing words together; it is more about the capability to understand the text and to analyze what is read. The primary aim of the paper is to provide the in-depth analysis regarding the role of the children’s literature in the literacy education.

Reading and dramatic play are the perfect tools that help to develop the child’s imagination and contribute to the expansion of the world outlook. Dramatic play is usually used to see how the child interacts with the environment. The fundamental purpose of the teacher is not to give children printed words to learn by heart but to create the prolific atmosphere to play, be unique, and reflect the inner world with the attention to the reality (Mayesky, 2006).

Through the performance, the teacher can draw appropriate conclusions regarding the feelings of the child and his role in the family. Unconsciously children behave with the toys or classmates the way they are treated in the family. The dramatic play allows the children to behave like adults. This type of the activity is acceptable to children of any age as the dramatic play changes and becomes more complex with the maturity.

The dramatic play is used in the prekindergarten programs to foster the developmental process. It is a common pedagogical technique (Gupta, 2009). One child is a storyteller; he chooses people from the group to make a performance. A narrator dictates the rules, children make costumes and play. Imagination and creativity skills develop rapidly; furthermore, children learn how to act in a group and follow the rules. The primary objective is considered to be the promotion and increase of interest towards literacy development. Firstly, the children play the stories they have read or told, however, later they start inventing their own as they have the individual experience.

In the modern world, where the vast majority of people are obsessed with the Internet and technical gadgets, the number of people who enjoy reading and children who prefer reading fairy tales to playing on the smartphone decreases. The question arises, is it necessary to promote literature in the modern highly technological world? Einstein, the outstanding scientist, once stated that to encourage the child and to develop intelligence, the fairy stories should be read to him.

The famous words of Einstein had an impressive influence “if you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales” (Batt, 2006). The principal significance of telling the stories to children is the level of the intimacy during the process, the magic that happens when the expressions from the imagination become real with the help of words. It contributes to the better development of self.

Storytelling improves imagination, critical thinking skills, problem-solving, listening, and communication skills. The richness of culture and experience of the ancestors can be found in the stories everyone has heard in childhood. Who would people be without the storytelling?

Language games, songs, fairy tales, and rhymes have a positive effect not only on children in kindergarten and school, however, on toddlers and infants as well. The vast majority of parents are surprised by this fact. According to the recent researchers, there is the link between the language experience the infants and toddlers have and their future development of communication and language skills (Birckmayer, Kennedy, & Stonehouse, 2008).

Although the children of this age do not understand the meaning of the words, they perceive the tune and sounds. It is significantly important to engage children in language experience to foster positive development.

The recent researches prove that more and more children attend the preschool programs in Europe. The reason for such popularity of the pre-educational centers is that the early cognitive competence is linked to the academic success and achievements the person will have in the future. The primary problem of the modern education is that it is focused on the domains, such as “cognitive, social, emotional, or physical” (Fleer & Hammer, 2013).

There are great chances for one aspect to become the leading one. The kindergartens experience “schoolification”. Nevertheless, the fundamental factor for successful academic performing, emotional domain, is not well addressed in modern school and kindergartens as the cognitive aspect receives the priority. As Vygotsky puts it, there is a relation between intellect, affect, language, and thought. The educational programs in kindergarten exclude the aspect of emotional development, and, according to Vygotsky it is the major drawback of the modern educational system. The implementation of the fairy tales into the developmental program will beneficially affect further child’s improvement.

Fairy tales are considered to be “cultural device for emotion regulation” (Fleer & Hammer, 2013). Telling stories the teacher engage children in emotion regulation. They participate in “telling, retelling, and role-playing of fairy tales” (Fleer & Hammer, 2013).

Picture books can also be used by teachers to promote and foster the development of imagination and cognitive development with the help of literature. Images in such types of books are commonly connected and play the same role as the printed text. The message is conveyed through art and text. The picture books engage children on both, emotional and intellectual levels. The text in the picture books is as significant as images are, as it provides the child with the ability to understand the language in use and develop creativity and imagination (Kiefer & Tyson, 2014). The words that are used in the text expand the vocabulary of a child (Kiefer & Tyson, 2014). They can guess the meaning simply by looking at the picture as it corresponds the meaning of the text.

