Preface

Literature reconstructs young minds keeping abreast of the practicalities

of knowledge and decent morale, a candor with which they shall live before

moving a pace to becoming adults.

In this modern times, literature is becoming insignificant in children’s

forward-thinking dreamscapes and feigned innocence, barricading folklores for

technology in the new age. They were never lost somehow, but never being

late to educate them of the values and moral of cumulative stories and poems

makes way for their thirst for wisdom.

These chapters, as a form of modular-based approach, are made to

cover the greatest possible amount of practical information of real value to all,

and especially to the experienced-our children. With the cumulative efforts of

future educators, and whose passion to teach always lead back to the roots of

these all-the children-are sharing their kindest hearts and wit minds through this

book. May this enlighten its readers, but may this also darken their minds to ink

the experience of their own into literature.

-English 3, SKSU 2021

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 Table of Contents

Preface……………………………………………………………………………. i
Table of Contents………………………………………………………………..ii

UNIT I. Children and Children’s Literature

Unit Overview…………………………………………………………………….1
Objectives/General Objectives………………………………………………..1
Lesson 1 Personal and Academic Values of Literature to Children…...2
Lesson 2. Relationship between Children’s Development and their
Literature…………………………………………………………. 4
Children’s Literature ……………………………………………………... 4
The Importance of Literacy and Books in Children's Development… 5
Children's Literature and Child Development…………………………. 8
Lesson 3. Historical Background of Children’s Literature……………… 9
Classical Period………………………………………………………….. 10
Anglo – Saxon Period…………………………………………………… 12
Medieval Period………………………………………………………….. 14
Puritan Period…………………………………………………………….. 15
John Newberry Era………………………………………………………. 16
Didactic Period…………………………………………………………… 20
Unit Summary………………………………………………………………. 21
Assessment/Enrichment………………………………………………………. 22
Chapter References……………………………………………………………. 24

Unit II. Elements in Children and Adolescent’s Literature

Unit Overview…………………………………………………………………… 27
Objectives/General Objectives………………………………………………. 27
Lesson 1: Verbal Elements…………………………………………………….28
Author’s Purpose………………………………………………………… 29
Plot………………………………………………………………………… 30
Characters………………………………………………………………... 31
Setting…………………………………………………………………….. 33
Themes …………………………………………………………………… 34
Style……………………………………………………………………….. 35
Lesson 2: Visual Elements…………………………………………………… 37
Line………………………………………………………………………… 38
Color………………………………………………………………………. 38
Texture…………………………………………………………………….. 39
Styles……………………………………………………………………… 39
Illustrations……………………………………………………………….. 41
Shape……………………………………………………………………… 41
Lesson 3: Other Stylistic Elements…………………………………………. 43

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 Musical Quality…………………………………………………………… 43
Action……………………………………………………………………… 44
Humor…………………………………………………………………….. 46
Story Interest……………………………………………………………… 47
Variety of Subject Matter………………………………………………… 48
Unit Summary……………………………………………………………. 48
Assessment/Enrichment……………………………………………………… 49
Chapter References……………………………………………………………. 51

UNIT III. Categories of Children and Adolescent’s Literature

Unit Overview…………………………………………………………………….54
Objectives/ General Objectives……………………………………………… 54
Lesson 1: Poetry……………………………………………………………….. 55
Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes……………………………………….. 57
The Owl and the Pussycat by E. Lear…………………………………. 61
Little Red Riding Hood R. Dahl…………………………………………. 64
Jabberwocky by L. Carrol……………………………………………….. 66
Lesson 2: Picture Books……………………………………………………….69
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by E. Carle……………………………….70
The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss………………………………………...72
The Giving Tree by S. Silverstein……………………………………….74
Lesson 3: Traditional Literature………………………………………………76
Aesop’s Fables …………………………………………………………...77
Andersen Fairytales ……………………………………………………...78
The Grimm Brother’s Fairytales…………………………………………79
One Thousand and One Arabian Nights Stories………………………80
Filipino Folktales…………………………………………………………..84
Filipino Legends…………………………………………………………..85
Lesson 4: Modern Fables………………………………………………………87
Peter Rabbit by B. Potter…………………………………………………89
Curious George by M. Ray……………………………………………….90
Charlotte’ Web by E. B. White……………………………………………91
Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Mine…………………………………………..92
Lesson 5: Modern Fantasy…………………………………………………….94
A Christmas Carol by C. Dickens………………………………………..96
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by L. Carrol………………………..96
Bridge to Terabithia by K. Paterson……………………………………..97
Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis……………………………………..97
Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie…………………………………………………97
Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling…………………………………………….98
Lesson 6: Non-Fiction (Biographies and Essays)…………………………99
I am Malala by M. Yousafzi………………………………………………101
Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl by A. Frank………………….....….102
Lesson 7: Multi-cultural and International Literature………………….....104

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 Akong Bugsay by A. Aboitiz………………………………………….....105
Stories by L. Gamatian and other Palanca Awardees…………….....105
Hidden Figures by M.L. Shetterly……………………………………....107
Unit Summary…...………………………………………………………………109
Assessment/Enrichment………………………………………………………110
Chapter References…………………………………………………………….111

Unit IV: Issues and Concerns in Children and Adolescent’s Literature

Unit Overview ……………..…………………………………………………….115
Objectives/Objectives/General Objectives…………………………………115
Lesson I: Censorship…………………………………………………………..116
Lesson 2: Social Issues………………………………………………………..120
Lesson 3: Political Correctness in Fables and Tales……………………..123
Lesson 4: Rewriting/Deconstruction of Classical Tales………………….125
Lesson 5: Movie and TV Versions…………………………………………….127
Unit Summary………………………...………………………………………….131
Assessment/Enrichment……………………………………………………....131
Chapter References……….…………………………………………………….132

UNIT V: Teaching Children and Adolescent Literacy Through Appropriate

Books and Strategies in Literature
Unit Overview……………………………………………………………………135
Objectives/General Objectives……………………………………………….135
Lesson 1: MULTICULTURALISM……………………………………………..136
Lesson 2: Storytelling and Reading Aloud………………………………...138
Lesson 3: Choice and Types of Books……………………………………..148
Lesson 4: Media and Technology in Children and Adolescent
Literature…………………………………………………………….151
Unit Summary………...…………………………………………………………162
Assessment/Enrichment………………………………………………………163
Chapter References…………………………………………………………….164

REFERENCES……………………………………………………………………166

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v
 OVERVIEW

To define, children’s literature is mainly books written and published

particularly made for younger readers who cannot yet process the complexity
of an adult literature. We infer that children’s literature had been part of our lives
for we use these literatures before up until now. These books comprise multiple
genres that appeal the imagination and interest of the younger readers through
fables, rhymes and folktales. Commonly, the age range for children’s literature
is from infancy until the early adolescence age, which roughly coincides with
the chronological ages of twelve to fourteen. Depending on the age, literature
may also vary, as we can tell, children’s literature is more of fantasies, colors
and full of moral values. We will take a look at the brief history of Children’s
literature and how it grew and influenced one’s life.

Most of the early books for children were didactic rather than artistic,
meant to teach letter sounds and words or to improve the child’s moral and
spiritual life. Since the time first children’s books were published, there has
been a gradual transition from the deliberate use of purely didactic literature to
inculcate moral, spiritual, and ethical values in children to the provision of
literature to entertain and inform. Another dramatic development in children’s
literature in the twentieth century has been the picture book. Presenting an idea
or story in which pictures and words work together to create an aesthetic whole,
the picture book traces its origin from many centuries ago. Many illustrious
artists helped to bring picture books to their present position of prominence.

This educational material was made to shed light to students and fulfill
their minds about children’s literature. This material will suffice the needs of
students as well in understanding and unraveling new things about the said
literature. This is in order to provide quality and meaningful education to
students.

CHAPTER OBJECTIVES

At the end of the unit, the students can perform the following:

1. identify the personal and academic values of children’s

literature;

2. explain the importance of children’s literature to children’s

development; and

3. familiarize the historical background of children’s literature.

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 Lesson 1
PERSONAL AND ACADEMIC VALUES OF LITERATURE TO
CHILDREN
WHAT TO EXPECT?

• Describe the values of Literature to Children.

• Recall the academic values brought by literature to children.
• Distinguish how important literature in shaping children’s
personal perspectives.

PRE-DISCUSSION

A child’s appreciation of good literature comes partly from exposure to

stimulating stories and books which start at home. Literature is thought,
experience and imagination shaped into oral or written language that may
include visual images. There are different forms of literature, such as stories,
ballads, family narratives, jokes, jingles, street rhymes, videos, paintings,
drawings, film, and recorded books. The world of books offers children rich
opportunities for developing into citizens and well-rounded personalities who
will be assets to their family and society. Through books, they may partly fulfill
their basic emotional needs – an indispensable condition for personality
development.

LESSON OUTLINE

Literature provides emotional release, and in reading the writings of

others, many children are able to project themselves so that they receive help
for their own problem. To expand the horizon and enhance the children who will
someday become worthwhile adults that can contribute to their country’s
progress and prosperity can be versatile in meeting the challenges of rapidly
changing milieu. They come to understand human nature by learning that their
problems are not unique.

Literature fulfills a need in the classroom which does not confine it to the
language arts alone. It touches on every aspect of living and should be an
integral part of the school program.

Literature is a beautiful language, thus freeing him to expose its meaning

and requiring him to use his higher mental processes. The processes of
thinking, perceiving, remembering, forming concepts, generalizing, and
abstracting are made possible as the child acquires his vocabulary.

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 Literature provides various experiences which enhance the development
of children. They can increase their knowledge, change their outlook, broaden
their interest, develop desirable attitudes and values, refine their tastes, modify
their behavior, and stimulate intellectual and emotional growth and on various
ways help to prepare them for more effective participation in social processes
and for living life fully.
Literature is entertainment. Along with a radio, television, movies, and
picture magazines, sometime should be reserved for reading. The reading of
fine prose and poetry helps to take children away from the urgencies and cares
of living and refresh their spirit.Children’s literature provides students with the
opportunity to respond to literature and develop their own opinions about the
topic. This strengthens the cognitive developmental domain as it encourages
deeper thought about literature.
Children’s literature provides an avenue for students to learn about their
own cultural heritage and the cultures of other people. It is crucial for children
to learn these values because, “developing positive attitudes toward our own
culture and the cultures of others is necessary for both social and personal
development” (Norton, 2010, p. 3).
Children’s literature helps students develop emotional intelligence.
Stories have the power to promote emotional and moral development.
Children’s literature “contains numerous moments of crisis, when characters
make moral decisions and contemplate the reasons for their decisions,”

The creative teaching of literature can contribute to creative

development in many ways:

1. It can children to write for themselves. Children who write their own
literature are always eager to see what others write.
2. It can help build a vocabulary that will help the child to express
himself better.
3. It can help children build skills in expression.
4. It can develop sensitivity to sights, sounds, words, life’s problems,
and people.

LESSON SUMMARY

• Literature is thought, experience and imagination shaped into oral or written

language that may include visual images. There are different forms of literature,
such as stories, ballads, family narratives, jokes, jingles, street rhymes, videos,
paintings, drawings, film and recorded books.

• Through books, they may partly fulfill their basic emotional needs – an
indispensable condition for personality development.

• The best initiators or motivators for developing in children the desire to read
are the parents, the teachers and the librarians.

3
• Literature provides emotional release, and in reading the writings of others,
many children are able to project themselves so that they receive help for their
own problem.

• Literature fulfills a need in the classroom which does not confine it to the
language arts alone. It touches on every aspect of living and should be an
integral part of the school program.

• Literature is a beautiful language, thus freeing him to expose its meaning and
requiring him to use his higher mental processes.

• The processes of thinking, perceiving, remembering, forming concepts,

generalizing and abstracting are made possible as the child acquires his
vocabulary

Lesson 2
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHILDREN’S DEVELOPMENT AND THEIR
LITERATURE

WHAT TO EXPECT?

• Identify the importance of children’s literature.

• Explain the stages of children’s development and their
literature.
• Evaluate the relationship between children’s
development and their literature.

PRE-DISCUSSION

• What is children’s literature?

• What is the importance of children’s literature?
• What is the relationship between children’s development and their
literature?

LESSON OUTLINE

Children’s Literature

Getting children to read is an important aspect of preparing them for

success in school. While there are many different philosophies about how
children learn language, most agree that exposure to diverse usage of
language is an important part of the developmental process. Children’s

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literature is important because it enhances development of language skills and
other critical thinking skills that provide the foundation of learning.

Reading adds to a child’s development. Children read for fun, and in the
process, they develop better reading skills and abilities to enjoy more reading.
It also stimulates a child’s imagination, reading provides an important visual
experience.

The Importance of Literacy and Books in Children’s Development:

(Intellectual, Affective and Social Dimensions)

All literature, and literacy, is born from the human need to tell stories, to
tell stories about oneself or about others, to tell stories about the world to better
understand our existence, the others and the universe we live in.

Production of children’s books has always been amazingly diverse; its

multiple titles address young readers in quite different ways:

•there are books that furnish information and transfer knowledge on the world
around us;

•others present an image of children’s everyday life, or an image of their

feelings and their conflicts, proposing how to solve them;

•there are books which talk about the other: other cultures, other customs, or;

•there are books about diverse cultural patrimonies.

Each of these books carries a message and a specific perspective.

That is why it is very important that children become familiar at the earliest
possible age with the different literary genres, so they learn to use them as they
want. Because the true reading pleasure lies in the satisfaction, we get from
reading something that talks to us and touches us personally.

I. Learning to read is learning to see

The child “reads” his mother’s face since he is born, or his father’s or
any other close person’s face. The child learns to look at the features and facial
expressions of those around him and to react in an adequate manner.

Then the child begins to “read” the objects he finds around him. He
observes, recognizes, and identifies them, getting ready for the next big step:
reading and identifying real objects within the book, that is, identifying objects
that are no more that iconographic representations of reality on a book’s page.

Around the sixth month, a baby learns to know the difference between
the real object and the image it represents. In other words, he enters the world’s
symbolic representation: the secret of all art, visual or literary. From this first

5
discovery of symbolic representation, the child starts to develop his skills in
picture reading which become more and more sophisticated with time:

1) First the child points at the various objects that interest him on the picture.

2) Later, he points at them and names them. But he does not tell much, his
language is still non- narrative.

3) After some time, this child can point at and name the image’s elements while
telling a story. But it is not yet the book’s story; it is a personal story that comes
from the associations the child makes between the picture and his own life. His
language has become more narrative.

4) Finally, he succeeds in pointing at and talking about the picture’s elements

while telling an end to the story in the book, detached from his personal
experience: he now knows that there is a difference between his own story and
that of the book.

5) At last, he points at the elements not only of an isolated picture, but of all the
set of images that he 2can use as support to tell, in a narrative language, the
entire story related in the book. In this moment of his development child can
make a true visual reading of a picture book, based on the pictures.

According to French psychiatrist Serge Tesseron, “the small child places

himself first within the pictures he is looking at in consequence these pictures
invade him very easily.” Only after having watched several pictures books he is
able to take distance from the pictures he sees and he learns to place himself
before the pictures, which loose the frequently menacing impact on him.

II. Learning to read is also learning to listen

Literacy does not start only with watchful eyes, but also with listening
ears. During the first months of his life, the baby listens to his mother’s voice,
his father’s voice or that of the person taking care of him. From these voices,
the baby starts to build up his own voice and his personal language. At the
same time, he learns to identity the voices of those who surround him. The child
discovers the poetic voice of the people around him, the melodious and singing
voice that is so different from the everyday voice that gives orders and
information needed for everyday life. This poetic voice is not only more
beautiful, it tells little stories too, sings songs and nursery rhymes that introduce
the child in the universe of literature and prepares his sensibility for these artistic
forms, the simplest ones, the most archaic ones.

Serge Tisseron, again, teaches us that the child who listens to stories
when he is a baby, lives within the stories, like they were part of him. Only later,
after having heard many stories, he starts to keep the stories at a distance, like
something exterior to him that he now may integrate better.

6
III. Learning to read is also learning to communicate

Every child loves to point with his finger at the pictorial elements, the
objects on the pictures of the book that he is looking at and explaining proudly
to the adult. This action even if it seems so modest –is not only remarkable from
the point of view of reading skills but also and most important from the stand
point of the child’s psychological development. Because by showing something
to, the child demonstrates to the adult his perception and his subjective
impression of what he is seeing. It is a spontaneous action that always assumes
that the child already has an idea of the others existence whom he is showing
his wish to communicate actively with.

IV. The book is finally an object

Indeed, the book, ideal support for initiating and learning to read, is
above all-we must not forget it- a physical object that the child must
domesticate. By manipulating it, chewing on it, sucking it, turning it around in
every sense, the child slowly takes possession of his book. Later he will learn,
always in a playful manner, to use it correctly: how to turn its pages, how to hold
it the right way, how to pretend he is reading images as well as the black signs
that “hide” its story. This way he learns to behave like a reader, which is an
important step on the road to literacy.

On the psychological level the book, especially the picture book, may
play another role yet: that of transitional object that offers a wonderful
transitional space between the child’s personal feelings and sensibility and the
exterior reality, in which the child can develop his own imagination, his own
feelings that help to separate himself from his parents, to live, and thus resolve
his own psychological conflicts and find his own identity.

V. Reading becomes pertinent personal experience.

We have seen that learning to read is more than learning the alphabet
and decoding it. Reading contributes in a concrete way to the very sense of our
lives if it is endowed with meaning. We have to teach children not only to read,
but to acknowledge the importance and actuality of knowing how to read within
the context of their own life, teach them to grasp the true meaning of what is
written, the role it can play in their personal lives and in the society they live in.

French psycholinguist Jean-Marie Besse says: “To understand the

reason for this activity and the nature of this way of expression”. From this
perspective, the young reader must grasp what he has read in order to integrate
it into his own everyday personal experiences: reading becomes thus an
integral part of his life.

Jean-Marie Besse has stated that the origin of reading problems that so
many adults have is found not only in failure to decode words and lack of text

7
comprehension skills, but above all in a total ignorance of the meaning and
usefulness of written texts regarding our own life. Developing this crucial
relation between reading and personal life begins, it is true, at home. Above all
the interpersonal, social and affective dimensions participating in the
constitution of this personal relation to the written text, motivate children to
perseverate in learning and improving reading.

Children’s Literature and Child Development

Good literature can help children to understand and satisfy their

basic needs. The reading interests of children as shown by the result of several
researches give a sequential development from on age level to the next. These
developmental reading preferences provide a scientific basis in the preparation
and the selection of their reading materials.

Before the age of two years: Reading interests arise from experience
that go back to early infancy. The beginning of this early interest in books is
observed in the child’s handling of books, his interests in looking at pictures, his
poses as though he is reading and making baby sounds as he looks at the
pictures, and his desire for storytelling and being read to me.

From three to six years:

At this age group children show love for factual stories with attractive
illustrations that can be discussed with an older person. Children are interested
in “what happened” “what could happen”, and fanciful stories.

Children from six to seven

Children of six to seven do not read too well yet. Much of their literature
is simple in content and style and often they are read to them by adults. Children
want stories about children of their own kind. They like funny stories and animal
tales.

Children eight and ten:

Children between the ages eight and ten begin to read for themselves.
Their interest is in folk and fairy tales. Along with these tales they love stories
about real children. Boys and girls have the same reading interests.

Children around eleven to twelve years:

Girls show more interest in stories about home life and domestic
happenings, in romance and in quiet social situations. Boys show greater
interest in vigorous adventure and aggressive action. Bright, average and slow
pupils have nearly the same interests. Bright pupils read more informational
materials and non-fiction and show interest for humor and adventure.

8
High school age level:

The older group of children show interest in history, biography, magazine

articles dealing in social and natural environment. They prefer honest, factual
material in books dealing with science. The content is what interests them most
– new information, explanations of how animals live and how things work, how
to explore and experiment rather than rhapsodies about the glories of nature
and the wonders of the subject treated in the book.

From his early years an individual’s interests are affected by his physical
condition, his mental and emotional status, and the social and economic
environment in which he was reared. This is also true with their needs. Every
child is unique so his needs and interests and reading ability should be fully
understood to serve as guide in helping him select his reading materials.

LESSON SUMMARY

In children’s literature, philosophies about how children learn language

and exposure to diverse usage of language is an important part of the
developmental process. Productions of children’s books has always been
amazingly diverse, there are books that finish information and transfer
knowledge, others present image of children everyday life, there are books
which talk about other cultures, and there are books about diverse cultural
patrimonies.

Lesson 3
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF CHILDREN’S LITERATURE
WHAT TO EXPECT?

• Determine the origin, purpose, and importance of children’s

literature from different period.
• Evaluate the importance of knowing the different historical
background of children’s literature.
• Establish the content/theme of children’s literature during
medieval and puritan period.

4.
PRE-DISCUSSION
All literature begins with the ancient art of storytelling. Many centuries
ago, people did not differentiate between adult and children’s literature until
recently. Our ancestors told stories before to entertain each other, to teach the

9
children their practices, beliefs, and tradition. In fact, storytelling is an integral
part of every culture. Children were told the same stories as their parents: heroic
tales retold by Homer in The Iliad and The Odyssey, as well as tales of gods,
ghosts, and talking animals. These are found all around the world. Children’s
literature is important because it provides students with opportunities to
respond to literature; it gives them chance to appreciate their own cultural
heritage as well as those of others; it helps them develop emotional intelligence
and creativity; and it nurtures growth and development of each one of them.
In this lesson, you will widen your scope about the stories that you have
probably read before as we go through discovering and learning their historical
background from different era. Further, you will be learning their purpose,
importance, and lessons.
LESSON OUTLINE
❖ Classical Period – Aesop’s Fables
In early times, Western civilization has begun in the cultures of ancient
Greece and Rome which flourished between 500 BCE and 400 CE, now known
as Classical period. During this time, children grew up with the stories of the
Trojan War (from Homer’s to Iliad) and of the travels of Odysseus (from Homer’s
Odyssey) and the stories of Jason and the Golden Fleece and the adventures
of Hercules. They also knew of the now-famous fables attributed to the slave
Aesop, believed to be a teacher, writing to instruct his students in cultural and
personal values.
Our culture is filled with references to these rich Classical stories – we
speak of Achille’s heels, Herculean tasks, the Midas touch, Pandora’s Box, and
sour grapes (a reference to one of Aesop’s fables). Planets, galaxies and star
clusters, days of the week, months of the year, automobile tires, and track
shoes – all bear names of classical gods and heroes.
As stated by Masters (2012), children’s literature, like other types of
literature, evolved from stories handed down orally from generation to
generation. Irish folk tales can be traced back to 400 BCE, while the
Pachatantra, written about 200 AD in India, is considered to be the oldest
written folk tales. About 400 AD, the first edition of Aesop’s Fables appeared
on papyrus scrolls.
The ancient Greeks believed that there had once been a man named
Aesop who was the originator of the fable and author of its earliest examples,
and it became traditional to attribute all fables to him. However, there are at
least two problems with this view of Aesop as the creator and author of fables.
First, there is extraordinarily little evidence to suggest that Aesop ever existed.
Second, Aesop could not have been the discoverer of the fable form because
fables exist before the Greek civilization of which he was supposed to have
been a part by many centuries.
The Life of Aesop
People know that Aesop was widely known in the ancient Greek world.
We find references to him and his life in Herodotus, Plato, Aristotle, and

10
Aristophanes, and while those references may not be historically accurate, they
do show that the audiences for the works of these four men (a historian, two
philosophers, and a comic playwright), which would have included citizens from
a wide range of social classes, knew who Aesop was and could be expected to
respond to references to him in predictable ways.
Aesop was a slave from Samos, a Greek island in the Northern Aegean.
He had several distinctive traits. He, according to the stories passed, was
remarkably ugly and is frequently compared to animals in terms of his
appearance. He was born mute, entirely unable to speak, which is another trait
usually associated with animals, who can make sounds but cannot make words
or speeches. However, he was also remarkably intelligent and resourceful.
Aesop’s Fables
Written by a former Greek slave, in the late to mid-6th century BCE,
Aesop’s Fables are the world’s best-known collection of morality tales. The
fables, numbering 725, were originally told from person-to-person as much for
entertainment purposes but largely as a means for relaying or teaching a moral
or lesson. These early stories are essentially allegorical myths often portraying
animals e.g., foxes, grasshoppers, frogs, cats, dogs, ants, crabs, stags, and
monkeys representing humans engaged in human-like situations (a belief
known as animism). Ultimately the fables represent one of the oldest
characteristics of human life: storytelling.
Origin
The roots of fables can be traced back before the Greeks – during
Sumerian civilization. Sumerian proverbs, recorded around 1,500 years before
Christ, have a form and features that are similar to later Greek fables. The
Sumerian proverbs often featured an animal character and included realistic life
advice. Both the earlier proverbs and the later fables used simple and direct
writing style – neither contains numerous words. It was only later that authors
began to incorporate the moral either at the beginning of the story (to inform the
reader of the story’s meaning up front) or at the end (to tell the reader what the
story was supposed to teach). The fables were ultimately intended to illustrate
both desirable and undesirable human behaviors: what to do and what not to
do.
Purpose
Aesop’s Fables served a multitude of additional purposes.

• Fables emerged and became popular during the period of Greek when
the authoritarian rule made free and open speech threatening for the
speakers. The fables served as a means by which criticisms against the
government could be expressed without fear of punishment.
• The stories served to remind the weak that being clever could provide a
means by which they could succeed against the powerful. The
subversive nature of the tales allowed the lower classes in Greek
civilization a means of escape from a society which was often oriented
around the idea that “might makes right.”

11
 • The fables were also considered as a valuable tool in speeches
especially to persuade others about a specific point.
• The fables served as a form of children’s’ entertainment aside from being
a simple teaching tool. These fables transmitted important life lessons
while also describing the “world of childhood.”
• Fables provide an opportunity for everyone to self-respect. At those
moments when Greeks suspected their culture or civilization was not
living up to expectations, the fables provided an opportunity for a degree
of self-reflection. Although humans and animals share similar traits,
humans are different for the reason that, they possess a power of reason
which allows human being to make different choices about life and living.
Example of Aesop’s Fables

• The Serpent & the Eagle

An Eagle swooped down upon a Serpent and seized it
in his talons with the intention of carrying it off and devouring
it. But the Serpent was too quick for him and had its coils
round him in a moment; and then there ensued a life-and-death struggle
between the two. A countryman, who was a witness of the encounter, came to
the assistance of the eagle, and succeeded in freeing him from the Serpent and
enabling him to escape. In revenge, the Serpent spat some of his poison into
the man’s drinking-horn. Heated with his exertions, the man was about to slake
his thirst with a draught from the horn, when the Eagle knocked it out of his
hand, and spilled its contents upon the ground.
Moral: One good turn deserves another.

• The Horse & Groom

A groom used to spend whole days in currycombing
and rubbing down his Horse, but at the same time stole his
oats and sold them for his own profit. “Alas!” said the Horse,
“if you really wish me to be in good condition, you should
groom me less, and feed me more.”
Moral: A man may smile yet be a villain
❖ Anglo – Saxon Period – Epics
Anglo-Saxon literature encompasses literature written in Old English
during the 600-year Anglo-Saxon period of Britain, from the mid-5th century to
the Norman Conquest on 1066. Epic poems, hagiography, sermons, Bible
translations, legal books, chronicles, riddles, and other genres are among them.
There are about 400 remaining manuscripts from the period representing a
large corpus of both common and specialist research. The poem Beowulf,
which has acquired national epic status in Britain, is one of the most significant
works from this era.
Moreover, Anglo-Saxon time was a period abundant of storytelling and
lyrical poems. Storytellers developed an oral tradition during this period as they
memorized, adapted, and passed along stories and songs. Most of the Anglo-

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Saxon stories were epics, which are long poems that tell a story of a heroic
deed or a legendary event from the past. These epics invariably included an
epic hero, or a larger-than-life figure that presented their courage, virtue, and
skill against an evil or opposing figure.
A prominent Anglo-Saxon epic is Beowulf. In the literary work,
protagonist, Beowulf battles the following three evil forces: Grendel, Grendel’s
mother, and a dragon. In all three of these battles, Beowulf manifests many of
the values of the Anglo-Saxon’s such as loyalty, bravery, and strength which
are very prominent during their entire living many centuries ago.
Epic Poem Beowulf
Beowulf is the oldest surviving epic poem in the English language and
the earliest piece of vernacular Anglo-Saxon literature. Perhaps most of the
readers are wondering on what language “Beowulf” was written originally. The
first manuscript was written in the language of the Saxons, “Old English,” during
the Anglo-Saxon era. Since then, the epic poem has been estimated to have
been translated into 65 languages. However, due to numerous times it is
translated and told to people, its original form and features are hardly
maintained by different interpreters.
Origin
The poem may have been composed as early as around 700 C.E. and
evolved through many retellings before it was finally written down.
Nevertheless, whoever the original author may have been is lost to history.
“Beowulf” contains many pagan and folkloric elements, but there are
undeniable Christian themes as well. This dichotomy has led some to interpret
the epic as the work of more than one author. Others have seen it as symbolic
of the transition from paganism to Christianity in early medieval Britain.
As originally untitled, in the 19th century the poem was ultimately referred
to by the name of its Scandinavian hero, whose explorations and adventures
are its primary focus.
History of the Manuscript

• The sole manuscript of “Beowulf” dates to around the year 1000. The
earliest known owner of the manuscript was 16 th-century scholar
Lawrence Nowell.
• In the 17th century, it became part of Robert Bruce Cotton’s collection
and is therefore known as Cotton Vitellius A.XV.
• The first transcription of the poem was made by Icelandic scholar Grímur
Jónsson Thorkelin in 1818. Since the manuscript has decayed further,
Thorkelin’s version is highly prized, yet its accuracy has been
questioned.
• In 1845, the pages of the manuscript were placed in paper frames to
save them from further damage. This protected the pages, but it also
covered some of the letters around the edges. In 1993, the British Library
initiated the Electronic Beowulf Project.

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 • Using special infrared and ultraviolet lighting techniques, the covered
letters were revealed as electronic images of the manuscript were made.
Translations of Beowulf
Beowulf was originally written in Old English. The first translation of the
poem was into Latin by Thorkelin in connection with his transcription of 1818.
Two years later Nicolai Grundtvig made the first translation into a modern
language, Danish. The first translation into modern English was made by J. M.
Kemble in 1837. In total, it is estimated that the epic poem has been translated
into 65 languages.
Since then, there have been many modern English translations. The
version done by Francis B. Gummere in 1919 is out of copyright and freely
available at several websites. Many more recent translations, in both prose and
verse form are available today.
Beowulf as Children’s Literature
Over the past century and a half, more than 150
new versions of Beowulf directed to child and teen
audiences have appeared in English and in many other
languages. Two of the many translators and editors are
Bruce Gilchrist and Britt Mize. They examine the history
and processes of remaking Beowulf for young readers.
Inventive in their manipulations of story, tone, and genre, these
adaptations require authors to make countless decisions about what to include,
exclude, emphasize, de-emphasize, and adjust. The story considers many
forms of children’s literature, focusing primarily on picture books, illustrated
storybooks, and youth novels, but taking account also of curricular aids,
illustrated full translations of the poem, and songs. They as well address the
issues of gender, historical context, war, and violence as well, techniques of
narration, education, and nationalism, investigating both the historical and
theoretical dimensions of bringing Beowulf to child audiences.
Moral of the Epic Poem Beowulf

• The moral presented in the epic poem Beowulf is the recognition that
human destiny is controlled by faith, eagerness, and determination. The
protagonist’s actions highlight the human struggle between good and
evil. Beowulf recognizes his fate as a heroic figure locked in constant
battles with evil and concedes that he, like all human beings, can only
triumph over evil if he is determined and empowered.

❖ Medieval Period
In the middle ages’ literature aimed at the young reflected the generally
accepted view that children were born sinful and in need of redemption.
Children’s books were designed to be instructive rather than entertaining and
provided moral and religious guidance as well.

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 Literature written specifically for an audience of children began to be
published on a wide scale in the seventeenth century. Most of the early books
for children were didactic rather than artistic, meant to teach letter sounds and
words or to improve the child’s moral and spiritual life.
By the fifteenth century, books on manners and morals began to appear
in England by 1430. One of these was William Caxton’s Boke of Curtayse
published about 1477. Another was The Babies Boke which had the subtitle
Manners and Meals in the Olden Times. This book contained rules of behavior
for boys who trained to become knights during Ages of Chivalry.
⚫ ABC Books
In the sixteenth century, ABC books or primers appeared. They were
also called primer because they were used at the hour of prime as a book of
private devotions in the Angelican Church. Henry VIII had ordered the printing
of both Catholic and Protestant primers that contained the alphabet and
Christian principles. Thus, the term primer came to be applied to all the first
books for children in school.
⚫ Hornbooks
The hornbooks, which were not really
books, appeared toward the end of the
sixteenth century. These were the first books
designed for children to handle. They were
about 3 by 4 ½ inches long and 2 inches wide.
Capital letters followed by vowels and their combinations with consonants were
printed across the top. The Lord’s Prayer was printed at the bottom. The paper
used for this was covered with a transparent horn – hence the name “hornbook”
– and was held in place by metals like silver, brass and copper. These books
could be hung around the necks of children. The hornbooks were used to teach
the alphabet and combinations of letters and to continue religious instruction.
⚫ Chapbooks
Chapbooks, pocket-sized books often folded
that stitched together, were the first books to be
illustrated for children. They usually contained simple
woodcut pictures to go along with their contents–often
popular ballads, folktales or 15 ehavior 15 passages.
In 1697 Charles Perault, a Frenchman, published his collection of tales
entitled Comtes de Ma Mere L’ Oye or Tales of My mother Goose. Translations
of these tales were published separately as chapbooks in England. These
books were called chapbooks because they were sold by itinerant peddlers
called chapmen.
❖ Puritan Period
At the end of the seventeenth century, with their doctrine of individual
salvation, the Puritans held that children had to be preserved from eternal
damnation. To them, literature held the paramount role of preparing children for
salvation and safeguarding them from hell; not surprisingly, then, the majority
of Puritan literature portrayed children facing grim life-and-death scenarios

15
wherein they had to rely on a supreme moral compass. It was thus children’s
spiritual lives, rather than their physical surroundings or social interactions,
which Puritan parents emphasized, and Puritan literature reflected the most.
Puritan children’s literature was intended to provide children with
religious and moral education. The most extreme example is James Janeway’s
A Token for Children: Being an Exact Account of the Conversion, Holy and
Exemplary Lives and Joyful Deaths of Several Young Children (1672) in which
multiple deathbed scenes present children who are physically weak but
spiritually strong. A less harsh version of Puritan theology for children is found
in John Bunyan’s A Book for Boys and Girls (1686), a collection of poems or
divine emblems drawn from nature. John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress (1678) –
a religious allegory. The work is a symbolic vision of the good man’s pilgrimage
through life. This is the book that expresses the characteristics of Puritan
religious outlook.
⚫ Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe (1714) – tells the story of a young and
impulsive Englishman that defies his parent’s wishes and takes to the seas
seeking adventure. Robinson mirrors the Puritan values of hard work, self-
reliance and constant faith in God’s help.
⚫ Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels (1726) – the main idea behind Gulliver’s
Travel is to persuade Britons to reform their own society. Swifts uses his
gullible narrator, appropriately named Gulliver to show through his a
number of comically cruel and absurd fictional cultures. It is an exploration
of a man’s social and moral nature in non-theological terms, in an allegorical
mode and embedded in fantasy.
Between 1683 and 1691, the New England Primer, a book made
especially for the children of the American colonies appeared. It was a small
book, about 3 by 4 ½ inches and had about 100 pages. It contained the
alphabet, words and syllables for spelling lessons, the Lord’s Prayer,
catechism, hymns and verses, rhymes for each letter of the alphabet.
• John Newberry Era – Children’s books
John Newberry or also known as the “Father of Children’s Literature” is
the first author and publisher to specialize in children’s literature and to make
it sustainably profitable, John Newbery is also notable for his marketing
innovations. John Newbery was born in 1713 in Berkshire, England. The son
of a farmer, he saw to his own education and through his efforts became
apprenticed to a printer when he was sixteen years old. Eventually, the
business was sold and Newbery’s continued efforts with the new owner,
William Carnahan, resulted in him being left the business along with
Carnahan’s brother when he passed away.
Now in charge of the press, Newbery saw a place in the market and
used his literary and sales sense to create a not only a new genre of literature
but cause it to thrive. His efforts throughout his career to create and publish
books for children are why John Newbery is considered to be the father of
children’s literature and why one of the most prestigious awards for books
written for children, The Newbery Medal, was named in his honor.
In 1740, Newbery established a business in Reading, publishing fiction
and devotional works. The venture proved so successful that just a few years

16
later, he was able to leave the business in the care of his eldest stepson and
move to London to open a shop. It was during this time that he decided, based
on the writings of Enlightenment philosopher John Locke and his claims that
children learn best by play, to expand his business to include children’s
literature, which at the time existed mostly as religious texts.
Throughout the course of his career, Newbery published over one
hundred books for children, popularizing the mostly non-existent genre to the
point that today it is one of the most popular and profitable publishing
categories. He published alphabet books, picture books, fairy tales, novels,
and magazines. He is sometimes credited with publishing the first Mother
Goose book, though that has since been proven to most likely be false.
Newbery also wrote and published his own books for children, possibly with
one of his numerous famous writer friends as a co-writer.

John Newberry’s important Children’s Literature

His most influential publications were A Little Pretty Pocket-Book
(1744), which is often called the first children’s book, The History of Little
Goody Two-Shoes (1765), a variation on Cinderella, and The Mother Goose’s
Melody (1713-1767).

