evaluating and selecting children’s literature dr. kristen pennycuff trent

Evaluating and Selecting Children’s Literature

Evaluating and Selecting Children’s Literature

Dr. Kristen Pennycuff Trent

Objectives of the Literature Program

• Entertainment• Literary Heritage• Identification of Formal Elements• Understanding of Self and Others• Critical Analysis

Standards for Evaluating Books

• “There are ideas that go beyond the plot of a novel or picture book story or the basic theme of a non-fiction book, but they are presented subtly and gently; good books do not preach; their ideas are wound into the substance of the book and are clearly a part of the book itself.” Jean Karl, 1987


• Literary Questions– How effective is the development of

literary elements?• Artistic Questions

– How effective are the illustrations and the illustrator’s techniques?

• Pragmatic Questions– How accurate and logical is the

material?


• Philosophical Questions– Will this book enrich a reader’s life?

• Personal Questions– Does this book appeal to me?


Three Categories of Book Reviews

• Descriptive– Factual information about the story and

illustrations• Analytical

– Discuss, compare, and evaluate literary elements, the illustrations, and other books

• Sociological– Social context of the book ,

characterizations of groups, stereotypes, possible controversy, popularity

Award Winners• Caldecott

– 19th century illustrator, Randolph Caldecott

– Illustrator of the best picture book

• Newbery– 18th century bookseller, John Newbery– Author of the best children’s novel

Award Winners• Hans Christian Anderson

– Highest international recognition– Author and illustrator lasting

contributions• Children’s Choice/ Teachers’

Choice– International Reading Association– 10,000 children/teachers vote for

favorite books

Literary Elements (Story Grammars)

• Plot– sequence of action

• Conflict– Dilemma characters face

• Man vs. man (Peter Rabbit)• Man vs. nature (Julie of the Wolves)• Man vs. self (Hatchet)• Man vs. society (Blubber)


• Resolution– Ending to story conflict

• Setting– Location in time and place

• Moods• Antagonist• Historical background• Symbolism


• Characterization– People in the story

• Strengths/weaknesses• Physical appearance• Conversations• Thoughts• Perception of other characters• Actions

– “Books should treat all characters as individuals.”


• Theme– Underlying idea that ties the plot,

characters, and setting together into a meaningful whole• Changes in character• Nature of conflict• Personal development


• Style– Word selection and arrangement– To create characters, plot, and settings– To create theme

• Point of View– Perspective of characters

• First person “I”• Third person “he, she, they”• Omniscient “all knowing”


• Stereotypes– Inadequate representation of

minority groups or females – Insensitive or demeaning– Over generalization– Common in copyright dates prior to

1970

The Right Book for the Right Child

• Accessibility– Home, school, community

• Readability– Rule of Thumb

• Interest– Motivation

Children as Ultimate Critics

• Is this a good story?• Is the story something I think could really happen?• Did the main character overcome the problem, but not

too easily?• Did the climax seem natural?• Did the characters seem real?• Did the characters grow in the story?• Did the characters have both strengths and

weaknesses?

• Did the setting present what is actually known about this time or place?

• Did the characters fit into the setting?

• Did I feel that I was really in that time and place?

• What did the author want to tell me in the story?

• Was the theme worthwhile?• When I read the book

aloud, did the characters sound like real people talking?

• Did the rest of the language seem natural?

Your Turn• Using your easy books, perform

the Children As Ultimate Critics analysis then share with your group.

Books to Begin OnBooks to Begin On

Dr. Kristen Pennycuff Trent

Books to Begin On• Developing Initial Literacy• Babies’ First Books• Toy Books• Finger Plays and Nursery Songs• Nursery Rhymes• ABC Books

• Counting Books• Concept Books• Wordless Picture Books• Books About Common Experiences• Books for the Beginning Reader

Developing Initial Literacy

• Reading Aloud– Emotional bonds– Cognitive development– Oral language development– Pleasure

Babies’ First Books• Relate to familiar life experiences• Identify and name objects• Be sturdy and well constructed• Use clear, natural language• Be predictable

• Provide humor• Show clear, uncluttered

illustrations with no distracting backgrounds

• Offer opportunities for interaction

Toy Books• Board Books• Pop-Up Books• Flap Books• Cloth Books• Plastic Books

Toy Books• Built in participation and

interaction• Cut out and lift the flap books• Where’s Spot?• Pat the Bunny• The Very Hungry Caterpillar • Cock-A-Moo-Moo

Finger Plays and Nursery Songs

• Finger plays encourage participation– Eensy, Weensy Spider– Five Little Monkeys– Where is Thumbkin?