From the birth, every child has chances to succeed, to prosper, and make changes. Learning experience affects the future development of the person. Acquiring skills and knowledge do not start at school; it starts from the very first day of life. The world of a child consists of family and place of living. Understanding and exploring the world involves three areas, namely “being belonging, and becoming” (Department of Education Employment and Workplace Relations, 2009). These notions the child can learn from literature.

It is worth highlighting that books provide children with the models of behavior, attitude towards people, tolerance, and respect (Department of Education Employment and Workplace Relations, 2009). Some books, like Where the Wild Things Are by Sendak, aim to show that every person has a place in the world and should find where he belongs to. The question regarding belonging is essential to cover. In addition, children’s literature addresses the question of being.

Fairy tales and novels depict the model of behavior, the peculiarities of establishing the relationships between people and maintaining them. Moreover, the diversity of the world is also shown in the literature. Taken into consideration stated above significance of the literature in the positive child’s development, it should be pointed out that the teachers should pay a lot of attention while selecting the stories. In the case, the educator wants to address the question of tolerance and differences between the human beings; Whoever You Are by Mem Fox seems to be the perfect option.

Educating children, the teachers should not eliminate the issue of becoming. Knowledge, needs, and preferences of children change during the childhood, and the area of becoming reflects these processes. Paulette Bourgeois aims to help children in understanding their self and the world around (Adam, 2014). The series of Franklin books written by this talented author provide the children with understanding how to interact with the classmates, be honest, fight with fears, and appreciate moral values.

According to the experts, children need to be surrounded by the literature and be able to interpret the language of it, this way they will enjoy the learning process and will have a fruitful academic performance in future. A new generation can change the way people live now and improve the living standards of the whole nation. That is, it seems significant to show children the world of literature as the books are an unlimited source of information, advice, and experience. It is impossible to show the outstanding result in school or college without reading and critical thinking skills. Nurturing the love towards literature, people facilitate the way; the child will have towards success and development. The ability to interpret and analyze the literature forms since the childhood, and that is, should be addressed to from the very first day of life.

Modern children face a much more various literature opportunities than during any time in history. Earlier, the access to the literature had not so many people as the books were written in Latin and cost so much that not everyone could afford it. The advantages of the printed technologies provided the broader group with the possibility to read. The literacy became a larger notion encompassing not only ability to write and read but, more importantly, to analyze, understand, perceive, and draw conclusions.

Nowadays, the children literature is represented not only in the printed form but in the electronic as well. The experts have already revealed the interrelation between the enjoyment of reading and academic success. The dominant activity in children is play. Imagination is significant for their development, and that is should be used by educators to improve the learning abilities of children. Through the play, a child learns “the difference between reality and fantasy and engaging in imaginative thought, so necessary in reading and text construction” (Ashton, 2007). Every book has a message that is subconsciously perceived.

That is, the children’s literature should be carefully selected. Some stories promote stereotyping; the example of it can be Power Rangers advocate the image of the boy who is ruthless, strong, and violent at some point, whereas Barbie establishes the stereotypes regarding the woman’s appearance and standards of beauty that can lead to eating disorders and low self-esteem. Nevertheless, the stories help children to develop intellect, imagination, nurture the love towards learning and reading, and understand the world around better.

Although the adults believe that some fairy tales are too scary to be told to children, the recent researchers prove that telling and reading such stories are the essential part of the positive child’s development. From fairy tales, children can learn how to deal with the problems and solve some issues. However, it is worth stating that adults can make the same too. Children usually imagine that they are the main heroes of the story and their possible actions in certain situations (Fremantle, 2013).

Moreover, from fairy tales they become aware that life is not always easy and happy, something bad may happen as no one is protected from the challenges and difficulties. To secure children and build the emotional shield, that will protect the child in any case. Reading fairy tales children understand that all people are different, there are different races and cultures; everyone should be respected and treated equally. Tolerance, respect, and critical thinking skills can be taught from fairy tales.