1. A Little Pretty Pocket-Book

(1744)
The first of the children’s books he published to this
end was
A Little Pretty Pocket Book, intended for the
Amusement of
Little Master Tommy and Pretty Miss Polly with Two
Letters from Jack the Giant Killer, published in 1744.
The book was sold on its own, or—based on Locke’s
writings on the subject—for a small extra sum, came
with a ball or pin cushion with which children could
track their good and bad behavior based on where they stuck the pin.
The book contained the alphabet, rhymes, word games, and little fairy
tales, all geared toward guiding the child to good and moral behavior. While
antiquated in its message now, at the time the book was massively popular
and is considered to be one of the most important works in the history of
children’s literature.
A Little Pretty Pocket Book was so successful that it allowed Newbery
to move his shop to a more prestigious location by 1747. He continued to
publish titles for both adults and children, working on upcoming titles and
products into the stories in a way that allowed his books to serve as marketing
as well as stories. He even owned stock in a fever powder which he name
dropped in a book to serve as a selling tool.

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 2. The History of Little Goody Two-Shoes (1765)
This is a variation of Cinderella, the story follows the
orphan Margery Meanwell. The most popular of Mother
Goose’s books is The History of Little Goody Two-Shoes. It
tells the story of a little girl who goes through life with only one
shoe, but when her goodness impresses a wealthy man, he
rewards her kindness with a new pair of shoes. While the
origin of the phrase is unknown, Newbery’s book is credited
with popularizing the phrase “goody two-shoes” as a moniker
for an overly virtuous person.
Goody Two-Shoes was published in April 1765, and few nursery books
have had a wider circulation, or have retained their position so long. The
number of editions that have been published, both in England and America, is
legion, and it has appeared in mutilated versions, under the auspices
of numerous publishing houses in London and the provinces, although of late
years there have been no new issues.

3. Mother Goose’s Melodies (1713-1767)

Few books in the English language have had so
widespread a circulation as the collection of nursery rhymes
known as ‘Mother Goose’s Melodies.’ Indeed, the child
whose earliest remembrance does not embrace pictures of
‘Little Boy Blue,’ ‘The House that Jack Built.’ ‘Who Killed
Cock Robin,’ ‘Baa, Baa Black Sheep,’ and ‘Patty Cake, Patty
Cake, Baker’s Man,’ has sustained a loss of no small
magnitude. In 1860 a story was started to the effect that
“Mother Goose” was a Boston woman; and she was identified
as Elizabeth Goose, widow of Isaac Vergoose, or Goose, and mother-in-law of
Thomas Fleet, a well-known Boston printer, said to have issued a collection of
the ‘Melodies’ in 1719.
There is an entire lack of evidence however, to support this assumption,
although Boston has a true claim upon the fame of “Mother Goose,” because
two Boston publishers issued the book in 1824. But it is now conceded that
“Mother Goose” belongs to French folklore and not to English tradition; and
some writers even connect her with Queen Goosefoot, said to be the mother
of Charlemagne. Charles Perrault, born in Paris in 1628, was the first person
to collect, reduce to writing, and publish the ‘Contes de ma Mère l’Oye,’ or
‘Tales of Mother Goose’; and there is no reason to think that “Mother Goose”
was a term ever used in English literature until it was translated from the
French equivalent, “Mère l’Oye.”
It is probable that her fame first reached England in 1729, when ‘Mother
Goose’s Fairy Tales’ were translated by Robert Samber. The original ‘Mother
Goose’s Melodies’ was not issued until 1760, when it was brought out by John
Newbery of London. While “Mother Goose” herself is of French origin, many of
the ‘Melodies’ are purely of English extraction, some of them dating back to
Shakespeare’s time and earlier.
Famous writers of fiction “may flourish and may fade,” great poets pass
into distant perspective; but until time has ceased to be, it is certain that ‘Mother

18
Goose’ will reign in the hearts, and murmur in the ears, of each succeeding
generation.

John Newberry Created High-Quality Children’s

Books and Memorialized In Book Awards
In 1746, Newbery published two more books
directed at the education of children, Circle of the
Sciences: Writing and Circle of the Sciences:
Arithmetic. An introduction to the ideas of the English
physicist and mathematician Isaac Newton
were presented in the 1761 work, The Newtonian
System of Philosophy Adapted to the Capacities of
Young Gentlemen and Ladies By Tom Telescope,
popularly known as simply Tom Telescope.
The book’s author is a subject of debate; some believe that the author
Oliver Goldsmith wrote the book, while others suggest that Newbery himself
was the creator. This was another great success for Newbery, going through at
least ten printings for a total of around 30,000 books by 1800. Newbery was
cautious in business though, and his first printings were usually very small; only
once he was able to gauge the interest of the market would he undertake further
printings.
Children’s literature was only one aspect of Newbery’s role in literature
and publishing in his day. He was an associate of a number of leading English
writers, including Samuel Johnson, Oliver Goldsmith, and Christopher Smart.
These authors and others contributed to Newbery’s numerous
newspapers in London and the provinces. One such paper was The Universal
Chronicle or Weekly Gazette, which he founded in 1758; the paper published
a number of famous works by Johnson, including “The Idler,” “The Rambler,”
and “The Lives of the Poets.” The Public Ledger, initiated in 1760, featured
Goldsmith’s “A Citizen of the World” in its first issue. Newbery also published
Goldsmith’s book The Vicar of Wakefield in 1766.
Newbery passed away in 1767 at the age of fifty-four. His children,
stepchildren, and nephew continued his business, though not without some
disagreements between them. The business remained in the family until it was
sold in 1802.
In 1922, the Association for Library Service to Children created the John
Newbery Medal as a way of honoring the most distinguished contribution to
American literature for children, named for him due to his role in popularizing
and advocating for books for children. The Newbery Medal is awarded
annually and is considered one of the most prestigious children’s book awards
in the nation.
Some previous award winners include Johnny Tremain by Esther
Forbes, Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell, A Wrinkle in Time by
Madeleine L’Engle, Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George, Roll of
Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor, Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine
Patterson, Number the Stars by Lois Lowry, The Tale of Despereaux: Being
the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread by Kate
DiCamillo, The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, and Last Stop on Market
Street by Matt le Pena.

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 ❖ Didactic Period
★ The Didactic Period-Book for teaching Children
Literature written specifically for an audience of children began to be
published on a wide scale in the seventeenth century. Most of the early books
for children were didactic rather than artistic, meant to teach letter sounds and
words or to improve the child’s moral and spiritual life. In the mid-1700s,
however, British publisher John Newbery (1713–1767), influenced by John
Locke’s ideas that children should enjoy reading, began publishing books for
children’s amusement.
Since that time there has been a gradual transition from the deliberate
use of purely didactic literature to inculcate moral, spiritual, and ethical values
in children to the provision of literature to entertain and inform. On the contrary,
suitable literature for today’s children is influenced by the cultural and ethical
values of its authors. These values are frequently revealed as the literary work
unfolds, but they are a means to an end, not an end in themselves. Authors
assume a degree of intelligence on the part of their audience that was not
assumed in the past. In this respect, children’s literature has changed
dramatically since its earliest days.
Fairy Tales and traditional chapbook romances were distractingly
popular, but the leaders of educational opinion inveighed against them as
superstitious, untruthful, pernicious, misleading and immoral. The sober
middle classes required their children to be socialized, taught how to behave
properly towards other people of whatever status and to internalize the virtues
that made for a harmonious and orderly society. As we have already seen,
German writers such as Campe and Salzmann formed part of this programme,
and Campe’s books continued to be read and reprinted during the early part
of the nineteenth century.
Many more German authors of this kind were translated into English
during this period. Some of them were named, but very frequently the title-
pages or prefaces of these new books content themselves with the bare words
’translated from the German’. It is thus not always easy or even possible to
identify either authors or specific tales.
One can only speculate about the reasons that led publishers to be so
vague about the sources of their material. Most probably they were attempting
to evade copyright and making payment to the German publishers and
authors. But they may also have reasoned that the author’s name would have
meant nothing to the British reader, unless he or she was famous.
Nonetheless, the fact that so many books contain the words ’translated from
the German’ indicates that German authorship was a significant factor in
marketing them. No doubt children’s books profited from the considerable
attraction that Goethe, Schiller, Tieck, Fouqué and many of their
contemporaries had for British readers.
Too many German books of a moral or didactic kind were translated into
English in the nineteenth century for all of them to be considered or even noted
here. Posterity has not dealt very kindly with them. Most simply reflect the
social expectations of their day and have no special historical or literary merits
that single them out from the mass of well-meaning, but mediocre children’s

20
fiction. Books whose chief purpose is to promote a strong line of moral conduct
do not generally survive changes in social attitudes.
They would need a strong plot, memorable and sympathetic characters
and a compelling literary style to transcend such changes. These qualities,
however, are not usually in strong supply in our period. The publishing history
of many titles points up considerable differences between the perceptions of
the nineteenth century and those of our own times. Books which now seem
shallow, conventional, and oversimplified may have been very popular in their
own day.
Most of the books we have considered operate with well-tried formulae.
Their protagonists are orphans, the poor, the innocent victims of injustice or
economic hardship. They frequently have siblings or parents who go off the
rails but are led back to the straight and narrow through their example of
Christian faith. Despite the trials their protagonists undergo, the stories are
optimistic and end happily. They demonstrate that the world is populated by
good and devout people as well as by the wicked and thoughtless. In many
ways one can see these tales as the religious equivalent of the fable and the
fairytale with ordinary people occupying the roles of fairy, ogre, dwarf, witch,
and helper, but by the end of the century they had largely lost the general
appeal that they previously exerted.

LESSON SUMMARY

• During Classical period, Aesop’s fables emerged and became popular

that were used as a means of expressing the thoughts, ideas, and
emotions of the people especially the weak, oppressed and the lower
class towards their authoritarian leaders aside from the fact that it was
used as well as a way of telling the children the culture of the people
before.
• Beowulf is also well – known as the epic poetry popular during the Anglo-
Saxon era. Many years have passed, and the story was edited and
translated following the standards of becoming a child literature. It tells
a story of a hero defeating the three evils and have conquered them all
but died after.
• ABC Books, Hornbooks and Chapbooks are books for children that
existed during Medieval period. It contains alphabet and didactic
literature to inculcate moral, spiritual, and ethical values in children.
• Puritan literature relied on a religious, rather than an entertainment,
theme. Puritans didn’t believe in writing for entertainment; rather, they
thought of writing as a tool to reach people with the story of God.
• Puritan literature relied on a religious, rather than an entertainment,
theme. Puritans didn’t believe in writing for entertainment; rather, they
thought of writing as a tool to reach people with the story of God.

CHAPTER SUMMARY
Through literature and language, humans record, explain, understand,
and control their experience. Literature is a thought, experience and
imagination shaped into oral or written language that may include visual

21
images. There are different forms of literature that provides emotional release,
and in reading the writings of others, many children are able to project
themselves so that they receive help for their own problem. Children’s literature
provides students with the opportunity to respond to literature and develop their
own opinions about the topic. It helps them develop emotional intelligence and
provides them an opportunity to respond to literature, as well as cultural
knowledge, emotional intelligence and creativity, social and personality
development, and literature history to students across generations.
Good literature can help children to understand and satisfy their basic
needs. They learn to read, write, and appreciate the stories at the young age.
Their interests in reading and discovering new stories varies in their age level.
It is said that children learn to understand and develop interest in “what
happened” “what could happen” in the stories they are reading at specific age
level. As they grow older and as they understand the concepts and themes of
what they are reading, boys show greater interest in vigorous adventure and
aggressive actions. And as they reach high school age level, they show interest
in history, biography, magazine articles, dealing in social and natural
environment.
During Classical period, Aesop’s fables emerged and became popular
that were used as a means of expressing the thoughts, ideas, and emotions of
the people. Beowulf is also well – known as the epic poetry popular during the
Anglo-Saxon era. John Newbery influenced by John Locke’s ideas that children
should enjoy reading, began publishing books for children’s amusement.
Newsberry’s most influential publications were A Little Pretty Pocketbook which
is often called the first children’s book, The History of Little Goody Two-Shoes
a variation on Cinderella, and The Mother Goose’s Melody. Most of the early
books for children were didactic rather than artistic, meant to teach letter
sounds and words or to improve the child’s moral and spiritual life. In the
Didactic Period there has been a gradual transition from the deliberate use of
purely didactic literature to inculcate moral, spiritual, and ethical values in
children to the provision of literature to entertain and inform.

ASSESSMENT/ENRICHMENT
I. Multiple choice
Direction: Read the following questions and encircle the letter that corresponds
to your answer.
1. A baby acquires this iconic skill, that is, he learns to know the difference
between the real object and the image it represents. At around what months do
you think the baby is?
a. around four months c. around six months
b. around five months d. around seven months
2. Children from eight to ten begin to ________ for themselves.
a. read c. count

22
 b. write d. sing
3. ______ does not start only with watchful eyes, but also with listening ears.
a. Literature c. Listening
b. Writing d. Literacy
4. It is pocket-sized books often folded that stitched together and were the first
books to be illustrated for children during Medieval Period.
a. Chapbooks c. Hornbooks
b. ABC Books d. Pocketbooks
5. In the sixteenth century, _______ or primers appeared. It contains the
alphabet and Christian principles.
a. Chapbooks c. Hornbooks
b. ABC Books d. Pocketbooks
6. Since the last manuscript of the epic poem Beowulf during Anglo-Saxon
Period, it is estimated that it was translated into _____ languages.
a. 64 c. 65
b. 52 d. 55
7. They work effectively in developing in children a love for literature.
a. Teachers, Librarians, Parents
b. School Administrator, Guidance Counselor, Teacher
c. Parent, Peer, Adviser
d. Student, Teacher, Librarian
8. Complete the statement, “Children need literature in order
to______________. There is therapeutic value of literature that must be
recognized.”
a. develop their own language
b. enrich their own language
c. widen their horizon as to what literature truly is
d. a&b
9. What does Children’s literature provides to students?
a. the opportunity to respond to literature and develop their own
opinions about the topic.
b. The chance to develop their listening and writing skills
c. The history and ideas on how to develop good writing
d. Right choosing of words, vocabulary and widens their imagination
10. What was the most popular published Children’s book by John Newberry?
a. Where the wild things are
b. A Little Pretty Pocket-Book
c. Charlotte Web
d. Mother Goose Rhymes

II. Essay
Direction: Answer the following questions thoroughly. Expound your answer.

23
1. Why do you think it is important to study the historical background of the
children’s literature?
2. How do you think is language development be achieved through the use of
children’s literature?
3. How does a good book increases child’s interest in reading?

CHAPTER REFERENCES
Aanon. (2018). The serpent and the eagle [Photograph]. www.youtube.com
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/utJBpew_aEg/maxresdefault.jpg
Alterman, E. (2014). The history of children’s literature.
https://thesismag.com/2014/01/21/the-history-of-childrens-literature/
Audsley, S. (2019, April 2). Why study children's literature.
https://www.masterstudies.com/article/why-study-childrens-literature/
Blamires, D. (2009). Moral, Didactic and Religious Tales.
https://books.openedition.org/obp/606?lang=en
Broomhall, S, McEwan, J. and Tarbin, S. (2017). Once upon a time: a brief
history of children’s literature. https://theconversation.com/once-upon-
a-time-a-brief-history-of-childrens-literature-75205
ChaptersIndigo. (n.d.). Beowulf as children’s literature [Photograph].
ChaptersIndigo. https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/beowulf-
as-childrens-literature/9781487502706-item.html
Children's Literature. (n.d.).
http://www.breitlinks.com/my_libmedia/literature.htm
Children's Literature: History, literature in the lives of children, environment,
awards. (n.d.).
https://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/1829/Children-s
Literature.html#ixzz6sSEtArz0
Classicmuses. (2010, July 31). A brief history of children’s literature. Classic
Inspirations. https://classicmuses.blogspot.com/2010/07/brief-history-
of-childrens-literature.html?m=1&fbclid=IwAR3rKVJSRctiY94QdSa0U-
0TZ0mvV1qhrtXYLkucgNC189l-gu7M9BQcoBE
Clayton, E.W. (n.d.). Aesop’s fables. In J. Feiser (ED.), Internet encyclopedia
of philosophy. Central Michigan University. https://iep.utm.edu/aesop/
Crippen M. (2021) The Value of Children’s Literature.
https://www.luther.edu/oneota-reading-journal/archive/2012/the-value-
of-children s-
literature/#:~:text=Children's%20literature%20is%20important%20bec
ause,and %20development%20of%20the%20student's
Dale, B. (2015). History of Children and Adolescent Literature [PowerPoint
slides]. Slideshare.net. https://www.slideshare.net/1780674042/history-
of-children-and-adolescent
literature?fbclid=IwAR2YC72_Ftey6r3MaDgXr9rkfRbFiJNv6hPMrwuIqt
3m6k5sGZwrdp-zNKs
Ebay. (n.d.). The horse and the groom Aesop’s fable moral story
[Photograph]. www.eBay.com.
https://justsaynotomccain.info/images/aw2k/LotImg54933.jpg

24
Encyclopedia. (n.d.). ABC Books.
https://www.encyclopedia.com/children/encyclopedias-almanacs-
transcripts-and-maps/abc-books
Grenby M.O. (2014) The origins of children’s
literature. https://www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/articles/the-
origins -of-childrens-literature#
Horgan, J. (2014, March 08). Aesop's Fables. World History Encyclopedia.
Concordia University-Wisconsin.
https://www.worldhistory.org/article/664/aesops-fables/
John Newbery: The Father of Children's Literature. Books tell you
why. https://blog.bookstellyouwhy. com/john-newbery-the-
father-of-childrens-literature
Kiefer, B.C. (n.d.). Children's Literature: History, Literature in the Lives of
Children, Environment, Awards.
https://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/1829/Children-s-
Literature.html
Masters, K. (2012, September 20). A brief history of children’s literature.
Books tell you why. https://blog.bookstellyouwhy.com/bid/230055/a-
brief-history-of-children-s-literature
PictureMeta. (n.d.). The ant and the grasshopper [Photograph].
PictureMeta.blog.post.com.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/0s9b07_PGDpIg2e9_5h65Tc5
rM8ORBW0Fne-3w-q5PICSJLIT6uPuwtuAvuJjd4J2Nl7G-
qgQneyLA6xrzFW6rNWv0lQNmctRWQ1lzGZgS8ku0kVQNRai6vo_m
mPoIhNsHNNefe6_VZVudYCKH-d07NRkJe-
077k3Iv84zDZq3j9EzdW3FI=w1200-h630-p-k-no-nu
The Value of Children's Literature to Children's Development. (n.d.).
https://www.bartleby.com/essay/The-Value-of-Childrens-Literature-
to-Childrens-P325YCEEC8B6S
The Value of Children's Literature: Oneota Reading Journal. (n.d.).
https://www.luther.edu/oneota-reading-journal/archive/2012/the-
value-of-childrens-literature/
What is a short summary of the epic poem Beowulf?. (2018, August 9).
https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-is-a-short-summary-of-
the-epic-poem-beowulf-295725. Accessed 18 Apr. 2021.
What is the moral of Beowulf?. (2010, August 5).
https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-is-the-moral-of-beowulf-
188283. Accessed 18 Apr. 2021.
Stewart, P. (2012). Q3 personal & academic values of children’s literature
[PowerPoint slides]. Slideshare.net.
https://www.slideshare.net/sssr1991/q3-personal-academic-values-
of-childrens-
literature?fbclid=IwAR3RkCLN1I1R3JLoY23DsRzY4rO48VTWiSeisg
qRPSACBUbdDGccpCdQdMY
Stockar, D. (n.d.). The importance of literacy and books in children's
development. https://www.ibby.org/index.php?id=718
Susina, J. (n.d.). Children’s literature. http://www.faqs.org/childhood/Ch-
Co/Children-s-Literature.html

25
26
OVERVIEW

Before venturing into the journey of tracing elements in children and

adolescent’s literature, let us remember that these elements are also details
advertised around us taking part in our world.

In this unit you are to discover the interesting activities and value of
literature, review the relationships of literary elements, close reading of their
characteristics, and develop a sense of wonder to children and adolescents
literary contents.

Once you are well aware that all stories generally have these same
elements, you can use them to comprehend, critically analyze, and appreciate
a particular story and engage how the elements are used within the story to
combine to create a unique quality experience. The more familiar you become
with these elements and see which different ways they are used, the better
you will understand and critically analyze stories.

As you engage in this lesson, you can see for yourself that each
element are carried for their purpose more than we read about them and as
you continue the phase of your journey do mind mapping to remember and
imagine with heart’s desire, with mind’s inquisitive interest.

CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
As you continue on your journey, you are expected to:

1. identify the elements of children and adolescent’s literature

making it a unique genre of its own;
2. analyze the verbal, visual, and other stylistic elements of
literature in suitable children and adolescent texts; and
3. prepare a worksheet for children and adolescent literature
students to recognize element in famous texts.

27
 Lesson 1
VERBAL ELEMENTS
WHAT TO EXPECT?

• Identify the verbal elements of children and adolescent’s literature.

• Discuss the purpose of verbal elements as a substance important in the
creation of literary forms.
• Distinguish the verbal features present in children and adolescent
literary texts.

PRE-DISCUSSION

Element Recount!

Stories are often illustrated through words or even with pictures that
appeal to our five senses, they help us imagine what was going on and feel
the character’s situation. Have you noticed what the writer used to show and
tell you about a story?

This time, before we find out the specific points in this lesson and
discuss them you are expected to perform a task individually:

Recall your most liked or an interesting story that you know, explore
its features and identify the parts that make up that story. You can work on a
checklist, a graphic organizer, or just write them down on your paper which
you are given a few minutes. Share your findings with the class.

Good work!
Now, Let’s explore story elements!

LESSON OUTLINE

Verbal Elements of children and adolescent’s literature include

Author/Writer’s Purpose, Plot, Characters, Setting, Themes and Style. The verbal
element refers to the message sent to audience or readers, whom understands
story elements to increase their enjoyment and understanding of different literary
pieces.
Why do I need to understand author’s purpose?

Writer’s Purpose for Writing Children’s and Adolescent’s Literature

Author’s purpose is the reason why an author wrote a particular
piece. Usually, the purpose is to persuade, inform, entertain, or a combination

28
of these things. As a reader, understanding the author’s purpose helps you
evaluate bias and more thoroughly understand the content. For the writer,
establishing the purpose helps to create structure and identify both direct and
subtle ways to reveal message.
Let’s look at some examples of how author’s purpose affects writing in
children’s literature:

Persuade

When the purpose of a story is to persuade the audience. The author

is trying to convince the audience to feel the same way with the character and
he or she has put in the story. For example, Glenn Rightved’s Cry, Heart, but
Never Break is a lovely book that gives a soft exposure to a heavy topic of
death. It delicately presents Death as the main character who plays an integral
role in helping the children accept his presence as a natural part of the life
cycle and not a scary or unreal thing. The author was successful in writing
about this sensitive topic because he made it an informative story about
death. Although the four kids in the story felt the shadow of sadness because
they are seeing their grandmother pass away, they are taught by death that
delight and joy and sorrow and grief do come together in our lives. Moreover,
it teaches children how to handle the grief of a loved one who passes away.
Inform

Sometimes, the writer of a children’s story wants to educate, inform or teach

his or her readers. Informational pieces can be about people, places, things,
or events. For example, The Cat in the Hat, in this classic Dr. Seuss story can
open up discussions about trust, responsibility, social expectations, and
honesty.
Entertain

Sometimes a writer has no other purpose other than to entertain or

amuse the reader. The author’s purpose when writing entertainment pieces
for children is to engage students in reading by making it enjoyable with use
of few techniques like illustration, storytelling, both common and peculiar
characters, and forms that connect to understanding.
Describe
Description creates a vivid picture for the reader, it allows them to open
a gateway to your story and imagine themselves within the fictional world. The
writer create tension and atmosphere, and you create a sense of immediacy
– a sense of being right there with the character. Great description helps the
reader to build a fully formed picture in their mind’s eye; to understand what
your character is going through and how the character sees his or her world
like Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by L. Carroll the setting is Wonderland.
Thematically, however, Wonderland is not really another world. It is in fact
our own world, only seen through the eyes of a child. It creates a sense of
the whole scene. It’s about conveying four key things that will happen in your
story:

29
 • Convey a sense of place/background
• Convey a sense of emotion and mood
• Convey a sense of tension/atmosphere
• Convey a sense of action
Plot
It is the order in which things move and happen in a story. The plot is
the plan of the story; it tells what the characters do and what happens to them.
It is the action of a story built around a theme. The plot should be around a
theme. The plot should develop through action and incident, rather than
through detailed descriptions or character delineation.
Chronological order is when a story relates events in the order in which
they happened.
Three Elements of a Plot

• Narrative Order – the way or the order in which the writer chooses to
unfold the story to the reader:
o Chronological. Events are related in the order of their happening
o Flashbacks. Writer disrupts normal time sequence to recount
some past event
• Conflict – the struggles the protagonist of the story faces or opposing
force. The author creates the conflict by describing one of the following
types of interactions:
o Person-against-self: Character typically faces an internal conflict
which pulls her/him toward two courses of action
o Person-against-person: involves a struggle between two or more
characters
o Person-against-society: involves a struggle between a character,
or characters and either social mores, cultural values or
sometimes the law
o Person-against-nature: involves a conflict between a character
and some force or forces of nature
• Pattern of Action – the pattern that the action of the story takes place.
This is the most basic framework for developing a narrative arc and
plot.
o Exposition: The introduction where the characters are
introduced, establishing the setting, and progress to the primary
conflict.
o Rising action. The main character is in crisis and events
leading up to facing the conflict begin to unfold. The story
becomes complicated. The Borrowers by Mary Norton.
▪ Suspense, state of uncertainty about what events will
happen in the story Charlotte’s Web: Wilbur’s fate. Will he
live? Will Charlotte run out of words?
▪ Cliffhanger Trouble River by Betsy Byars, The
Borrowers by Mary Norton, and the High King by Lloyd
Alexander. Many adults as well as children are disturbed
by open endings.

30
 ▪ Foreshadowing is the planting of clues to indicate the
outcome of the story. Not all readers will be alert to these.
Some may notice them subconsciously and describe their
inferences as guesses or feelings. Charlotte’s Web. When
we first meet Charlotte we are told that she eats living
things and the friendship looks questionable. But White
adds, “... she had a kind heart, and she was to prove loyal
and true to the very end.” A prophetic statement. Another
clue is when Charlotte assures
o Climax: This is the turning point in the story—the point of the
highest dramatic tension and conflict. This is the moment that
leaves the reader wondering what’s next. In Charlotte’s Web
when the pig survives. The Borrowers when the boy ventilates
the fumigation. A Wrinkle in Time when Meg discovers what she
has that IT does not.
o Falling action: In this stage, the story begins to calm down and
work toward a satisfying ending. Loose ends are tied up,
explanations are revealed, and the reader learns more about
how the conflict is resolved.
o Resolution (denouement) is the falling action after the climax.
When the reader is assured that all is well and will continue to
be, so the plot has a closed ending. If the reader is left to draw
their own conclusions about the final plot then the ending is
open. The main conflict gets resolved and the story ends.
Types of plots
• Progressive plots have a central climax followed by a resolution
(denouement). Charlotte’s Web and A Wrinkle in Time are examples.
• Episodical plots have one incident or short episode linked to another
by a common character or unifying theme (maybe through chapters).
Used by authors to explore character personalities, the nature of their
existence, and the flavor of a certain time period.
Characters
In children’s literature, character is used to mean a person, animal,
being, figure, creature, spirits, and other animated objects in a story. Writers
use characters to perform the actions and speak dialogue, moving the story
along a plot line.
It is also the mental, emotional, and social qualities which distinguish
one entity from another; this character occurs through the character’s
thoughts, conversations, actions and behaviors; the author’s narration; or the
thoughts of other characters.
Examples of characters:
Alice, Hatter, White Rabbit, Cheshire Cat, Mouse, Caterpillar, Queen of Hearts,
Dormouse, March Hare, Mock Turtle, Duchess, etc.

Character Development is the change of inner and outer qualities that a

character undergoes by what happens to them. Characters are developed by:

31
 • Actions: In Charlottes’ Web, Templeton, creeps up cautiously to the
goslings, keeping close to the wall. Later he grins when Wilbur falls
trying to spin a web. At the fair he bites Wilbur’s tail as hard as he
possibly can. His actions portray him as sneaky, ill-tempered, and
pleased at others’ discomfort.
• Speech: In Charlottes’ Web, Templeton, after Wilbur asks him to play,
frolic or have fun. Replies, “... I never do those things if I can avoid
them ... I prefer to spend my time eating, gnawing, spying, and hiding
... I am a glutton not a merry-maker. Right now I am on my way to your
trough to eat your breakfast, since you haven’t got sense enough to
eat it yourself”
• Appearance: In Charlottes’ Web, Templeton, after his night at the fair
returns swollen to double his usual size. He agrees to fetch the egg
sac so that he may eat first every day and grow fatter and bigger than
any other known rat.
• Other character’s comments: Other characters’ comments help form
judgment of the other characters by supporting other characters’
actions, speech, appearance, and author’s comments.
• Author’s comments: The wording, the author uses in the narrative adds
to characterization. In Charlottes’ Web, White describes Templeton ...
… had no morals, no conscience, no scruples, no consideration, no decency,
no milk of rodent kindness, no compunction, no higher feeling, no friendliness,
no anything. He would kill a gosling if he could get away with it.

A style which certainly develops character and an emotional response

for the character.
Types of Characters:

• Round Characters. Fully developed in the story—central

protagonists. More complex, and like a real person, the character has
multi-faceted personalities, backgrounds, desires, and motivations.
They are those the reader/listener/viewer gets to know well.
• Dynamic Characters, are rounded characters that changes in the
course of the action. That is why sometimes a dynamic character is
also called a “developing character.” Growth and development in
personality of the characters.
• Flat characters, are less well developed and have fewer or limited
traits or belong to a group, class, or stereotype. Fern in Charlotte’s
Web.
• Static Characters, are round or flat characters that do not change
during the story. Folktales, fairytales, and other types use static and
flat characters, whose actions are predictable, so the listener or reader
is free to concentrate on the action and theme as it moves along toward
an often times universal discovery.
• Character foil, is a minor character whose traits contrast with a main
character.
• Anthropomorphic characterization, is the characterization of
animals, inanimate objects, or natural phenomena as people. Skilled

32
 authors use this to create fantasy even from stuffed toys (Winnie-
thePooh). The characterizing of death represented in Rightved’s work,
Cry, Heart, But Never Break.
• Antagonist: Bad guy, or an opponent of the protagonist or the main
character. The action in the story arises from a conflict between the
protagonist and the antagonist. The antagonist can be a person, an
inanimate object, an animal, or nature itself.
• Protagonist: Main character, who creates the action of the plot and
engages readers, arousing their empathy and interest. The protagonist
is often a hero or heroine of the story, as the whole plot moves around
him or her.
• Confidante is someone in whom the main character confides. He
reveals the central character’s thoughts, intentions, and personality
traits. However, a confidante need not necessarily be a person. An
animal can also be a confidante.
• Animal characters in realism are best when the animals act only like
animals as in The Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.
Setting
The time and place where story occurs. For example, in The Very
Hungry Caterpillar the setting is set in nature, it appears the forest is the
caterpillars’ home. Another main aspect of the story is food, so there are food
illustrations on most pages.
Characteristics of setting:
• Time identified as past, present or future
• Setting is developed through text or illustrations
• Setting provides details which reinforce the plot and characterization

Author’s use of setting to enhance story:

o When the story depends upon reader understanding, envisioning,
feeling and/or sensing a particular scene, an author often goes to great
lengths to describe clearly the setting.
o An author may sometimes choose not to clearly describe a setting, or
make it too specific because to do so might limit the universality of the
conflict.

Types of Settings:
• Backdrop Setting: setting is of secondary importance; story focus is likely
to be on characters, character confrontation, dialogue, action and the
development of conflict
• Integral setting: Time and place influence action, character and/or theme.
If you confine a character to a certain setting it defines the character.
Characters, given these circumstances, in this time and place, behave in
this way. The Tail of Peter Rabbit is an example of how the setting is an
integral part of Peter’s behavior. Charlotte’s Web is another example of an
integral setting.

33
• Setting as symbolism. A symbol is a person, place, object, situation, or
action which operates on two levels of meaning, the literal and the
figurative, or suggestive. Children will understand only obvious symbols.
Forest symbolizes the unknown; garden: natural beauty; sunlight: hope,
goodness; darkness: evil, despair. A grouping of symbols may create an
image called an allegory. The Narnia books by C. S. Lewis are allegories.

Theme
Theme refers to the underlying ideas, morals, and lessons that give
the story its texture, depth, and meaning that holds the story together or the
author’s message to the reader, and the main idea or the central meaning
hidden behind the story. The theme of a book also uncovers the author’s
firmness of purpose in writing the story.
Themes usually interests and concerns universal ideas (love, hate,
betrayal, fear, joy, change, friendship, family, society, etc.) and frequently
deals with society, human nature, the human condition, social issues, and
good versus evil.
The theme or purpose of the book should be interwoven or interlinked
with the structure of the book naturally through the events in the story and the
development of the characters. The theme should never be too “preachy” for
the children and the author has a choice whether or not to include the moral.
Many themes in children’s books are similar to those in adult books,
especially those dealing with human emotions. With the most common
themes for children literature, here are some themes in which children mostly
relates to:

• Friendship
Friendship is a very common necessity for children, and since finding
and keeping good friends is a topic that’s constantly attached on almost all
children’s minds. Children books can also be helpful in sharing additional
information and friendship experiences, any book that uses this theme can be
attractive and favorable for children.
However, the relationships portrayed are not always between humans.
For example, “Because of Winn-Dixie” and “Shiloh” both show friendships
between children and dogs.
• Family
All families do not possess the same quality, and yet, there is something
common in family life. Although adults who independently live may not have to
contemplate and consider their families on a daily basis, kids always have to
deal with family troubles and interactions with parents, siblings, and other
relatives.
Accordingly, family-themed stories are popular for young children as well.
Some books for very young children carefully and intentionally addresses the
topic of families and discusses the components that make up a family and its
diversity, and most books for middle-grade or young-adult readers simply
recognizes the joys and difficulties that are involved with being part of a family,

34
as well as the struggle for privacy and the balance to strike between family life
and school life.
• Growing Up/Coming of Age

Maturing, finding oneself, and facing adolescence are common themes in

children’s books. “Charley Skedaddle” by Patricia Beatty is an interesting story
for middle grades that uses this theme. Growing up in a poor neighborhood of
New York City, the leading character served as a drummer boy in the Civil War
found himself, and matured to manhood despite many obstacles.
• Self-Esteem
In many children’s books, self-esteem and self-confidence are important
themes because it’s easy for most children to identify with the struggle of
developing a likeable and sympathetic identity. Books that deal with self-
esteem are meant to be inspirational and intend to empower children to
make/alter their own choices, be their true selves, and possess confidence in
accordance with who they are and what they like. Lots of self-help books for
kids fall into this category.

• Morality
For young children, Bible stories may be some of the best-known examples
of morality tales, but in some way, almost every children’s book includes
themes of morality and values. Classic fantasy and science-fiction stories for
young readers are almost always categorized between good and evil. In
common friendship stories, the villain (wicked of evil person) often turns out to
be misunderstood or to have things in common with the main character that
may not be obvious at first, which can further lead to the illustration of the moral
themes of empathy and compassion. In some more explicitly moral tales,
readers will also find themes of helping the less fortunate and faithfully rely on
the power of prayer.

• Prejudice
Prejudice and bigotry also constitutes a common theme in many children’s
books. They show the horrific consequences of racism and their effect on
children. For example, “The Gold Cadillac” by Mildred D. Taylor tells of a young
black girl and the prejudgment which she and her family encountered during a
trip to the South in the 1950s in the family’s new Cadillac.
“Lilies of the Field” by William Barrett also describes how a young black man
helped the nuns in a story which covers the themes of racial and religious
tolerance.
Style

The style of a book refers to the Author’s choice and arrangement of

words in order to create plot, characterizations, setting, and theme, and the
manner or the way the author has written it. Every author has his own individual
style and a favorable and superb writing style must be appropriate to the plot,
subject, theme, and characters of the story. The writer must present the story
clearly and in simple manner that is easily understandable and the dialogue
should be natural and well suited to the characters.

35
 Some examples of books which are considered excellent for their
richness of language, well-constructed plot, suspense, quick climax and
satisfactory ending are: A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh, Grahame’s Wind in the
willows, E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web, De Jong’s The House of Sixty Fathers.
In terms of writing style, the repetitive nature is always a huge draw for
young children and nothing is more exciting for a little one than being able to
predict what’s going to come next in a story, because the choice and
arrangement of words help create the mood of the story.
Repetition of words throughout the story, the continuation of prominent
characters or themes in a series, rhyme, rhythmic flowing pace that carries the
story along and descriptive words/adjectives/onomatopoeia that really create
the scene also brings out the author’s style.
To further explain the essence of style in children literature, “The Charlie
and Lola series” by Lauren Child is a great example of presentation, good word
choice, and repetition.

• This includes imaginative and slightly ridiculous and silly stories that
reflects everyday real life “adventures” with a child.
• The writing is simple and uses a lot of speech “Lola says…” “Lottie
says…” much of the dialogue between the children in the story are
words that young children in real life might use – they appeared to be
mixed up and funny but not so different that you can still understand
what they are talking about
Example: Lola says “but Charlie I will be extra especially
careful…”
• Big words are often scattered throughout Lola’s speech – Especially,
actually, completely, favorite, concentrating…highlighting how young
children love to “test out” new words and may not always use them in
quite the right context.