• Collected by Freidrich Froebel, father of kindergarten movement, in Germany

Finger Plays and Nursery Songs

• Nursery songs encourage response to singing and music– Going on a Bear Hunt– Wheel on the Bus– I Know an Old Lady– Old McDonald

Mother Goose Books• Earliest literature enjoyed by

many young children• Appealing characteristics

– Rhythm– Rhyme– Repetition of sounds– Humor– Hyperbole (use of exaggeration for

effect)

Mother Goose Books• Links word play and nursery

rhymes to phonemic awareness• Contributes to emergent literacy

development• Opportunities for active

participation and response• Reflects interests of children

Mother Goose Books• Collections

– Kate Greenaway’s Mother Goose– Rosemary Well’s Here Comes Mother

Goose– Tomie de Paola’s Mother Goose

• Books that Illustrate One Rhyme– Over the Moon– Mary Had A Little Lamb

• Nursery Rhymes in Other Lands– Tortillas Para Mama

Alphabet Books• Used to identify familiar objects as

well as letters and sounds– Word-picture format– Simple narrative– Riddle or puzzles– Topical themes

Alphabet Books• Appropriate for children of all ages

– Z was Zapped– Alphabet City– The Graphic Alphabet Book– Icky Bug Alphabet Book– Tomorrow’s Alphabet– D is for Duck

Counting Books• Used for educational purposes to

develop mathematical concepts– One-to-one correspondence

• Big Fat Hen– Other simple math concepts

• Ten Black Dots– Number stories and puzzles

• The Doorbell Rang

Counting Books• Ten, Nine, Eight• Look Whooo’s Counting• Cookie Count• Oreo Counting Book• Cheerios Counting Book• Count on Me• 29 Letters and 99 Cents

Concept Books• Stimulate cognitive development

– Help teach concepts about spatial relationships, patterns, visual discrimination, etc.

– First non-fiction books– Major Authors

• Tana Hoban• Lois Elhert• Donald Crews

Concept Books– A Busy Year– Mouse Paint– Good Morning, Good Night– More, Fewer, Less– We’re Going On a Bear Hunt

Wordless Picture Books• Illustrations tell the whole story

without words• Encourages

– Language development– Vocabulary– Oral discussion– Storytelling

Wordless Picture Books• Alexandra Day: Carl series• Pat Hutchins: Rosie’s Walk• Tomie de Paola: Pancakes for

Breakfast• Peter Spier: Noah’s Ark• Raymond Briggs: The Snowman• David Weisner: Tuesday

Books About Common Experiences

• No, David!• When Sophie Gets Angry• In the Rain with Baby Duck• The Runaway Bunny• Goodnight Moon• Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear• Owl Babies

Books for the Beginning Reader

• Predictable Books– In the Tall, Tall Grass– Barnyard Banter– Brown Bear, Brown Bear– Today is Monday– Chicken Soup with Rice– Napping House– Shoes from Grandpa

Books for the Beginning Reader

• Controlled Vocabulary Books– New genre started by Dr. Suess in

1957• Created The Cat in the Hat from 220

Dolch sight words– Little Bear series– Frog and Toad series

Controlled Vocabulary Books

• Caution:– Dull plots– Flat characters– Unnatural language patterns

• Look For:– Natural language– Creative plots– Real child appeal– Good artwork

Picture Storybooks• Illustrations present most of story

content– Must read story to get complete view– Integral to story line– Enhance the actions, settings, and

characters

Elements of Picture Storybooks

• Originality and imagination• Plot• Characterization• Setting

• Theme• Style• Humor• Surprise and the Unexpected

Typical Characters and Situations

• People Disguised as Animals– Frances series– Olivia series

• Talking Animals with Human Emotions– The Story of Ferdinand– Curious George


• Personified Objects– Virginia Lee Burton’s work

• Katy and the Big Snow• Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel• The Little House


• Humans in Realistic Situations– Ezra Jack Keats’s inner city– Robert McCloskey’s New England– A Chair for My Mother– William’s Doll

• Humorous and Inventive Fantasies – Dr. Suess books– Jumanji

Big Books• Provide format for all to see and

interact• Balance teacher and class created

big books with commercially made materials

• See “Creating Big Books with Emergent Readers” page 158

evaluating and selecting children’s literature dr. kristen pennycuff trent

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