In conclusion, it should be pointed out that the literature plays an essential role in the child’s development and the process of growing up. The major purpose of the creation of the first myths, novels, and fairy tales was to transfer the knowledge and experience to the next generations and to provide the explanations for the phenomenon that could not be understood. As the matter of fact, with the technological development and all the advance and progress that society has already made, the purpose of the literature and education seems to be the same.

Teachers are the guides that lead children into the world of literature to have unlimited access to the experience that was gained for centuries for us to be able to speak to the ancestors with the help of the book. Reading develops a number of skills, among them critical thinking and language skills. Moreover, the ability to read, perceive, and analyze the information facilitates the process of education, which consequently lead to more successful future. Unfortunately, the vast majority of schools make an accent on the decoding text, rather than on the sufficient perception of the information. Understanding the significance of literature will bring the society to the new level of development and evolution.

Adam, H. (2014). Children’s literature. In J. Fellowes & G. Oakley (Eds.), Language, literacy and early childhood education (pp. 512-533). Melbourne, Australia: Oxford University Press.

Ashton, J. (2007). Barbie, the Wiggles and Harry Potter. Can popular culture really support young children’s literacy development? European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 13 (1), 31-40.

Batt, T. (2006). The story sack: storytelling and story making with young children (pp.25-29). Auckland, N.Z. :Playcentre Publications.

Birckmayer, J., Kennedy, A., & Stonehouse, A. (2008). From lullabies to literature: stories in the lives of infants and toddlers . Washington, DC : NAEYC.

Department of Education Employment and Workplace Relations. (2009). Belonging, being and becoming – the early years learning framework for Australia . Canberra: DEEWR. Web.

Fleer, M. & Hammer, M. (2013). Emotions in imaginative situations: The valued place of fairytales for supporting emotion regulation. Mind, Culture, and Activity 20 (3), 240-259.

Fremantle, S. (2013). Chapter 6 ‘Once upon a time’: A study of children’s response to fairytale. In P. Pinsent (Ed.), The power of the page children’s books and their readers (pp.55-65). Hoboken, NJ: Taylor and Francis.

Gupta, A. (2009). Vygotskian perspectives on using dramatic play to enhance children’s development and balance creativity with structure in the early childhood classroom. Early Child Development and Care, 179 (8), 1041-1054.

Kiefer, B. Z., & Tyson, C. A. (2014). Charlotte Huck’s Children’s Literature: A brief guide (2nd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill.

Mayesky, M. (2006). Dramatic play and puppetry (8th ed.). Australia: Delmar Thomson Learning.

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Children’s Literature: Theory and Practice – Summary

Fresh Reads

Children Literature: Theory and Practice by Felicity Hughes deals with Children’s Literature as a genre within the realm of Popular fiction paper and is a must reading for getting a great understanding of the Children’s Literature.

It challenges the critics by pointing out that children’s literature which is relegated to the realm of popular fiction, is the ‘significant other’ and must be viewed as a serious form of art, as an artifact which is not merely for “family reading,” but an intellectual discipline.

Children Literature: Theory and Practice deals with the way canonization of Children’s Literature is being done within the academic and publishing circles and how it came into being as a significant ‘other’ to the elite literature, as being discussed in the essay by Christopher Pawling too. The arguments that led to the evolution of the popular fiction as “para literature” or as ‘the other’ is more or less similar to that of bracketing children’s Literature too as the other.

A child is usually seen as an innocent creature and in the early nineteenth century there was a general tendency among the Romantic Poets in England, especially, William Wordsworth, William Blake and others celebrating the child-like innocence. But at the same time, it was seen as a kind of innocence which can be corrupted by the “experiences” of these world and therefore the need to gain “supreme innocence” by going through the phase of “experience” (William Blake, “Songs of Innocence and Experience”). But as we move further in the Victorian Age, the colonial-industrial-capitalist society of the West started viewing child to be “inferior versions of the adult” who needs to be taught the values and norms of the civilization and “Culture” to incorporate him into the folds of civilization.