LESSON SUMMARY
Choice and arrangement of words determine a literature text’s quality; it
is the combination of them that determine a piece of literature’s genre. Stories
have characteristics that allowed them to be valued and exercise our mind’s
eyes. One of the major elements that structure these wonderful creations is the
author’s purpose, it is the reason why an author wrote a particular piece
establishing the purpose to create and identify both direct and subtle ways to
reveal message.
Through the plot, order of things move and happen in a story while that
message tells the readers what the characters do and what happens to them.
There are three elements on this narrative order, conflict, and pattern of action.
Another one makes up a good narrative, which revolves around characters –
their being and what happens to them moving the story along a plot line.
Characters presence appear on a given time and place called setting and it
can be from the past, present or future and are further developed through text
or illustrations.

36
 Children literature may include various themes which usually interests
and concerns universal ideas such as love, hate, betrayal, fear, joy, change,
friendship, family, growing up, maturity, self-esteem, society, etc. and
frequently deals with society, human nature, the human condition, social
issues, and good versus evil, in which the children can personally and willingly
relate to.

Lesson 2
VISUAL ELEMENTS

WHAT TO EXPECT?

• Define visual elements as an essential element of children literature.

• Identify the underlying characteristics of each sub elements within the
text.
• Recognize the value and importance of visual elements present in the
children literature.

PRE-DISCUSSION
For young children who are about to start learning and reading they
will find the colorful illustrations in children’s book quite fascinating. Illustration
means to illustrate or highlight a particular point. The books meant for children
allows them to learn how to read. Illustrations are capable of transforming a
simple story into an exciting and fascinating one. It is through the images that
the children learn and understand the world around him, and help them
understand and identify the things that comes across their daily lives.
In this lesson, the various characteristics and components of visual
elements will be discussed thoroughly.

LESSON OUTLINE
Visual literacy is the understanding or to make meaning out of images.
These images can be a mixture of objects, circles, dots, signs, charts, maps,
photo’s, numbers or words (Winch, Johnson, March, Ljungdahl, & Holliday,
2010). Johnson (2000) believes visual literacy is ‘more than the ability to
decode images, it is the ability to analyze the power of the image and the how
of its meaning in its particular context’ (Winch et al., 2010, p. 620).

Visual elements are an integral part of children’s literacy as they assist

the reader to envisage what the author is trying to communicate. Brill, Kim and
Branch (2000, p.9) suggest that ‘images communicate meaning, and literacy
means being able to read and compose’. Children’s literature which contains

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exciting visual elements enhances the written text and adds a more in-depth
learning experience for the reader.

Lines
Lines can sometimes be defined as a formation of people or things one
beside another, or can also refer to the measurement of words grouped inside
a specific piece, but speaking about children literature, lines can actually lead
the reader’s eye to what the author considers important within the picture
(Bonomo et al., 1999).

For example, “The Deliverance of the

Dancing Bears” is a beautifully written and
illustrated text by Elizabeth Stanley. She
uses lines to emphasize the bars of the
cage within her illustrations. In this case,
lines, as seen on the page/s of the
book/literature can also be interpreted as
an expression of containment or exclusion.

In addition, lines can also be beneficially used to create depth of color

and movement within the whole illustration. The use of line creates the illusion
of movement and thus draws the reader in to the story and makes the dreams
seem “real”.

Colors
As the common adage we see everywhere, “A Picture Is Worth A
Thousand Words” , in children literature, colors can provide illustration with
depth and communicate emotion to a reader.

✓ the use of warm colors can be used to express happiness or

contentment
✓ the use of cool colors can express calm.
Taking “The Deliverance of the Dancing Bears” again as an example,
Elizabeth Stanley also used the mixture of colors as one of the aspects for the
children to appreciate her illustrations. This is evident in her depiction of the
bear’s transition from her confronting exposure in the busy Turkish marketplace
to the serene home of chaos, while the old man’s home is painted in cool colors,
suggesting serenity and calm (see photo below).

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Texture
The impression of how a pictured object feels is its texture. Textures
may be rough or slick, firm or spongy, hard or soft, jagged or smooth. Texture
gives a flat surface (the paper) the characteristics of a three-dimensional
surface. Real, tangible texture can be created through endless tactile
possibilities: cutting, building, tearing or layering of materials, for example.
Implied texture is created using other elements of art, including form, line,
shape and color.

▪ Textual effects generally offer a greater sense of reality to a picture.

▪ Less realistic styles may make use of texture to enrich the visual
experience and to stimulate the viewer’s imagination.
▪ Texture is achieved through the skillful use of the medium – paint layers,
brush strokes, pencil marks, and so on.

Style
Style is quite a broad term. It can refer to cartoon-style or realistic,
whimsical, stylized, watercolor, charcoal, etc. It can also relate to an individual
artist’s drawing or painting style, or “hand”.
Types of Styles used in Illustrating:
▪ The genre or drawing style of the illustrations
▪ The medium used to create the illustrations
1. Genre or drawing style

For children’s books, drawing styles include the following:

1.1. Cartoon—cute or childlike

Cartoon style drawings have exaggerated features and are not true to
life. The style can vary and some of the other drawing style categories listed
above are subdivisions of “cartoon”.
1.2. Cartoon—whacky or funny
Because of the exaggeration in the drawings, cartoon lends itself
perfectly to funny or whacky illustrations.
1.3. Realistic
Children’s books are almost never hyper-realistic. “Realistic” here refers
to fairly true to life proportions, versus cartoon style that is not true to life. In
children’s books realistic illustrations can be simplistic, or detailed.
1.4. Whimsical
Whimsical illustrations are charming, childlike, carefree, dreamy, fun and
colorful.
1.5. Line drawings
Line drawings are outline drawings that aren’t colored and have no
gradation (no different colors or grey-scale). It’s (normally) drawn in one color
and only uses lines. These can also be used for coloring books.
1.6. Sketch
Sketchy drawings are drawings that are unrefined and still look more
like rough sketches than final illustrations. They can vary in their refinement
and be rough, or hardly rough at all. Often, they don’t have color.

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1.7. Stylized
Stylized illustrations are not realistic and don’t have natural,
conventional forms. They are often simplified, or made up of geometric shapes
or patterns. They also often have flat colors.

2. Medium
Though they’re not the same thing, style and medium are often used
interchangeably or overlap. This is understandable, since the medium
influences the appearance. For instance, watercolor is seen as a style. Though,
in the stricter sense of the word, it is a medium. While it has a distinct quality,
you can create different styles of illustrations with watercolor.

The following media are used for children’s books:

2.1. Water Color

Watercolor is a painting method with water-based paint. Use more
watery paint, and you get more transparent, softer images. These illustrations
are mostly whimsical, delicate, gentle or sentimental.
2.2. Acrylic
Acrylic paint is a fast-drying paint and can also be used watery or thicker
than watercolor, making for more opaque colors and texture.
2.3. Gouache
Gouache is another type of paint and can again be mixed with water to
change the consistency. It can be used dry, for what is called a dry brush effect
that is textured.
2.4. Pencil
There are graphite (greyscale) pencil drawings or color pencil drawings.
Pencil marks vary according to the hardness of the graphite lead in the shaft.
The harder the lead (and the sharper the tip) the finer the line. Pencils are a
dry medium, in contrast to pens which apply liquids.
2.5. Charcoal
Charcoal is sometimes viewed as a preliminary medium for sketching or
drawing before painting. Charcoal is easy to apply and does not adhere to the
grooved surfaces of canvases.
2.6. Ink and pen
Drawing with pen and ink allows the artist to create strong areas of
contrast. Most ink drawings are completed using black inks on white surfaces
which leads to heavy contrast in value.
2.7. Lithography
Lithography is another printing process. A flat surface is treated with oil
in areas to create an image. The oil repels ink and thus an image is created by
the ink only sticking to the desired areas, which are then printed.
2.8. Collage
Collage is made by attaching different materials such as cut or torn
paper, photographs or fabric onto paper or a backing.
2.9. Mixed Media
This is a combination of different media. Mixed media is common in
children’s book illustrations. Examples include watercolor and pencil; or ink,
charcoal and any kind of paint combined.

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Illustrations

Illustration is a very important part of children’s book. It is through the

images that the children learn and understand the world around him or her.
Images help the children to understand and identify the things they come
across in daily life. Stories are a great medium to educate the children.

There are four types of illustrations for children’s books:

• Spot illustrations
These are small, simple illustrations to liven up
a page with text. They’re usually a quarter of a page
or less with little or no background. Spot illustrations
can be placed as a chapter heading, corner
decoration, or next to or within a body of text. They
are often black and white or done in a sketchy style.
• Half-page illustrations
As the name says, this is an illustration that fills half a
page. While it can be detailed, due to its smaller size, the
background will be less detailed than a full-page illustration.

• Single (full) page illustrations

This is an illustration that fills one whole page. Here
we can pull out all the stops and include lots of detail,
since it fills a whole page.

• Spread illustrations
Spread across two full pages, normally with text
on the illustration. Also called a “two page spread”
because the one illustration “spreads” across two
facing pages of an open book.

Shape
Lines join and intersect to suggest shapes, and areas of color meet to
produce shapes. Different shapes have different connotations depending upon
lines and colors used. Shapes are another way to emphasize the mood of a
picture and story.
The Perspective of Shapes:
The angles and curves of shapes appear to change depending on our
viewpoint. The technique we use to describe this change is called perspective
drawing.
The Behavior of Shapes:

▪ Shapes can be used to control your feelings in the composition of an

artwork
▪ Squares and Rectangles can portray strength and stability
▪ Circles and Ellipses can represent continuous movement

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 ▪ Triangles can lead the eye in an upward movement
▪ Inverted Triangles can create a sense of imbalance and tension

Shapes
The very hungry caterpillar is written and illustrated by Eric Carle, it is a
simple, engaging book which is based on a nature/science topic; it’s about the
life cycle of a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. It was simple but many things
are going on in his book the readers can learn about colors, foods, days of the
week and numbers. There are also shapes like circles, oval, triangles, heart,
rectangle and cone that can be found on this book.
Circle/Oval- the circles and ovals also symbolize the
metamorphosis of the butterfly. Circles are found on the
background illustration and it can also be seen when the
caterpillar ate plums.
Triangle- Triangles are found on the caterpillar, the caterpillar’s
feet are created in a shape of triangle. Another example is a
cherry pie which is point down triangle.

Style
Carle uses the technique of collage for his illustrations. Collages are
pictures that are created with cut pieces of paper glued together to create a
picture. Carle cuts paper into the shapes he wants after he draws a character
One thing that is very interesting is that Eric Carle put holes on the food
that the caterpillar ate.
Illustration
Two types of illustration are present in the work of Eric Carle’s “The very
Hungry Caterpillar”, these illustrations are spot illustration and full-page
illustration.
Full-page illustration Spot Illustration

LESSON SUMMARY

For young children who are about to start learning and reading, visual
elements of children literature enables the capable of transformation of a
simple story into an exciting and fascinating one through the excellent and
satisfying qualities of the author/illustrator’s use of line, colors, shapes, texture,
styles, and illustration . It is through the images that the children learn and
understand the world around him or her, and help them understand and identify
the things that come across their daily lives.

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 Lesson 3
OTHER STYLISTIC ELEMENTS

WHAT TO EXPECT?

• Define stylistic elements.

• Present examples on how these stylistic elements is used.
• Adopt the different stylistic elements particularly music quality, action,
humor, story interest and subject matter.

PRE-DISCUSSION
• What does stylistic element mean?
• What are the different stylistic elements and how it is used in literature?
• How are these elements applied in making a literary piece?

LESSON OUTLINE
What are stylistic elements?
Refer to any variety of techniques which give an additional and/or
supplemental meaning, idea, or feeling to the piece. The goal of these is to
create imagery, emphasis, or clarity within a text in the hopes of engaging the
reader.
Let’s take a look and learn more about how to use and apply these elements!
MUSIC QUALITY
Poetry’s musical quality makes it different from other form of literature.
A good poem practically sings.
To achieve the musical effect, they use:
1. Rhyme – repetition of the sound of the stressed vowel and any
sounds that follow it in words that are close together in a poem.

• Exact Rhyme – all sounds from the stressed vowel to the end of the
word are repeated.
• Approximate Rhyme – some sounds are repeated, but the words are
not exact echoes of each other.
• End Rhyme – usually occurs at the end of the line.
• Internal Rhyme – rhyme occurs within a line.
• Rhyme Scheme- a regular pattern of end rhyme. It also defines the
shape of a poem and holds it together.

2. Rhythm – musical quality based on repetition.

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 A common form of rhythm is meter, a regular pattern of stressed and
unstressed syllables in each line.
• When you analyze a literary piece to show its meter, you are scanning.
Scanning is a way of taking a piece apart to see how the writer has
created its music.
Stressed syllables are marked with the symbol… (‘)
Unstressed syllables are marked with the symbol… (˘)

• Foot – metrical unit, usually consisting of one stressed syllables and

one or more unstressed syllables. There are several different kinds of
metrical feet.
✓ Iamb – unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable.
✓ Trochee – stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable.
✓ Anapest –two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed syllable.
✓ Dactyl – one stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllable.
✓ Spondee – two stressed syllables.
Free Verse – does not follow a regular pattern of rhyme and meter.
Writing free verse may not follow formal rules, but they do pay close
attention to:
• The rhythmic rise and fall of the voice
• Balance between long and short phrases
• Repetition of words and Rhymes
• Pauses

3. Sound Effects
In addition rhythm and rhyme, they also use onomatopoeia, alliteration,
and assonance to give their literary piece a musical quality.

• Onomatopoeia – use of words that sound like what they mean.

• Alliteration – repetition of the same consonant sound in several words
usually at the beginnings of the words.
• Assonance – repetition of the same vowel sound in several words.

ACTION
One method to engage readers is to entice them with action.
Action is anything that happens in a story. It can be an event, it can
be dialogue, and it can be reaction to an event or dialogue or even to another
character’s reaction.
For this, action is divided into two types.

• Major Events
• Common Actions

1. Action—Major Events
Major events are those that push the story forward or into new directions.
They’re often the result of conflict—a character is faced with one or more
untenable options, is forced to make a choice, and then makes that choice,
often with much angst. The character is changed because of his choice, and
the story moves into a new, inevitable, path.

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 • Actions at story opening
- Major action events are found at the beginning of the story—when
a character is faced with something unusual in his day. That action—
death of a friend, conversation with an estranged brother, the
discovery of a secret—interrupts the daily tenor of the character’s
life. That first action, called by some the inciting incident, in turn
leads to the character doing something. This something is another
action.
• Mid-story action
- Other major events must occur throughout the story. Such events
pull characters deeper into their problems even as they search for a
way out. Such events also pull the reader deeper. And this is a key
for successful stories.
Readers must be engaged. And they’re engaged when something
happens to characters they have an interest in. (Thus the need
for creating both enticing plots and intriguing characters.)
• Call to Action or Inciting Incident
- (The inciting incident can refer to one of two events, depending on
who’s doing the referring. Wherever it is found, it’s a key event in a
story.)
This event is what sets a character on his trek. Whatever happens in
this incident, it’s sufficient to make the character turn his back on what
he had been doing and seek a new path, a new goal, a new answer.
• Something has to happen.
The most elegant writing can’t hide a lack of plot or story events.
If you want the reader turning pages, you have to give him something to
read. Entice him with anticipation and then satisfy him with action that
embroils the lead in even more difficult problems.
• Make use of physical action—fist fights and arguments and tiptoeing
through dark cellars—and psychological action—phone calls and
innuendo and common events that could have sinister meanings.
• Vary the pattern of your major actions and events. That is, don’t
always write two physical actions followed by a page of dialogue that
explores those actions.
Keep the reader both guessing at and satisfied by the inevitability of story
events.
• Black Moment, Crisis, Climax
The second very important action moment will be the climax. You’ll
have given the character and the reader other major actions and
events to deal with.
This is what the story’s been building toward. This is the moment
the reader has been anticipating. This is it, where all that has
come before explodes into what the story has been leading to.
The climax includes actions of both antagonist and protagonist.
It may have both physical and psychological components. It will
hit protagonist and reader on several levels.
• Resolution
A few actions will follow the climax, and while they’re important, they
won’t have the power of the climax. These events and actions have

45
 a different purpose—to tie up loose ends and explain what was
unexplained and settle both reader and character to what has taken
place. Actions in the resolution may lead to anticipation of another
book.
2. Common Actions
Common actions are story events that occupy characters as they move
through the story. As with major action events, these actions can be physical
or psychological or they may be sections of dialogue.
• These actions give personality to characters and allow them to
move through the story setting.
Think in terms of habits—biting nails, twirling hair, whistling, or chewing
gum. Think of the way characters move—languidly or with purpose or
always racing out the door.
• Action events, even the most common of them, should fit the story.
That means a fit for genre, characters, tone, and the importance of the
moment.
The right actions in the right places can make a story. The wrong actions
or the lack of action or action in the wrong place or to the wrong degree
can stop a story, at least for readers. And it’s the readers who matter.
• Add action to increase conflict and to keep readers involved.
Take out action that adds nothing to the plot or that doesn’t reveal
something new about a character or that doesn’t increase conflict.
Don’t overplay character habits, but make sure your characters act
like people. Give them physical movements that reveal personality or
that reveal their turmoil.
Include both major action and everyday actions. Include physical events
as well as dialogue in your scenes.
Make something happen, whether that means a major event, an event
that steers the plot, or an action that shows characters interacting with
one another or their setting.
Don’t keep readers waiting forever for something to take place.
Teasing and anticipation are great storytelling tools, but story must
have action.
A story without action events is no story. It’s a character sketch or an
essay. If you’re writing a novel, you need events to make a plot. You
need action. And your readers need action too.
HUMOR
• Humor means ‘the quality of being funny’. It refers to ‘an ability to
perceive and express a sense of the clever or amusing’ thing.
• Humor is the heart of literature. David Lubar, an author of humorous
books for teenagers, pointed out in a recent interview that just as humor
fits into most areas of art and entertainment, it fits into literature “where
it brings pleasure, eases pain, and makes the world a better place. “And
although many of us speak of humor as if it were a genre, “it’s really an
element— actually—makes that an assortment of elements.”
• Humor is not a genre. It is a substance. Humor is often used in
literature. Sometimes it is the witty banter of the characters, other times
it is characterization itself or events that are ironic or absurd that lend
humor to a book, poem, story, play, or other literary piece

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 • Humor concerns with emotional aspect. It is the tendency of
particular cognitive experiences to provoke laughter and provide
amusement. The term derives from the humoural medicine of the
ancient Greeks, which taught that the balance of fluids in the human
body, known as humours, control human health and emotion.
Common Types of Humor used in Literature o
Surprise and Incongruity
One type of humor used in literature is incongruity or surprise. This
type of humor can be something as simple as a ridiculous sight like a pig
in a submarine, or it can be based on a surprise in the situation.
Something unexpected happens, and this makes the reader laugh. o
Self-Deprecating Humor
Self-deprecating humor is when the speaker or a character makes
fun of himself or herself. This makes the character vulnerable to the
reader, but at the same time, it also shows strength. It’s a unique type of
humor, but you see it in some of the great stories.
• Situational Humor
A situation can be downright hilarious when it’s described properly.
The situation, whether real or imaginary, is just funny.
• Irony as Humor
Many literary texts use irony in a humorous way. There are several types
of irony, but they all involve the contrast between what is said or seems to
happen and what actually happens.
One specific type is dramatic irony, in which the reader knows something
the character does not. You’ll also see situational irony and verbal irony.

• Understatement in Humor
When the writer describes a situation or event in an obviously
understated way, this can be hilarious for the reader. The key here is that
the reader knows the full extent of the real situation and is conscious of the
ridiculous understatement that is happening.
• Overstatement or Hyperbole
Similarly, overstating a situation can be funny too. In this case, the reader
understands the real situation and is amused when the writer exaggerates
it.
• Humorous Satire
When a writer uses a serious tone to discuss a ridiculous subject, that
type of humor is satire. You’ll find many examples of satire in literature.
This technique is popular with everyone from Shakespeare to Douglas
Adams.
STORY INTEREST
• A good story is about something the audience decides is interesting or
important.
• A great story often does both by using storytelling to make important
news interesting.
• The public is exceptionally diverse. Though people may share certain
characteristics or beliefs, they have an untold variety of concerns and
interests.

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VARIETY OF SUBJECT MATTER
What is Subject Matter?
These are the main ideas of a literary piece you have read. Usually,
it talks about the ingredients or materials which develops the topic or
discussion.
Subject can be related to topic while theme will always be, to some
extent, conceptual. Subject matter can be topical, localized and stated often as
a simple noun phrase.

LESSON SUMMARY

Other stylistic elements of Children and Adolescent’s’ Literature are

used to give the literary piece a supplementary context to make an
unimaginable experience. Other stylistic elements in children’s literature are
composed of music quality, action, humor, story interest, and variety of subject
matter. Poems typically have good music because they have rhyme, rhythm,
and sound effects. Humor is described as "the quality of being amusing”.
Humor brings joy, eases suffering, and makes the world a happier place. Action
is something that is happening on the story. It may be an occurrence, dialogue,
or a character's reaction to an event or dialogue, or even another character's
reaction. Action is divided into two types which are called major events and
common actions. The main points of a piece of literature are called subject
matter. It usually talks about the ingredients or components that go into
producing the topic.

UNIT SUMMARY
Children's literature is a valuable tool for helping children develop
empathy, a healthy imagination, and effective communication skills. The
elements of children and adolescent’s literature is what makes it a unique genre
of its own. Its Verbal Elements include writer’s purpose, plot, characters,
setting, themes and style. The author may have different purpose in writing a
particular piece it’s either to persuade, to inform or to entertain but
understanding its purpose will help to understand its content.
The way an artist depicts his or her subject matter and communicates
his or her vision is referred to as style. Examining the artist's handling of the
medium, as well as the approach or technique that the artist employs, is
another significant element in deciding the style of an artwork. There are two
types of style, the genre or drawing style and the medium used to create the
illustrations. In addition, the importance of illustration in children's books cannot
be overstated. Children learn and comprehend the world around them through
photographs and it became a great instrument to educate them.
Images help children understand and learn about the world around
them, and it became a useful educational tool. Children's literature with exciting
visual elements enhances the written text and provides a more in-depth
learning experience for the reader. Shapes may be used to emphasize the
mood of a picture. In the composition of an artwork and it can be used to control
the illustrator’s emotions Style refers to how an artist represents and expresses
its vision. Examining the artist's use of the medium, as well as the method or

48
technique used by the artist, is another important factor in determining an
artwork's style. The genre or drawing style, as well as the medium used to
produce the drawings, are the two types of style. Furthermore, the value of
illustrations in children's books cannot be undervalued.

ASSESSMENT
General Instruction: Read and follow the directions in each item when answering.

Task 1 Multiple Choice

DIRECTIONS: Read each questions or statements carefully. Choose the correct
answer among the given choices by encircling the letter that is your answer.

1. A sense of being right there with the character.

a. tension c. immediacy
b. action d. exposition
2. Author's purpose is to engage students in reading by making it
enjoyable.
a. entertain c. describe
b. persuade d. inform
3. It is the conflict of Alice in Wonderland that people around her aren't
exactly helping her get home.
a. Person-against-self
b. Person-against-person
c. Person-against-nature
d. Person-against-society
4. Type of character that reveals or discover growth and development in
personality.
a. Flat c. Foil
b. Dynamic d. Static
(Read the text below and apply the author’s purpose through determining what is
asked:)
A short story published in year 2020 described a table that magically stocks
different kinds of goodies. At first everyone was selfish to take everything
until nothing appears anymore. After a year with the table dry, someone
started to put up a table and called it “community pantry”. A variety for
consumption was placed there: whoever can give shares it there and
whoever wants, should get only what they needed.

5. What message is the most relevant from the story?

a. Sharing is caring
b. Forgive and forget
c. Be beautiful inside and out
d. Say Sorry and look forward
6. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle follows the life cycle of a
caterpillar as it starts by coming out of its egg, all the way to
becoming a butterfly. What element relates to this event?
a. Writer’s purpose c. Setting
b. Plot d. characters
7. In the story of Cat in the Hat, Sally and Sam’s mother was gone out
for the day; they were left alone in their house on a rainy day. What
element characterizes this part?

49
 a. Writer’s purpose c. Setting
b. Plot d. Characters
8. Which type of character belongs to
Anthropomorphic characterization?
a. ill-grandmother c. Wilbur
b. Alice d. Death
9. Which among the following does NOT convey the purpose of
describing a story?
a. convey a sense of place/background
b. convey a sense of emotion and mood
c. convey a sense of tension/atmosphere
d. convey a sense of fame and uniqueness
10. A story depends upon _____________.
a. author’s purpose because it influences the production of other
elements.
b. author’s purpose because it relates with his or her reality.
c. reader’s interest in literature
d. reader’s preference to style of narration.
11. Which among the following verbal elements of literature refers to the
manner or the author's choice and arrangement of words in order to
create plot, characterizations, setting, and theme?
a. Setting
b. Plot
c. Style
d. Characterization
12. Which among the following elements is the best manifestation that
each author has his own individual style and a favorable and superb
writing style must be appropriate to the plot, subject, theme, and
etc.?
a. Characterization
b. Style
c. Plot
d. Theme
13. According to J.M. Barrie Peter, "There are some themes, some
subjects, too large for adult fiction; they can only be dealt with
adequately in a children's book". Which among the following
statements best explains this line?
a. Although for some adults, people can't fly and animals don't
talk, in children literature, all of these can possibly happen.
b. Although for some children, people can't fly and animals
don't talk, in adult literature, all of these can possibly
happen.
c. Although for some adults, people can fly and animals can
talk, in children literature, all of these can't possibly happen.
d. Although for some children, people can't fly and animals don’t
talk, in adult literature, all of these can also possibly happen.
14. "Because of Winn-Dixie”, "Shiloh”, "The Outsiders” and "Bad Fall"
are only few examples of children literary piece that takes _______
as its central theme.
a. Self-esteem c. Family
b. Friendship d. Growing up
15. "Lilies of the Field" by William Barrett also described how a young
black man helped the nuns in a story. Which theme covers this
literary piece?

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 a. themes of racial and religious tolerance
b. themes of love and friendship
c. themes of courage and justice
d. themes of family and growing up

Task 2 Matching Type

DIRECTION: Match the description in Column A that corresponds to the meaning of
Visual Elements in Column B. Write the letter of the correct answer before the
number.
A B
________1. It is the impression of how a pictured A. Illustration
object feels. B. Whimsical
________2. It is determined by the characteristics that C. Single page
Illustration describe the artwork. D. Stylized
________3. These are another way to emphasize the E. Shapes
mood of a picture and story. F. Charcoal
________4. It is the visual imagery for interpreting, G. Spot
Illustrations depicting and explaining the words in books H. Spread
illustrations
________ 5. A drawing style that has exaggerated features I. Style
and are not true to life. J. Collage
________ 6. This is an illustration that fills one whole page. K. Line
________ 7. These are small, simple illustrations to liven L. Texture
up a page with text
________ 8. It is made by attaching different materials such as torn
paper, photographs or fabric onto paper.
________ 9. A preliminary medium for sketching or drawing before
painting.
________ 10. These illustrations are charming, childlike, carefree, dreamy, fun and
colorful.

CHAPTER REFERENCES

Alejandro, S. (2017, March 6). Buckets of Whimsies - Children’s Book

Illustrator For Hire. Buckets of Whimsies.
Alice. (2015, October 14). The setting of Alice in Wonderland. Retrieved from
https://www.alice-in-wonderland.net/resources/analysis/setting/
Carroll, L. (n.d.). Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll: 9780375866418:
Character: Definitions and Examples. (2017, September 04). Retrieved from
https://literaryterms.net/character/#:~:text=A character is a person,story along
a plot line.&text=Most stories have multiple characters,a conflict for the
protagonist.
(n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.homeofbob.com/literature/curriculum/characristcsChildLit.ht m
Character - Examples and Definition of Character. (2017, April 28). Retrieved from
https://literarydevices.net/character/
Christophel, J. (2021). Visual Elements. Dcccd.edu.
https://dlc.dcccd.edu/englishcomp1-
10/visualelements?user=dcccd&passw=1dcccd234
Cry Heart, But Never Break. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.booksource.com/products/cry-heart--but-
Emma. (2018, September 23). The Very Hungry Caterpillar Literary Elements.
Retrieved from https://janedoe534.wordpress.com/2018/09/23/thevery-
hungry-caterpillar-

51
 literaryelements/?fbclid=IwAR1vctqLSarqVE4X83iWxDJZPAcm6NhhwLcl17
T U0AALgjiVgozkRW5gt5Q
Fun, M. H. (2015, December 24). Quiz – Prehistoric world heritage sites.
Retrieved from https://www.gounesco.com/quiz-prehistoric-worldheritage-
sites/
Gabidunn. (2012, August 11). Visual elements in children’s literature.
Children’s Literature.
https://gabidunn.wordpress.com/2012/08/11/visual-elements-inchildrens-
literature/PARA SA THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR
Hirsch, S. (n.d.). Common Themes in Children’s Literature. Pen and the Pad.
Retrieved April 24, 2021, from https://penandthepad.com/commonthemes-
childrens-literature-6749988.html
Humpage, A. (2011, May 07). Description and why it's important. Retrieved
from http://allwritefictionadvice.blogspot.com/2011/05/description-andwhy-its-
important.html#:~:text=Description creates a vivid picture,about everything for
every scene.&text=It's about conveying important information to the reader in
strategic places.
Patterson, M. (2017, May 02). MTYT: Cry, Heart, but Never Break • Worlds of
Words. Retrieved from https://wowlit.org/blog/2017/04/05/cry-heart-butnever-
break/
Popova, M. (2016, December 25). Cry, Heart, But Never Break: A
Remarkable Illustrated Meditation on Loss and Life. Retrieved from
https://www.brainpickings.org/2016/03/08/cry-heart-but-never-break/
Ree, H. (2012, August 1). Word of Grace: Literary Elements of Children’s
Literature. Word of Grace. http://hye-ree-
park.blogspot.com/2012/08/literary-elements-of-childrens.html
Ree, H. (1970, January 01). Literary Elements of Children's Literature.
Retrieved from http://hye-ree-park.blogspot.com/2012/08/literaryelements-of-
childrens.html
Round Character. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.litcharts.com/literary- devices-
and-terms/round-character
UCCI Course Description. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://ucci.ucop.edu/courses/b/exploration-of-child-and-
adolescentliterature.html
Take Online Courses. Earn College Credit. Research Schools, Degrees &
Careers. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://study.com/academy/lesson/character-in-literature-definitiontypes-
development.html
Thehob.net, H. &. (n.d.). Welcome to HoB's Children & early adolescent:
Literacy, literature, media, & language arts pages ... Retrieved from
http://homeofbob.com/literature/index.html
Wellman, J. (2013, August 15). Visual elements of children’s literature.
ESH151 J Wellman.
https://justinewellman.wordpress.com/2013/08/15/visual-elements-
ofchildrens-
literature/#:~:text=WEEK%204%3A%20VISUAL%20ELEMENTS%20O
F%20CHILDREN
Winch, G., Johnson, R., March, P., Ljungdahl, L., & Holliday, M. (2010).
Reading, Writing and Children’s Literature. 4th ed. South Melbourne:
Oxford University Press.
Brill, J.M., Kim, D. and Branch, R.M. (2001). Exploring the visual future: art
design, science and technology. Blacksburg, VA: The International Visual
Literacy Association.

52
53
 OVERVIEW

Genres of literature can help readers organize information in order for

them to easily understand of what they are about to read. It could also help
them build their vocabulary as they come across new words in the books they
read. Of course, this would also develop their writing skills as well as improve
their communication skills.

Previously, you learned about what is children and adolescent’s

literature and what their elements are. In this unit, we will dive into the different
categories of children and adolescent’s literature such as poetry, picture books,
traditional literature, modern fables and etc. By exposing yourselves to these
genres, you can realize that the story in your head works better in different
literary categories.

Reading from different genres will give you a deeper and richer
appreciation for the genres with which you are already familiar!

Chapter Objectives

At the end of this unit, the students can:

✓ discuss the different Categories of Children and Adolescent’s Literature

✓ analyze the following categories from one another based on:
a) concepts d) literary techniques
b) elements e) approaches to
c) characteristics literary criticism
✓ identify the importance of each literary pieces in the society and in an
individual’s lives; and
✓ create an original output adhering the literary guidelines discussed on a
specific category of Children and Adolescent’s Literature being chosen.

54
 Lesson 1
POETRY

WHAT TO EXPECT?
• Analyze the literary and poetic techniques used in a specific poem.
• Relate the importance of knowing the interpretations behind some of the
famous poems to the present society.
• Construct a poem considering its structure, elements and techniques.

PRE-DISCUSSION
• What are the different structures and techniques of poetry?
• How can we use poetry to express ourselves?
• How do we analyze the interpretations, literary and poetic devices
present in a poem?
Lesson Outline
POETRY
➢ Based on the interplay of words and rhythm.
➢ Often employs rhyme and meter.
➢ Words are strung together to form sounds, images, and ideas that might
be abstract or complex to describe.
➢ Anglo-Saxon poets, Greek poets and Arabic poets had their own rhyme
schemes and meters.
➢ Poems are the oldest written manuscripts, mostly are epic poems.
➢ Rhythm and rhyme can make the text easy to remember.
➢ The opposite of poetry is “prose”- a normal text that runs without line
breaks or rhythm.
Ex: articles, stories, news

STRUCTURE OF POETRY
1. STANZAS
➢ A series of lines grouped together and separated by an empty line from
other stanzas.
➢ One way to identify a stanza is to count the number of lines. Thus:
couplet (2 lines) sestet/sexain (6 lines)
tercet (3 lines) septet (7 lines)
quatrain (4 lines) octave (8 lines)
cinquain (5 lines)
2. FORM
➢ A poem may or may not have a specific number of lines, rhyme scheme
and /or metrical pattern, but it can still be labelled according to its form
or style.
➢ Three most common types of poems:
A. Lyric Poetry
➢ Any poem with one speaker who expresses strong thoughts and
feelings.

55
 Examples:
“Go, Lovely Rose” by Edmund Waller
“I Felt a Funeral in my Brain” by Emily Dickinson

B. Narrative Poem
➢ A poem that tells a story; its structure resembles the plot line of a story.
Examples:
“The Illiad” by Homer
“The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe

C. Descriptive Poem
➢ A poem that describes the world that surrounds the speaker.
➢ It is more “outward-focused” than lyric poetry, which is more personal
and introspective.
Examples:
“Smoke” by Henry David Thoreau
“Midnight and Moonlight” by Kelly Roper

Subtypes of the Three Styles

 Ode
➢ It’s usually a lyric poem of moderate length, with a serious subject, an
elevated style, and an elaborate stanza pattern.
Examples:
“Ode to the Conference Dead” by Allen Tate
“Ode to the West Wind” by Percy Bysshe Shelley
 Elegy
➢ It’s a lyric poem that mourns the dead.
➢ It has no set metric or stanza pattern; and often uses apostrophe as a
literary technique
Examples:
“Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard” by Thomas Gray
“Fugue of Death” by Paul Celan
 Sonnet
➢ A lyric poem consisting of 14 lines and, in the English version is usually
written in iambic pentameter.
➢ There are two basic kinds of sonnets:
Italian/Petrarchan sonnet
- consists of an octave and sestet.
- tends to divide the thought in 2 part (argument & conclusion)
Examples: “Perfectly Poised” by Lorraine Dafney
“The Final Fight” by Leny Roovers
Shakespearean Sonnet
- consist of 3 quatrains and a concluding couplet.
- tends to divide the thought into 4 and the final couplet is the summary.
Examples:
“Sonnet 27” and “Sonnet 18” by William Shakespeare
 Ballad
➢ A narrative poem that has a musical rhythm and can be sung.
➢ Usually organize into quatrains or cinquains, has a simple rhythm
structure, and tells the tales of ordinary people.

56
 Examples:
✓ “I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You” by Elvis Presley
✓ “Faithfully” by Journey
 Epic
➢ A long narrative poem in elevated style recounting the deeds of a
legendary or historical hero.
Examples:
✓ “Epic of Gilgamesh”
✓ “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor
3. IMAGERY
➢ Concrete representation of a sense of impression, feeling, or idea that
triggers our imaginative ere-enactment of a sensory experience.
For example:
✓ The room was dark and gloomy. (“dark” and “gloomy” are visual
images)

4. RHYME SCHEMES
➢ Mapped out by noting patterns of rhyme with small letters.
Example: Roses are red.
Violets are blue.
I’m out of my head
Thinking of you.
5. RHYTHM
➢ Refer to the recurrence of stressed and unstressed sounds in poetry.
➢ Caesura – a strong pause within a line of poetry that contributes to the
rhythm of the line.
Examples: (Iamb rhythm)
“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”
Sonnet 18, by William Shakespeare
6. TONE
➢ It’s an abstraction we make from the details of a poem’s language:
- The use of meter and rhyme
- The inclusion of certain kinds of details
- Exclusion of other kinds
- Particular choices of words and sentence pattern
For example: The sun and her Flowers by Rupe Kaur

MOTHER GOOSE NURSERY RHYMES

Mother Goose
➢ Often cited as the author of hundreds of children’s stories that have
been passed down through oral practices and written works over
centuries.

57
 ➢ She’s most recognized for her nursery rhymes published under the
name Mother Goose Rhymes, which have been familiar with readers
of all generations.
➢ Charles Perrault was the first to actually publish a Mother Goose
collection of rhymes and other folk tales in 1697, with the subtitle Les
Contes de ma Mère l'Oie (Tales of my Mother Goose); essentially
initiating the fairy tale genre.
➢ By 1729, Robert Samber’s translated Perrault’s collection into
English “Histories or Tales of Past Times, Told by Mother
Goose”; these volume was republished in 1786 and brought to the
U.S.
➢ John Newbery an English publisher 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.

