Lesson 4: The Landscape of Children's Books

Introduce:

In Lesson 3 we discussed the importance of good pictures to a good book. Now we will consider children's books in general.In this lesson we will focus on the different genres spread across the vast landscape of children's literature.

Be sure to read Chapter 6, pp. 60-63 in our text, in addition to working through this lesson.

Near my house is a wonderful children's bookstore called Linden Tree.What started as a one-room source for children's music tapes has blossomed into a store offering 50,000 children's books, author visits, storytellers, book-related toys AND children's tapes and CDs. 

Every time I cross the threshold of this store on the corner of State and Third in Los Altos, I'm transported back to every bookstore and library and comfy reading corner I've known and loved. The smell of new paper, bindery glue and cellophane covers which seems to waft from any collection of books seems to evoke images of my favorite reading experiences ranging over the broad territory which is the genres of children's literature. 

At Linden Tree I know I will find my favorite traditional fantasy, The Rough-faced Girl, my favorite modern fantasy, The Indian in the Cupboard, the historical fiction I loved as a pre-teen--The Loon Feather, the moving Julie of the Wolves in the Contemporary Realistic Fiction genre, Shel Silverstein's Where the Sidewalk Ends in poetry, any of the Informational Eyewitness books, now for adults and children, the Biography of Julia Morgan I gave to my architecture-loving daughter, and all the hundreds of wonderful picture books I want to add to my collection. 

These books define the boundaries of children's literature and you will be delighted to explore the characteristics of each genre since you'll gain a greater understanding and appreciation of the complex world of children's literature. 

Here's what you can expect to learn: 

• the definition of a genre
• the different genres of children's literature
• the distinguishing characteristics of each genre
• examples of each genre 

Goals:

• recognize the breadth of categories in children's literature 
• define genre 
• differentiate between fiction and nonfiction
• identify the distinguishing characteristics of each genre 
• find a book in each genre 

Study Questions:

1. What is genre?
2. What are the genres of children's literature?
3. What are the distinguishing characteristics of each genre?
4. What is  a good example of each genre? 

Books Referenced in this Lesson:

Task for this Lesson:

• Task 4: Genre Exploration:First Pass

Learn:

Be sure to read chapter 6, pp. 60-63, in our book. Then read through the lecture notes below.

Children's Literature is the fastest growing segment in publishing right now. One might argue that all baby boomers have children who are having grandchildren, thus creating a huge market for beautiful books for kids. 

One might also argue that our larger discretionary income allows us to treat our children to books of their own or that the renewed emphasis on reading as a marker of successful school completion has also prompted parents to buy lots of books for their families.

In any case children's literature drives the market now and the world-wide popularity of the Harry Potter books is a perfect marker of that power. In fact, when I was in Florence, my English 8 students there found three bookstores devoted solely to children's literature, in Italian of course, so this energy is not strictly an American phenomenon. 

In this lesson we'll map out the territory you will be exploring in depth over the next few weeks. 

As you read the rest of this page, I recommend that you have your text book open to page 61, and pay special attention to Figure 6.1, the Genres of Children's Literature diagram.

Prose or Poetry?

First of all, literature, for adults or children, in English or another language, can be categorized as prose or poetry. 

Poetry, Wordsworth wants said was "the [transcribing] of powerful feelings recollected in tranquillity." Poetry is playful use of language. It is language which is charged with emotion or infused with images. It is language which is replete with rhythm and sometimes rhyme and reflects its roots in our oral tradition. 

Prose is written in paragraphs and is not poetry. A simplistic definition but one "that will do." 

Both poetry and prose, as our text suggests, "help us explore the world and give insight into the human condition." 

Here's an metaphor to help you understand their relationship to the genres of literature. Consider both prose and poetry as parallel tributaries to the river that is Writing. They flow together until they fork into nonfiction and fiction.  You'll find a visual image of this relationship on the Lesson 4 Apply page.

Non-Fiction or Fiction?

Nonfiction is channeled by documentation and bounded by the knowledge that is manmade. Informational Books and Biography are part of this stream. 

Fiction often defies the boundaries of our universe. Its genres are invented and flow from the dawn of time to our contemporary world. Fiction genres include traditional fantasy, modern fantasy, historical fiction and contemporary realistic fiction. 

To continue our river metaphor, these categories are fluid and change course (genre) often. See the genres and their characteristics as the shifting banks of a river of ideas, contained but mutable.

Formats & Categories:

Our book suggests that there are also two formats in children's books and two categories and we will also discuss these, as the former are becoming more popular and the latter are necessarily more important to consider in an increasingly diverse world. 

The formats are picture books and poetry. The categories are multicultural books and controversial books. 

Mapping the Landscape of the Genres of Children's Literature:

Traditional Fantasy:

Defined as literature whose origin is in our oral tradtion with no known author Is part of the fabric of its culture,

characters are archetypes, plots are simple, time is past, human themes

Types of Traditional Fantasy: folktales, tall tale, myths, epics, religious torie Valuable since it creates the capacity to believe, hope, and imagine

Cautions May be violent or frightening but also liberating

Quality Examples will provide rich and textured insight into our past and our imaginations

Modern Fantasy:

Defined as stories whic violate the known physical and natural laws; known author

Characteristics include miraculous elements, talking animals Six basic Fantasy motifs--magic, other worlds, good vs. evil, heroism, special characters, fantastic objexts

Science fiction is similar to modern fantasy but it suggest real scientific imaginings about the future. Fantasy acts as a metaphor which speeds undertanding

Contemporary Realistic Fiction:

Defined as books about how I live or might live--stories that could happen Connects to the community it describes, creates a realistic world, reflects society

Cautions about using books as bibliotherapy Categories of Contemorary Realistic Fiction are becoming ones own person, coping with problems in the human condition, living in a diverse world.

Historical Fiction:

Defined as books which present history as our living past Can create link to life then as a vital and meaningful reality. Good historical ficition should not be sugar-coated, should be accurate, must breathe life into the historical period, reveals history through the eyes of a fictional character.

Biography:

The story of someone¹slife Biographies should be authentic and accurate but written with the young reader¹s ideas in mind. They should present a balanced and realistic view of the subject.

Informational Books:

They present current and accurate knowledge about some part of the universe. Good informational books willhave atrractive format and design, compelling details, quotations,anecdotes, little-known facts, unusual subjects and viewpoints. They will give a new perspective on the subject. Types of informational books are activity books, concept books, journals and interviews, photo essays, pop-ups, reference books, social histories and surveys.

Picture Books:

(see lesson 4 for discussion) Types of picture books include ABC books, counting books, concept books, participation books, wordless books, pattern books and engineered books.

Poetry Books:

See definition above Forms of poetry include narrative poems, lyric poems, limericks, haiku, concrete poetry, a nd free verse

Multicultural Books:

Books which reflect the culture of origin or give insights to that culture These books can foster an understanding of diverse cultures, present a positive representation, introducee readers to the literary traditions of a diverse world.

Controversial Books:

These are books of all genres which have offended one group of people while being appreciated by another.

This is your introduction to the genres, forms, and categories of children¹s books. In subsequent lessons, we will focus more precisely on the individual genres.