This kind of notion of a child obviously tends to believe that a child cannot thus have a “taste” which makes him or her be competent enough to decide what is good or bad for him. Therefore, what a child enjoys in a literary book (usually “fantasy”) is not what should be considered erudite and thus supposedly cannot be part of the so called “elite” literature which is usually considered to be taken for academic engagement. This kind of a belief is what made the canonizers of literature take a position of stamping Children’s Literature as “the other” as opposed to Elite.

This does not mean that there are not enough Children’s Literature existing and that what is considered to be “the other” is but a negligent aspect which can be marginalized. On the other hand, this supposed “other” is vast enough as Children are one of the greatest consumers of books produced by the publishing industry. This vast area of literary production cannot be overlooked in anyway and thus there is a need not only to accept the genre of “Children’s Literature”, not just as an “other”, but as an equally significant part of the literature. It is with this ambition of establishing Children’s Literature in its proper pedestal that writers like Felicity Hughes have made attempts to argue and fight for the case of Children’s literature as well as theorize to a certain extent to provide a solid base on which and from which literature usually read by children can be defended and acknowledged as rightfully academic too.

In other words, it can be said that even though writers of Children’s literature have considerable achievements in spite of a lack of critical and theoretical support only goes on to prove that children’s literature has a considerable space in the history of literature even if the theory of children’s literature is “in a state of confusion.” Felicity A. Hughes in her essay “Children’s Literature: Theory and Practice” poses the challenge to the critics by pointing out how children’s literature is relegated to the realm of popular fiction, as a ‘significant other’ so as to constitute novel as a serious form of art, as an artifact which is not merely for “family reading,” but an intellectual discipline.

To establish the argument, Hughes points out how the crisis of the novel in 1880’s led scholars to ponder over the rapid rise of the readership of the novel, which failed to provide accolade to the novel as a serious genre. Compared to poetry and drama, novel having no “distinguished classical ancestry” was stigmatized as a “low” form of art leading critics to promote “a heightened, more serious conception of novel as art” (Walter Allen). Henry James in The Art of Fiction “tried to dissociate novel from its family readership and redirect it toward what was seen as art’s traditional elite audience of educated adult males outside the home, at court, the coffee house or the club.” In other words, if novel had to gain some status as a serious art then it had to be “at the cost of being unsuitable for women and children.,” as it would feared that popularity of the novel will weaken the chances of finding the elite readership.

The common conjecture in aesthetic theory is that children cannot have aesthetic pleasure as it requires some the degree of intelligence and discrimination to be experienced, and children are thought to lacking in them. Thus, the arbitrary exclusion of children’s literature from the class of serious literature was a deliberate attempt to construct the domain of elite fiction, leading to children’s literature being classed as a branch of popular fiction. Thus, the binary opposition of detachment – involvement as the proper attitude of the reader in reading a novel became a criterion? Whereas Henry James in his The Art of Fiction emphasized on “Realism” from the writers and detachment from the readers; R. L Stevenson admired novels which made demands of ‘sympathy’ or ‘involvement.’ Moore, Booth and others of the twentieth century even emphasized on the importance of the objectivity both on the part of the novelist and the reader as a principle as that would help establish novel as a serious genre. In the process of doing so, “class, sex and age were conflated as causes of a supposed inability to appreciate the best in art and literature, those millions to whom taste is but an obscure, confused, immediate instinct.”

One of the effects of acceptance of realism as a standard was that Fantasy was immediately déclassé. E M Forster emphasizes in his Aspects of the Novel and in his lectures how “fantasy is so ephemeral that critical inspection would destroy it.” This prejudice against fantasy in the early twentieth century made it a point that any writer of fantasy is forced into writing for children. Another inevitable consequence of the way the category of Children’s literature came into being was that certain restraint has been imposed on children’s writers in the realist tradition when it comes to topics such as terror, politics and sex. Political topics of class and race have been recently been self-consciously injected into children’s realist fiction.

Your reading of Children’s literature in this course – Lewis Carroll or/and Sukumar Ray, as well as Felicity Hughes’ essay “Children’s Literature: Theory and Practice” probably has put you in some kind of firm standing in your understanding of the premise on which Children’s literature can be justified to be good enough for academic and critical engagements. You probably have realized that children too live within a socio-political and cultural world and their minds also are in some ways receptive of the ideas and ideologies prevalent in the times in which they are living. So, not only do their minds receive those ideas from the society as well as the caretakers (read parents), but at the same time their minds are formed in the process to process information and ideas in a similar process.