1. Jack and Jill

by Mother Goose
Jack and Jill went up the hill
To fetch a pail of water;
Jack fell down and broke his crown,
And Jill came tumbling after.

Up Jack got, and home did trot,

As fast as he could caper,
To old Dame Dob, who patched his nob
With vinegar and brown paper.

When Jill came in

How she did gin
To see Jack’s paper plaster
Mother vexed
Did whip her next
For causing Jack’s disaster.

There are several literary criticism that can be used to interpret these
cheerful nursery rhyme; some of it are:

1. Historical Criticism

French Revolution Period

One popular interpretation of the rhyme is that it tells the story of King
Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette during the French Revolution. King Louis as
Jack who was beheaded (lost his crown) followed by his Queen Marie
Antoinette as Jill (who came tumbling after). The actual beheadings occurred
during the Reign of Terror in 1793; and the first publication of the nursery rhyme
Jack and Jill was 1795.

58
 Kilmersdon

In a small town in Somerset called Kilmersdon, there is an actual hill,

now called “Jack and Jill Hill,” that locals believe inspired the nursery rhyme.
Their story involves a young couple–Jill, a local spinster, and Jack, her
mysterious lover.

In this version of events, Jill becomes pregnant by Jack and the couple is
overjoyed. But when Jack goes up the hill to collect some water, he is tragically
killed by a dislodged boulder. Jill then dies of a broken heart shortly after, and
the small town of Kilmersdon excluded the possibility of raising Jack and Jill’s
son together. Today, there are six stone markers that line the hill, each with one
verse from the poem. At the top of the hill, there is a well and a plaque dedicated
to Jack and Jill as well as two tombstones.

2. Mythological Criticism

Hjuki and Bill

In this Old Norse Myth, the moon, referred to as Mâni, steals two
children, Hjuki and Bill, from Earth. The kidnapping happens as the two children
are collecting water from a well. It is believed that the story was told to young
children to try and prevent them from going out alone after dark. It is
hypothesized that, over time and many reiterations of the tale, Hjuki became
Jack and Bill became Jill.

Summary of Jack and Jill

Popularity of the Poem, “Jack and Jill”
✓ It is one of the famous traditional nursery rhyme attributed to Mother
Goose the famous imaginary author which was published in the
18th century. Also, in the 16th century, Jack and Jill were often used to
indicate a boy and a girl. This rhyme is taught to preprimary children in
most countries. It is fun and easy to learn and also one of the few rhymes
liked by the toddlers as well.
“Jack and Jill”: As a Representative of Heroism
✓ Two innocent children, Jack and Jill race uphill to fetch some water. They
are hurt and they get treated by one of their family members. In olden
days, brown paper and vinegar were used as remedies of bruises. Jack
and Jill are mostly considered as a nonsensical poem or a
nonsense verse.
✓ However, here Jack is shown a strong boy because he doesn’t cry.
Instead, he rushes home to get his wounds treated. There are also
various interpretations and versions of the rhyme. In one of the
interpretations, the rhyme was an attempt to reform taxes on liquid
measures.
Major Themes in “Jack and Jill”
✓ Adventure and heroism are the major themes of this poem. The poem
presents two children performing domestic chore: getting water from the
well. Jack gets injured but he quickly recovers as he rushed home
together with Jill to get his injuries treated.

59
Analysis of Literary Devices in “Jack and Jill”
The analysis of some of the literary devices used in this poem has been
given below.
1. Imagery
➢ Used to make the readers perceive things with their five senses.
For example, “Jack and Jill went up the hill”, “Jack fell down and
broke his crown” and “Up Jack got, and home did trot.”
2. Alliteration
➢ Is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line in quick
succession such as the sound of /j/ in “Jack and Jill went up the
hill” and /d/ sound in “To old Dame Dob, who patched his nob”.
3. Assonance
➢ Is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line such as the
sound of /a/ sound in “As fast as he could caper”
4. Consonance
➢ Is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line such as
the sound of /l/ in “Jack and Jill went up the hill”.
5. Enjambment
➢ Defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an end at
a line break; instead, it rolls over to the next line.
For example: “Jack and Jill went up the hill,
To fetch a pail of water”
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in “Jack and Jill”
The analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem:
1. Stanza
➢ A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are two stanzas in this
poem with each comprising four lines.
2. Quatrain
➢ A quatrain is a four-lined stanza borrowed from Persian poetry.
Here, each stanza is a quatrain.
3. Rhyme Scheme
➢ The poem follows the ABCB rhyme scheme and this pattern is
used in both stanzas.
4. End Rhyme
➢ End rhyme is used to make the stanza melodious. For example,
“water”, “after”, “caper” and “paper.”
5. Internal Rhyme
➢ Internal rhyme is rhyme within a line such as in the lines, “Jack
and Jill went up the hill”, “and Jack fell down and broke his crown”
and “To old Dame Dob, who patched his nob.” Here, “Jill”, “hill”,
“mittens”, “down”, “Dob” and “nob” rhyme with each other.
6. Repetition
➢ The lines stated below are suitable for use while teaching
phonics to the children. The repetition of some consonant sounds
in the given lines would help them understand the correct
pronunciation of the sounds.
For example: “Up Jack got, and home did trot,
As fast as he could caper,
To old Dame Dob, who patched his nob”

60
 THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT
BY EDW ARD LE AR
I
The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea 1
In a beautiful pea-green boat, 2
They took some honey, and plenty of 3
money, 4
Wrapped up in a five-pound note. 5
The Owl looked up to the stars above,
6
And sang to a small guitar,
"O lovely Pussy! O Pussy, my love, 7
What a beautiful Pussy you are, 8
You are, 9
You are! 10
What a beautiful Pussy you are!" 11

II
1 Pussy said to the Owl, "You elegant fowl!
2 How charmingly sweet you sing!
3 O let us be married! too long we have tarried:
4 But what shall we do for a ring?"
5 They sailed away, for a year and a day,
6 To the land where the Bong-Tree grows
7 And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood
8 With a ring at the end of his nose.
9 His nose,
10 His nose,
11 With a ring at the end of his nose.

III
"Dear Pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling 1
Your ring?" Said the Piggy, "I will." 2
So they took it away, and were married next day 3
By the Turkey who lives on the hill. 4
They dined on mince, and slices of quince, 5
Which they ate with a runcible spoon; 6
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand, 7
They danced by the light of the moon, 8
The moon, 9
The moon, 10
They danced by the light of the moon. 11

Structure
✓ This poem is composed of three stanzas.
✓ Each stanza is composed of eleven lines.
✓ The last 2 end words in the eight line of every stanza is used as a two-
line refrain which are the 9th and 10th lines per stanza.
✓ The end line is the repetition of the eight line.
✓ The meter is very measured which lends to a nice, musical reading.

61
Facts about the poem “The Owl and the Pussycat”
✓ ‘The Owl and the Pussycat’ is probably Edward Lear’s most famous poem
and a fine example of Victorian nonsense verse.
✓ It was published in Lear’s 1871 collection Nonsense Songs, Stories,
Botany and Alphabets.
✓ The usual rules of literary analysis don’t seem to apply with nonsense
literature. We’re clearly in a fantasy world here, and should perhaps simply
enjoy the delicious use of language, rhyme, and imagery.
✓ The charming language and imagery of ‘The Owl and the Pussycat’
continue to appeal to readers, both young and old. In 1995, it was voted
Britain’s 45th favorite poem, and in 2014 it was voted the nation’s favourite
childhood poem.
Purpose of composing the poem
✓ Edward Lear wrote ‘The Owl and the Pussycat’ for a friend’s daughter,
Janet Symonds, who was born in 1865 and was three years old when Lear
wrote the poem.
✓ Janet was the daughter of none other than John Addington Symonds
(1840-93), who, although married with children, was a pioneering poet of
male homosexual love and desire.
✓ In the little-known sequel he wrote to the poem, Lear himself revealed that
the owl is male and the pussycat female.
Summary of The Owl and the Pussy-Cat
Popularity of “The Owl and the Pussy-Cat”
✓ The popularity of the English poem lies in the fact that it deals with a
nonsensical idea in an extraordinary way. The poem in summary, tells of
the love between the owl and the pussycat and their subsequent marriage,
who wanted to get married in a strange place where Bon trees grow.
A Representative of Love and Merriment
✓ The writer has used different animals in this lyrical poem and has given
them human qualities to convey a deep message that a person, belonging
to any race, caste, and creed can fall in love.
Major Themes in “Owl and the Pussy Cat”
✓ Love, marriage, and joy are some of the major themes of the poem. The
writer has used his imagination to create a world where there is no sorrow,
suffering or obstacles. The two-way conversation helps the readers
understand how the world of happiness can help lovers even if they are not
compatible in other ways.
Analysis of Literary Devices in “Owl and the Pussy Cat”
The analysis of some of the literary devices used in this poem:
1. Alliteration
➢ The repetition of consonant sounds in the same line such as the
sound of /p/ and /l/ “O lovely Pussy! O Pussy, my love”.
2. Personification
➢ To attribute human qualities to inanimate things. Edward has
used this device throughout the poem to present the Owl and the
Pussy cat as humans. They dance, sing, get married and also
praise each other just like humans.
For example: “And sang to a small guitar”
“They danced by the light of the moon”
“Pussy said to the Owl, “You elegant fowl.”

62
 3. Symbolism
➢ Uses symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic
meanings different from literal meanings. A beautiful “pea green
boat” symbolizes their hope and new life. Dancing in the
“moonlight” represents happiness and ultimate joy and “bong
trees” are the symbols of fantasy land.
4. Consonance
➢ The repetition of consonant sounds in the same line such as the
sound of /h/ in “The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea” and the
sound of /y/ in “O lovely Pussy! O Pussy, my love.”
5. Metaphor
➢ It’s a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made
between the different objects. “Owl and Pussy cat” both are the
metaphors of humans, but they are not humans.
6. Assonance
➢ It’s the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line such as the
sound of /o/ in “They took some honey, and plenty of money.”
and /e/ sound in “O let us be married! Too long we have tarried.”
7. Imagery
➢ Used to make the readers perceive things with their five senses.
Edward has used visual imagery to show the happiness of an
owl, and a pussycat such as “The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to
sea” They took some honey, and plenty of money” and “And
there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood, with a ring at the end of his
nose.”
8. Enjambment
➢ refers to the continuation of the idea in a sentence without a
pause beyond the end of a line, couplet or stanza such as:
“And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood
With a ring at the end of his nose.’’

Analysis of Poetic Devices in “Owl and the Pussy Cat”

Here is the analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem:
1. Stanza
➢ There are three stanzas in this poem, each varies in its length.
2. Limerick
➢ A Limerick is a short humorous and nonsense poem especially
with a five-line anapest meter. With a strict rhyme scheme.
However, in this poem, the first and the last lines usually end with
the same words rather than rhyming.
3. Rhyme Scheme
➢ The rhyme scheme is ABCB DEFE, and this pattern continues
throughout the poem.
4. Internal Rhyme
➢ Internal Rhyme is a rhyme within a line such as, “And there in a
wood a Piggy-wig stood”, “And hand in hand, on the edge of the
sand” and “O let us be married! Too long we have tarried”. Here
“wood” “stood”, “hand”, “sand”, “married” and “tarried” are the
examples of internal rhyme.

63
 5. End Rhyme
➢ End Rhyme is used to make the poem melodious. End
rhyme occurs within the second and third lines and again within
the second and fourth lines. The rhyming words are, “boat”, and
“note” “love” and “above.”
6. Refrain
➢ The lines that are repeated again at some distance in the poems
are called refrain. For example, the lines, “They danced by the
light of the moon” and “With a ring at the end of his nose” are
repeated with the same words, it has become a refrain.

‘LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD AND THE WOLF’

BY ROALD DAHL
As soon as Wolf began to feel
That he would like a decent meal,
He went and knocked on Grandma's door.
When Grandma opened it, she saw

The sharp white teeth, the horrid grin,

And Wolfie said, "May I come in?"
Poor Grandmamma was terrified,
"He's going to eat me up!" she cried.
And she was absolutely right.

He ate her up in one big bite.

But Grandmamma was small and
tough,
And Wolfie wailed, "That's not enough!

I haven't yet begun to feel

That I have had a decent meal!"
He ran around the kitchen yelping,
"I've got to have a second helping!"
Then added with a frightful leer,
"I'm therefore going to wait right here
Till Little Miss Red Riding Hood
Comes home from walking in the wood."

He quickly put on Grandma's clothes,

(Of course he hadn't eaten those).
He dressed himself in coat and hat.
He put on shoes, and after that,
He even brushed and curled his hair,
Then sat himself in Grandma's chair.

64
In came the little girl in red.
She stopped. She stared. And then she said,
"What great big ears you have, Grandma."
"All the better to hear you with," the Wolf replied.

"What great big eyes you have, Grandma."

said Little Red Riding Hood.
"All the better to see you with,"
the Wolf replied.
He sat there watching her and smiled.
He thought, I'm going to eat this child.
Compared with her old Grandmamma,
She's going to taste like caviar.

Then Little Red Riding Hood said,

" But Grandma, what a lovely great big
furry coat you have on."
"That's wrong!" cried Wolf.

"Have you forgot

To tell me what BIG TEETH
I've got? Ah well, no matter what you say,
I'm going to eat you anyway."
The small girl smiles. One eyelid flickers.
She whips a pistol from her knickers.
She aims it at the creature's head,
And bang bang bang, she shoots him dead.

A few weeks later, in the wood,

I came across Miss Riding Hood.
But what a change! No cloak of red,
No silly hood upon her head.
She said, "Hello, and do please note
My lovely furry wolf skin coat."
Attached below is one of the literary criticism that can be applied to the poem:

 Feminist Criticism
The paper "Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf by Roald Dahl"
focuses on the poem that has presented the new image of a woman who is no
more led by the moralizing world outside her but on her own will. The
protagonist is depicted as a young woman who has finally get rid of her self-
image of vulnerability, imposed upon her by society.
The author has used Little Red Riding Hood as a metaphor that tells the
story of the empowerment of a modern woman. She is once and for all the
stereotyped molds that the society has been putting her in for centuries. She
turns to be a little surprised for all as the author of the story and he says “But
what a change! No cloak of red, No silly hood upon her head” Dahl has also get
rid of the moralizing elements of the story- the dictate of the mother that the girl
should not talk to strangers and that she should not stray on her path.

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 In Dahl’s version, it does not matter whether Little Red Riding Hood talk
to strangers on the way or whether she strayed a little from the forest path and
picked some wild flowers.
Analysis on Poetic Devices
• Stanza
➢ A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are 12 stanza in the poem
but they differ in number of lines.
• Quatrain
➢ A quatrain is a four-lined stanza borrowed from Persian poetry. Nine
stanzas are four-lined in this poem except from stanza 6, 8 and 12.
• Sextet
➢ A sextet is a six-lined stanza. In this poem, the 6th and 12th stanza is
sextet.
• Octave
➢ An octave is an eight-lined stanza. In here, stanza 8 is an octave.
• Rhyme Scheme
➢ A rhyme scheme is the rhyming pattern that is created at the end of lines in
a poem.
➢ Stanza 1 and 7 has the rhyme scheme of AABC. AABB is the rhyme
scheme of stanza 2,3,4,5 and 11. The ninth stanza has the rhyme scheme
of ABCD. The tenth stanza has the rhyme schemeof ABCC. Stanza 6 and
12 are rhymed AABBCC while stanza 8 has the rhyme scheme of
ABCDDDEF.

JABBERWOCKY
BY LEWIS CAROLL

’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!

The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!”

He took his vorpal sword in hand;

Long time the manxome foe he sought—
So rested he by the Tumtum tree
And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,

The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!
One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head

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 He went galumphing back.

“And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?

Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!”
He chortled in his joy.

’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

Attached below is one of the literary criticism that can be applied to the poem:
Mythological Criticism
A hero leaves home and goes out into the world in order to face down an
evil creature that is called Jabberwock, after encountering difficulties and tests
of his bravery, he is triumphant and vanquishes his foe; and then he comes
home again. A fight occurs, the son comes out victorious and takes the
creature’s head back to the father. When he gets there, the father embraces
him and celebrates his slaughter of the Jabberwock.
It’s a story told again and again in literature, from Beowulf to the Lord of the
Rings. A story that shows how strong a person can be faced with any creature
as long as determined to protect everyone.

Summary of the Poem

◼ Popularity of the Poem, “Jabberwocky”: This poem was written by
Lewis Carroll, one of the greatest English writers. ‘Jabberwocky’ is one of
the greatest literary pieces and also known as a nonsensical poem. It first
appeared in 1871 in the novel Through the Looking Glass, a sequel to
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The poem comprises the bravery of a
young boy who faces an evil dragon-like creature and wins the battle. The
poem grabs attention due to the creative invention of new words and
phrases.
◼ “Jabberwocky” As a Representative of Courage: The poem presents
parental love and courage of a young boy. The poem starts when the father
of the boy hears some strange noises, and he warns his son about the
strange creatures that live in a dense wood along with other strange
creatures. The son, in response, takes out his sword and sets off in search
of those dangerous creatures. After some search, he not only finds them
but also fights them. He returns with the head of Jabberwocky in his hand.
On seeing this, the father praises his son and celebrates his victory. Thus,
their lives get back to a normal pace. However, what enchants the reader
is the strength of the boy who courageously faces evil by leaving his fears
behind.
◼ Major Themes in “Jabberwocky”: Courage, love, and good versus evil
are the major themes of the poem. The poem revolves around the heroic
victory of the boy who risks his life to kill Jabberwocky. Although his father
warns him about the evil creature, the boy musters up the courage to
eradicate evil from the world.

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 Literary Devices in “Jabberwocky
• Assonance
➢ The repetition of vowel sounds in the same line such as the sound of
/aw/ and /a/ in “The jaws that bite, the claws that catch” and the sound
of /o/ in “One, two! One, two! And through and through.”
• Enjambment
➢ It is defined as a verse or clause that does not come to an end at a line
break; instead, moves over the next line.
For example,
“So rested he by the Tumtum tree
And stood awhile in thought.”
• Consonance
➢ Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line such
as the sound of /m/ in “Come to my arms, my beamish boy” and the
sound of /l/ in “’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves.”
• Alliteration
➢ Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line in quick
succession such as the sound of /t/ in “So rested he by the Tumtum tree”
and the sound of /h/ in “Came whiffling through the tulgey wood.”
• Imagery
➢ Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five
senses. For example, “The jaws that bite, the claws that catch”; “Came
whiffling through the tulgey wood” and “Came whiffling through the tulgey
wood.”
• Symbolism
➢ Symbolism is a use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities, by giving
them symbolic meanings that are different from their literal meanings.
‘Vorpal sword’ symbolizes power and strength, ‘Jabberwocky’ is
a symbol of evil, and ‘Jubjub bird’ is a symbol of fear.

Analysis of Poetic Devices

◼ Ballad
➢ A type of poem used for recitation or singing. This poem is written in the
form of ballad meter and it describes the story of a brave boy.
◼ Stanza
➢ A poetic form of some lines. There are seven stanzas in this poem, with
four lines each stanza.
◼ Quatrain
➢ A four-lined stanza borrowed from Persian poetry. Here, each stanza is
quatrain.
◼ Rhyme Scheme
➢ The poem follows the ABAB rhyme scheme, and this pattern continues
throughout the poem.
◼ End Rhyme
➢ Is used to make the stanza melodious. For example, ‘Sought/thought’,
‘flame/came’, ‘stood/wood’ and ‘snack/back’.
◼ Refrain

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➢ The lines that are repeated at some distance in the poems are
called refrain. The first stanza is repeated with the same words at the end
of the poem. Hence, it has become a refrain.

LESSON SUMMARY

Poetry is known as the oldest form of literature; aesthetically created

through words that evoke feelings, true to life experiences, histories, and
human desires. Every poem has its own unique structure, and different literary
criticism can be applied from one poem to another. Some of the famous poems
which was created way back in medieval period can still be recognized by the
present generation.
“Baa, Baa, Black Sheep, and “Jack and Jill” are two of the famous
nursery rhymes that is still sang or chanted by people in all ages; and was said
that it was created by the imaginary author Mother Goose, who excel in making
folktales and nursery rhymes. In addition, there are famous poems that are
known because of its plotline like the “Little Red Riding Hood”, and
“Jabberwocky”, with a lot of versions coming from different authors/writers.
According to some scholars, these poems interpretations were a bit darker
compared to how people cheerfully chanted, sang, or read these popular
poems. Furthermore, these poems is a reflection of past events and beliefs
practiced by human beings; and it aims to teach values and the importance of
literature.

Lesson 2
PICTURE BOOKS
WHAT TO EXPECT?

• Define what is picture book and its concept.

• Determine the story elements, approaches to literary criticism, and
the philosophical ideas of each story presented.
• Create concepts based on the stories.

INTRODUCTION

What makes a good picture book?

Picture books use illustrations, with or without text, to convey stories,
which delight and engage children.
In picture books with text, the author and the illustrator jointly share the
responsibility of making the picture book 'work'.
A brief history of children's books and the art of visual storytelling, an
article by Maria Popova in The Atlantic, provides an interesting background to
picture books.
According to Literary Agent Tracy Marchini, a successful picture book has the
following 9 factors:

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 • illustrations that are engaging, varied, and colorful, while adding to the
storyline;
• strong characters that are identifiable and evoke emotion;
• humor;
• a story that teaches a concept or value;
• elements of pattern, rhyme, and repetition;
• an interesting plot that captures the attention of the reader;
• rich vocabulary; and
• re-readability.

Wordless picture books

Wordless picture books rely on illustrations alone to tell a story. They are a
wonderful resource that allows children to tell the story 'in their own words'.
These books encourage children to:

• read the pictures;

• look at the details;
• follow patterns and sequences;
• explore characterization; and
• work out what is going on and bring their own language to their own
version of the story.

LESSON OUTLINE:
1. Elements of the Story
1.1. Character
The very hungry caterpillar
1.2. Setting
The setting of the story also is based on the
days of the week that is represented by the food
eaten by the caterpillar.
1.3. Plot
The story was all about a caterpillar being hatched from an egg one
morning. This caterpillar is very hungry that it ate all in sight. As the day passes
by, the amount of fruits being eaten by the caterpillar increases. The very
hungry caterpillar ate and ate until it became so big and stout, yet it didn't satisfy
its stomach. From Monday to Saturday, it ate lots of fruits and vegetables even
cakes and sweets, but it still left the caterpillar very hungry, tired and had
stomachache. On Sunday it ate 1 (one) piece of leaf and made it feel calm, at
ease and very full. The caterpillar soon made itself a shelter called cocoon and
hid under the leaf for two weeks. After the long two weeks the caterpillar
became a very beautiful butterfly.
1.4. Conflict
The caterpillar is very hungry causing it to eat too much but became
hungrier.
1.5. Theme

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 The story talks about the stages in the life of the caterpillar and how it
dealt with severe hunger. No matter what it ate, it just became hungrier day by
day.
In connection to human experiences, a persistent person will still be
hungry despite of his achievements, he would even do a lot of things to be more
productive to give himself what he longs for.
In the story, the caterpillar felt sick upon eating too much on Saturday
morning, but when it ate just one piece of leaf it became better and well. Just
like achieving something we truly wanted makes us feel satisfied of all the
efforts we've done along the journey.
1.6. Point of view
The story was told in a third person point of view.
1.7. Concept
Eric Carle as the author of the story teaches concepts on
children especially on primary years. These includes:
• the life cycle of a butterfly,
• the foundations of counting, and
• the days of the week.
2. Literary Approach to Criticism
2.1. Formalist Approach
The author, Eric Carle used in his lines the introduction of the concept
of learning in primary years of a child.
On Monday, he ate through one apple. But he was still hungry.
On Tuesday, he ate through two pears. But he was still hungry.
On Wednesday, he ate through three plums. But he was still hungry.
On Thursday, he ate through four strawberries. But he was still hungry.
On Friday, he ate through five oranges. But he was still hungry.
On Saturday, he ate through one piece of chocolate cake, one ice-cream cone,
one pickle, one slice of Swiss cheese, one slice of salami, one lollipop, one
piece of cherry pie, one sausage, one cupcake and one slice of watermelon.
That night he had a stomach-ache.
The next day was Sunday again. The caterpillar ate through one nice green leaf
and after that he felt much better. Now, he was not hungry any more. And he
was not a little caterpillar any more. He was a BIG, Fat caterpillar.
In here, it is noticeable between the lines that Carle wanted to imply the
concept of counting, as well as days of the week and the different types of fruits
and foods.
He built a small house, called a cocoon around himself and stayed inside
for more than two weeks. Then, he nibbled a hole in the cocoon, pushed his
way out and… finally, he was a beautiful butterfly. He was the most beautiful,
most gorgeous butterfly of all. Also, he had multi-colored wings.
In these lines, the author implies metamorphosis or ghe life cycle of a
butterfly. It undergo through different stages in its life in a week to become the
most beautiful.

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Story Elements
• Characters
Narrator, Sally, cat, fish, two tiny things and mother
• Setting
The story took place one cold rainy morning at
the house of the two kids.
• Plot
The story begins when two kids were sitting by
the window watching the rain as it falls wishing they
could play because their mother is away. And suddenly
there came an anthropomorphic cat wearing a red and
white striped hat who entered in a loud bump. The cat
reassures to have fun with the children if they allow him to show his tricks. And
so it performed by balancing things as many as he can, including the fish who
always warns him not to make mess so as for the children not to make a mess.
The cat didn't listen and when he was out of his balance, fell and everything
became messy. Leaving the kids afraid of the consequences. On the second
time, the cat came again with a big box and then played another trick for the
kids. By this time he let out of two tiny things that ran around the house. They
played kites with the kids and made them enjoy making things messy. And
finally fhe mother came home, the kids were afraid of the things that made their
house messy and scattered. The cat fixed everything that was being used by
him in his tricks because he felt sad for being rejected by the fish and the kids.
Leaving the house with no trace of dirt and with sadness in his aura. The cat
bid when the mother came. The kids were told not to tell what had happened.
• Conflict
Conflict started when Thing One and Thing Two started making mess
around the house causing much trouble.
• Theme
The story tells us that in every actions we take, there is a corresponding
consequences and we are responsible of the things we do. In addition, it also
teaches us, especially the children to be honest and thoughtful of things. It also
suggests orderliness and cleanliness especially in early years of childhood.

• Point of View
The story was told in the second person point of view
• Concept
The concept that the story implies to the society are:
Trust- the cat assures the trust of the two kids and make them believe
that what he (the cat) is doing is not wrong.
Responsibility- the cat's tricks caused much trouble making him
accountable for his acts.
Wrongness- in the story, the two kids had another perception of believe
than that of the cat. In addition, they strongly believe that what the cat was doing
is not anymore ethical.
Social expectations- in the story, the cat just entered in the house with a
big bump, welcoming himself and entering the house making the two kids
frightened. In real life scenario, it is never ethical to get inside of the premises
of others without their consent. The cat is expected to behave in a nice manner

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because he has dressed up in a formal clothes, yet he acted mean causing
anxiety to the two kids and the fish.
Lying- the cat left them reminding not to tell to their mother what had
happened. In our younger years, we are taught to speak for what is right
because it would become our habit. The reader of the story would be left
hanging and wondering what would be the response of the two kids to their
mother.
Literary Approach to Criticism
Formalist Approach
The author, Theodore Geisel under a penname Dr. Seuss , implies in
his illustrated story that is composed of verses and is read like a poem
following a rhyme scheme. Below are the first two stanzas of the story and
their presented rhyme scheme.
the sun did not shine. - A
it was too wet to play.- B
so we sat in the house - C
all that cold, cold, wet day.- B

i sat there with sally. - D

we sat there, we two.- E
and i said, 'how i wish- F
we had something to do!'- E
As noticed, the first two stanzas of the story are having an irregular
rhyme scheme. The rest of the stanzas have different lines containing rhyme
schemes. Therefore it is having an irregular rhyme scheme. Note that the
second line of the first stanza has the same rhyme scheme with the fourth line
of the same stanza. Same goes with the second line in the second stanza where
it has the same rhyme scheme with the last line of the same stanza.
The author also used literary devices in his story such as personification,
imagery and alliteration.
Personification is resembling human qualities on characters of the story.
In the story, the Cat and the Fish are both considered to be anthropomorphic
being able to talk and act like humans. The cat is described as tall and wearing
a red and white striped hat with a cane walking towards the house were the two
kids are. The fish could also talk and gesture like that of a person older than the
two kids.
Imagery. Dr. Seuss used imagery to instill pictures in the young minds
of what was really happening in the story.
'look at me!
look at me!
look at me NOW!
it is fun to have fun
but you have to know how.
i can hold up the cup
and the milk and the cake!
i can hold up these books!
and the fish on a rake!
i can hold the toy ship
and a little toy man!

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and look! with my tail
i can hold a red fan!
i can fan with the fan
as i hop on the ball!
but that is not all.
oh, no.
that is not all...'
We can imagine that the Cat in the Hat do not only hold two things wuth
his hands but with his entire body parts while maintaining a balance.
Alliteration. The author made use of alliteration to make young readers
to be able to remember things easily while acquainting to the specific letter of
the alphabet
came Thing Two and Thing One!
oh, the things they will bump!
oh, the things they will hit!
We can notice the repetition of letter "T" in these given lines from the
story. The repetition of the consonant letter in succession is called alliteration.]

THE GIVING TREE

Story Elements:
1. Elements of the Story
Genre: Children's Fiction
Setting and Context: Anytown America, in the
present
Narrator and Point of View
The narration is from the point of view of
the narrator and reader, as the tale of what
happened is recounted to them.
Tone and Mood
At first the tone is light-hearted and fun, but
it darkens, and becomes frustrating, and ultimately
sad and melancholy.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The Tree is the protagonist, the Boy the
antagonist.
Major Conflict: N/A
Climax
The Boy returns to the Tree that he has
robbed of everything but her stump of a trunk; however they are now reunited
and he has come to realize how his behavior has affected them both.

Foreshadowing
The Boy asking the Tree for money foreshadows the way in which he is
going to take everything from her for his own selfish needs and foreshadows
the fact that his friendship is entirely conditional.
Allusions
The narrative alludes to the systematic pillaging of the natural world by
modern man, and the green / ecology movement that represents the Tree.

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Imagery
The Boy puts the leaves on his head giving the image of a crown. This
is a game that he is playing all alone and so he is proclaiming himself to be
king of the forest, portraying the image of a selfish king whose rule benefits
only himself.
Paradox
The Boy and the Tree both offer friendship to the other but the Boy's
friendship is entirely conditional whereas the Tree's is based on a selfless love
and desire for the best for her friend.
Parallelism
There is a parallel between the Boy growing up and his intentions and
thoughts about the Tree growing as well; as he ages, his demands become
more as he gets caught up in what seems important to him as an adult.
Personification
The Tree is personified throughout the story; the key way in which this
is evident involves the emotions given to the Tree. When the Boy stops
coming to visit with her she is sad and misses him, both emotions that a Tree
cannot traditionally feel.
2. Guidelines for Philosophical Discussion
Throughout the book, there are multiple themes present. Some
people think that the book represents a relationship between a parent
and their child. The tree would represent the parent and the boy would
represent the child. Often times, a parental figure gives so much to their
children that they are left with nothing else to give. The selflessness of
the parent ends up destroying themselves in the long run. After giving
their children so much, the parent may rarely hear a “thank you” in reply,
but they are still happy because they are able to provide for their
children. Some critics view the tree, or parental figure, as an enabler and
some view the boy, or child, as a selfish person who only takes without
being thankful.
Another popular theme that this book represents is the
relationship between the Earth and humans. The tree would represent
the Earth and the boy would represent the humans. In this day and age,
humans tends to take and take and take from the Earth without caring
how they are affecting the Earth.
In a religious lens, this book can represent the relationship that
God has with His people. The tree would be God and the boy would be
His people, the humans. In these terms, the book demonstrates that God
will always be there for His people if they need help. Religiously, the
book can also represent unconditional love.
“… and she loved a boy very, very much — even more than she
loved herself.”
In a philosophical way, the Ethics branch is evident in The Giving
Tree. This is because it allows the readers to ask questions on why
people do what they do. Some questions that can be raised by children
are: Why did the tree continue giving, if she is destroying herself? Why
does the boy only take from the tree? Why is the tree always happy?
What makes the tree happy? Why does the boy come back to the tree?

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 Overall, The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein, is an artfully crafted
children’s book that details the act of selfless giving and represents the
relationships that all people have.
3. Literary Approach to Criticism
3.1. Feminism Approach to Criticism
Women and Feminity
In The Giving Tree, the main character is, well, a tree. But Shel
Silverstein decides to refer to the tree with feminine pronouns: she, her,
hers. And that stirs up all kinds of issues around gender. Is the tree a
woman? Does she represent a mother? Is she in an abusive
relationship? Does she feel like she has to sacrifice herself for the sake
of the boy? And if so, is that because she's his mom or just because
she's female?
4. The Giving Tree was Banned
The Giving Tree was banned from a public library in Colorado in
1988 because it was interpreted as being sexist. Some readers believe
that the young boy continually takes from the female tree, without ever
giving anything in return. As the boy grows up, he always comes back to
the tree when he needs something, taking until the tree has nothing left
to give him.

Lesson 3
TRADITIONAL LITERATURE
WHAT TO EXPECT?

• Identify some famous examples of traditional literature.

• Provide traditional literature examples based on the different authors.
• Classify the verbal elements of one traditional literature from the
famous authors.

PRE-DISCUSSION
• What are the famous examples of traditional literature?
• What are the different examples of traditional literature based on
different authors?
• What are the verbal elements of the famous traditional literature from
the given authors?
LESSON OUTLINE
Traditional Literature
- is a genre that started in the oral tradition. Myths, fables, epics, ballads,
legends, folk rhymes, folktales, fairy tales, trickster tales, tall tales, cumulative
tales and pourquoi tales are part of this genre.

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 • Fable is a short tale in which the chief characters are animals and
sometimes inanimate objects that act and talk like human beings.
• The wisdom of the foolish acts of human beings are shown by the
actions and words of the beasts.
• Must always point a moral. Often the theme or moral appears at the
end of the story.
AESOP'S FABLES
- are the world's best known collection of morality tales.
- these early stories are essentially allegorical myths
often portraying animals or insects e.g. foxes,
grasshoppers, frogs, cats, dogs, ants, crabs, stags, and
monkeys representing humans engaged in human-like
situations (a belief known as animism).
Examples:
1. The Ant and the Grasshopper
Moral: "Prepare for the days of necessity."
2. The Beekeeper and the Bees
Moral: "Make sure you're seeking revenge on the right person."
3. The Golden Touch
Moral: "Be careful what you wish for."
4. The Goose With the Golden Eggs
Moral: "Greed often overreaches itself."
5. The Man and the Wood
Moral: "Do not give your enemy the means of destroying you."
6. The Old Lion and the Fox
Moral: "Using your head keeps you from making foolish or disastrous
mistakes."
7. The Sun and the Wind
Moral: "Kindness affects more than severity."
8. The Two Goats
Moral: "Being unwilling to compromise can
lead to a dead end."
Verbal Elements:
The Ant and the Grasshopper
In this fable, sometimes titled The
Grasshopper and the Ant(s), the ant saves food for
the winter and the grasshopper does not. When
winter comes, the hungry grasshopper begs for food,
but the ant refuses to share. The moral is, "Prepare
for the days of necessity."
1. Writer's Purpose
The author wanted to tell a story about his life. The ant and the grasshopper
relates to his life. He works very hard and has a hard life whereas his brother
doesn't do anything for society and has an easier life and never has to work for
anything. He is the ant and his brother is the grasshopper.
2. Plot
- First, there were two friends the ant and the grasshopper, the ant was
hardworking and preparing for the rainy days while the grasshopper kept on
playing.

