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You may use a minimum of two stories to illustrate your point. The presentations should be emailed to lmolina221b@gmail.com. Comments on this post should be 4 to 6 paragraphs.
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ReplyDeleteChildren's literature can help fulfill the purpose of an early childhood education which is to develop in young children social, emotional, cognitive, linguistic, and physical skills. For this purpose, children's literature is the best way to provide such a range of experience, based on their own voice and ideas. When one thinks of a children's story they think of one that illustrates a vivid imagination, enthusiastic creativity and the ability to put oneself in the mind of a younger individual. For many writers, writing children's stories successfully require some effort to step back into the shoes of the very young and to see the world from a very fresh and curious perspective. Furthermore, The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Tales of Beedle the Bard, by JK Rowling, and The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick are three novels that portray the three elements of a well written children's story.
ReplyDeleteTo begin, in order for a story to be known as children's literature an author must focus on their style of writing. Writing style is the manner in which a writer addresses a matter in prose. It is the result of the choice the writer makes in syntactical structures, diction, and figures of though. For example, Tolkien's prose is unpretentious and straightforward, taking as giving the existence of his imaginary and describing details in a matter-of-fact way, while often introducing the new and fantastic in an almost casual manner. While The Hobbit is written in a simple, friendly language each of its characters has a unique voice. The narrator, who occasionally interrupts the narrative flow with asides, has his own linguistic style separate from those of the main characters. The basic form of the story is that of a quest, told in episodes. For the most part of the book, each chapter introduces a different denizen of the Wilderland, some friendly towards the protagonists, and some threatening. While many of the encounters are dangerous or threatening, the general tone is a light-hearted, and interspersed with songs. One example of the use of song to maintain tone is when Thorin and Company are kidnapped by goblins, who, when marching them into the underworld, sing: "Clap! Snap! the black crack! Grip, grab! Pinch, nab! And down down to Goblin-town, you go, my ad."
In addition, as JK Rowling observes in the introduction, "Beedle's stories resemble our fairy tales in many respects; for instance, virtue is usually rewarded and wickedness punished." She describes this quote using imagery to portray to her readers the essence of the quote itself. Even though her vocabulary following her use of language may be a little advanced for younger children, her imagination in which she conveys, allows the younger readers to visual what is actually occurring in the story. The roots of fairy stories run very deep, and The Tales of Beedle the Bard are just the latest little fruits on a very old tree. In fact, the notion that magical children need their fairy stories is a reminder of the importance of the genre to all of us.
Moreover, from Brian Selznick's ever-generated mind comes a uniquely inventive story told in text, sequential art and period photographs and film. Orphaned Hugo survives secretly in a Parisian train station. Obsessed with reconstructing a broken automaton, Hugo is convinced that it will write a message from the station's toy shop, Hugo's life intersects with the elderly shop owner and his g-d daughter, Isabelle. In addition, a consciousness of the storytelling style is one of the great pleasures of reading this book.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret is an illustrated novel which one would call a "picture book novel." The illustrations function much like illustrations function in a picture book: the story is incomplete without them. These illustrations also resemble the continuation of the story without using words. They help the younger readers as well as adults visualize the events that are occurring throughout this children's novel. Furthermore, since this novel establishes a life lesson to the readers as well as a visual representation, this piece of literature is known as a children's story.
In the Final analysis, the style of writing has an emblematic effect towards the stories genre. Through the use of language, the author is able to use his or her imagination, providing an ability to allow the reader to visualize as if they were in the story. With the use of a vivid imagination, enthusiastic creativity and the ability to put oneself in the mind of a younger individual, one is able to identify a written masterpiece part of the children's literature genre. Moreover, the main purpose of children's literature is to represent a child's enduring life transition to adulthood, as well as being well known to the public for centuries and centuries.
One element that we see frequently in literature aimed at children is one or more "fish out of water" characters. The basic form of this character is simple: they begin the story in a simple, mundane existence, then are put into situations completely alien to them. Like these characters, children have little experience, and must constantly be learning about the world around them. Two works in which such characters appear are "The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien, and "The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis.
ReplyDeleteThe displaced hero is at the center of the archetypal children's fantasy plot. The archetypal plot has four basic steps. The first step is the Real World step. Here the hero is established (unsurprisingly) in the real world. The story starts to pick up, however, when the hero goes through the Initiation phase, bringing him/her into the fantasy world. This is where the majority of the plot generally takes place, with the hero in the Experience phase of the journey. Finally, the hero must leave the fantasy world, and so we have the Return to reality with the hero a bit wiser for the experience.
