1 / 7

Early History of Children’s Literature

Early History of Children’s Literature. Classic Children’s Text: Terms and Concepts Meghann Meeusen. John Newbery. Often credited with the “invention” of children’s literature; London bookseller and publisher who published A Little Pretty Pocket-Book in 1744

bonita
Download Presentation

Early History of Children’s Literature

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Early History of Children’s Literature Classic Children’s Text: Terms and Concepts Meghann Meeusen

  2. John Newbery • Often credited with the “invention” of children’s literature; London bookseller and publisher who published A Little Pretty Pocket-Book in 1744 • Ignited the children’s book industry • Advertised and designed not only for instruction but pleasure (enjoy as well as learn from it” • Newbery began to think about children and their parents as a distinct consumer group • Namesake of the Newbery Award- given to the “most distinguished contribution to American literature for children”

  3. Terms • Crossover Texts: though written for adults, were read and enjoyed by children as well (Gulliver’s Travels, Robinson Crusoe” • Rational Moralists: writers inspired by Locke and Rousseau to emphasize moral instruction rather than specifically religious instruction, advocating the use of rational thought to reach moral conclusions • Didactic: works of fiction, poetry, or drama designed to communicate a practical or moral lesson

  4. Instruction or Pleasure? • In what ways are all children’s books didactic? Why might this be? • The Golden Age (mid 18th century) • More middle-class families could afford books for children • Emphasize pleasure & creative expression in addition to instruction, new genres, more complex characters • Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland • “Classic” Children’s Literature like Jungle Book, Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Peter Rabbit, Peter Pan, A Little Princess, Anne of Green Gables, Secret Garden, etc • Children and adults were increasingly imagined as segregated and distinct audiences

  5. Tensions That Define Children’s Literature • Didacticism, Education, and Practicality: socializing children to behave or to think properly by providing models of good behavior • Pleasure, Popularity, Profitability: commercial, money-making enterprise, works that are pleasurable and popular • Aesthetics, Innovation, and Literariness: creative and artistic expression, works of literary merit, depth and significance

  6. Awards • Newbery Medal: the author of the most distinguished American novel • Caldecott Medal: the artist of the most distinguished American picture book • PuraBelpréMedal: a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose works best portray, affirm, and celebrate the Latino cultural experience • Theodor Seuss Geisel Medal: he most distinguished beginning reader books published in the United States • Robert F. Sibert Medal: most distinguished informational book • Coretta Scott King Book Awards: outstanding African American authors/illustrators that demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values • Michael L. PrintzAward: a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature

  7. Reference This presentation is based in part on information in Reading Children's Literature: A Critical Introduction by Carrie Hintz and Eric Tribunella

More Related