For example, while reading Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Saw There, you have seen that Alice’s looking glass world is but a manifestation of the Victorian society – the capitalist venture of moving up the social ladder (Alice’s journey from a pawn to a queen) the money-minded society (where everything is equated in monetary terms when Alice is in train), the calculative and manipulative society (the chess game), the competitive individualism (Lion and Unicorn episode as well as Tweedledum and Tweedledee episode) – all point to the fact that Alice’s mind cannot but avoid the Victorian upbringing as she manifests all those aspects of the Victorian society; and yet at the same time, Alice’s mind makes a critique of them by questioning some of these parameters of the Victorian society. The “questioning” mind of a child does not accept the society and its norms as it is, as an adult does; and therefore s/he usually questions the very parameter of the society as well as the adult world.

It is this “questioning” aspect of the children which is being employed by various writers to question the validity, logic as well as existence those aspects of society which are never being questioned by the adult world. This aspect of children’s literature is usually being overlooked by critics as they do not want to accept the fact that their world and its premises can be questioned. To justify that children’s literature is not a valid means to look at and to understand reality, the element of “fantasy” in children’s literature is usually highlighted and it is being said that fantasy cannot but be a valid means to gaining knowledge as well as questioning the society and the adult order.

Julia Briggs comments that “Children’s books are written for a special readership but not normally for members of that readership; both the writing and quite often the buying of them, is carried out by adult non-members on behalf of child members”. Therefore, to define children’s literature is one of the most difficult tasks as what children read is often determined and decided by adult members taking care of children. Mostly children do not pick up a book by themselves; their choice is governed by what adult think to be justified for them. In other words, the adults decide which books the child should read and why? Moreover, often the adult decision is not based on what is there inside the book, but on the information that the adult has received about the book from various sources, mostly from the publisher who has categorized the book under the section of Children’s literature probably with a particular motive. Therefore, what comes under children literature is also tricky as John Rowe Townsend says that what is considered as a children’s book is decided by the publisher – “In the short run it appears that, for better or worse, the publisher decides. If he puts a book on the children’s list, it will be reviewed as a children’s book and will be read by children (or young people), if it is read at all. If he puts it on the adult list, it will not – or at least not immediately.”

Moreover as there is a want of theoretical paradigm on Children’s fiction, as pointed out by Felicity Hughes in the essay “Children’s Literature: Theory and Practice” it becomes easier for people to categorize under children’s literature whatever their whims and fancies decide Children’s literature to be. It is not that Children’s books are few; on the contrary there are many but what is lacking is a theoretical and critical paradigm which would provide Children’s literature the place in literary world as it should be.

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The term identity has undergone many changes since 1690, when John Locke introduced the idea that a sense of personal identity is composed of a relatively stable and enduring consciousness. The word identity derives from the Latin idem , meaning “same,” thus creating a theoretical conundrum for contemporary theorists who have adopted the more current usage from twentieth-century ideas of identity as a personal possession, open to change and negotiation in dialectic interaction between self and society, between biological and cultural determinism and choice. The representation of identity in children’s literature reflects this historical shift in its gradual evolution from perceiving its readers’ identities (1) as faithful or aspiring adherents to the dominant religious ideology of their society, (2) as members of a family who support and abide by specific cultural and national traditions, (3) as persons with some degree of psychological depth and conflict, and (4) as self-reliant individuals responsible for constructing their own identities sometimes within, and sometimes over and against, the dominant ideologies of their cultures.

This essay may be found on page 98 of the printed volume.

Essay on Children’s Literature

Introduction.