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 - Then, here comes the rainy days. the grasshopper has no food and good
shelter so he went to asked ant's help.
- Next, being the good friend, the ant helped grasshopper. the grasshopper
consumed all the food stored by the ant.
- Lastly, the ant was so angry. he kicked out the grasshopper from his home.
The grasshopper learned his lesson, he will store food next time instead of
playing.
3. Characters- Ant and grasshopper
4. Setting - This story takes place on the forest floor.
5. Themes - Illustrates the theme of “First be prepared, then find time to play.”
6. Genre - Children's literature and picture book

FAIRYTALES
- is a story, often intended for children, that features
fanciful and wondrous characters such as elves, goblins,
wizards, and even, but not necessarily fairies.
- The term “fairy” tale seems to refer more to the
fantastic and magical setting or magical influences within
a story, rather than the presence of the character of a
fairy within that story.
ANDERSEN'S FAIRYTALES
- Hans Christian Andersen (2 April 1805 – 4 August 1875), in Denmark
usually called H.C. Andersen, was a Danish author. Although a prolific writer of
plays, travelogues, novels, and poems, he is best remembered for his fairy
tales.
- it is a culturally embedded in the West's collective consciousness, readily
accessible to children, but presenting lessons of virtue and resilience in the face
of adversity for mature readers as well.
Examples:
1. The Emperor's New Clothes
Moral: "We must not let pride or fear keep us from speaking up.
Another moral is that children speak the truth when no one else will."
2. The Little Mermaid
Moral: "If we were to give up during challenges, we would never reach
our dreams. But if you try your best, you can succeed."
3. The Nightingale
Moral: "True love involves sacrifice and selflessness."
4. The Steadfast Tin Soldier
Moral: "In life we will encounter many obstacles but that in the end love
is the one that will save us."
5. The Red Shoes
Moral: "The proud and the disobedient must suffer."
6. The Princess and the Pea
Moral: "The dangers of jumping to conclusions without all the facts."
7. The Ugly Duckling
Moral: "People must accept themselves for who they truly are."
8. Thumbelina

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 Moral: "We will encounter many problems and obstacles in
Our life. Many of doing something that we don't want, but as long as
we are true to
Ourselves, honest and kind, just like Thumbelina, we will overcome
these obstacles and in the end get what is best for us."
Verbal Elements:
• Thumbelina
It is about a tiny girl and her adventures with marriage-
minded toads, moles, and cockchafers. She successfully
avoids their intentions before falling in love with a flower-
fairy prince just her size.
1. Writer's Purpose
The author wanted the readers to have a courage and
survived against the odds of somebody quite small and
rather different.
2. Plot
- A woman yearning for a child asks a witch for advice, and is presented with
a barleycorn which she is told to go home and plant. After the barleycorn is
planted and sprouts, a tiny girl named Thumbelina (Tommelise) emerges from
its flower.
- One night, Thumbelina, asleep in her walnut-shell cradle, is carried off by a
toad who wants her as a bride for her son.
- In the end, the swallow is heartbroken once Thumbelina marries the flower-
fairy prince, and flies off eventually arriving at a small house. There, he tells
Thumbelina's story to a man who is implied to be Andersen himself, who
chronicles the story in a book.
3. Characters
Thumbelina, Butterfly, Mouse, Mole, Swallow, the king of the flowers, Frog
and her son.
4. Setting
On the creek, in a garden filled with flowers, in the mouse’s house
5. Themes- From kindness to greed and peer pressure.
6. Genre - Fairytale

THE GRIMM BROTHER'S FAIRYTALES

- Jacob Ludwig Carl Grimm (1785-1863) and
Wilhelm Carl Grimm (1786- 1859) created some of the
most iconic folk and fairy tales in the world. Well revered
academics, philosophers, cultural researchers, and then
celebrated authors, the brothers Grimm dedicated their
lives to establishing the modern day study of folklore.
Examples:
1. Little Red Riding Hood
Moral: "Invest in good eye care."
2. Rumpelstiltskin
Moral: "How confused values can lead to problems."
3. The Mouse, the Bird, and the Sausage

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Moral: "They were great in their original roles and should have been happy with
that."
4. Hansel and Gretel
Moral: "Don't trust strangers and don't disobey your parents."
5. Cinderella
Moral: "It's not what you know but who you know."
Verbal Elements:
Rumpelstiltskin
This is the story of a miller who gets his daughter in
hot water by falsely telling the King she can spin
straw into gold. The king locks her in a room and
forces her to prove her abilities or die.
1. Writer's Purpose
Rumpelstiltskin, written down by the Brothers
Grimm, warns the reader of the dangers of speaking
without thinking through the story of a miller's
daughter who is forced to do the impossible
2. Plot
- Set in motion when a man falsely boasts that his clever daughter is able to
use a spinning wheel to change straw into gold.
-The king hears this and orders the young woman to spin straw into gold for
him. The story's title character, a mysterious little man with supernatural
powers, comes to the young woman's aid.
-He agrees to spin straw into gold for her on the condition that she gives him
her first born child.
3. Characters
Rumpelstiltskin, Lisa, King, Father, and Mother
4. Setting
The King’s palace (Castle)
o In a cottage in a village in a small country (The miller’s house)
o In the woods (Rumpelstiltskin favorites place)
o The tower (The King asks Lisa to stay in the tower and spin the
straw into gold)
5. Themes - Power and greed.
6. Genre - Fairytale

ONE THOUSAND AND ONE ARABIAN NIGHTS

STORIES
- 1,001 Nights, also known as The Thousand
and One Nights or Arabian Nights, is a collection of
Middle Eastern and South Asian folk tales that were
originally published together during the Islamic Golden
Age.
Examples:
1. Aladdin's Wonderland Lamp
Moral: "Value Friendship. Aladdin taught us the importance of friendship both
good and bad."
2. The Three Apples
Moral: "One should never assume things and judge others based of these
assumptions."

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3. The Tale of the Hunchback
Moral: "The truth cannot be hidden because of our conscience which cannot
make us comfortable."
4. Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves
Moral: "We should not be a greedy person in our life."
5. The Fisherman and the Jinni
Moral: "Treat people how you wish to be treated."
Visual Elements:
Aladdin's Wonderland Lamp
Aladdin is a poor, young man in ‘one of the cities of
China.’ A sorcerer deceives Aladdin and persuades him to
steal an oil lamp from a magic cave. Aladdin accidentally
releases a genie from the lamp, and so a series of events
unfold in which Aladdin’s every wish comes true, but only to
be dismantled by the villain.
1. Writer's Purpose
The author wanted to convey a feeling to its
readers/audiences that it is best to be yourself because poor
or rich you are a “diamond in the rough."
2. Plot
- Aladdin is a child laborer who works for a guy that exchanges "new lamps for
old". This guy swaps a "new" lamp for 2-3 replacement old lamps, then brings
back the old lamps for Aladdin to polish and make look like new.
- One day Aladdin sees a princess riding by as he looks out the window, and
he falls for her.
3. Characters - Aladdin, Jasmine
4. Setting -Though this tale is Middle Eastern, it is set in China.
5. Themes
Infinite strength and wealth comes from within, and it is best to be
yourself because poor or rich you are a “diamond in the rough”.
6. Genre -Fairytale
FOLKTALES
The term folktale refers to a traditional narrative of
unknown authorship that has been handed down from
generation regardless of its content.
These old stories are often called fairytales
because many of them deal with fairies or magic of any
supernatural element.
Folktales are stories in the oral tradition, or tales
that people tell each other out loud, rather than stories in
written form.
ORIGIN OF FOLKTALES
There are two theories concerning and transmission of folktales:
1) That all folktales originated in India in the Sacred Book of Buddhism and
were transmitted by migrations of peoples, by crusaders and Hebrew gypsies.

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2) That many of the tales arose independently among people widely separated
geographically and historically.
PRIMARY CHARACTERISTICS OF FOLKTALES
1) Has no known individual author.
2) Has no fixed or original form.
3) Has a brief introduction.
4) Adapted to any age
5) Has simple plot that is easy to remember.
6) Characters appeal to both children and adults.
7) Has element of magic that appeals to children.
TYPES OF FOLKTALES
1) Accumulative Tale. 7) Fables
2) Talking Beast Stories 8) Fairy Tales
4) Myths 9) Religious Tales
3) Droll or Humorous Stories 10) Roman Tales
5) Epics and Hero Tales 11) Realistic Stories
6) Legends
DESIRABLE USES OF FOLKTALES
1) For entertainment 3) For Puppets
2) For illustration 4) For storytelling
Examples of Folktales:
“Goldilocks and the Three Bears” – a British story about a girl who breaks into
the house of the three bears, tries everything out, and gets scared away

“The White Elephant” – a folktale from Asia about how the kind white elephant
is treated kindly

“Anansi the Spider” – an Ashanti folk tale about the trickster, Anansi, who takes
the form of a spider and empowers people of African descent all over the world

Title: Cinderella
Author: Charles Perrault
Genre: Fairy Tale
Language: French
Date of First Publication: 1697
Verbal Elements:
1. Writer’s Purpose
Cinderella’s author’s purpose may be to amuse the reader, to persuade
the reader, give a moral lesson, or to satirize a condition.
2. Plot
Exposition
Once upon a time, in a land far away, there lived a girl named Cinderella.
She lived with her evil stepmother and two evil step-sisters.
Rising Action
Every day, the evil stepmother made Cinderella work all day long and
into the night. One day, an invitation to a ball was sent to all the young
maidens of the kingdom, but the evil step- mother would not allow
Cinderella to go to the ball and locked her in her room.
Cinderella thought all hope was stepmother fairy godmother
appeared. Dressed in a beautiful 1 or more characters gown and glass

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 slippers, face a crisis. Cinderella rushed off to attend the ball. As the
clock struck 12, Cinderella ran away as fast as she could. Although
Prince Charming looked for her, all he found was a glass slipper.
Climax
Climax Cinderella held her breath as Prince Charming gently slipped the
glass slipper onto her foot. Prince Charming took Cinderella by the hand
and made her his bride.
Falling Action
Cinderella went to live with Prince Charming in the beautiful castle on
the hill.
Resolution
Cinderella and Prince Charming lived happily ever after. All loose ends
tied up.
Character
-Cinderella is a young orphan with medium-length blonde hair, blue
eyes, and a fair complexion.
-Jac and Gus are two mice who serve as Cinderella's sidekicks.
-Lady Tremaine the wicked stepmother of Cinderella. The main
antagonist of the franchise.
-Anastasia Tremaine is the redheaded
The younger daughter of Lady Tremaine, the stepsister of Cinderella.
-Drizella Tremaine is the brown-haired older daughter of Lady
Tremaine, the stepsister of Cinderella.
-Prince Charming is Cinderella's love interest.
-Lucifer is the Tremaines' pet cat and the third antagonist of the
franchise.
-Fairy Godmother first appears in the film after Cinderella's stepsisters
tear her gown to shreds before Prince Charming's ball.
Setting
The French author Charles Perrault wrote about a girl called Cinderella
in 1697. In all of these stories, the girl's house is set in a place without a
name. The story mostly takes place in Ella's house. Another important
place is a party in Prince's castle.
Themes
Cinderella teaches the importance of treating others with love, forgiving
others when they make mistakes, and never allowing negative things to
break your heart. The story's themes are good against evil and how luck
can change your life.
Style
-Simple. The author pictures the story with a few chances of misunderstanding.
- Sad. In the story, the author depicts how miserable Cinderella’s life by
stressing that she was unhappy and far from any decent life.
- Colloquial. The author used common speech.
Visual Elements
Line

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 The properties design or use a line to create the horse's perhaps to give
the illusion that Cinderella’s fairy godmother had created them out of the
wood from the forest where Cinderella lives.
Illustration
A folk tale about oppression and triumphant reward.

FILIPINO FOLKTALES
Stories that form part of the oral tradition in the
Philippines. They have been passed on from generation
to generation by word of mouth rather than by writing, and
thus the stories have been modified by successive
retellings before they were wrote down and recorded.
Folktales, in general, include legends, fables,
jokes, tall stories, and fairy tales. Many of the folktales in
the Philippines involve mythical creatures and magical
transformations.
Filipino folktales reflect the traditions of Filipino people. These stories may
be broadly classified into four groups:

PHILIPPINE MYTHS
FILIPINO LEGENDS
FILIPINO FABLES
FANTASTIC STORIES

Title: The Monkey and the Turtle

Author: Virgilio S. Almario
Genre: Children Literature/ Fiction
Language: Filipino
Verbal Elements:
1. Writer's Purpose
To give a moral lesson to the readers.
2. Plot
Exposition
A monkey was walking along the bank of the river then he met the turtle.
Rising Action
When the monkey and the turtle came back for the fruit-bearing trees
they've planted, they were disappointed to see that the monkey's tree has died
but since the turtle cannot climb trees, the monkey volunteered. It turns out, he
did not share any good fruit with the turtle.
Climax
The turtle has for the first time retaliated against the monkey after being
tricked a third time. The depiction of pain is kept at a distance, with the monkey
out of sight and the turtle hiding in the foreground.
Falling Action
The Turtle gets angry, and places shards of grass into the trunk of the
tree to teach the monkey a lesson, and hides nearby.
Resolution
The monkeys immediately tied strings around themselves as the turtle
said, and when all was ready they plunged into the water never to come up
again.

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Characters
- Monkey. Liar, tricky, and distrust.
- Turtle. Witty
Setting
The story happened one day, in broad daylight in most likely a forest
setting. When the monkey and the turtle came back for the fruit-bearing trees
they've planted, they were disappointed to see that the monkey's tree has died
but since the turtle cannot climb trees, the monkey volunteered.
Theme
The theme of the story is: "The weak but the cunning can be a lot
stronger than the powerful. One shouldn't be daunted by the apparent strength
of a stronger foe, and instead, use ones intellect and unity."
MORAL LESSON
The story's moral is that you should not be selfish. Don't be greedy; it's
easier to give than to receive; we need to share what we have, and God will
bless us even more. Don't be conceited.

FILIPINO LEGENDS

A legend is a story about the origins of things in the

world.

In the Philippines, several unique cultures and

traditions exists within the confines of its many islands. As
an archipelago, the Philippines is home to several ethnic
tales and legends passed on from generation to generation.
These stories and legends have since then become a part
of our tradition and culture:

Why does fish have scales? (The girl who turned into a Fish)

– This classic legend tells the story of a girl who turned into a fish. Furthermore,
this also contains other classic Philippine legends based on watery tales.
Mother Mountain
– The story of “The Mother Mountain” narrates the life of a widow who lived with
her two daughters. However, these daughters wanted nothing but to enjoy
themselves and play. Because of this, major consequences occurred leading
to the mother turning into a shape of a mountain called “Mt. Iraya”.

The Legend of Bulkang Mayon

– The Mayon Volcano is one of the most beautiful volcanoes in the world.
Additionally, its almost-perfect conical shape has become the stuff of legends.

Title: The Legend of the Pineapple

Author: Jonathan Josol
Genre: Children Literature/ Fiction/Legend
Language: Filipino
Verbal Elements:
1. Writer’s Purpose
To give readers a moral lesson.

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2. Plot
Exposition
There was a woman who lived with her daughter, Pina in a tiny hut in a
village.
Rising Action
One day, her mother became very ill. She called out to Pina to cook her
some porridge.
Climax
When the mother saw a new and strange plant growing on the very spot
where she last saw Pina.
Falling Action
One day, she was sweeping the backyard where Pina used to play. For
months now, she had noticed this strange plant growing on the very spot where
she last saw Pina. By this time, the leaves of the plant had fully opened. Inside,
she saw this strange yellow fruit that resembled a child’s head with a thousand
eyes. A thousand eyes…
Resolution
To honor the memory of her beloved daughter, she named the fruit Pina.
She took such loving care of it like it was her own daughter. The fruit flourished
so well, that it bore more and more fruits and became popular among the village
and the entire country. Its name later evolved to pinya, or pineapple in English.
Characters
Pina- only child, spoiled, snobbish child, lazy.
Mother- a lovely mother who worked hard for Pina.
Setting - In a hut of a small village.
Theme - The theme of the story is to teach others about obedience and to learn
the virtues of being neat and tidy. To value the things that she have especially
are sensed.
MORAL LESSON
Be careful what you wish for.
Look with your eyes, not with your mouth.
OBEY YOUR PARENTS.

LESSON SUMMARY

Traditional Literature is a genre that started in the oral tradition. It

involves with a fables, fairytales, and etc. Fable is a short tale in which the chief
characters are animals and sometimes inanimate objects that act and talk like
human beings. One of the famous author of fable is Aesop, in which this fables
are the world's best known collection of morality tales. His famous fable is the
ant and the grasshopper.
Another literature is Andersen's fairytales that was written by Hans
Christian Andersen with a famous work of Thumbelina that employs a moral of,
we will overcome these obstacles and in the end get what is best for us. The
Grimm Brother's fairytales was also written by Jacob Ludwig Carl Grimm and
Wilhelm Carl Grimm. There famous work is the Rumpelstiltskin. The one
thousand and one arabian nights stories is a collection of Middle Eastern and
South Asian folk tales that were originally published together during the Islamic
Golden Age with a one of thw famous work, Aladdin's Wonderful Lamp.

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 Filipino folktales are stories that form part of the oral tradition in the
Philippines. They have been passed on from generation to generation by word
of mouth rather than by writing, and thus the stories have been modified by
successive retellings before they were written down and recorded. Folktales, in
general, include legends, fables, jokes, tall stories, and fairy tales. A legend is
a story about the origins of things in the world. Filipino stories and legends have
since then become a part of our tradition and culture.

Lesson 4
MODERN FABLES
WHAT TO EXPECT?

• Explain the meaning of Modern Fables.

• Distinguish the different characteristics of fables, its function and
significance in literature.
• Describe the characters and moral lessons of each literary pieces of
fables.

PRE-DISCUSSION

• What is Modern Fables?

• What are the different characteristics, function and significance of
Modern Fables in literature?
• What characters comprise Fables and what moral lessons can we get
from reading it?
• How does one fully appreciate fables during ancient and in the modern
times?
Lesson Outline

• The word fable is derived from the Latin word fibula, which means “a
story,” and a derivative of the word fari, which means “to speak.”
• An author of fables is termed a fabulist.
• A fable is a fictional narrative meant to teach a moral lesson.
• The Western tradition of fable effectively begins with Aesop, a likely
legendary figure to whom is attributed a collection of ancient Greek
fables.
• Modern editions contain up to 200 fables, but there is no way of tracing
their actual origins; the earliest known collection linked to Aesop dates
to the 4th century BCE.
• The characters in a fable are usually animals whose words and actions
reflect human behavior.
• A fable's moral lesson, sometimes must be inferred, but at other times it
is expressed at the end of the story with a pithy saying or maxim.

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 • The word "fabulous," which comes from the word 'fable' now has a
secondary meaning in the context of fables, and is more informally used
to mean, 'superb' or 'exceptional'.
• In modern times the fable as a literary form has been adapted to adult
literature. For instance, George Orwell's Animal Farm satirizes Stalinist
Communism in particular, and totalitarianism in general, in the guise of
an animal fable.
Characteristics of Modern Fables
1. Morality
• The close relationship between man and beast, at first in the essential
tasks of hunting and guarding, and later as friends, led to increasing
intimacy with and understanding of animals.
• Animals were found to be like humans, possessing individual
characteristics.
• In time each animal became symbolic of one outstanding vice or virtue—
for example the owl was wise, he wolf cruel, the pig greedy, the peacock
proud, and the lion brave.
• So the fable was born as a vehicle for conveying simple moral truths.
2. Humor
• Primary purpose is to instruct or guide, not just to entertain.
• However, fables also afford the reader an opportunity to laugh at human
folly.

3. Animals with human characteristics

• Fables frequently have as their central characters animals that are given
anthropomorphic characteristics such as the ability to reason and
speak.
• Personification and Divinities
Function of Fable
• The purpose of writing fables is to convey a moral lesson and message.
• Also give readers a chance to laugh at the follies of human beings.
• They can be employed for the objective of satire and criticism.
• They are very helpful in teaching children good lessons based on
examples. However, in literature, fables are used for didactic purposes
at a much broader level.
Fables in Ancient Times
• The fable is one of the most enduring forms of folk literature.
• Most fables popular in present day Western countries can be traced back
to ancient Greece and India. The majority of the Greek fables are
credited to the legendary Aesop, of whom little is known except that he
was most likely a slave and that he was a very prolific writer.
• Some of Aesop's fables may have come from several ancient sources
and some of the stories seem to have originated in India during the first
millennium B.C.E.
• Many Indian tales, told as frame stories - that is a 'story within a story,' -
include Vishnu Sarma's Panchatantra, one of the best known collection
of Indian fables.

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 • Some of these stories had reached the West by the start of the Christian
era and were included in early collections of Aesop's fables.
• Epicharmus of Kos, the Greek philosopher and dramatist, is often
credited with having been among the first to invent comic fables.
Jean de La Fontaine
• The French fabulist and poet (1621-1695) retold the ancient fables by
recasting them in eloquent prose and updated themes.
• La Fontaine used the literary form of the fable to create a satirical social
critique of the political and social problems of the Ancien Régime under
French aristocracy.
• Fontaine, whose fables were written mainly for adults, have long been
enjoyed by French children.
• His endearing stories like La Cigale et la Fourmi (The Cricket and the
Ant) and Le Corbeau et le Renard (The Crow and the Fox) remain
classics today.
Modern Fables
• In modern times the fable as a literary form has been adapted to adult
literature. For instance, James Thurber used the style in his
books, Fables for Our Time and The Beast in Me and Other Animals. His
fables are noted for their stinging portrayal of the anxieties of modern
life.
• George Orwell's Animal Farm satirizes Stalinist Communism in
particular, and totalitarianism in general, in the guise of an animal fable.
The Irish novelist James Joyce wove "The Fox and the Grapes" and
"The Ant and the Grasshopper" into Finnegans Wake.
• The fables help create a mood of fantasy that characterizes this novel.

Significance of Fable in Literature

Fable is an important genre in literature, and has been a part of almost
every culture for as long as oral storytelling stretches back. Fables are
especially popular to tell to children to instruct them in the moral groundings of
their culture. Therefore, fables provide an excellent clue to those outside a
particular culture what is most important to the people from that culture. Many
fables are retold in countless versions up to the present day, such as the
enduringly popular Fables written by Aesop, a man who lived in Ancient
Greece. Writers of fables often choose this form to include a certain amount
of didacticism in their works. Generally the fable genre is not intended for adult
readers, though there are some notable exceptions, such as George
Orwell’s Animal Farm.
Examples of Modern Fables
Peter Rabbit by B. Potter
Beatrix Potter's “The Tale of Peter Rabbit”, is one of
the best-selling children's books of all time. It was privately
printed in 1901 and publicly released in 1902. The short
story was initially written for personal amusement. It
revolves around the playful Peter Rabbit, whose
disobedience causes problems. The story is full of humor
and adventure, as well as a moral lesson, and it is accompanied by beautiful
watercolors.

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 This tale is about a daring rabbit called Peter. Peter sneaks into Mr.
McGregor's garden one day while he is alone, ignoring his mother's warnings.
Before being noticed by Mr. McGregor, Peter eats a variety of vegetables from
the kitchen. Peter loses his clothes while trying to outrun the kid. Mr. McGregor
eventually tires of catching him. Peter attempts to find his way home but soon
discovers he is lost. He becomes concerned and depressed. He eventually
discovers the gate leading beyond the garden and slips under it. He returns
home and is reunited with his family. Peter is tired at this stage, so his mother
puts him to bed.
The work mixed deceivingly simple prose with delicate watercolors of
animals that, despite their humanlike clothes and dwellings, were identifiably
realistic woodland creatures. The main theme of Peter Rabbit's Tale is that you
reap what you sow. Mr. McGregor's garden was expressly forbidden to Peter
Rabbit by his mother. He purposefully disobeyed her and eventually faced the
consequences. Some of the themes of the story are: good versus bad, quest
for discovery, and coming of age.
Moral lesson:
• Listen to those wiser than we are about danger.
• Disobedience has consequences.
Curious George by M. Rey
Curious George is the protagonist of a famous
series of children's books and TV episodes of the same
name written by Margret and H. A. Rey. "The Man with
the Yellow Hat" brought George (who is referred to as a
monkey in the books) from his home in Africa. They are
best friends who live in "the city" and "the country."
During H. A. Rey's lifetime, Margret and H. A. Rey
published seven "Curious George" books. Houghton
Mifflin Harcourt has recently published more Curious
George books, including board books featuring scenes
from the original books, books adapted from the 1980s
telefilm series, and new adventures. Curious George
made his debut in 1941. George the curious monkey is taken from the jungle
by the man in the yellow hat to live in a new home, a new civilization, but—oh,
what happened! Despite his efforts to be successful, George is still very curious
and goes for a swim in the ocean, escapes from prison, and takes a flying trip
on a swarm of balloons. This beloved and treasured classic is where it all
started for the inquisitive, endearing monkey. Some of the life lessons that
Curious George taught us are be contagious, there’s an adventure around
every corner, be grateful for others, curiosity can be messy, and life is a party.
Moral Lesson:
• Curiosity comes from a desire to find answers to questions and a
want to learn. It is not inherently bad to be curious.
• Don’t punish your children (or charges) for being curious. Reward
and shape their curiosities.
• Be grateful for others .The Curious George characters are great at
remembering to say thank you.

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 • Life is a party. Curious George and The Man in the Yellow Hat
celebrate every success, even when mistakes were made along the
way.

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White

Charlotte's Web, a
classic children's novel
written by E.B. White and
illustrated by Garth Williams,
was published in 1952. The
widely read story is set on a
farm and revolves around a
pig named Wilbur and his
devoted friend Charlotte, a
spider who saves his life by
writing about him in her web.
Charlotte's Web was met
with critical acclaim upon its
initial release—Eudora Welty famously described it as "just about perfect"—
and quickly became a beloved children's classic. Although the novel is
humorous and charming, it also includes valuable lessons. For example, Fern's
caring for Wilbur teaches her responsibility, and she learns that she can make
a difference in the world if she stands up for what she believes in. Despite their
differences, Charlotte and Wilbur's relationship teaches empathy. Wilbur, like
any boy, grows up and learns to deal with anxiety, loss, mortality, and
loneliness. While it is a tale about life and death, it is also filled with humor, with
silly characters like the geese and the snobbish sheep.
Moral Lesson:
• Realize the Importance of True Friends. Friendship is certainly the
foundation of the novel. Fern’s love for Wilbur saved him, and Charlotte
taught Wilbur how to make and be a friend. Charlotte’s life had purpose
because she saved his life and made him happy. The meaning and
satisfaction of friendship is one of the greatest joys of life.
• Appreciate Diversity. There are a variety of animals in Charlotte’s Web:
cows, sheep, geese, a horse, and even a rat. Even though they share
the same space in the barn, they do not have interest in becoming
friends with each other. The animals do not trust anything that is not of
their own species. Wilbur, who is simple and kind, sees beyond the
animals' outward appearances, and their bond inspires the rest of the
animals. Finally, the barn animals’ band together to assist Wilbur and
Charlotte. People are alike on the inside and have skills to contribute to
the larger society, despite their differences in appearance, cultural
backgrounds, and customs.
• Give people a chance. Wilbur initially perceives Charlotte as fierce,
aggressive, and bloodthirsty. He gives her a chance and discovers that
she is sweet, smart, and caring. Some people may seem rough around
the edges on the outside, but on the inside, they typically have endearing
qualities.

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 • Stay Humble. “Wilbur was modest; fame did not spoil him.” He kept his
endearing, kind attitude, and everyone in the story grew to like him even
more. People react positively to modesty because it demonstrates that
you put yourself on the same level as others, rather than above them.
• Cope with loss, but never forget. Wilbur loved Charlotte's children and
grandchildren after she died, but "none of the new spiders ever took her
place in his heart." Fern grew up and started coming to the stable, but
Wilber still had feelings for her. Although life is not the same after a loss,
memories remain unchanged.
Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne
Since 1926, Winnie-the-Pooh and his pals—
Piglet, Owl, Tigger, and the ever-grumpy Eeyore—have
endured as the unforgettable creations of A.A. Milne,
who wrote this book for his son, Christopher Robin, and
Ernest H. Shepard, who lovingly formed Pooh and his
pals. These characters and their stories are enduring
childhood treasures that continue to connect to us all
with the kind of freshness and heart that defines true
storytelling. The stories are written clearly in order to
appeal to young audiences, and they are full of
humorous moments as well as silly verses. However, the
novel is also noteworthy for its observations into human
behavior, and Milne's characters are both endearing and complex. E.H.
Shepard's original illustrations contribute to the book's charm and help it
become a children's classic "Winnie-the-Pooh is a joy; full of solemn idiocies
and the sort of jokes one weeps over helplessly, not even knowing why they
are so funny, and with it all the real wit and tenderness which alone could create
a priceless little masterpiece." Saturday Review, 1926.
Moral Lesson:
• Positive Thinking. “However,” he said, brightening up a little, “we
haven’t had an earthquake lately.” (The House at Pooh Corner, p. 11)
Although Eeyore is generally known as the gloomy one, even he can
look on the bright side occasionally.
• Gratitude. But Eeyore wasn’t listening. He was taking the balloon out,
and putting it back again, as happy as could be… (Winnie the Pooh, p.
89) It doesn’t matter to Eeyore that Piglet meant to give him an inflated
balloon and Pooh meant to give him a pot of honey for his birthday and
what he got was a popped balloon and an empty pot. He enjoys his gifts
because his friends thought to give them to him.
• The Importance of Education. “But to the Educated - mark this, little
Piglet – to the Educated, not meaning Poohs and Piglets, it’s a great and
glorious A." (The House at Pooh Corner, p. 88) Those who can spell in
the Hundred Acre Wood are the ones the others look up to. Owl is wise
and often consulted for advice because he can spell Tuesday.
• Taking Pleasure in the Simple Things in Life. And that was the
beginning of a game called Poohsticks, which Pooh invented, and which
he and his friends used to play on the edge of the forest. (The House at
Pooh Corner, p. 95) Poohsticks may be one of the simplest games
invented, but with the right friends, it can be endlessly entertaining.

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• Get Along With Everyone. “Tigger is all right, really,” said Piglet lazily.
“Of course he is,” said Christopher Robin. “Everybody is really,” said
Pooh. “That’s what I think.” (The House at Pooh Corner, p. 108) Even
though Tigger is strange to them at first, the other characters soon
embrace him as a friend. If these woodland creatures are able to put
aside their, at times, staggering differences, certainly we human beings
can as well.
• Embrace Your Individuality. There are so many wonderful things
about Tigger, but what’s the MOST wonderful thing? That he’s the only
one! Being different is great.
• Friendship. “Pooh, promise you won’t forget about me, ever. Not even
when I’m a hundred." Pooh thought for a little. “How old shall I be then?”
“Ninety-nine.” “I promise,” he said. (The House at Pooh Corner, p. 179).
The overall theme of Winnie the Pooh is the importance of forming solid,
lasting friendships.
LESSON SUMMARY

• A fable is a fictional narrative meant to teach a moral lesson and is

derived from the Latin word fibula, which means “a story,” and a
derivative of the word fari, which means “to speak.”
• The characters in a fable are usually animals whose words and actions
reflect human behavior.
• The characteristics of modern fables includes morality, humor and
animals with human characteristics.
• The function of fable is to convey a moral and valuable lesson and to
give laughter and entertainment to the readers at the follies of human
beings.
• The fable is one of the most enduring forms of folk literature. Most fables
popular in present day Western countries can be traced back to ancient
Greece and India. The majority of the Greek fables are credited to the
legendary Aesop, of whom little is known except that he was most likely
a slave and that he was a very prolific writer.
• Jean de La Fontaine is a French fabulist and poet who retold the ancient
fables by recasting them in eloquent prose and updated themes. His
fables were written mainly for adults, have long been enjoyed by French
children.
• Fable is a significant literary form that has been a part of almost every
culture for as long as oral storytelling has existed. Fables are particularly
famous for teaching children the moral foundations of their society.
• Peter Rabbit by B. Potter, Curious George by M. Rey, Charlotte’s
Web by E.B. White and Winnie The Pooh by A.A. Milne are some of
the examples of modern fables.

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 Lesson 5
MODERN FANTASY
WHAT TO EXPECT?

• Explain the meaning of modern fantasy.

• Distinguish the basic elements and categories of modern fantasy.
• Compare and contrast modern and traditional fantasy.

PRE-DISCUSSION
• What is Modern Fantasy?
• What are the basic elements of modern fantasy?
• To which categories do the given literary pieces belong?
• How does modern fantasy differ from traditional fantasy?

LESSON OUTLINE
Modern Fantasy
• The genre started in the Victorian age in England in 1872.
• The history of modern fantasy literature begins with George
MacDonald.
• John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was the father of modern fantasy literature.
• "The Wood beyond the World which was the very first work of fantasy
in the modern era.
• Modern fantasy is a genre of literature that is closely related to
traditional literature.
• Stories in this genre include such elements as talking animals,
imaginary worlds, fanciful characters, and magical beings.
• Authors of modern fantasy do not merely make up an imaginary story.
• They must create a setting with a new set of physical laws, believable
characters, and a credible plot.
• Stories that invites the reader to examine issues of the human
condition and believe that such world could really exist.
Basic Elements of Modern Fantasy
1. Magic
• Fantasy literature’s most basic element.
• Often a part of the setting, explaining otherwise inexplicable events.
• Cannot be explained—it’s just there.
2. Other Worlds / Secondary Worlds
• A special geography or universe is established, a place wherein magic
may freely operate.
• The entire tale may be set in an imaginary place.
• The characters are taken from a primary world to a secondary world,
through some type of portal.
• The secondary world invades our primary world.
3. Good vs. Evil

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 • Modern fantasy stories have strong mythological base.
• The basic theme gives rise to the conflict in a story.
• How do good and evil manifest in each of the characters?
4. Heroism
• Every hero has a quest--a circular journey; an age-old pattern
Six elements in every hero's quest:
1. the call to adventure
2. crossing threshold of safety and familiarity
3. surviving the trials of the new and dangerous environment
4. assistance from a protective figure
5. maturing and becoming a "whole person"
6. returning home
5. Special Character Types
• Characters who come from either our legendary past or author’s vivid
imagination.
• Rarely typically humans such as Fairies, pixies, giants, wicked witches,
ogres, vampires, wizards, dwarves, elves, hobbits, etc.
6. Fantastic Objects
✓ Characters employ magical props to accomplish heroic or evil deeds.
Examples: Magical cloaks, swords, staffs, cauldrons, mirrors, silver slippers,
Categories of Modern Fantasy
1. Animal Fantasy
➢ Characterized by animals behaving as human beings in which
they experience emotions, talk, and have the ability to reason.

2. Toys and Objects Imbued with Life

➢ These stories bring inanimate objects (dolls, cars, robots) to life.
3. Tiny Humans
➢ These stories deal with tiny people who think and act like the
average person.
4. Peculiar Characters and Situations
➢ These are situations and characters that are "over the top"! They
may occur in realistic settings, making them more believable.
5. Imaginary Worlds
➢ Are worlds that do not exist in the real word. It is almost
indistinguishable except for the presence of invented characters
and events.
6. Magical Powers
➢ Characters in these stories possess a magic object, know a
magical saying or have magical powers.
7. Supernatural Tales
➢ Occur outside the known bounds of reality. It has elements like
monsters, ghosts, even religious plots.
8. Time-Warp Fantasies
➢ Based on characters who seem to move easily from their own
time to a long-lost point in time.
9. High Fantasy
➢ Consists of complex narratives, often connected to sequels,
which contain recurring themes and motifs. They may be set in a

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 created world, and characters may call on ancient or fundamental
powers, good or evil.
10. Novelized Traditional Tales
➢ Tales that long enchanted listeners and readers. Authors draw
from familiar stories and create complex plots featuring
multidimensional characters.
Examples of Modern Fantasy
"A Christmas Carol"
A Christmas Carol, in full A Christmas Carol, in Prose:
Being a Ghost Story of Christmas, a short novel by Charles
Dickens, originally published in 1843. The story, suddenly
conceived and written in a few weeks, is one of the
outstanding Christmas stories of modern literature. It was
written as a work of social commentary.
The 1951 movie “A Christmas Carol” is based on Charles Dickens’ classic
novel. It’s the fictional story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a business owner who
idolizes wealth and mocks charity. Scrooge’s values, and the behavior
emanating from them, isolate him from family and friends and make him
miserable. Scrooge gets a wake-up call in the form of a nightmarish visit from
the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future.
The themes of A Christmas Carol include the possibility of redemption, the
damaging effects of isolation, and the importance of love and compassion.
Each of these themes is displayed through Scrooge's transformation from a
miserly, greedy, and lonely man into an empathetic and kind individual.

“Alice Adventure in Wonderland"

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, a widely beloved
British children’s book by Lewis Carroll, published in 1865.
With its fantastical tales and riddles, it became one of the
most popular works of English-language fiction. It was
notably illustrated by British artist John Tenniel.
Lewis Carroll's book "Alice in Wonderland is full of
fanciful characters, each one adding a bit of humor and
dimension to the story. Alice the protagonist must find her way through this
strange place called "Wonderland".She is a 7-year-old girl who while sitting with
her sisters falls asleep and enters this world by falling down a rabbit hole. She
follows the White Rabbit who leads her on many adventures throughout the
book. mad.
The book is very complex and has a lot of symbolism conveyed through the
characters and setting. He intricately weaves a story using these characters
and many more lessor ones to tell his story.
The main themes in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland are identity, coming
of age, and absurdity. Identity: As Alice journeys farther into Wonderland, she
loses touch with her sense of self and comes to question who she is.

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“Bridge to Terabithia"
Bridge to Terabithia is about Jess Aarons and Leslie
Burke, two fifth-graders who become friends and
create an imaginary land called Terabithia, where they
can go to forget about their problems. Katherine
Paterson's Bridge to Terabithia is a work of realistic
fiction that behaves like fantasy. It employs common
tropes of the children's fantasy tradition, in which child
characters often leave the “real” world for an alternate
magical space, participate in adventures, and return to
normalcy.
Jess and Leslie's friendship is the central theme of Bridge to Terabithia.
Their friendship is delightful on a simple level, their childish exploits fraught with
amusement and joy.
“The Chronicles of Narnia”
The Chronicles of Narnia, a series of seven
children’s books by C.S. Lewis: The Lion, the
Witch, and the Wardrobe (1950), Prince Caspian
(1951), The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1952),
The Silver Chair (1953), The Horse and His Boy
(1954), The Magician’s Nephew (1955), and The
Last Battle (1956). The series is considered a
classic of fantasy literature and has influenced
many other fantasy works.
The genius of C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia was to artfully
combine traditional Christian themes and iconography, with symbols from other
mythic traditions, and narrative elements of his own. As a result, Narnia is finally
neither purely fantasy literature, nor is it purely Christian fiction. Rather, when
the first book appeared in 1954, it represented the entirely new genre of
Christian fantasy fiction.

“Peter Pan”
Peter Pan is a classic of children’s literature, and
the name of its hero has passed into the English
language and taken on a life of its own. The tale of Peter
Pan, who entices the Darling siblings to fly away to
Neverland, and their storybook adventures involving
fairies, pirates, mermaids, and fights with the ever-
present enemy Captain Hook, fascinated its initial
audiences in 1904 and continues to fascinate children
and adults today.
Peter Pan, which draws on the pattern and archetypal characters of the
fairy tale and the British pantomime tradition, gives the appearance of being a
much older story than it is, an effect that Barrie carefully crafted. While Peter
Pan is a play (and later a novel) that has always been accessible to both adults
and children, it is centered on children and the essence of childhood. It
dramatizes fantastic and domestic imaginary childhood plays, as well as the
relationship between parents and children, and also a child's sadness over the
absence of that relationship. It can be read as a celebration of everlasting

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childhood, but it can also be read as a reminder about the risks of committing
to such a state.
“Harry Potter”
The Harry Potter books make up the
popular series written by J. K. Rowling. The
series spans seven books. The books have been
made into eight films by Warner Bros. The last
book is split into two films.
The books concern a wizard called Harry Potter and his journey through
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The stories tell of him overcoming
dangerous obstacles to defeat the Dark Wizard Lord Voldemort who killed his
parents when Harry was 15 months old. The first book, Harry Potter and The
Philosopher's Stone, was published in 1997 by Bloomsbury in London. The last
book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, sold more than 12 million copies
in the U.S.
Traditional fantasy versus Modern fantasy
✓ Modern Fantasy is distinguished from other genres by story elements
that violate the natural, physical laws of our world.
✓ Modern Fantasy differs from Traditional Fantasy in that the stories
have an identifiable author and were written as early as the 1800s.

LESSON SUMMARY

• Modern fantasy is a genre of literature that is closely related to traditional

literature.
• Modern fantasy has six basic elements such as: magic; other worlds /
secondary worlds; good vs. evil; heroism; special character types; and
fantastic objects.
• There are different categories of modern fantasy: animal fantasy which
is Characterized by animals behaving as human beings; toys and objects
imbued with life which bring inanimate objects (dolls, cars, robots) to life;
tiny humans which deal with tiny people who think and act like a person;
peculiar characters and situations wherein the situations and characters
are "over the top"! may occur in realistic settings, making them more
believable; imaginary worlds which refers to the worlds that do not exist
in the real word; magical powers wherein the characters in these stories
possess a magic object or power; supernatural tales which has elements
like monsters, ghosts, even religious plots; time-warp fantasies which is
based on characters who seem to move easily from their own time to a

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 long-lost point in time; high fantasy which consists of complex narratives,
often connected to sequels, which contain recurring themes and motifs;
and novelized traditional tales which refers to the tales that long
enchanted listeners and readers.
• Modern Fantasy differs from Traditional Fantasy in that the stories have
an identifiable author and were written as early as the 1800s.

Lesson 6
NON-FICTION
WHAT TO EXPECT?

• Represent the meaning of Non- Fiction.

• Identify the different elements of non-fiction.
• Determine the different elements being used in the following nonfiction
pieces.

PRE-DISCUSSION
1. What is Nonfiction all about?
2. What are the different elements that can be found in the following
nonfiction stories given?
3. How can we recognize that a piece is a Non- fiction or not?

LESSON OUTLINE
➢ Nonfiction is any document or media content that intends, in good faith,
to present only truth and accuracy regarding information, events, or
people.
➢ Nonfictional content may be presented either objectively or subjectively.
Information or describes real events, rather than telling a story.
➢ “Nonfiction” refers to literature based in fact. It is the broadest category
of literature. The Nonfiction Department has books and videos in many
categories including biography, business, cooking, health and fitness,
pets, crafts, home decorating, languages, travel, home improvement,
religion, art and music, history, self-help, true crime, science and humor.
We also have a section of popular and award-winning documentary
DVDs.
Four Major Elements of Non Fiction
Lay out - should attract the reader and encourage reading and
progression through the book.
• Format is interesting, attractive, magnetic
• Index
• Glossary, pronunciation key
• Table of contents
• Book size
• Photographs compliment text, located near the related text,
captions accurate. Illustrations are important but if the writer relies

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 too much on pictures, the reader/listener/viewer may not get a
comprehensive understanding of the information
Information - includes facts, little known information, and ideas that
spark curiosity, create mystery, and propel the
listener/reader/viewer to discover and learn.
• Qualifications of the creator suggest appropriate experience or
exceptionality
• Accurate - information can be verified with other sources-
• Includes source information
• Timely or current
• Supports the story
• Covers the topic in significant detail
• Moves from simple to complex and familiar to unfamiliar
• Creates a feeling of the setting
• Presents information in an organized sequence that enhances
the topic
• Non-biased - neutral position
• Is not overly didactic
• Includes safety precautions as needed

Characterization
• characters are well developed
• No stereotype or biased characterization
• Creates empathy for the characters
• Uses quotations and anecdotes. Particularly in biographies it
is important to use the character's real words and anecdotes
that originate from someone with first-hand knowledge of the
incidents.
Style and tone - Style should maintain the reader's interest.
Nonfiction presents information, but the listener/viewer/reader
doesn't need to be bored by a collection of information in choppy
sentences. Good style adds interest to the story.
• Narration creates interest and understanding
• Clear
• Precise
• Distinguish between fact, theory, and opinion
• Vivid
• Could be personalized
• Objective non-biased or condensending or sarcastic
• Is not didactic
• Does not use propaganda techniques
• Builds suspense or sustains interest and encourages further
investigation
• Moves from simple to complex and familiar to unfamiliar
• Presents information in an organized sequence that enhances
the topic
• Scope is appropriate for the target audience and increases in
complexity at an appropriate rate

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 • Avoids anthropomorphism
• Vocabulary is relative
• Underlying themes are appropriate and helpful
• Presents ideas/topic in a unique manner or new perspective
• Illustrations compliment and don’t over power the message
• Includes a table of contents, glossary, and index
• Has a theme(s)
• Has a conclusion
THE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS BEING USED IN GIVEN PIECE
 I am Malala by M.Yousafzi
This genre is belong to biography
It is the memoir of a remarkable teenage girl who risked her life for the
right to go to school. Raised in a changing Pakistan by an enlightened
father from a poor background and a beautiful, illiterate mother from a
political family, Malala was taught to stand up for what she believes.
The I am Malala Literary Elements
Genre
Memoir
Setting and Context
Swat Valley, Pakistan, from 1997 to 2013
Narrator and Point of View
Malala Yousafzai, a girl growing up in Pakistan under the Taliban’s
control, narrates the memoir in first-person past tense.
Tone and Mood
The first part of the memoir, when Malala is living happily in Swat,
attending school and remaining at the top of her class, has a much more
lighthearted tone. The tone and mood darken once the Taliban arrive to
Swat Valley in 2007, and becomes much more urgent as Malala and her
father step up as activists.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Malala is the protagonist, while the Taliban—an oppressive Islamic
fundamentalist organization that occupied Swat Valley during her
adolescence—is the antagonist
Major Conflict
Though there are many struggles that accompany daily life in Swat, the
primary conflict is over the Taliban's occupation of Swat. The Taliban
have banned girls' education, something Malala believes is invaluable.
Not only does Malala want to continue going to school, but she wants all
other girls to receive an education as well, and throughout the memoir
she stands up against the Taliban to promote this.
Climax
The climax of the memoir occurs when a Taliban officer boards Malala's
school bus, asks for her by name, and then shoots her in the face.
Foreshadowing
Malala narrates this memoir in retrospect, so there are many instances
where she hints at what is going to happen. A notable instance of
foreshadowing occurs at the end of Chapter 23, when Malala finishes
the chapter about her hospitalization in Birmingham by saying, "I didn't
realize then I wouldn't be going home"

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Allusions
Malala repeatedly alludes to Twilight, the famous book series about
vampires by Stephenie Meyer. When the Taliban comes to Swat Valley,
she says, "It seemed to us that the Taliban arrived in the night just like
vampires" (pg. 60).

 Anne Frank:Diary of a young girl by A.Frank

Genre
Autobiography, Coming-of-Age, Jewish Literature
So we know what you’re thinking: this isn’t exactly an autobiography.
Anne is writing it herself and about herself, but she’s not really telling her
life story per se.
Tone
Youthful; Optimistic with Jolts of Anger, Irony, and Humor
No shocker here: the tone of the diary of a thirteen-to-fifteen-year-old girl
is youthful. To be fair, Anne does have many surprisingly mature insights
into life, war, interpersonal relationships, and much more. But this is
always set against the generally youthful tone of her writing... and this
makes the diary that much more poignant.
Setting
The Secret Annex, in German-Occupied Amsterdam, Holland
During World War II
The early entries of the diary, before Anne and her family enter into
hiding, take place in Amsterdam, Holland. We don't learn much about
the city or surroundings, only that the movement of Jews within the city
is severely restricted due to the German occupation. For example, Jews
aren't allowed to use public transportation and have a curfew of 8pm,
after which they're not allowed outside of their homes. This brief view of
Amsterdam helps us understand the forces that caused the Franks to
enter into hiding.
The majority of the diary’s events take place in the small rooms of the
"Secret Annex," a portion of Mr. Frank and Mr. van Daan’s office hidden
behind a bookcase. The four-room living situation is cramped and
confining for the eight (!) inhabitants. Rarely are they able to open
windows; their use of plumbing is restricted; and they can’t escape each
other’s company.
Writing Style
Unhindered, Effusive, Introspective, Progressively Mature
When reading Anne Frank’s diary, it’s possible to feel both intrusive and
honored at the same time. You are, after all, reading a girl’s diary, in which
she has clearly entrusted all of her innermost feelings and thoughts. You
feel like a snoop. But there’s a sense of honor about reading her words—
it’s sort of like having a close friend gushing her private thoughts to you,
trusting you with her most valuable secrets. Anne is relatable, above all
else, possibly because her writing is so unfailingly honest and unashamed
about feelings that are universal and timeless to teens the world over.
Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
➢ Peter Schiff

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 For Anne, Peter Schiff serves as a symbol of desire and love. She pins
all her longings on memories of him. When Peter Schiff and Peter van
Daan become "one" in her head, she finally admits that she is falling in
love with Peter van Daan.
➢ Lies, a school friend
Anne dreams about her school friend Lies and imagines that terrible
things have happened to her. Lies becomes a symbol of guilt and
gratefulness. Anne feels somehow that she should have managed to
save Lies. The fact that something terrible has probably happened to
people she loves reminds Anne how grateful she should be to the people
who have protected her family.
➢ Menstruation
At many points in her diary, Anne expresses her desire to grow up so
that her family will take her seriously. She hopes desperately to have
her period, thinking of it as a physical sign of adulthood. While her
period doesn’t bring her family to respect her maturity, she continues
to enjoy it as a "sweet secret."
➢ Writing
Anne’s dream is to become a writer. She writes fiction stories and
hopes eventually to become a journalist. As her time in the Secret Annex
wears on, and fear for her life increases, Anne expresses a desire to be
made immortal through her writing. Thus her journal, which she hopes to
use as the basis for a later published work, and her writing in general,
become the symbol of the ability to live beyond one’s death.
➢ Westertoren clock
Anne loves the sound of the Westertoren clock, which signals every
quarter of an hour. To her, it feels like a faithful friend. It is reassuring.
One night when it fails to chime while they are sitting in silence because
there is a burglar outside, she feels deserted and afraid.
Narrators Point of View
First Person (Limited): Anne Frank
The story is told through Anne Frank’s eyes, and is told with Anne’s voice.
We are completely situated within Anne’s viewpoint throughout the book—it
was, after all, her honest-to-goodness diary. It's incredibly intimate.
What this means is that we only see the characters and the events that
take place through the lens of Anne... even as Anne herself is filled with a
confusing maelstrom of hormones, adolescent mood swings, paralyzing fear,
and intense claustrophobia. Anne herself even points out that she often writes
when she is most angry, frustrated, or depressed as a way to relieve those
feelings.

LESSON SUMMARY

• Non-fiction is prose writing that is based on facts, real events, and

real people, such as biography, memoir or history and humor. Can
also be instructional, can offer commentary and it can ponder
philosophical questions.

• The most prominent types of nonfiction genres are history,

Biographies and memoirs. Travel guides, travelogues and more are

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 also a part of it. If a book is not rooted in a made up story then it is
nonfiction.

• In a nutshell, nonfiction covers everything else. The contents of

nonfiction are rooted in true events, although many nonfiction books
offer strongly opinionated commentary on those true events—think of
authors like George Will, Paul Krugman, Frank Rich, and more.

• I am Malala by M.Yousafzi and Anne Frank:Diary of A young girl by

A.Frank is an example of pieces that encompasses the different
elements of nonfiction genre.

Lesson 7
MULTI-CULTURAL AND INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE
WHAT TO EXPECT?
• Explain the meaning of Multicultural and International Literature.
• Discuss the importance of Multicultural and International Literature.
• Familiarize authors and their pieces of Multicultural and International
Literature.

PRE-DISCUSSION
1. What is Multicultural and International Literature?
2. Why is Multicultural and International Literature important?
3. Who are the writers who wrote about Multicultural and International
Literature and what are some examples of their pieces?

LESSON OUTLINE

According to (Yokoto, 2001), multicultural literature

includes literature about people who are considered outside
of the mainstream of society and have been in some
manner marginalized. This definition would include people
from diverse cultural, linguistic, socioeconomic, and
religious backgrounds. In addition, it encompasses issues
on gender, sexual orientation and disabilities.
Hence, based from the study of (Hseu and Hetzel, 2000), multicultural
literature serves as a powerful tool in enabling students to gain a better
understanding of both their own culture and the cultures of others. Through this
deeper knowledge, relationships can be strengthened, bridging the gap
between students from diverse cultural backgrounds. As students of the 21st

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century are global participants, it is important that they possess cultural
sensitivity.
Through extensive research, Norton (2009) has discovered that when
students can relate global events to the themes, conflicts and characterizations
found in multicultural literature, it helps them to better understand current world
issues. Students therefore develop greater cognitive skills as they learn to
engage with and critically evaluate the texts that they read.

Akong Bugsay
Amaya C. Aboitiz

Akong Bugsay was the brainchild of the beautiful Amaya C. Aboitiz and
illustrated by Karmina T. Cuizon. It is a bilingual children's book that was
inspired by the Bugsay principle of his father, President Roberto "Bobby" E.

Aboitiz (RAFI President). The principle was channeled through the story
of a cute and curious child named Andoy and his hardworking father who works
as a fisherman. In the process, Andoy learns basic lessons in the achievement
of a goal. Akong bugsay, after all, is Cebuano for “my paddle”—an essential
tool in fishing and/or navigation. “The bugsay principle is about having a goal,
planning well and working hard to achieve it,” writes Aboitiz.

The Bugsay Principle may often be disregarded by adults because it is

hidden under a children's book, but the lesson it teaches us echoes beyond
years and wide-eyed wonder. The Bugsay Principle simply teaches us that it is
important to have a goal, plan well, and work hard to achieve your goal. The
principle can also be used in business or local government. It may sound simple
but this is the secret of all the successful people in the world. According to
President Bobby, attitude can make or break us.

Stories by Dr. Luis Gatmaitan and other Palanca awardees

For this pediatrician, helping children

does not mean you have to be confined
within the four walls of a clinic. Using his pen,
Dr. Luis Gatmaitan has woven award-
winning stories on and for children, and how
to better care for their bodies.
Popularly known as “Tito Dok” among
his patients and readers, Gatmaitan has authored and published over 35
children’s books that tackle childhood diseases, children’s rights, hygiene,
disability and coping with cancer, among others.
His works have earned him numerous awards, including the country’s
premier literary contest, the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for
Literature, where he won six times for his children’s fiction and essays in
Filipino.

105
 Five of the six Palanca awards he received—all first prizes—elevated
him to the Palanca Awards Hall of Fame in 2005.
A board exam topnotcher, Gatmaitan took up BS Medical Technology as
a pre-med course at the Far Eastern University-Nicanor Reyes Medical
Foundation, where he also acquired his degree in medicine. He later
specialized in pediatrics and family medicine.
Some of his stories have been translated into Bahasa Indonesia,
Nihonggo, Mandarin and Thai. A few have been mounted as musicals, opera
and animation. Among his popular works is “Ang Mga Kuwento ni Tito Dok,” a
series of children’s books with medical themes like immunization, intestinal
parasitism, tooth decay, blood transfusion, dengue fever, sore eyes, common
colds, head lice, diarrhea, and dog bite, among others. The series, inspired by
the popularity of Severino Reyes’s “Mga Kwento ni Lola Basyang,” explains
difficult medical concepts in a fun and informative way.

“Mga Kuwento ni Tito Dok” was cited in 2002 by the Manila Critics Circle
“for its popularization of the science of medicine in language and illustrations
that young children can understand, for its indigenizing of universal scientific
principles, and for its imaginative reconstruction of what happens in the human
body.”

His “Pambihirang Buhok ni Raquel” (“Raquel’s

Fantastic Hair”), for instance, is a story about a
leukemia patient. “The bigger issue for the girl was
not her cancer, but the fact that she had gone bald
and she felt different from the others. When I wrote
that story, I focused on her hair because it
symbolized her strength as well as the family’s
hope in the face of adversity,” he explained.

“Sandosenang Sapatos” (“A Dozen Pairs of

Shoes”), on the other hand, is a heartwarming
story of a family’s struggle to make life wonderful
and as normal as possible for a disabled family
member.
Apart from the Palanca Award and other
accolades that it has reaped here and abroad,
the story was also named the Outstanding Book
for Young People with Disabilities in 2005 by the
International Board on Books for Young People.
Translated into different languages, the story
was also staged as a musical by the Valenzuela
City Center for Performing Arts two years ago.
Gatmaitan spends his Wednesdays at the
Pediatric Tumor Clinic of the East Avenue
Medical Center (EAMC) in Quezon City for a storytelling session for cancer-
afflicted kids. He also assists them during chemotherapy sessions.
The doctor also helps facilitate art therapy sessions all over the country for kids
who have experienced tragedies like those caught in armed conflicts.

106
Two of his Palanca-award winning essays were, in fact, lifted from his
experiences and interaction with these children.
While “Tuwing Miyerkules” focuses on his weekly visits to the EAMC, “Tapok
and Banlik” is a personal essay that pays tribute to the resiliency of Filipino
children, particularly the survivors of the mudslide flash flood tragedy in the
towns of Infanta and Real in Quezon province in 2005.
A recipient of the Catholic Mass Media Awards for Best Short Story for
Children and the Philippine Board on Books for Young People-Salanga Writers
Prize, the doctor was also recognized with a Gawad Dangal ng Wikang Filipino
by the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino for his contribution to the propagation of
Filipino.

He has also been cited as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men of the
Philippines in 2003 for his contributions in the field of literature, and as a finalist
in the 2004 Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World search.

Just recently, Gatmaitan, who had no formal lessons in creative writing,

received a Reading Advocacy Individual Achievement Award from the Reading
Association of the Philippines “for the many enlightening and entertaining
stories he has woven to inform and delight children and to instill in them the
truth of the healing power of reading.”

Author
•Margot Lee Shetterly
Year Published
•2016
Type
•Non-Fiction
Genre
•Biography

Biography of the Author

Margot Lee Shetterly was raised in a middle class black community in
Hampton, Virginia. Her father was a climate scientist at the NASA-Langley
Research Center and her mother was an English Professor at Hampton
University. She attended the University of Virginia, where she studied business,
and then she moved to New York, where she worked at several prestigious
investment banking firms and media startups. After marrying writer Aran
Shetterly, the two moved to Mexico in 2005 to start a magazine for Anglophone
expats in Mexico, and Shetterly began writing and researching Hidden Figures
while living in Mexico in 2010. To support her writing, Shetterly has received
fellowships from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and from the Virginia
Foundation for the Humanities. Hidden Figures was released as both a book
and an Oscar-nominated movie in 2016. Shetterly is also the founder of the
Human Computer Project, which aims to be a complete record of women who
contributed to research at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics.

Context of the Book

107
 Margot Lee Shetterly was raised in a middle class black community in
Hampton, Virginia. Her father was a climate scientist at the NASA-Langley
Research Center and her mother was an English Professor at Hampton
University. She attended the University of Virginia, where she studied business,
and then she moved to New York, where she worked at several prestigious
investment banking firms and media startups. After marrying writer Aran
Shetterly, the two moved to Mexico in 2005 to start a magazine for Anglophone
expats in Mexico, and Shetterly began writing and researching Hidden Figures
while living in Mexico in 2010. To support her writing, Shetterly has received
fellowships from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and from the Virginia
Foundation for the Humanities. Hidden Figures was released as both a book
and an Oscar-nominated movie in 2016. Shetterly is also the founder of the
Human Computer Project, which aims to be a complete record of women who
contributed to research at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics
Themes
• Racism and Inequality
• Community
• Luck, Persistent Action, and Hard Work
• Scientific Progress vs. Social and Political Progress
Motifs
• The Double V
- “The Double V,” short for “The Double Victory,” is a term mentioned
in a letter sent to The Pittsburgh Courier by an activist. It represents
the simultaneous struggle against America’s enemies around the
globe and against those Americans whose prejudices debase
America from within.
Symbols
• “ Colored” signs
- Miriam Mann steals the “Colored Computers” sign and puts it in her
purse, and then continues to steal it until the sign stops reappearing,
what she’s really doing is allowing the black women at the NACA to
begin to regain some of their dignity in the face of the prejudice and
discrimination they encounter daily.
Lessons learned from the story Hidden Figures
• Powerful Mentors Matter
- Mentors matter, comradely conquers and a commitment to success
overcomes obstacles.
• The Power of Teamwork
- They worked collectively to advance each other as individuals
performing calculations to further future space missions and
continuing with important aviation research.
• Women Advocating Women
• Pushing to Advocate for Yourself
• Having True Grit

LESSON SUMMARY
• Multi-cultural and International Literature can be used as a tool to open
students’ minds.

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 • It serves as a powerful tool in enabling student’s to gain a better
understanding of both their own culture and the cultures of others.
• It helps to stimulate an understanding of diversity in the classroom and
helps to build an understanding of and respect for people from other
cultures.
• Also, multicultural literature can be used to examine racism (Colby &
Lyon, 2004).
• Other benefits include a development of vocabulary, stimulating
imagination, facilitating empathy, increased knowledge of one’s own
heritage, and fostering positive self-concepts and identity.

CHAPTER SUMMARY
Children’s and adolescent literature can be classified into different
categories of literature, namely: poetry, picture books, traditional literature,
modern fables, modern fantasy, realistic fiction, non-fiction, historical fiction,
and multi-cultural and international fiction. In addition, each category have
significant impact to the way how children’s learn and behave.

✓ Poetry is known as the oldest form of literature; aesthetically created

through words that evoke feelings, true to life experiences, histories, and
human desires.
✓ Picture books use illustrations, with or without text, to convey stories,
which delight and engage children.
✓ Traditional Literature is a genre that started in the oral tradition. It
involves with a fables, fairytales, and etc.
✓ Filipino folktales are stories that form part of the oral tradition in the
Philippines. They have been passed on from generation to generation
by word of mouth rather than by writing, and thus the stories have been
modified by successive retellings before they were written down and
recorded.
✓ Realistic fiction depicts our world and our society.
✓ Modern fantasy is a genre of literature that is closely related to
traditional literature. Modern fantasy has six basic elements such as
magic; other worlds / secondary worlds; good vs. evil; heroism; special
character types; and fantastic objects.
✓ Non-fiction is prose writing that is based on facts, real events, and real
people, such as biography, memoir or history and humor.
✓ Historical Fiction are stories that are written to portray a time period or
convey information about a specific time period or an historical event.
Furthermore, literature is already part of human’s culture. It’s a method
usually used to preserved traditions, store information about past events, and
instilling values to the children. Significantly, it aims to retell all the stories and

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values from one generation to another, and to record all verbal practices and
issues that depicts how society constantly changes and how people adapt to it.

UNIT ASSESSMENT/ ENRICHMENT

DIRECTIONS: Read and answer the following questions carefully. Write your
answers on your answer sheet. Do indicate the category and follow strictly the
rules.
REMEMBERING
Instruction: Give what is being asked in each questions.
1. It is a type of book collection containing hundreds of children’s stories
that have been passed out from oral practices.
2. It is a type of rhyming words within the line.

3. This is a type of book composed illustrations that are colorful,

engaging, with or without texts, and are entertaining stories.

4. These are known for the best collection of morality tales.

5. It is very important because it is the central message/ idea of every

story.
UNDERSTANDING
Instruction: Match column A with the corresponding answer from column B.
1. Nonsensical poems A. Fairytales
2. Emphasizes overcoming fears B. The Grimm Brother’s
Fairytales
3. Fanciful and wondrous characters C. Jabberwocky
4. Iconic folks and tales D. Life doesn’t Frighten Me
5. Objective of criticism and satire E. Modern Fables
APPLYING
1. From the story entitled The Very Hungry Caterpillar, the bottom line of
it is that aside from encountering changes, one must be persevere to
reach for that “leaf”. What instances in your life as a student, child, and
citizen of the country can you practice this perseverance? Answer in
paragraph form maximum of 50 words.
ANALYZING
Analyze the children’s rhyme entitled “Johny Johny” using Formalist Analysis
as a Literary Criticism.

Johny Johny Eating sugar?

(Yes Papa) (No, papa)

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Telling lies? Eating sugar?
(No, papa) (No, papa)
Open your mouth Telling lies?
(Ah, ah, ah!) (No, papa)
Johny, Johny Open your mouth
(Yes, Papa) (Ah, ah, ah!)

EVALUATING
Evaluate the Philosophical idea in the story Peter Pan. Write a three-
paragraph essay about its implications in life.
CREATING
Create your own free-verse poetry out of the topic, “The children are our
future.”

CHAPTER REFERENCES
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April 13, 2021 from https://literarydevices.net/baa-baa-black-
sheep/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CBaa%2C%20Baa%2C%20Black%20She
ep%E2%80%9D%20As%20a%20Representative%20of,that%20she%
20has%20three%20bags.
Analysis of jack and jill. (n.d.) Retrieved from April 12, 2021
https://literarydevices.net/jack-and-jill/
Analysis of the owl and the pussycat by Edward lear. (n.d.) Retrieved from
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edward-lear
Angelou, M. (n.d.). Life doesn’t frighten me. Retrieved April 14, 2021, from
https://www.edhelper.com/poetry/Life_Doesnt_Frighten_Me_by_Maya_
Angelou.htm
Biography of eric carle. (n.d.). Retrieved from
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Browne, E. (2011). Ten things winnie the pooh taught me about life. Retrieved
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20a%20mouthful%20of%20something.
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Dahl, R. (2016). Little red riding hood and the wolf. Retrieved April 14, 2021,
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riding-hood-and-the-wolf-roald-dahl/

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Literary devices. (2013). Retrieved from http://literarydevices.net/metaphor/
Literary elements. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://janedoe534-wordpress-
com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/janedoe534.
Lowne, C. (2018). Charlotte's web. Retrieved from
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Lowne, C. (2018, November 26). The tale of peter rabbit. Encyclopedia
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Lowne, C. (2018). Winnie the pooh. Retrieved from
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Margalit, Ruth. (2014). The giving tree at fifty: Sadder than I remembered.
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by-beatrix-potter-picture-book/
Modern fairytales and writers, folklore and folktales and myth. (n.d.).
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folklore-and-folktales-and-myth
Modern fantasy. (n.d.). Retrieved from
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Mother goose rhymes. (2021). Retrieved from April 13, 2021
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/mother-goose
Paterson, K., Diamond, D., & Chen, J. (2015). Bridge to Terabithia.
Retrieved from https://www.amazon.com/Bridge-Terabithia-Katherine-
Paterson/dp/0060734019.
Peter pan. (n.d.). Retrieved from
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9780199791231/obo-
9780199791231-0069.xml
Pingback. (2016). A short analysis of edward lear’s ‘the owl and the pussycat’.
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lears-the-owl-and-the-pussycat/
Poetry foundation. (n.d.). Retrieved from April 12, 2021
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43188/the-owl-and-the-pussy-
Rumpelstiltskin setting. (n.d.). https://rumpelstiltskin
ev.blogspot.com/2010/11/setting_10.html?m=1

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Schakel, P. (2018). The chronicles of narnia. Encyclopedia Britannica.
Retrieved from
https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Chronicles-of-Narnia
Sendak, M. (n.d.). Where the wild things are. New York: Harper & Row, 1963.
Print. Retrieved from https://www.prindleinstitute.org/books/where-the-
wild-things-are/
Sharma, S. (2017, October 8). The legend of pineapple. Retrieved from
https://www.bedtimeshortstories.com/the-legend-of-pineapple
Sporcle.com. (n.d.). Story behind jack and jill. Retrieved from April 13, 2021
sporcle.com/blog/2020/01/what-is-the-story-behind-jack-and-
jill/#:~:text=One%20popular%20interpretation%20of%20the,beheaded
Stanley, C. (2016, April 9). The 10 greatest stories from 1,001 nights.
Retrieved from
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east/articles/the-top-10-stories-from-1001-nights/%3famp=1
The beginnings of modern fantasy. (n.d.). Retrievd from
http://fantasyguide.stormthecastle.com/fantasyguide_essays/the-
beginnings-of-modern-fantasy.htm.
The cat in the hat tricks. (n.d).Retrieved from
https://www.prindleinstitute.org/books/the-cat-in-the
hat/#:~:text=The%20Cat%20in%20the%20Hat%20is%20a%20book%2
0where%20an,mind%20him%20or%20his%20tricks!
The giving tree literary elements. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.gradesaver.com/the-giving-tree/study-guide/literary-ele
The giving tree themes. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/literature/giving-
tree/themes/women-and-feminity
The ant and the grasshopper. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://quizlet.com/388862516/the-ant-and-the-grasshopper-flash-ca
What is the main idea of the ant and the grasshopper? (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://askinglot.com/what-is-the-main-idea-of-the-ant-and-the-
grasshopper
The very hungry caterpillar. (n.d.). Retrieved from:
https://blogs.iwu.edu/edu320spring14clrb/2014/02/12/the-very-hungry-
caterpillar/#:~:text=Descriptive%20Annotation%3A%20The%20story%
20of,on%20each%20of%20those%20days.
Tod, M. K. (2015). 7 Elements of historical fiction. Retrieved from
https://awriterofhistory.com/2015/03/24/7-elements-of-historical-fiction/
Tuazon, J. (2013). Rubrics in essay. Retrieved from
https://www.slideshare.net/jennytuazon01630/rubrics-in-essay
Tyson, Lois. .(n.d.). Critical theory today: A user-friendly guide. New York:
Garland Pub., 1999. Print. Dr. Seuss. (n.d.) Retrieved from
https://www.oatridge.co.uk/poems/d/dr-seuss-cat-in-the-hat.php
What Is folklore? meaning, types, and examples. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://examples.yourdictionary.com/what-is-folklore-meaning-types-
and-examples.html
064400026

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114
m

OVERVIEW

This chapter discusses the nature of censorship. Censorship is one of

the issues and concerns in children and adolescent’s literature. It will discuss
as well about a book banning and challenged books that considered as a form
of censorship. Furthermore, we can learn, raise awareness and educate
people in the context of censored books.

Some children and adolescent books discuss themes like alcoholism,

violence, death, human sexuality, ecology, and single parent families. In this
lesson, we will be diving into the social issues that are present in children and
adolescent literature. The political correctness in fables and tales as well as
the issues on rewriting and deconstruction of Classical Tales will also be
tackled in this chapter.
Lastly, this chapter will also give emphasis on the concerns and
problems in the movie and television versions of children and adolescent’s
literature. These are the negative impact of adaptations to the mental health
of their viewers because most of the young viewers usually mimic what they
have watched in their television. Another is the children and adolescent’s
literature movie adaptations that are different from what was written on the
original book.

OBJECTIVES

At the end of this chapter, the student can:

1. determine the different issues and concerns in children and adolescent’s

literature;
2. provide examples of children and adolescent’s literature that have an
issues and concerns; and
3. evaluate the issues and concerns present to particular children and
adolescent are literature.

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 Lesson 1
CENSORSHIP
WHAT TO EXPECT?

• Explain book banning in literary text.

• State the reasons of censorship in children and adolescent’s
literature.
• Reflect censorship awareness in education.

PRE-DISCUSSION

Our Word of the Day is

Direction: Kindly give a brief statement of the word “censorship” in 1 to 2

sentences only. Please write your answer in the answer box below.

CENSORSHIP
___________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
____

Here we go! Let’s begin our first lesson in Chapter 4!

Sit back and relax because we will be exploring the world of censorship in
children and adolescent’s literature!

Lesson Outline

I. What is Censorship?
Censorship is the suppression
of speech, public communication or
other information which may be
considered objectionable, harmful,
sensitive, politically incorrect or inconvenient as determined by
governments, media outlets, authorities or other groups or institutions.

• Book banning
• A form of censorship occurs when private individuals,
government officials, or organizations remove books from

116
 libraries, school reading lists, or bookstore shelves because they
object to their content, ideas, or themes.
• Those advocating a ban complain typically that the book in
question contains graphic violence, expresses disrespect for
parents and family, is sexually explicit, exalts evil, lacks literary
merit, is unsuitable for a particular age group, or includes
offensive language.
• Book banning is the most widespread form of censorship in the
United States, with children’s literature being the primary target.
Advocates for banning a book or certain books fear that children
will be swayed by its contents, which they regard as potentially
dangerous.

Common Reasons for Banning Books

• Each book that is banned or censored is done so for the content within
the pages. There are a few common reasons that books have been
banned or censored in schools, libraries, and books stores. These
include:
1. Racial Issues: About and/or encouraging racism towards one or more
groups of people.
2. Encouragement of "Damaging" Lifestyles”: Content of book encourages
lifestyle choices that are not the norm or could be considered dangerous
or damaging. This could include drug use, co-habilitation without
marriage, or homosexuality.
3. Blasphemous Dialog: The author of the book uses words such as "God"
or "Jesus" as profanity. This could also include any use of profanity or
swear words within the text that any reader might find offensive.
4. Sexual Situations or Dialog: Many books with content that include sexual
situations or dialog are banned or censored.
5. Violence or Negativity: Books with content that include violence are often
banned or censored. Some books have also been deemed too negative
or depressing and have been banned or censored as well.
6. Religious Affiliations (unpopular religions): Books have been banned or
censored due to an unpopular religious views or opinions in the content of
the book. This is most commonly related to satanic or witchcraft themes
found in the book. Many books have also been banned or censored for
any religious views in general that might not coincide with the public view.
7. Political Bias: Most commonly occurs when books support or examine
extreme political parties/philosophies such as: fascism, communism,
anarchism, etc.
8. Age Inappropriate: These books have been banned or censored due to
their content and the age level at which they are aimed. In some cases,

117
 children's books are viewed to have "inappropriate" themes for the age
level at which they are written for.

Censorship in Children and Adolescent’s Literature

❖ Censorship of children’s literature is an issue in the field of
education which affects children, parents, teachers,
administrators, librarians, editors, authors, and more. It occurs
when an individual or group challenge a book.
❖ Books may be challenged when an individual or group feels that
the content of a novel or book is inappropriate for children.
❖ Throughout the twentieth century, and even earlier, adults have
attempted to publicly control, and even censor, teenagers'
access to various artifacts of mass culture—including
magazines, music, comic books, movies, television and radio
programs, and books.
❖ The motivation has been twofold: to shield the young from certain
perceived pernicious influences and to encourage a national
cultural uniformity/conformity heavily motivated by Christian
morality and the dread of racial and class mixing. Fears of
youthful extremism, sparked by corrupting influences, have
waxed and waned, depending on various social, political,
economic, cultural, technological, and other configurations.

Books are challenged because the content clashes with the beliefs
and values of a particular group. Here are some of the most challenged, along
with the reasons cited for censoring the books:

1. George by Alex Gino

Reasons: Challenged, banned, and restricted for LGBTQIA+ content,
conflicting with a religious viewpoint, and not reflecting “the values of our
community”
2. Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Ibram X. Kendi and
Jason Reynolds
Reasons: Banned and challenged because of author’s public
statements, and because of claims that the book contains “selective
storytelling incidents” and does not encompass racism against all people
3. All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely
Reasons: Banned and challenged for profanity, drug use, and
alcoholism, and because it was thought to promote anti-police views,
contain divisive topics, and be “too much of a sensitive matter right now”
4. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Reasons: Banned, challenged, and restricted because it was thought to
contain a political viewpoint and it was claimed to be biased against male
students, and for the novel’s inclusion of rape and profanity

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 5. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Reasons: Banned and challenged for profanity, sexual references, and
allegations of sexual misconduct by the author

Censorship Awareness

• To counter charges of censorship, opponents of publications sometimes

use the tactic of restricting access.
• Opponents of bans argue that by restricting information and
discouraging freedom of thought, censors undermine one of the primary
functions of education: teaching students how to think for themselves.
• Such actions, assert free speech proponents, endanger tolerance, free
expression, and democracy. Indeed, banning of books violates the First
Amendment right to freedom of speech.
• Hence, in 1980s Banned Books Week was started, here it is an annual
celebration of banned books.
• This weekly celebration is international and seeks to raise awareness to
the issue of censorship and celebrates books and authors that have
been banned.
• It protects intellectual freedom, and further educating people about the
issue of censorship.
• Changing the world isn’t necessary if you believe nothing is wrong.
Censorship tries to control what people know by controlling how they
learn about it.
• Adults often try to control how children and youth learn things.
• The following statements help us to raise awareness in censorship.

A Need to Change the World Focusing on Censorship

1. Education — learning what censorship is, how it works, what it does and
what the outcomes are is essential for fighting it. Children and youth should
have opportunities to learn to critically banned books and engage with other
censored materials. Education can be a powerful tool for social change
focused on censorship.
2. Youth/Adult Partnerships — working in intentional relationships with adults
can support young people in challenging censorship. Through youth/adult
partnerships, youth can benefit from adults’ access, authority and advocacy,
especially in places where those are rare for young people.
3. Opportunities — Activities, programs and organization designed to teach
communities about censorship can provide opportunities for children and
youth to learn and become engaged, too. Through organizing, advocacy and
education, young people can become empowered and effective advocates
for their own interests and rights, and help communities gain abilities, too.