Children’s literature is an essential part of any educational program as it provides children with a window into different worlds and ways of thinking. It is a medium that can facilitate the development of emotional intelligence, empathy, and tolerance, crucial attributes in creating holistic learners who contribute positively to society (Patel, 2020). This essay will explore “Black Dog” by Levi Pinfold and explain why it is appropriate and beneficial for the Foundation Phase classroom. The essay will also contextualize the construct of childhood relevant to the picture book and learners, identify the moral/lesson raised in the story, and provide specific examples from the narrative and visual elements that support the book’s inclusion in the classroom to construct my argument.

The Construct of Childhood in Black Dog

Black Dog is a picture book that explores the theme of fear and how it can overwhelm and paralyze individuals, making them unable to appreciate the beauty of life (Pinfold, 2012). The story revolves around a family that wakes up one day to find a black dog outside their house, growing larger every day until it becomes a gigantic, fearsome creature. The black dog represents the family’s fears; the story is a metaphor for how fear can take over one’s life.

The picture book is suitable for children in the Foundation Phase classroom, which comprises children aged between five and seven years. At this stage, children are beginning to develop their emotional intelligence and are learning how to interact with others. They are also learning to express themselves and developing empathy and tolerance toward others (Patel, 2020). The book’s theme of fear is particularly relevant to children at this age as they are often confronted with new experiences and situations that can be daunting and overwhelming. Children can learn to confront and overcome fears by reading Black Dog, an important life skill.

The Moral/Lesson Raised in the Story

The moral/lesson raised in the story is that fear can be overcome with courage and love. When the family in the story finally confronts the black dog, they realize it is not as fearsome as it seems. They learn that the black dog is friendly and playful and that they have been missing out on its companionship because of their fears. The lesson here is that fear can prevent one from experiencing the beauty of life, and that courage and love are necessary to overcome it.

Specific Examples from the Narrative and Visual Elements

The narrative and visual elements of the book support the inclusion of Black Dog in the Foundation Phase classroom. For example, the illustrations are highly detailed and are drawn in a style that is both eerie and whimsical. Dark tones and shadows create a foreboding atmosphere, reflecting the family’s fears (Gaudio, 2020). However, the illustrations are also infused with humor and playfulness, which help to alleviate the tension and create a sense of optimism.

The narrative is also highly engaging and is written in style accessible to young readers. The repetition and rhythm create a sense of continuity and reinforce the book’s central theme. For example, the refrain “But the biggest, blackest dog was yet to come” is repeated throughout the book, which creates a sense of anticipation and suspense (Pinfold, 2012). The repetition also emphasizes the family’s growing fears and how they cannot overcome them.

Another example from the narrative and visual elements that support the book’s inclusion in the classroom is how the black dog is portrayed. Initially, the dog is depicted as a small, unassuming creature easily ignored. However, as the family’s fears grow, so do the dog’s size and ferocity. This visual transformation is a metaphor for how fear can distort one’s perceptions and make even the most harmless things seem threatening (Gaudio, 2020). By the end of the book, the dog has returned to its original size, and the family realizes that their fear has magnified the dog’s appearance. This realization is a powerful message for children, as it teaches them how to question their perceptions and recognize the role that fears can play in distorting their view of the world (Patel, 2020).

In addition to the visual and narrative elements, the book’s use of language is also noteworthy. The straightforward language makes it easy for young readers to follow the story. However, there are also moments of poetic language that add depth and complexity to the narrative. For example, describing the black dog’s eyes as “two black holes that seemed to go on forever” is both evocative and haunting, and it captures the family’s sense of dread and foreboding (Gaudio, 2020).

The Contribution of Black Dogs to Emotional Intelligence, Empathy, and Tolerance

Black Dog significantly contributes to developing young learners’ emotional intelligence, empathy, and tolerance. The book teaches children how to recognize and confront their fears, an essential life skill. It also shows them the importance of courage and love in overcoming fear and experiencing the beauty of life.

According to Thexton et al. (2019), the book promotes empathy by showing children how fear can distort one’s perceptions and create unnecessary barriers between individuals. The black dog is a metaphor for the unknown and the unfamiliar. The family’s fears represent the natural human tendency to be wary of anything different from what we are used to. By confronting their fears, the family in the story learns that the black dog is not a threat but a companion, a powerful message for children about the importance of empathy and understanding.