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 4. Censorship is something that needs to be held closely in check if our
children are to grow up with the proper awareness of the world as it really
exists. Schools should be upheld as standards of education and should be
able to prepare students for life in an open world. If schools continue to
succumb to the desires of special interest groups, they run the risk of closing
minds and leaving children in the dark when it comes to various important
social issues. The impact of censorship in schools is significant in light of the
way of the world and in light of the ever-changing social climate.

Lesson 2
SOCIAL ISSUES IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENT LITERATURE

WHAT TO EXPECT?

• Define social issues.

• Explain the social issues present in children and adolescent
literature
• Recognize social issues awareness in literature.

PRE-DISCUSSION
Today’s children literature is dealing more and more with current
issues. Topics that were once considered taboo are now discussed freely in
these literature books. Some children and adolescent books discuss themes
like alcoholism, violence, death, human sexuality, ecology, and single parent
families.In this lesson, we will be diving into the social issues that are present
in children and adolescent literature.

LESSON OUTLINE

What are social issues in literature?

Literature has always been one effective way to explore and address
social issues in human culture. Stories, plays, and other types of fictional media
often have some social or cultural concern embedded in the thematic
background of a narrative. A social issue is some problem or concern
connected to a larger issue that affects society in general.
Often, the social issues brought forward in fiction reflect contemporary
concerns in the author's own world. This type of issue in literature often shows
up as a theme that affects the plot and outcome of the story.

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 Overall, literature has proven to be one of the best ways to understand
and combat the difficult social issues, or problems that affect certain groups
of people in negative ways that shape our world. A few of the social issues that
literature primarily wrestles with are age/aging, gender, ethnicity, and human
rights.
1. Violence
Violence has often played an involved role in children’s literature, but in
recent years questions have been raised about whether violence should have
a place in children’s literature. This is evidenced by modern storytellers’
decisions to modify the gruesome parts of classic fairy tales to make them more
palatable for modern readers. Many scholars argue that violence, if used
appropriately, has its place in some children’s books. They point out violent
literature is often not to blame for violent behavior in children; rather, the
inclusion of violence in quality literature can create positive influences in
children’s lives. Children are often naturally drawn to stories with violence in
them. Many can relate to violent situations portrayed in children’s stories, and,
when used effectively, these situations can be used to teach children how to
avoid violent resolutions in their own lives.
These issues where directed to
• Hansel and Gretel
• Cinderella
• Nursery rhymes like Rock – a – bye Baby and Jack & Jill
2. Sexism
As soon as a child breaks into this strange new world at birth, they1 are
assigned a sex. Then, based on their given sex at birth, they are assigned a
gender. From then on, they learn that they are constantly expected to perform
that gender, through all aspects of social life. Parents, school, peers, toys,
television, books—all of these people and things steer the child in the “right”
direction. For girls, it is an image of beauty, docility, domesticity, kindness, and
gentle grace—the very sure definition of femininity. For boys, it is an image of
the rough-and-tough, strong and secure, loud and present, intelligence and
logic—the hardcore that is masculinity. This, of course, leads to a stereotyped
set of behavioral expectations, where one should not cross the line, or even try
to go near it; for, if one does, they will be marked as the “other.”

3. Feminism
The earliest feminist critics of children's and adolescent literature in the
1970s and 1980s were influenced by important second-wave feminist theorists,
such as Elaine Showalter, Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar, and Carolyn
Heilbrun. For example, Mary Cadogan and Patricia Craig's You're a Brick,
Angela! The Girls Story from 1839-1975 identified strong girls at work in British
children's novels in the tradition in which Showalter and Heilbrun were working.

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Children's literary critic Anita Moss was another early voice to urge the field
towards greater awareness of feminism, as was Perry Nodelman. Mitzi Myers
called attention to the powerful roles played by women in authority, especially
mothers, in the lives of fictional children throughout eighteenth- and nineteenth-
century literature. Perhaps the most influential study published that year was
Lissa Paul's “Enigma Variations: What Feminist Theory Knows about Children's
Literature.” That article inspired many of us to think not only about gender
inequality and entrapment, but also to consider how children—especially girls-
transcend gendered limitations through such devices as trickery, deceit, and
imaginative creativity.

4. Racism
In nearly all young people's books, historical and social processes are
viewed from an individualistic perspective; thus it is assumed that racial
problems can be solved on the individual level only. This is usually done by
appealing to pity and charity, thereby degrading the colored people to mere
objects.

Culturally authentic stories are accurate portrayals of a particular culture.

For example, the book “I’m New Here” by Anne Sibley O'Brien is a story about
three young students from Somalia, Guatemala and Korea who immigrate to
the U.S. and come to school for the first time, but does not recognize how these
students can have different immigration experiences from one another.
Effective storytelling about people of color should provide a broader historical,
social, political and other context. For early readers, these contexts are usually
subtle clues that can help children better understand a broader issue. For
example, in “We Are Water Protectors,” author Carole Lindstrom warns of the
effects of environmental pollution through Indigenous perspectives of water as
a precious resource to be protected.

5. Changing Image of the Family

Children’s perceptions about family structures play into other
perceptions about homosexuals, adoptions, single parents, or no parents.
When children’s home lives are being ignored in the classroom it sends a
message that their situation is less than and is not important. If young children
are feeling out of place in their classrooms it affects their learning of educational
topics (Ferfolja & Robinson, 2004; Pohan & Bailey, 1998). How a child is raised
is a crucial part in helping a child feel included and part of the classroom, as
well as believing in themselves (Cloughessy & Waniganayake, 2013).
In addition, Mattix and Crawford (2011) believe that books make a
difference in driving out prejudices and creating a community. The more
multicultural literature that is used in a classroom, the more likely it will be that
children will grow up more well-rounded and understanding of people’s

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differences, as well as aiding in the classroom community and allowing every
child to feel safe and important. Books act as mirrors for young children to see
into their own worlds and cultures and also as windows to learn about others’
worlds and cultures (Mattix & Crawford, 2011).

Lesson 3
POLITICAL CORRECTNESS IN FABLES AND TALES

WHAT TO EXPECT?

• Discuss Fables, Tales and Fairy tales.

• Discover the reasons why there are politically correct bedtime
stories.
• Identify the influences of bedtime stories in today’s generation.

PRE-DISCUSSIONS

Instruction: Divide your class into four groups. Each group will identify the
following pictures and recall their stories. Present the gist of the stories along
with their moral lessons within 2-3 minutes.

Lesson Outline

• Fable is narrative form, usually featuring animals that behave and speak
as human beings, told in order to highlight human follies and
weaknesses. A moral—or lesson for behavior—is woven into the story
and often explicitly formulated at the end. Examples of fables were The
Ant and the Grasshopper, Three Little Pigs, The Hare and the Tortoise,
etc.

• Tale is a comparatively simple narrative, either fictitious or true, written

or recounted orally in prose or in verse. A tale often recounts a strange
event, focusing on something or someone exotic, marvelous, or even
supernatural.
❖ Examples of this are fairy tales.

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1. Fairy tale is a story, often intended for children, that features fanciful and
wondrous characters such as elves, goblins, wizards, and even, but not
necessarily, fairies. The term “fairy” tale seems to refer more to the fantastic
and magical setting or magical influences within a story, rather than the
presence of the character of a fairy within that story. Examples of this were
Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Frozen, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and
The Seven Dwarfs, etc.

2. Political correctness (PC), term used to refer to language that seems

intended to give the least amount of offense, especially when describing groups
identified by external markers such as race, gender, culture, or sexual
orientation.

• By July 1994, Politically Correct Bedtime Stories had appeared

for the third time on the New York Times bestseller list with sales
exceeding 100,000 copies. This popular book is an ideal case
study for exploring the benefits and limits of satiric humor, the
book's primary rhetorical strategy and the focus of this essay.
• The famous fables and fairy tales that earlier generations of children
grew up with are being re-written or are completely falling out of favor
with those who aspire to “Political Correctness”.
• What people don’t realize is that many of these tales have been
“sanitized” repeatedly over the years, having started as truly gruesome
stories.
• Most stories and lore evolve over time, and fairy tales are no different.
Here are some examples of old stories that have come under the modern
microscope.

1. Rapunzel – This grim tale from the brothers Grimm is too dark,
say many people today. They point out that this story contains violent
imagery, blatant sexism, and criminal child abuse. Imagine, a little girl being
given up for adoption by thieving parents, only to find that the poor child is
then placed in solitary confinement, and only a man can save her.

2. Jack and the Beanstalk – Why is it never “Jane and the

Beanstalk”? Well, it is probably just as well. Jack turns out to be a little thief
who doesn’t follow his mother’s instructions very well. He steals from an
ogre, and then kills the poor guy to boot. In today’s version, Jack might have
just gone out to get a job so he could help his poor mom out, and he certainly
wouldn’t have jeopardized his future by stooping to thievery and murder.

3. Hansel and Gretel – Wrong in so many ways, this tale involves

child-abuse, spousal abuse, inhumane treatment of captives and poor
nutrition. The modern version might have the cottage windows made of
Splenda rather than clear sugar.

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 • As a result, countless of debate arises in whether there is an immediate
need to correct bedtime stories as well as those fairy tales being aired
on television.
• Some critics believe that these stories only taught children to imagine
and there are parts of the stories inappropriate within children. Some
other believes that it is essential for children since bedtime stories
enables the child's imagination grew wider. As well as they can be
accustomed to the moral lessons within the stories.

Lesson 4
REWRITING/DECONSTRUCTION OF CLASSICAL TALES
WHAT TO EXPECT?

• Explain Classical Tales.

• Distinguish Rewriting/Deconstructing Tales.
• Identify the impacts of rewriting/deconstructing tales.

PRE-DISCUSSION

Do you know this story? Differentiate the two stories using a Venn
diagram. This activity will last for 5 minutes.

LESSON OUTLINE

Traditional tales like Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood and Goldilocks
play an important part in early literacy. We explain how these well-known stories
are used to help develop reading comprehension and early writing skills and
explain how you can help your child's learning with fairy tales at home.

As a literary form, fairy tales seem to defy conventional standards of

definition as they incorporate many differing styles of stories. Generally
speaking, when using the term "fairy tales," people tend to think of stories with
a magical bent involving the traditional agent of fantastical powers intervening

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to somehow change the life of a protagonist, much like the fairy godmothers of
"Cinderella" or the dwarves of "Snow White."

In truth, under most definitions, fairy tales tend to encompass a much

broader scope of plots and structural elements, including all manners of
legends, myths, fables, and folklore. However, they all share certain firm
characteristics that differentiate the "fairy tale" style from any other. First, and
most importantly, are two central shared traits that are the most recognizably
characteristic features of the genre—fairy tales span a relatively brief length
and include a well-defined moral or message at their core. Beyond these, other
elements are often manifested within this basic structure.

For instance, a fairy tale usually contains several of the following aspects
to varying degrees: short sentence structure; the story tends to address the
reader directly; most are set within a fantastic setting such as a "kingdom far,
far away" or "a dark wood"; they pattern repetition as a method of emphasis—
usually featuring sequences of threes, an element most pronounced in "The
Three Little Pigs"; their means of direct expression is through a simple diction
of short, plain-spoken words; and finally, they are often very rhythmic in their
phrasing—the legacy of their origins within oral culture. Most critics, therefore,
tend to group together a wide variety of stories into the fairy tale category,
especially those utilizing any combination of these classic folkloric elements.
Recently, more contemporary variations have begun to emerge, further
extending the limits of what constitutes a "true" fairy tale.

One critic, Ruth C. Horrell, has attempted to subdivide fairy tales into
four characteristic groups. First is the "accumulative or repetitive tale," which
features repeating elements that compare characters and behaviors thus
differentiating between proper and poor behavior. Examples of this category
include the classic "Three Billy Goats Gruff." The second subcategory of fairy
tales is the "beast tale," which substitutes animals into the role’s humans would
ordinarily fill. Such a personification, or anthropomorphism, of animals allows
the reader to clearly recognize noble or absurd human traits through their
animal characterizations as demonstrated in "Puss-in-Boots," "Chicken-
Licken," or "The Lion and the Mouse." The "comic tale," the third classification,
is distinguished by the presence of absurdist humor regarding the foolish
blunders of mankind.

Critics trace the emergence of the term "fairy tale" from a modification of
the French word’s faerie or feeree, which referred to the residences of the local
fee. The fees were women within the village community who distributed herbs
and incantations for various purposes and were presumably characterized as
being among the era's primary purveyors of mystical stories.

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 Lesson 5
MOVIE AND TV VERSIONS
WHAT TO EXPECT?

• Examine the issues and concerns on the movie and television

versions of children and adolescent’s literature.
• Enumerate the adapted movies and televisions that have issues and
concerns.
• Compare the children and adolescent’s literature to its movie and
television versions.

PRE-DISCUSSION
1.
Instruction: Give the title of the following movies and share your ideas about
its story.

LESSON OUTLINE

• Issues and concerns in children and adolescent’s literature: movie

and television versions.
1. Negative health and development effects and language
development issues in children adolescents.
According to the article of Babysits.nz (n.d.), the research showed that
movies and television can have negative effects on children, spanning from
negative health and development effects and language development issues in
children under two, to links to obesity, tobacco use, and issues with
aggression and attention in older children.
• Based on the research, children can be significantly impacted by film,
and it can have a real effect on how they view themselves and the world
around them.
• In addition, according to Prof. Bar-on (n.d.) based on surveys of what
children watch, the average child annually sees about 12 000 violent

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 acts, 14 000 sexual references and innuendos, and 20 000
advertisements.
• Examples of children and adolescent’s movie and television versions
that needs guidance from the adult:
1. Snow White
2. Cinderella
3. Beauty and the Beast
4. Pocahontas
2. The Difference between children and adolescent’s literature to its Movie
and television versions.
• There are children and adolescent’s literature that are different to its
movie and television versions which sometimes make the children or the
adolescents confused when they read the real story.
• The adaptation also ruins your mental picture of the character. It gives a
feeling that masterpieces are being put under the guillotine by the
screen.
• Here are some examples of children and adolescent’s literature that has
a different movie and television version:

1. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

▪ Snow White’s Real Mother
▪ The Cannibalism
▪ The Three Bears-Esque Entrance
▪ The Laced Clothing
▪ The Poison Comb
▪ Half And Half Apple
▪ The Year-Long Slumber
▪ Snow White’s Revival
▪ The Queen’s Death
▪ The Wedding

2. Cinderella
▪ Cinderella's evil stepsisters cuts off her
toes, and the other her heel so they can
both fit into the tiny glass slipper.
▪ The prince is notified by little doves that
there is blood on the shoe, and finally
discovers that the true owner is Cinderella.

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 3. Beauty and The Beast
▪ Gaston, Lumière, And Cogsworth
▪ Deal With The Beast’s Curse
▪ Changes In Belle’s Family And Personality
▪ The Rose
▪ Belle’s Back-Story
▪ Deal With The Courtship

4. Matilda – 1996
▪ In the book, Matilda never goes into Miss
Trunchbull’s house, but in the film, she breaks
in twice.
▪ Also in the book, her brother is a normal boy
whereas the film shows him as a bully.

5. Harry Potter – from 2001 – 2011

▪ J.K. Rowling was hugely involved in the creation of the
films but there are still differences that fans have NOT taken
lightly to.
▪ Harry’s eyes in the book are green, as are his mother’s,
whereas in the film, they’re blue and brown respectively.
▪ Not such a big deal if people didn’t keep bloody going on
about how he has his mother’s eyes throughout the entire film.

6. One Hundred and One/101 Dalmatians – 1961

and 1996
▪ Pongo the dog is with another female dog,
Missis, in the book.
▪ They have puppies but can’t care for them so
they get another female, Perdita, to help. In
the film, there is no Missis.

7. Alice in Wonderland – 1951 and 2010

▪ There is no White Queen in the first book, she comes into
play in the sequel, Alice Through the Looking Glass, but she’s
seen in the 2010 adaptation.

• Solutions

A vast body of literature now exists that attests to the power of the
media to influence children’s and adolescents’ beliefs and, potentially, their
behavior as well.

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 1. Role of Parents

According to recommendations issued by the American Academy of

Pediatrics, based on a review of all available data to date, parents should:

o Limit all media use to no more than 1 to 2 hours per day.

o Monitor their children’s use of the media.
o Watch television with their children.

2. Role of health professionals

o Serve as role models by using television sets and videocassette

recorders in their waiting rooms for educational programming only.
o Advocating for greater numbers of public service announcements to
offset the deluge of tobacco and alcohol ads that young people
currently see.

3. Media advocacy

o The strategic use of mass media for advancing a social or public

policy initiative.
o According to Wallack, current debates must be reframed to
refocus public attention on health issues, not individuals’
weaknesses.

4. Role of schools

o Guide children on appropriate use of media.

o Answer children’s questions regarding the use of media.

5. Role of the Federal Government

o Increased Not Decreased (as Many Republicans in Congress

Have Advocated) Funding for Public Television
o Increased Funding for Research About the Effects of Media on
Children and Adolescents
o Creation of a Year 2002 National Institutes of Mental Health
Report on Children, Adolescents, and the Media
o Stricter Regulation of Advertising That Targets Children or
Adolescents
o Increased Regulation of Educational Television by the Federal
Communication Commission and of the Internet by the Federal
Trade Commission

6. Role of the Entertainment Industry

o Recommendations for the Television Industry: Media Violence

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 ✓ Produce more programs that avoid violence. If a program does contain
violence, keep the number of incidents low.
✓ Reduce the number of high-risk portrayals of violence in children’s
cartoons.
✓ Be creative in showing:
• More violent acts being punished.
• More short-term and long-term negative consequences of violence.
• More alternatives to the use of violence to solve problems.
• Less justification for violent actions.
• When violence is presented, consider greater emphasis on a strong anti-
violence theme.
• Entertainment programs with substantial violent content should be
scheduled later in the evening.
• When reality programs present violent themes, programmers should
present more alternatives to violence and strategies for coping with its
effects to resolution.
• Anti-violence psa’s should be targeted to specific adolescent audiences,
using narrative formats rather than celebrity endorsements.

CHAPTER SUMMARY
This unit talked about the issues and concerns in children and
adolescent’s literature. The issues and concerns that have been centered were:
social issues, political correctness in fables and tables, rewriting/deconstruction
of classical tales, and movie and TV versions. These problems affect the mental
health and how children understood the literature; therefore, guidance from
adults is needed.

ASSESSMENT

I. Enumeration. Give what is asked. Write your answers before each number.
__________1. It is the suppression of speech, public communication or other
information.
__________2. Is a form of censorship, occurs when a certain book was
removed from libraries, school reading lists, or bookstore shelves because they
object to their content, ideas, or themes.
__________3. These books have been banned or censored due to their
content and the age level at which they are aimed.
__________4. A book that is banned and challenged for racial slurs and racist
stereotypes, and their negative effect on students.
__________5. This weekly celebration is international and seeks to raise
awareness to the issue of censorship.

II. Essay. Read each question below and answer it comprehensively.

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 1. How censorship impacts literature?
2. We have a freedom to express ourselves, as reflects in the first
amendment right to freedom of speech. In that way, what things that the
writers need to consider in order to prevent censorship in their literary
works?
3. Write your opinion about Political Correctness among Bedtime Stories.
4. How does authors reconstruct the classical tales? Do you find it useful
and helpful?
5. What is/are the role/s of the entertainment industry in minimizing the
Issues and concerns in children and adolescent’s literature in terms of
the negative influence of its movie and television versions?

CHAPTER REFERENCES

Banned and challenged books. (n.d.).Top 10 most challenged books lists.

http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10
Banned literature censorship. (2020). Retrieved from
https://library.loras.edu/bannedliterature/censorship

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Children's Literature Review (2021). Evolution of fairy tales. Retrieved from
https://www.encyclopedia.com/children/academic-and-educational
journals/evolution-fairy-tales
Cohen, R. D. (1997). The delinquents: Censorship and youth culture in recent
U. S. history. History of Education,37(3),251-
270.https://doi.org/10.2307/369445
Colored Lights.(2020).Censorship vector
illustration.[Photograph].Shutterstock.
https://www.shutterstock.com/imagevector/censorship-vector
illustration-word-cloud-isolated-1806397930
Everyday health. (n.d.) Censorship in schools and the effects on our children
https://www.everydayhealth.com/kids-health/censorship-schools-
effectsonour-children/
Fletcher A. (n.d.). Freechild institute for youth and social change. Youth and
censorship. https://freechild.org/2015/12/18/youth-and-censorship/
The Guardian (2011). Adaptations of books you love have lived up to your
expectations. Retrieved from
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/childrens-books-
site/2011/mar/23/film-adaptations-ruin-books?espv=1
Sahimi N., N. (2009). Television and media literacy in young
children: issues and effects in early childhood. Vol. 2, No.3.
Retrieved from www. Ccsenet.org.journal.htm
Strasburger V. (1999). Children, adolescents, and the media: issue
and solutions. Retrieved from
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/VictorStrasburger/publication/1337
2597_Children_Adolescents_and_the_Media_Issues_and_Solutions/lin
ks/0fcfd510687c615693000000/Children-Adolescents-and-the-
MediaIssues-and-Solutions.pdf?origin=publication_detail

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134
 OVERVIEW

During the 1990’s and through 2008, significant emphasis was placed
on the use of research to determine how children learn to read and why some
students struggle with reading. Early literacy achievement, however, is not
necessarily a guarantee that literacy skills will continue to grow as students
move beyond grade 3. Scores at the secondary level, where there has been
relatively little investment, have remained flat since the 1970’s (Heller &
Greenleaf, 2007). A growing body of work is developing about how students
beyond grade 3 learn to increase their reading and writing skills, why some
struggle, and what effective instruction looks like.

Children and Adolescent literacy encompass the skills that must be

taught to all students so they can meet increasingly challenging reading and
writing demands as they move through the upper grades (i.e., comprehension,
vocabulary, writing skills), as well as what needs to be done for those students
who fall behind who may need intervention instruction in foundational literacy
skills (i.e., decoding and fluency).

This chapter contains lessons which will discuss teaching children and
adolescent trough the appropriate books and strategies in literature.

OBJECTIVES

At the end of the chapter, students can:

1. recognize how children and adolescent literature be an avenue to

teach multiculturalism and media literacy;

2. identify strategies and techniques to storytelling and reading aloud

for children and adolescents;

3. prepare an annotated reading list of books appropriate to children

and adolescent’s gender, needs, strengths, interests, and experiences;
and

4. perform storytelling/reading aloud to children and adolescents.

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 Lesson 1
Multiculturalism

WHAT TO EXPECT?

• Define multiculturalism.
• Distinguish how multiculturalism books important.
• Identify what multicultural Adolescent and Children’s books are.

PRE - DISCUSSION

• What are Multiculturalism books for adolescent and children?

• Why multiculturalism books important for children and adolescent?
• What is the content of multiculturalism books for adolescent and
children?

LESSON OUTLINE

Multicultural literature serves as a powerful tool in enabling students to

gain a better understanding of both their own culture and the cultures of others.
Through this deeper knowledge, relationships can be strengthened, bridging
the gap between students from diverse cultural backgrounds (Hseu & Hetzel,
2000). Through extensive research, Norton (2009) has discovered that when
students can relate global events to the themes, conflicts and characterizations
found in multicultural literature, it helps them to better understand current world
issues. Students therefore develop greater cognitive skills as they learn to
engage with and critically evaluate the texts that they read.

Suzanne Evans (2010) conducted research on critical literacy using a

range of multicultural picture books. Her aim was to determine whether student
perspectives on diversity and the acceptance of others altered once they were
exposed to multicultural texts. These themes are a major focus in the Australian
Curriculum, with a general capability strand dedicated to intercultural
understanding, which is incorporated throughout each of the key learning
areas.

✓ Promotes empathy and unity

Multicultural literature fosters positive self-

esteem and prevents students from feeling isolated.
It has the ability to nurture respect, empathy and acceptance among all

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students (Steiner et al, 2008). Whoever You Are (Fox, 1997) is an older
publication that illustrates perfectly how multicultural literature can promote
unity among different cultures. The story highlights the fact that all children feel
the same emotions no matter where they live in the world, what language they
speak, or how they look.

Another text that focuses on commonalities is Mirror, written by Jeannie

Baker (2010). The design of this book is unique, as two storylines sit side by
side and are to be read simultaneously. This picture book is about the day in
the life of two boys: one who lives in Australia, and the other in Morocco. It
eloquently reveals the external differences and inner similarities that define
their lives. This book teaches children that they should not be fearful of those
who may seem different to them, as their daily lives and routines may be very
much the same.

✓ Promotes cross-cultural friendship

Multicultural literature promotes the interaction

of children across differing ethnic backgrounds
(Steiner et al., 2008). Stories portraying cultural
diversity can foster the belief that race is not a barrier, but rather a contribution
to the beauty of our multicultural world. This ideal is portrayed in Kobald’s My
Two Blankets (2014). A young girl named Cartwheel relocates to a westernised
country to escape the war that is occurring in her homeland. She feels lost and
lonely until she meets a young girl in the park. Over time their friendship
develops, and the young girl helps Cartwheel to understand her new world.
This theme is mirrored in Just One Wish, a lovely story by Sally Rippin (2009)
about overcoming diversity.

✓ Helps students look critically at the world

Multicultural literature can help students

develop global awareness by introducing them to
current cultural issues. When students vicariously
experience the feelings and emotions of others
through literature, they are encouraged to look
critically at the world and gain a greater
understanding of the global community (Monobe & Son, 2014). Texts such as
Ziba Came on a Boat (Lofthouse, 2007), The Little Refugee (Do & Do, 2011)
and Mahtab’s Story (Gleeson, 2008) are representative of actual events. These
books reveal the hardships that refugees often experience when seeking a
place of safety. They allow students to reflect upon and critically analyze the
issue of asylum seekers and the idea of a fairer community. John Marsden
portrays the above issues in a unique and thought-provoking manner in his

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book Home and Away (2008). This text forces students to think critically and
consider global issues from a different perspective.

✓ Encourages identity formation

Multicultural literature can also assist

students with their identity formation (Hseu
& Hetzel, 2000). Identity formation is
important in the social development of all
children, as it gives them a sense of
belonging and acceptance in society.
Inclusion of multicultural literature in library collections confirm that the beliefs
and experiences of minority students are valued (Steiner, 1998). Smith’s (1995)
case study confirms this, revealing that African- American students prefer to
read texts they can relate to culturally, increasing their interest in reading.

Multicultural books are:

• Books that contain characters of color as well as main characters

that represent a minority point of view.
• Books that are written by an author of diversity or color from their
perspective.
• Books that share ideas, stories, and information about cultures, race,
religion, language, and traditions. These books can be non-fiction but
still written in a way that kids will find entertaining and informative.
• Books that embrace special needs or even “hidden disabilities” like
ADHD, ADD, and anxiety.

Lesson 2
STORYTELLING AND READING ALOUD
WHAT TO EXPECT?

• Enumerate the benefits of storytelling and reading aloud to children

and adolescent.
• Demonstrate the strategies and techniques of storytelling and
reading aloud to children and adolescent.
• Evaluate the result of the demonstration of the utilized strategies
and techniques of storytelling and reading aloud to children and
adolescent.

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 PRE – DISCUSSION

Storytelling and reading aloud are considered as one of the ways

for children to be encouraged engaging themselves to an effective
knowledge-gaining, vocabulary-enhancing and confident-motivating.
Thus, this lesson will introduce to students the terms and strategies which
will prepare themselves in executing the better way of storytelling and
reading to children and adolescent. Therefore, students shall get oriented
and understand on the following:

• What is storytelling and reading aloud?

• What are the strategies and techniques which the readers must apply in
storytelling and reading aloud to children and adolescent?
• What are the benefits of storytelling and reading aloud to children and
adolescent?
• What are the key features of a well-told story?
• How does a storyteller develop a story to prepare it for an audience?
• How can a storyteller develop and refine his/her storytelling ability?
• How storytelling and reading aloud affect the cognitive aspect of children
and adolescent?

LESSON OUTLINE
Storytelling has been around for thousands of years. Humans tell stories
as a means of entertainment, communication and passing down information
from generation to generation. It’s in our nature to tell stories, but the way we
tell them has changed due to advances in technology. As Jonathan Gottschall
said, “The way we experience story will evolve, but as storytelling animals, we
will no more give it up than start walking on all fours.” From rocks to computers,
here is a brief history of storytelling and storyteller marketing.
Stories are powerful. They can teach morals — the values that the author
of the story thinks people should live by. They can teach history. They can
entertain us. They can make us think about things in ways we’ve never thought
of them before. They can make us laugh. They can make us cry. Telling stories
is a large part of what makes people connected to each other.
Stories are a part of every culture. Stories about our country and its
history help us feel proud of our nation. Stories about our ancestors teach us
about where we came from and the things we have in common with other
people around us.

Getting ready to tell a story

(The following games come from a book titled Children Tell Stories by Martha
Hamilton and Mitch Weiss.)

Storytelling is more than just reading the words of a story out loud. It
takes other skills as well. It is important to be able to use different tones in your
voice when you are telling a story. If your voice stays at the same level, it is

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boring! You will want your voice to go higher and lower. You will want your voice
to go louder and softer. You can practice this with games. These games will
help you develop the skills you need to make yourself a good storyteller.

Counting from 1 to 10

First, read a paragraph of a story, any story. Keep your voice the same
level. Don’t go high or low or loud or soft. Just say it flat.

Now count from one to 10 (out loud!) in these different ways:

• As if you were an angry parent who said, “I am going to count to 10 and

if you’re not in the bedroom by the time I get to 10, you’re in big trouble.”
• As a very little child just learning to count
• As if you were very sad because you thought everyone had forgotten
your birthday, but then you walked into your living room and saw 10
birthday presents sitting on the floor. How would you count them?
• As if you were a referee for a boxing match and you were counting
someone out.
• As if you were telling someone a telephone number when the phone was
not working right.
• As if you were counting pennies as you dropped them into a piggy bank.

Read the same paragraph again that you read before. This time let your
voice go loud and soft. Go high and low. Go fast and slow. Do you hear the
difference? Which way sounds better?

Walk the Walk

Storytelling isn’t just words; it’s motion, too. You will have to move
around while you tell your story. You will use your arms and legs. You will use
your hands and face to tell the story. Practice storytelling motions with this
game.
Walk across the room six times. Each time, pretend something different:
• You are coming home from school and you know you have a lot
of chores to do when you get there.
• You are walking through a foot of snow.
• You are walking barefoot in a very sticky, squishy swamp.
• You are walking across a blistering hot desert.
• You are in a graveyard at night walking through the tombstones.
• Your right leg is in a cast.
• You are walking through honey.
Good job! Now you are ready to find a story to tell!
Finding and mapping a story

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 Stories are everywhere, but it can be hard to find a good story for telling.
You will want to start with short stories that you can remember. Fairy tales such
as Cinderella make good stories to tell. Folktales such as Johnny Appleseed
and Paul Bunyan make good stories to tell.

Pick a story you like to read. If you don’t like the story, it will be hard to
spend a lot of time with it. Pick a story that has some things it says over and
over. That makes it easier to remember. This would be a story such
as Goldilocks and the Three Bears when each bear says, “Someone’s been
eating my porridge.”

Once you have a story you

want to tell, you have to learn it
really well. Try reading the story
three times. Now use the story
mountain at right to lay out the main
points of the story. Make notes
about the points on the lines
provided. Using your story
mountain with notes, tell the story
out loud. Try it three times. Now try
it without the story mountain.

Getting your story ready

Now you have a story and a story mountain, and you know your story
very well. It is time to get your story ready for telling. First, you need a written-
down copy of your story. If you can print it on the computer, leave space to the
side for notes, like the story on the next two pages. If your story is in your own
book, use a pencil or sticky notes to write things down.

You may want to use props when you tell your story. Props can be small
or large. You can wear a full costume or a hat or a cape. You may want to wear
a specific hat every time you tell a story. You may like to use puppets or a
musical instrument such as a harmonica. You can use cut-out figures or stuffed
animals. You may want to use a blanket or a towel.

Remember that you want to keep it interesting!

Don’t forget that your body and your voice are important tools to help tell your
story:

• Move your body in the storytelling “V.” The storytelling “V” is when you
shift where you’re facing when different characters speak. This helps the
audience know who is talking. Aim your body one direction when you are

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 one character, and then aim it another direction when you are a different
character. Remember which way you faced for each character!
• Use hand movements and face movements (called “expressions”) to
help tell the story.
• Use different voices for different characters.
• Speak faster and slower and higher and lower.
• Make sure you speak loudly enough so that everyone can hear you.
• Say the words clearly so that everyone can understand you.

When the story is over, make sure you end it; don’t keep going or just
trail off. Make it clear with your voice or movements or expression that you are
done. Make the ending kind of fast. That leaves the audience feeling that the
story was exciting.

We will use the story of The Three Billy Goats Gruff to show you how to
plan your storytelling.

Once you have your plan ready, practice it at least three times!

The Three Billy Goats Gruff

Once upon a time, back when animals could talk,

there were three boy goats, called billy goats, who would
walk from their house up the hill to eat the thick, green grass
and get fat. Their last name was “Gruff.” To get to the hill,
the three billy goats had to cross a bridge that went over a
bubbling stream.

Under that wooden bridge lived a big, hairy, ugly troll.

He had big eyes and long teeth and a pointed nose. And he
ate billy goats like they were microwave popcorn.

One spring day, the youngest Billy Goat Gruff came to

the bridge. As he walked across the bridge, his hooves
made a clippity-clop sound.

“Trip, trap, trip, trap,” said the bridge.

“Who’s that stomping on my bridge?” yelled the troll.

“Oh, it is just me, the littlest Billy Goat Gruff. I am just

going over to eat the green grass on the hill to make myself
fat,” said the youngest Billy Goat Gruff in his wee little voice.

“And I’m coming to gobble you up,” said the troll.

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 "Oh, no! Please don’t eat me! I’m so little, I’m just a
snack,” said the billy goat. “Wait a bit till the second Billy
Goat Gruff comes. He’s much bigger than I am.”

“Well, okay, keep going,” said the troll.

***

A little while later, the second Billy Goat Gruff came

across the bridge. Trip, trap, trip, trap, trip, trap, went the
bridge.

“Who’s that tripping over my bridge?” roared the troll.

“Oh, it’s just me, the second Billy Goat Gruff. I am just
going over to eat the green grass on the hill to make myself
fat,” said the billy goat.

"I’m going to eat you up,” said the troll.

"Oh, no! Don’t eat me. Wait until the big Billy Goat
Gruff comes. He’s a lot bigger meal than me.”

“Well, okay. But hurry off my bridge,” said the troll.

***

Just then, here comes the big Billy Goat Gruff. Trip,
trap, trip, trap, trip, trap, went the bridge because the third
billy goat was so heavy that the bridge groaned under him.

“Who’s that tramping over my bridge?” roared the troll.

“It is the big Billy Goat Gruff,” said the billy goat, whose
voice was even louder and meaner than the troll’s voice.

“I’m coming to eat you up,” yelled the troll.

“You just try it,” said the big Billy Goat Gruff. “I’ll poke
out your eyeballs and I’ll pull of your ears, and I’ll crush you
to bits like smushed-up cereal at the bottom of the box!”
said the big billy goat.

That was what he said!

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 ***

And then he ran at the troll, and he poked at the troll’s

eyes with his horns and pulled his ears and stepped on his
feet. The troll decided that maybe it was okay if the billy
goats ate the grass on the hill after all.

***

So, the Billy Goats Gruff came every day to eat the
grass on the hill, and they got so fat that they could hardly
fit across the bridge. And if you go to this hillside, you will
still see them there, fat and happy. And if you look closely,
you might see the troll under the bridge.

But don’t worry — he won’t bother you.

Presenting the story

Now you’re ready to tell your story in front of people! Wow! You
can practice on your family first to get ready for telling the story in front
of strangers. Here’s how to do it: Make sure you have everything you
need (props, your special storytelling hat or cape, etc.). Take a deep
breath in and try to relax. Next, thank everyone for coming. Try not to
sound nervous, even if you are! Make sure everyone is quiet and ready
to listen before you begin. Tell them where you got your story. Did you
get it from a book? Is it an old fairy tale or an old Indian legend? Tell
them!

Look people in the eye while you’re telling the story. You can use
the audience to help you tell the story. If there is something that repeats
(like the trip, trap across the bridge of the billy goats), let your audience
make the sounds with you. Invite them by saying something like, “Slap
your hands on your legs with me!” You could also have the audience
repeat lines with you, such as, “Not by the hair of my chinny, chin, chin!”

If the audience gets loud, pause. Wait for a second until they stop
talking. Do not be mean to the audience or they won’t like your story.
Don’t answer questions during the story. If someone is trying to ask a
question, signal them to wait by holding up your pointer finger.

Begin and end your story in a good way. You can find suggestions
for how to begin and end your stories.

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 Make sure you practice and practice! You will make mistakes, and
that’s okay! Just pause and then go on. Don’t say you’re sorry for the
mistake because that just draws more attention to it. Making mistakes is
a part of making anything, so don’t let it bother you.

Most importantly: try to have fun!

The read-aloud process has enormous benefits to literacy

learning. Read-aloud is an instructional practice where teachers,
parents, and caregivers read texts aloud to children. The reader
incorporates variations in pitch, tone, pace, volume, pauses, eye
contact, questions, and comments to produce a fluent and enjoyable
delivery. Reading texts aloud is the single most important activity for
building the knowledge required for successful reading (McCormick,
1977).

Trelease (2001) postulated that reading aloud is a powerful way

to engage children in the literacy process. Klesius and Griffith (1996)
concurred and explained that the read-aloud experience increases
students' vocabulary development and comprehension growth. They
also noted its potential to increase motivation to want to read while
building the knowledge necessary for the successful acquisition of
reading and writing.

Reading aloud to children builds and supports their listening and

speaking abilities and enhances their overall language development
(Barrentine, 1996; Sipe, 2000). It was also claimed that students
developed a rich language base and came to understand the power of
words by listening to stories, reading stories, and responding to stories
through a variety of engagement activities.

Reading aloud is an incredibly valuable activity to do with children

who are emerging readers. Among the benefits of reading aloud, it
exposes a child to rich language, proper grammar and exciting new
ideas; it engages and encourages a child’s imagination; it stretches a
child’s attention span and ability to focus; it models positive reading
behavior; it shows a child that books are worth attention and interest;
and it can be fun for both adult and child!

Here are some reading aloud strategies provided to Readers:

• Encourage the child to get involved in the story by describing
pictures and making predictions.
• Ask questions that require more of a response than yes or no
or nodding. (“What do you predict will happen next?”)
• Ask “what” questions. (“What’s this?” and point to a picture.)

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 • Follow the child’s answer with another question. (“What is the
dog doing?”)
• Repeat what the child says and expand on it. (“I think you’re
right. The dog is digging under the fence to find his friend.”)
• Children may be unsure of how to answer an open-ended
question. Model the strategies above by making your own
predictions and descriptions of the pictures.
• Help the child as needed.
• Praise and encourage the child often.
• Allow time after each book to discuss what most interested you
both about the story.
• It’s important for pre-readers to notice print, know how to
handle a book, and know how to follow the written word on a
page. Occasionally point to words as you read so the child
knows that words flow from left to right and that the story
comes from words rather than pictures.
• It’s okay to stop in the middle of a book if a child seems
uninterested.
• Children enjoy read-aloud stories that have repeated phrases,
familiar songs and patterns. Hearing and reciting the rhyme,
repetition, and rhythm of words allows them to begin to
remember the words.
• Leave out the second rhyme in a patterned rhyme book and
have the child guess the word that is missing.
(“I saw a cat, he was wearing a ____.”)
• Be creative and have fun. Try reading in character, acting out
parts of the book, or other techniques to engage the child in
the story.
• Be patient and encouraging.
• Don’t overcorrect or interrupt the child.
• Praise the child for self-correcting.
• If the book is too frustrating, offer to take turns reading or echo
read (you read a phrase, then the child tries it).
• Some indicators that the text is too hard include having to
sound out more than one out of five words or reading very
slowly, one word at a time.
• Be willing to answer any questions the child has while reading.
• Praise often.
Benefits of Reading Aloud

‘’One of the greatest gifts adults can give – to their offspring and
to their society – is to read to children." – Carl Sagan

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 Sharing stories often begins with reading aloud. Reading aloud
provides a number of opportunities and benefits for children of all ages,
from strengthening their vocabulary to increasing their attention span.

Here are seven important benefits of reading aloud with children:

1. Develops stronger vocabulary
Children acquire language primarily through listening. Reading
aloud lets children regularly hear new words in new contexts, which
builds their vocabulary and helps them develop a stronger awareness of
the communicative possibilities of language.
2. Build connections between the spoken and written word
When children hear words read aloud, they begin seeing how
printed words are closely connected to spoken words. This helps them
recognize the difference between the arrangement of spoken language
and printed text.
3. Provides enjoyment
Children generally enjoy being read to, which encourages them
to see and experience reading as something fun and positive. Reading
aloud makes them more likely to become interested in learning to read,
which is likely to then spark a lifelong love of reading.
4. Increase attention span
Unlike watching television, reading or being read to promotes a
slower unfolding of events and ideas. This encourages children to listen,
pay attention, and concentrate, which after a while can increase their
overall attention span.
5. Strengthens cognition
A well written book exposes children to sophisticated language,
which can strengthen their cognitive abilities. When children are
regularly exposed to the sophisticated language of quality literature, they
learn how to apply their cognitive abilities to understand the text.
6. Provides a safe way of exploring strong emotions
Reading a story aloud that explores particular emotions helps
some children to accept their own feelings and understand how others
feel. By reading aloud together, stories can help children feel more
comfortable discussing their emotions with others.
7. Promotes bonding
Reading aloud with children provides benefits for adults too. The
quality time spent together promotes bonding and strengthens
relationships, making it easier for children to develop their social,
communication, and interpersonal skills.

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LESSON SUMMARY

• Reading aloud is one of the beneficial ways to develop cognitive skills of

the child. It helps improve vocabulary and develop good listening habit.
• Reading aloud helps children to learn how to use language to make
sense of the world.
• Reading aloud is also beneficial to the child’s development since it
develops stronger vocabulary, build connections between the spoken
and written word, provides enjoyment, increase attention span,
strengthens cognition, provides a safe way of exploring strong emotions,
and promotes bonding.

Lesson 3
CHOICE AND TYPES OF BOOKS
WHAT TO EXPECT?

• Identify the books suited for children and young adults.

• Realize the value of following guidelines.
• Create own guidelines in choosing books.

PRE - DISCUSSION
• What are the types of books that young children read?
• What are the guidelines for choosing books for children of different
ages?
• What are the genres for children’s literature?

LESSON OUTLINE
Book
A small hard rectangular object, whose pages are bound along one edge
into fixed covers and numbered consecutively.
(On Writing and the Novel, p. 211, quoting Bergonzi)
Some Books are meant to be tasted, while others are meant to be
swallowed, and only a few are meant to be chewed and digested; that is, some
Books are meant to be read only in parts, while others are meant to be read but
not with curiosity, and only a few are meant to be read completely and
attentively. A book is a unique string of words, as good as its bits.
Children’s Literature Genre

This chart, adapted from Cullinan and Galda's Literature and the Child,
provides brief descriptions of children and young adult literature genre's
(Cullinan & Galda, 2002, p. 8).

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 Category Genre’s in children & young literature
Picture Books Interdependence of art and text. Story of
Concept presented through combination of text
and illustration. Classification based on format,
not genre. All genres appear in picture books.
Poetry & Verse Condensed language, imagery. Distilled,
rhythmic expression of imaginative thoughts and
perceptions.
Folklore Literary heritage of humankind. Traditional
stories, myths, legends, nursery rhymes, and
songs from the past. Oral tradition; no known
author.
Fantasy Imaginative worlds, make-believe. Stories set in
places that do not exist, about people and
creatures that could not exist, or events that
could not happen.
Science Based on extending physical laws and scientific
Fiction principles to their logical outcomes. Stories about
what might occur in the future.
Realistic "What if" stories, illusion of reality. Events could
Fiction happen in real world, characters seem real;
contemporary setting.
Historical Set in the past, could have happened. Story
Fiction reconstructs events of past age, things that could
have or did occur.

Biography Plot and theme based on person's life. An

account of a person's life, or part of a life history;
letters, memoirs, diaries, journals,
autobiographies.
Non-fiction Facts about the real world. Informational books
that explain a subject or concept.

Choosing a Child's Book

Guideline is a piece of information that suggests how something should
be done.Since not all children can like the same books, choosing a child's book
is a match-making task. These guidelines for selecting books for children of
various ages will assist you in finding titles that are appropriate for your child.
Babies and Toddlers

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 • Very young children are attracted by brightly colored pictures of simple
objects.
• They are listeners, and respond well to books with simple texts and good
rhythms.
• Wordless books stimulate them both visually and mentally, and
encourage them to create their own stories.
• They are delighted with board books and cloth books, which have the
virtue of being practically indestructible.
Preschool and Kindergarten
• Mother Goose, nursery stories, and other books depicting familiar
objects and experiences are enjoyable to children in this age group.
• These children like listening to slightly complex texts with good rhythm
and effective word repetition.
• They are also coordinated enough to have constructive fun with toy-like
books that may pop up, move, or provide other astonishments.
Early School Years (Ages 5-8)
• A few children may learn to read before they are in the first grade. Most
learn during first grade. Many learn even later.
• For reading to or with children, select picture books with strong storylines
and character development.
• For the child who is reading independently, choose a book with a
straightforward story employing words that will be familiar from everyday
use. Some publishers produce books, generally called "easy readers,"
which independent readers often enjoy.
• Third-graders are often able to handle stories of some complexity. The
vocabulary should be relatively familiar while including some challenging
words.
• A lot of informational books have been published for the early grades.
These non-fiction books encourage children to read about topics that
interest them and to satisfy their curiosity about complex subjects.
Older Children (Ages 9 and up)
• Consider who the child is his or her personality traits and personal
preferences when choosing a book.
• Make a selection with the child in mind; choose an informational book or
a novel in an area of specific interest.
Publishers sometimes indicate on the cover of the book the age level or
grade level for which they think that book is most suitable.
An interesting story in a beautiful, well-illustrated book offers the child an
aesthetic experience to enjoy over and over again. Classic stories are often
excellent selections for the family to read aloud together. Some children find a
contemporary book more appealing than a classic: think of the child's reading
enjoyment and select books that will appeal to that child.

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LESSON SUMMARY

• Genre is the organization of literature into categories based on the type

of writing the piece exemplifies through its content, form, or style.
• There are 8 children and young adult literature genres according to
(Cullinan & Galda, 2002, p. 8). These are the picture books, poetry and
verse, folklore, fantasy, science fiction, realistic fiction, historical fiction,
biography, and nonfiction.
• The following are the guidelines for selecting books for children of
various ages will assist you in finding titles that are appropriate for your
child. Babies and Toddlers, Preschool and Kindergarten, Early School
Years (Ages 5-8), Older Children (Ages 9 and up)

Lesson 4
MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENT
LITERATURE
WHAT TO EXPECT?

• Observe the recent trends in children's literature.

• Apply multi modal texts in teaching children's literature.
• Relate to adolescent literature.

PRE – DISCUSSION

• What are the recent trends in children literature?

• What are the modes of texts in children's literature?
• What is the representation of media and technology in adolescent
literature?
• What are the risks and benefits of media to adolescents?

LESSON OUTLINE

Literature for Children

Children's literature, also known as juvenile literature, refers to books,

articles, and poetry written specifically for children. Modern children's literature
is divided into two categories: genre and the intended age of the reader.

Children's literature empowers children. It stimulates thought, improves

grammar, and aids cognitive development. Children not only become immersed
in the plot, but they also form emotional bonds with the characters.

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 It was into this scene that John Newbery, the man who would become
known as "The Father of Children's Literature," arrived. He was the first to
recognize that children lacked their own stories and to try to fill that void. He
was the publisher and author of over 200 children's books.

Media and Children

Media refers to the vast web of communication and entertainment

technologies and services that have become a common place and ever-present
aspect of modern life. Books and magazines, movies and television programs,
computer programs, and internet websites and services are all examples of
media, as are the computers, mobile phones and specialty devices used to
access these services.

In various formats, media have influenced children's development for

hundreds of years. However, recent decades have witnessed an absolute
explosion of new media technologies, and rapid adoption of these technologies,
in particular internet and cell phone technologies, by all segments of society.
Consequently, media forces today are unprecedented in their pervasiveness,
and in their ability to influence and shape children's developing minds.

Recent Trends in Children’s Literature

Recent decades have brought additional changes in the publishing of

children’s literature. The market for children’s literature has been influenced by
demand from parents, children with increased buying power, and a proliferation
of serial writing to boost sales. In addition, there have been changes in the
content of children's books related to gender, diversity, and social class (Ching,
2005; Englehardt, 1991; Gangi, 2004; Hunt, 1995; Larrick, 1965; Taxel, 1997;
Zipes, 2001).

While the impact on children’s literature due to cultural influences has

been apparent throughout the decades, current trends center mostly on digital
and technological advances in our society. Technological advances have
exerted huge effects on printing and publishing capabilities. Publishing
companies have attempted to produce print texts that mimic or resemble digital
texts in wording, style, type of images, or format. Some print texts even borrow
concepts about page design from digital texts.

Exposure to digital and technological resources and global access to

information have changed the boundaries, topics, and perspectives
represented in books for children (Dresang, 1999, 2003). These changes in
print texts include the use of non-linear plots that are organized not by a typical
beginning, middle, and end, but tell the story out of order and/or lead readers
in multiple directions through the text (e.g., The End, by David LaRochelle,
2007).

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 As Anstey and Bull (2006) explained, contemporary books are products
of changing times that require new understandings about text and are well
suited for teaching and preparing students to be multiliterate individuals.
Multiliterate individuals are socially responsible, informed citizens who are
flexible and strategic as they engage in literacy practices with a variety of text
types in a diverse world (Anstey & Bull, 2006). Some of the new understandings
required by contemporary books include recognizing that texts represent
messages through a variety of ways of communicating. Readers must not only
understand written language but must also learn to understand visual language
and other signs and symbols.

REMEMBER!

Technological resources have changed the way information is

communicated, and teachers must prepare students to understand information
from all types of texts, including digital texts. While this can be facilitated using
digital technology, some schools, classrooms, or homes have limited access to
technology. Fortunately, many flexible literacy skills can be developed through
the use of print books that have the characteristics described above, such as
mimicking digital texts in style and formatting, changing organizational patterns,
exploring interactive formats, and representing messages in a variety of ways.

Multimodal and Texts in Children’s Literature

Print resources are changing in ways that are reflective of the multiple
ways, or modes, that are used to communicate within digital contexts. Modes
of communication encompass all forms of expression, including “Visual
Meanings (images, page layouts, screen formats); Audio Meanings (music,
sound effects); Gestural Meanings (body language, sensuality); Spatial
Meanings (the meanings of environmental spaces, architectural spaces); and
Multimodal Meanings” (New London Group, 1996, p. 80). Multimodal texts are
capable of drawing on students’ strengths and preparing them for a multimodal
society where individuals communicate through audio, gestural, visual, spatial,
and print resources, as well as various combinations of these modes.

Each mode has its own capacity to communicate, or potential to make

meaning, which is called an affordance (Kress & Jewitt, 2003; Kress & Van
Leeuwen, 2001). Basically, this means that each mode communicates the
same idea in a different way than any other mode. For example, an individual
may communicate a story about a cat by telling the story in words, moving
around the room, using sounds, or acting out the story with no words or sounds.

The meaning-making potential of a mode also depends on how a society

or group of individuals values that particular mode or how that mode is used
within that society in different situations and contexts (Kress & Jewitt, 2003). As
individuals understand the potential usefulness of a mode of communication

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within the context of their culture, they can choose the modes that most
appropriately express their message.

When teachers and students begin to understand the potential of each

mode, more options become available to understand and create meaning.
Students make choices on a daily basis as far as the mode used to
communicate, as well as the medium or format of a message. For example,
students choose a medium when they decide to send an email or a text
message, share a tweet, a picture, or a song, or create a video. The medium
chosen often dictates the format of the message—a text might use shorthand
or emoticons while an email would use full words. If they understand the
potential of each of the modes, they can make choices to create and
understand messages more fully. Authors and publishers of children’s literature
are also aware of these choices, and the literature they produce is certainly
influenced by the knowledge that students’ communication preferences are
both flexible and dynamic.

Audio Mode in Children’s Literature Texts

The audio mode, which includes both sound and music, is present in
many aspects of daily life, including use in film and television, as well as content
accessed on iPods, tablets, smartphones, and at popular websites, such as
YouTube. This proliferation of sound and music in daily life heightens the
importance of teaching students how to use the audio mode to understand and
communicate messages.

There are different ways in which picture books might invite the
possibility of the reader to make meaning using the audio mode. The audio
mode is not referring to books that talk about music or sound, as these do not
necessarily make meaning using the audio mode. Nor is it referring to audio
books (e.g. a CD or audio file in which someone is reading the book out loud)
which consist of spoken text or words that are primarily a linguistic meaning. It
focuses on the ways that books can represent meaning through the audio mode
using visual and linguistic information or using other symbolic representations
that allow for the possibility of the reader to use the audio mode to make
meaning and comprehend the message. Kress (2000) explained that to
determine which mode is being used to communicate a message, one can think
about the sense that is used to make meaning of represented information.

Children’s picture books represent audio meaning in different ways. The

following examples show how particular authors have not only represented
audio meanings but also how picture books can invite communication through
multiple modes, even when seemingly only linguistic and visual modes are
presented.

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 1.1. Include audio meanings is by incorporating song lyrics into the
story. The song lyrics can be read as a strictly print text; however, if the words
are sung as the book is read, this is an example of an audio representation.

1.2. Incorporate sound words also known as onomatopoeia. In Max

Found Two Sticks by Brian Pinkney (1994), the sounds Max hears and plays
are represented through sound words within the text. For example, “Max
responded by patting the bucket, Tap-tap-tap. Tippy-tip…tat-tat. He created the
rhythm of the light rain falling against the front windows” (Pinkney, 1994). The
sound words are integrated within the text and add a layer of meaning to the
story that would not be present if these sound words were absent.

1.3. Other children’s picture books use the audio mode by including
musical notation. For example, The Wolf Who Loved Music, by Christopher
Gallaz and Marshall Arisman (2003), adds a staff (i.e., the set of five lines on
which musical notes are printed) starting on the second page of the text as a
light gray heading. On each successive page, additional musical symbols and
then notes are added to this staff. The printed music, if decoded, plays the main
theme to Sergei Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf. Using the musical text along
with the printed text provides an additional way to make meaning, offering
information which is not included in any other way in the print or visual
information of the text.

1.4. Some texts use a more abstract notation rather than real
musical notation. An example of abstract notation appears in Mysterious
Thelonius by Chris Raschka (1997). This book represents the notes of a song
through the placement of words on the page. On the book jacket, a color scale
shows that each color represents a different note in the musical scale.
Throughout the text, the words are written in different colors and heights related
to that scale, thus effectively creating a melody through the placement of the
words on the page.

1.5. Another way picture books can represent the audio mode is by
including an external audio CD or a link to an audio file. In The Yellow
Umbrella by Jae Soo Liu (2002), the music for this text was composed solely
for the purpose of accompanying the illustrations. The music can be listened to
in two different ways. There is a one-track short version that has about 20 to 30
seconds of music for each page. There is also a long version which provides 1
to 2 minutes of music for each page, each on a different track. Without the
music, a reader might only pause for a moment on the page to consider the
small amount of action they see. With the musical accompaniment, the mood
and spirit of each page changes. In a wordless picture book, the reader typically
uses their own words to form a story related to what is happening in the pictures.
The music adds more meaning than the pictures can convey alone to help the
reader construct this story. All of the above examples demonstrate some of the

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ways authors and publishers work together to communicate a wider range of
messages, using not just print and visual modes but the audio mode as well.

Connecting Learning Standards to Arts-Based Responses to Literature

Arts-based responses allow students to use all their senses as they

make meaning. Students may be more encouraged to respond to literature if
teachers use more familiar terms, such as music, art or drawing, acting or
drama, and dance or movement rather than discussing modes, like gestural,
spatial, or audio, as terms.

1. Music

Music responses explore how all elements of music

and audio, including individual sounds, pitch (high or low),
dynamics (loud and soft), rhythm, and tempo (speed)
communicate with listeners.

2. Drama

Drama responses allow students to explore how

elements such as body language, posture, gesture, voice, and
inflection contribute to expressing and understanding meaning.

3. Dance and movement

Dance and movement responses explore how

both dance or body movement can express messages
and communicate with others.

4. Visual art

Visual arts responses explore how color, lines, shapes,

drawing, painting, and all other elements of art communicate
messages to the viewer.

Print Media, Electronic Media & New Age Media

It is crucial to understand how media impacts a child development to be

able to control the impact. We will look at various developmental aspects and
how media affects each area of development. We will also look at the
psychological changes a child goes through due to the impact of media.

Media environment surrounding children has grown breathtakingly since

1992. Several hundred national and international cable and satellite channels,
broadband internet, social networking sites have entered middle class homes.

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Children under the age of six spend more time watching television than they do
playing outdoors.

Developmental Terminology

1. Cognitive Development
This is the child's ability to learn and solve problems. For example, this
includes a two-month-old baby learning to explore the environment with hands
or eyes or a five-year-old learning how to do simple math problems.
2. Social and Emotional Development
This is the child's ability to interact with others, including helping
themselves and self-control. Examples of this type of development would
include: a six-week-old baby smiling, a ten-month-old baby waving bye-bye, or
a five-year-old boy knowing how to take turns in games at school.
3. Speech and Language Development
This is the child's ability to both understand and use language. For
example, this includes a 12-month-old baby saying his first words, a two-year-
old naming parts of her body, or a five-year-old learning to say "feet" instead of
"foots".
4. Fine Motor Skill Development
This is the child's ability to use small muscles, specifically their hands
and fingers, to pick up small objects, hold a spoon, turn pages in a book, or use
a crayon to draw. Gross Motor Skill Development is the child's ability to use
large muscles. For example, a six- month-old baby learns how to sit up with
some support, a 12-month-old baby learns to pull up to a stand holding onto
furniture, and a five-year- old learns to skip.
5. Media impact on Emotional and Social Development
Children at an infant stage do not understand emotions or social
behavior. Surrounding environment determines the perception of a set
emotional reaction and social interaction. Type of content children are exposed
to makes a difference. Children in non-social, instead of social and physically
active state, due to Mass Media.
6. Media Fear and Anxiety
Children can not only witness, and share emotions experienced by
media characters, but also respond directly to emotionally charged events
depicted in the media. Monster House, Corpse Bride, and Harry Potter and the
Order of the Phoenix are just a few examples of horror-filled content that is
targeted to children. Classic Disney films such as Bambi, Snow White, and The
Lion King can also be upsetting to very young children.
7. Long Term Fears and Phobias
A survey of more than 2,000 elementary and middle school children in
US revealed that heavy television viewing was associated with self-reported
symptoms of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress. Watching more
than six hours of television a day put children at greater risk for scoring in the

157
clinical range of these trauma symptoms. A survey of nearly 500 parents of
elementary school children found that the children who watched television just
before bedtime had greater difficulty falling asleep, were more anxious at
bedtime, and had higher rates of nightmares.
• Preschoolers and younger elementary school children (two to
seven years of age) are most frightened by characters and events
that look or sound scary.
• Older elementary school children (eight to twelve years of age)
are frightened more by scenes involving injury, violence, and
personal harm.
• Older children or teens (age eight to twelve) are more frightened
by television news than are younger children.
8. Media and Moral Development
Moral development in children follows a predictable developmental path.
Moral reasoning becomes more flexible and “other” oriented. Extensive viewing
of television violence can alter children's views about the acceptability of
violence and perhaps even hinder the development of their moral reasoning.
Cheating, lying, stealing, yelling, cursing can be perceived as acceptable
behaviour by children. Media can cause confused moral reasoning. Some
programs and genres can enhance moral development.
9. Media and Antisocial Behavior
On an average a child views 200,000 violent acts on television by the
age of 18.

Kids become desensitized to violence and more aggressive.

Violence is often promoted as a fun and effective way to get what you want.

Many violent act are perpetrated by the “good guys” whom kids have
been taught to admire. Even though kids are taught by their parents that it's not
right to hit, television says it's OK to bite, hit, or kick if you're the good guy. This
can lead to confusion when kids try to understand the difference between right
and wrong.
Behavior problems, nightmares, and difficulty sleeping may follow
exposure to media violence. Young kids are particularly frightened by scary and
violent images. Simply telling kids that those images aren't real won't console
them, because they can't yet distinguish between fantasy and reality.
Violent television programming contributes to both short- term and long-
term increases in children's aggressive behaviour. Video games act as fantasy
violence.

Literature for Adolescents

Adolescent Literature also known as Young Adult (YA) literature is
generally described as books written for an audience of 12-20-year olds. It may

158
also include books primarily written for adults, but which have appeal to younger
readers.
The age and experience of the protagonist influence the subject matter
and genres of Young Adult. Young Adult fiction covers a wide range of genres,
including those that are found in adult fiction. Friendship, first love,
relationships, and identity are all common themes in Young Adult. Problem
novels or coming-of-age novels are stories that concentrate on the real
problems that young people face.

Uses in the classroom

To increase student interest in reading, Young Adult has been
introduced into classrooms. There's a popular misconception that Young Adult
literature is only for "struggling" or "reluctant" readers, and that it can only be
included in remedial courses. Young Adult fiction is written for young adults, so
it is often more relevant to students' social and emotional needs than traditional
fiction. Studies have shown that Young Adult fiction can be beneficial in
classroom settings. Young adult fiction is written for young adults and so it is
often more relevant to students' social and emotional needs than is classic
literature. Use of Young Adult in classrooms is linked to:
1. higher levels of engagement and motivation among students
2. increased levels of self-confidence, personal development and self-
identification
3. increased desire to read similar books

Genres

Some of the most common Young Adult Literature genres include

contemporary fiction, fantasy, romance, and dystopian. Genre-blending, more
commonly known as cross-genre, which is the combination of multiple genres
into one work, is also common in Young Adult Literature.

Themes

Many young adult novels feature coming-of-age stories. These feature

adolescents beginning to transform into adults, working through personal
problems, and learning to take responsibility for their actions. Young Adult
serves many literary purposes. It provides a pleasurable reading experience for
young people, emphasizing real-life experiences and problems in easier-to-
grasp ways, and depicts societal functions.

Media use among adolescents and influence on adolescents

• During the past half century, the role of media in the lives of adolescents has
undergone “revolutionary change”(Comstock & Scharrer, 2006).

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 • Although television remains the dominant form of adolescent
media, computers now exist.

• The cell phone has become the favored channel of

communication adolescents.

• Surveying more than 2,200 children and adolescents from 8 to

18yrs of age, the study confirmed that adolescents are
surrounded by the media.

• A major trend in the use of technology is the dramatic increase

in media multitasking.

• TV viewing and video game playing often peak in early

adolescence and begins to decline in late adolescence.

• Representation of Media and Technology in Adolescent (Young

Adult) Literature

Young adult literature as a literary genre is broadly defined as fiction

featuring young adult characters with whom young adult readers can relate.
Key characteristics of the quality and educational value of young adult literature
include the extent to which young adult readers can see themselves reflected
in the characters’ experiences and/or the extent to which young adult readers
can empathize with characters who represent experiences with which they are
not familiar (Cart, 2008). These characteristics are based on a perceived need
to engage reluctant readers with stories of interest to them and to provide young
adult readers with an opportunity to grapple with problems and issues related
to adolescence (Goering & Connors, 2014).

Young adult literature as a genre of fiction has both reflected the reality
of the presence and use of media and technology specific to particular time
periods, and it has presented imagined realities, in which media and technology
play a role, in the form of dystopic and science fiction.

Within these real and imagined contexts, three particular representations

of media and technology have become trends in young adult literature: digital
communication, social media, and surveillance technology.

1. Digital Communication

Adolescent or young adult literature as a genre attempts to represent the

lives of young adults in order to appeal to readers of that age, the means with
which young adult characters communicate has changed to reflect the time
period of the novel's setting.

As an element in the lives of characters, digital communication is

commonly represented in young adult literature through e-mail and message

160
conversations with many novels including writing conventions typically used in
those text types (e.g., abbreviations, emoticons, emoji, capitalization, and
punctuation use). These text types are used in different ways within the novels.
Some young adult novels are written solely as digital communication, others
include digital communication within the body of the narrative, and others are
written as epistolary novels.

Examples:

a) Lauren Myracle’s series, The Internet Girls

b) The Kingdom of Strange (Shula Klinger, 2008)

c) Sun Signs (Shelley Hrdlitschka, 2005)

2. Social Media

Many young adult novels that feature social media are considered to
be cautionary tales by organizations that promote young adult literature (e.g.,
Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), The Bookseller). These
novels are promoted as potentially helpful to young readers for avoiding the
mistakes and pitfalls that await teens on social media platforms.

With the advent of new social media platforms and the migration of teens
from one platform to the next (Rickman, 2018), young adult novels across time
have followed these trends by presenting social media as an element in the
lives of teens. Examples:

• Lobsters (Tom Ellen & Lucy Ivison, 2014)

• Girl Online (Zoe Sugg, 2014)
• Unfriended (Rachel Vail, 2015)
• #16thingsithoughtweretrue (Janet Gurtler, 2014),

3. Surveillance Technology

Surveillance technology is featured in young adult literature variously

as oppressive surveillance by a government or corporation; as what Poster
(1990) refers to as participatory surveillance, in which characters are willing
participants in the surveillance; and what Andrejevic (2004) refers to as lateral
surveillance, in which characters monitor each other (Flanagan, 2014). Young
adult characters are typically not powerless within the gaze of these types of
surveillance as they often exercise their agency to resist and circumvent these
mechanisms of control (Connors, 2017). Connors explains that this type of
storyline is perceived to be appealing to young adult readers because it works
as a kind of metaphor for adolescence wherein youth experience restrictive
environments and ultimately overcome those restrictions. Examples:

161
 • Feed (M. T. Anderson, 2002)
• Serafina67 *urgently requires life* (Susie Day, 2010)
• The trilogy Hunger Games ( Suzanne Collins, 2008, 2009, 2010)
• Little Brother (Cory Doctorow, 2008)

LESSON SUMMARY

• Children's literature, also known as juvenile literature, refers to books,

articles, and poetry written specifically for children.
• Media refers to the vast web of communication and entertainment
technologies and services that have become a commonplace and ever-
present aspect of modern life.
• Current trends in children literature center mostly on digital and
technological advances in our society.
• Multimodal texts are capable of drawing on students’ strengths and
preparing them for a multimodal society where individuals communicate
through audio, gestural, visual, spatial, and print resources, as well as
various combinations of these modes.
• Affordances refers to each mode communicates the same idea in a
different way than any other mode.
• Arts-based response was also connected to learning standard which
includes music, drama, dance and movement, and visual arts.
• Adolescent Literature also known as Young Adult (YA) literature is
generally described as books written for an audience of 12-20 year olds.
• Young Adult literature has been introduced into classrooms to increase
students' interest in reading.
• Common genres in adolescent literature are contemporary fiction,
fantasy, romance, and dystopian.
• Recent trends in adolescent literature consists three representation
which are digital technology, social media, and surveillance technology.

UNIT SUMMARY

Multicultural education expose students to a wide range of cultural

beliefs, views, and values. It aims to develop and promote educational diversity
and equality in the classroom by eliminating barriers for students from a variety
of cultural background.

Reading aloud is one of the beneficial ways to develop cognitive skills of

the child. It helps improve vocabulary and develop good listening habit. Reading
aloud helps children to learn how to use language to make sense of the world.
It improves their information processing skills, vocabulary, and comprehension.
Book is a set of printed sheets of paper bound together between covers and

162
forming a work of fiction or nonfiction. Genre is the organization of literature
into categories based on the type of writing the piece exemplifies through its
content, form, or style.

Children's literature, also known as juvenile literature, refers to books,

articles, and poetry written specifically for children. Media refers to the vast web
of communication and entertainment technologies and services that have
become a commonplace and ever-present aspect of modern life. Current trends
in children literature center mostly on digital and technological advances in our
society. Multimodal texts are capable of drawing on students’ strengths and
preparing them for a multimodal society where individuals communicate
through audio, gestural, visual, spatial, and print resources, as well as various
combinations of these modes.

ASSESSMENT

Part 1: TRUE or FALSE: Read each statement carefully and clearly. Write T if
the statement is true and write F if the statement is false. Place your answer in
the space provided before the number.

1. Multiculturalism is a way to educate people about the wide range of

cultural aspects.

2. Without establishing reading aloud, it is impossible for a child to

flourish and improve vocabulary and creative thinking.

3. The use of technology is one of the challenges upon the notion that
printed materials in teaching literature will be left behind.

4. Technology has the great impact on wide spreading multicultural

education, storytelling and reading aloud, and promoting children and
adolescent literature to the public.

5. Children and adolescent literature can flourish through appropriate

books and strategies in promoting children and adolescent literacy.

Part II. Performance Task

• With the integration of technology. Make a 5-10 minutes video

presentation storytelling and reading aloud utilizing the recommended
ways and strategies listed on the previous lesson.
• The presentation must be a sort of promoting multicultural education
among learners.
• The presentation must also be accurate in the 21st century education.

163
 Rating Scale for the Presentation

Content 30%

Creativity 20%

Projection (Attire and Delivery) 15%

Relevance of the Topic 25%

Mastery 15%

Total: 100%

CHAPTER REFERENCES

7 Benefits of Reading Aloud (Plus Online Read Aloud Books for Kids).
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Children's Literature Genres: Children's Literature. (n.d.). Retrieved from
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mT-FfBiD5Eq473ln-E8ZDvEP5tUse-4ZtZuZGj8LGJCcw
Choosing a Child's Book. (2013, November 07). Retrieved from
https://www.readingrockets.org/article/choosing-childs-
book?fbclid=IwAR0fbNTCCvTkkRtm2v4POp9KMey5bCdJV42nFOl5XA
KK0D0k3ShiskK6WUo
Evans, S. (2010). The Role of Multicultural Literature Interactive Read-
Aloud on Student Perspectives Toward Diversity. Journal of
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Hseu, M., & Hetzel, J. (2000). Bridging the Cultural Divide Through
Multicultural
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Influence of the digital age on children’s literature and its use in the
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Landt, S. M. (2006). Multicultural literature and young adolescents:
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Literacy, 49(8), 690-697.
Lydia Betsy Student at Mount Carmel college Follow. (n.d.). Media use
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adolescents-
media-influence-on-adolescents
Monobe, G., & Son, E. H. (2014). Using Children’s Literature and Drama
to Explore Children’s Lives in the Context of Global Conflicts. The
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Morrison, V., & Wlodarczyk, L. (2009, October). Revisiting Read-Aloud:

164
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20and%20enjoyable%20delivery.
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Smith, E. (1995). Anchored in our literature: Students responding to
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Steiner, S. F., Nash, C. P., & Chase, M. (2008). Multicultural Literature

That Brings People Together. Reading Teacher, 62(1), 88-92.
Strategies for Reading Aloud with Children. (n.d.) SMART reading.
https://smartreading.org/strategies-for-reading-aloud-with-children/
Munger, E. B. (n.d.). Steps to success.
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-steps-
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and-its-use-in-the-classroom/
Rish, R. (2019). Representation of media and technology in young adult
literature. Retrieved from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332986240
Shmoop Editorial Team. (2008, November 11). Children's literature
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Tasneem Mohammed Trainer and Educator Follow. (n.d.). Media and
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University, P. (n.d.). Use of social media among adolescents.
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165
 REFERENCES

BLOGS
Children's Literature Genres: Children's Literature. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://libguides.ashland.edu/childlitgen?fbclid=IwAR04ufHg0VsWe-mT-
FfBiD5Eq473ln-E8ZDvEP5tUse-4ZtZuZGj8LGJCcw
Choosing a Child's Book. (2013, November 07). Retrieved from
https://www.readingrockets.org/article/choosing-childs-
book?fbclid=IwAR0fbNTCCvTkkRtm2v4POp9KMey5bCdJV42nFOl5XAKK0D
0k3ShiskK6WUo
Influence of the digital age on children’s literature and its use in the
classroom. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-steps-to-
success/chapter/7-influence-of-the-digital-age-on-childrens-
literature-and-its-use-in-the-classroom/
Lydia Betsy Student at Mount Carmel college Follow. (n.d.). Media
use among adolescents, media influence on adolescents.
https://www.slideshare.net/mobile/lydiabetsy/media-use-
among-adolescents-media-influence-on-adolescents
Morrison, V., & Wlodarczyk, L. (2009, October). Revisiting Read-Aloud:
Instructional Strategies That Encourage Students' Engagement with Texts. The
Reading Teacher. https://www.readingrockets.org/article/revisiting-read-
alouds-instructional-strategies-encourage-students-engagement-
text#:~:text=Read%2Daloud%20is%20an%20instructional,a%20fluent%20an
d%20enjoyable%20delivery.
Strategies for Reading Aloud with Children. (n.d.) SMART reading.
https://smartreading.org/strategies-for-reading-aloud-with-children/
Munger, E. B. (n.d.). Steps to success.
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-steps-to-
success/chapter/7-influence-of-the-digital-age-on-childrens
-literature-and-its-use-in-the-classroom/
Rish, R. (2019). Representation of media and technology in young
adult literature.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332986240
Shmoop Editorial Team. (2008, November 11). Children's literature
characteristics. https://www.shmoop.com/study-
guides/literary-movements/childrens-literature/characteristics
Tasneem Mohammed Trainer and Educator Follow. (n.d.).
Media and children.
https://www.slideshare.net/mobile/tasneemasif/media-and-
children-54188487
7 Benefits of Reading Aloud (Plus Online Read Aloud Books for Kids).
(n.d.).https://readingeggs.com/articles/2015/03/03/read-aloud-books/
BOOK
Norton, Donna E. and Saundra E. Norton. Through the Eyes of a Child: An
Introduction to Children’s Literature. 6th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Merrill Prentice Hall, 2003.

166
 JOURNAL SOURCES
Evans, S. (2010). The Role of Multicultural Literature Interactive Read-
Alouds on Student Perspectives Toward Diversity. Journal of Research
in Innovative Teaching, 3(1), 88-100.
Hseu, M., & Hetzel, J. (2000). Bridging the Cultural Divide Through
Multicultural Children’s Literature.
http://buddies.org/articles/Literature.html.
Landt, S. M. (2006). Multicultural literature and young adolescents: A
kaleidoscope of opportunity. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy,
49(8), 690-697.
Monobe, G., & Son, E. H. (2014). Using Children’s Literature and Drama
to Explore Children’s Lives in the Context of Global Conflicts. The Social
Studies, 105(2), 69-74.
Norton, D. E. (2009). Multicultural children’s literature: through the eyes of
many children (3rd ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon/Pearson.
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