Finally, the book promotes tolerance by showing children that things are not always as they seem. The family’s fears of the black dog were based on their perceptions, distorted by their fears. By recognizing this, the family overcame their prejudices and embraced the black dog for what it was. This message of tolerance and acceptance is essential for creating an inclusive and open-minded society.

In conclusion, Black Dog by Levi Pinfold is a picture book that is appropriate and beneficial for the Foundation Phase classroom. The book’s theme of fear and how it can be overcome with courage and love is highly relevant to young learners just beginning to develop their emotional intelligence and empathy. The narrative and visual elements of the book support the central theme, and the book’s use of language is simple and poetic. Overall, Black Dog significantly contributes to developing young learners’ emotional intelligence, empathy, and tolerance. It should be included in any classroom library to create holistic learners who contribute positively to society.

Gaudio, L., 2020. Black Dog: A Memoir. Southern Connecticut State University.

Patel, A., 2020. Developing a rich reading approach in the Early Years. The Power of a Rich Reading Classroom, p.125.

Pinfold, L., 2012. Black dog. Candlewick Press.

Thexton, T., Prasad, A. and Mills, A.J., 2019. Learning empathy through literature. Culture and Organization, 25(2), pp.83-90.

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Who is Mike Goodnough? Meet Valerie Bertinelli’s boyfriend

V alerie Bertinelli may have kept her boyfriend’s identity under wraps for one month, but Mike Goodnough is stepping into the spotlight.

The actress’ new partner revealed himself in a Substack essay in April 2024.

Bertinelli first mentioned the “special man” in her life during a March 2024 interview with USA Today, more than one year after finalizing her divorce from Tom Vitale.

The “One Day at a Time” alum, who was also married to Eddie Van Halen from 1981 to 2007, later teased that her beau was an East Coast-based writer.

She told People that she met the mystery man on Instagram and has since fallen “in love” with him.

Now that Goodnough has shared his side of their story, get to know Bertinello’s boyfriend below.

Goodnough has a large online following — 25,500 Instagram followers and 412,600 X followers as of April 2024 — under the name “The Hoarse Whisperer.”

The self-proclaimed “late-starting writer” pens essays for his Substack subscribers about traveling, parenting and more.

When Bertinelli referred to her boyfriend as a writer based on the East Coast, he tweeted that he was “on the East Coast writing.”

Goodnough is a dad and often writes about his son on Substack.

“As a parent, I’m pretty much just guessing,” he admitted in November 2023 . “There really is no other way to put it. I’m guessing.

“My approach to raising my son, how I handle things, it’s all just one big guessathon,” Goodnough continued. “I have no idea what I’m doing. I really don’t. I’m just making it up as I go and hoping for the best.”

Goodnough, who has alluded to being an “adult child of [an] alcoholic” via X , added, “I don’t have a model to follow. I don’t know what good looks like.”

Bertinelli is also the parent of one son.

She and Van Halen welcomed son Wolfgang in 1991, and Goodnough has sweetly showed his support for the musician’s career with social media reposts.

Goodnough has spoken candidly about his mental health and his apparent ADHD diagnosis on X.

In February 2024, he joked , “My Adderall had absolutely *NO* impact on my ADHD today. If this keeps up, I’m going to have to start actually taking it instead of just putting it in my pocket and then forgetting about it.”

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He quipped that he felt “attack[ed]” by a meme about having “ADHD, high functioning anxiety and perfectionism based procrastination” later that same month.

As Bertinelli played coy about her boyfriend’s identity, he was dropping hint after hint on social media.

In March 2024, he posted a video of himself in disguise after Bertinelli’s dating news dropped and said the mystery man “could be anyone really.”

He read the Golden Globe winner’s “lovely new cookbook as one does” the following month and tuned into her “Kelly Clarkson Show” interview “subtle and nonchalant-like.”

Goodnough also told his followers he was “browsing the magazine rack” in April 2024 with Bertinelli’s People cover story front and center in the shot.

He was backstage when the Food Network star spoke about him on “The Drew Barrymore Show” in April 2024, and the duo stepped out of the studio together.

Bertinelli joked that they were “hiding in plain sight.”