At the center of this plot is, of course, the hero, displaced from his/her home and thrown into situations completely alien. This character resonates to strongly with children because that the journey of discovery that the "fish out of water" goes through is comparable to the struggle of growing up. Indeed, these characters are often literally children, so the reader can relate to them easily.
In "The Magician's Nephew," (as well as many of the other Narnia books) C.S. Lewis uses the very typical plot outlined above, and focuses very closely on the protagonists, a boy named Digory and a girl named Polly. The two are sent very unwillingly by Digory's uncle Andrew out into the multiverse to see what is there and report back. Once they have left our world, however, they decide with childish vigor to go exploring on their own rather than returning immediately to Uncle Andrew. This decision sets off the plot that spans many different worlds, including our own "real" world. It is interesting to note here that it is not Uncle Andrew's machinations, but the children's curiosity that sets the plot in motion. Both children have a hand in the exploration. It is Polly who first convinces Digory to go exploring, but Digory who decides to press on and ring the bell that releases Jadis, the villain of the story.
Tolkien's "The Hobbit" takes a very different direction. The first and most obvious difference is that our hero, Bilbo Baggins, is already deeply entrenched in the fantasy world. Still, Bilbo begins the story in the safety and comfort of his home in the neighborhood that he is familiar with. As such, the fantastic things that happen to him over the course of the story are still sufficiently alien to him that his own life qualifies as the Real World portion of the archetypal plot. Also important is that Bilbo is not a child like Digory and Polly, and he is much more apprehensive about the journey that he finds himself on than those two characters. Instead, he finds himself conflicted between his desire for adventure and his instincts for self-preservation (for he is assured before the journey begins that it will be a dangerous one). This gives Bilbo a very different feel to him that the children in "The Magician's Nephew." While they are always exploring and questioning, Bilbo has at least a passing familiarity with most of his world's idiosyncrasies, so he can take things more easily in stride.
Of course, by the end of their respective stories, Bilbo and the children are back in their comfortable existence in the real world or the local equivalent, and they're better off for having their adventure. The displaced hero is an archetype that will likely never fade out of fiction, particularly children's fiction. This character's struggles to function in an alien world mirror the struggle every child has to understand the world of adults. This extends far beyond children however, and the adventurous spirit in anyone loves a story about people making discoveries about themselves and the world around them.
Most children have replaced the trusty good book with electronic games, television and computers. These distractions, in my opinion, have caused reading to become a tedious task instead of an enjoyable activity. Because of this, I feel that children’s literature should contain topics that children can relate to such as the creation of new friendships; excitement and adventures to keep them interested and attentive; and a lesson learned to make the read productive. Two of the books that I read during the course of this class exemplify these aspects wonderfully.
ReplyDeleteNew friendships, at first an intimidating and sometimes awkward situation, but usually concluding with a new comrade. Every child experiences this situation more than once or twice; changes in schools, a move into a new home. This aspect is shown in the book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, through Hugo and Isabelle. Hugo, an orphan, finds himself very much alone in a large train station. He is living there secretly and because of this, he has no one. That is until he meet’s Isabelle, the god-daughter of a shop owner. Hugo’s new friendship with Isabelle not only provides companionship but ultimately leads him to solve the mystery of the automata. In, The Magician’s Nephew, Diggory, whose mother is very ill, is now living with his aunt and uncle, an old maid and an old bachelor. His newfound friendship with his neighbor, Polly, leads him through unaccountable experiences and the adventure of their lives.
Excitement, an extremely important element in children’s literature, comes in all sorts and kinds. Again, I will turn to, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, and, The Magician’s Nephew, for examples. The Invention of Hugo Cabret, leads Hugo on a mission to uncover the secret of the automata, a project that was worked upon by his father before his death. His mission takes him through a series of exciting situations including an arrest, sneaking into movies, and searching for bits and pieces to complete the work on the automata. The Magician’s Nephew, takes Diggory and Polly to new worlds! Giant royalty with magic powers, talking animals, it does not get more exciting than that!
Finally, a lesson learned. I feel that in order to make the read productive, it should teach the child. Every action has a reaction and learning this is fundamental. In, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Hugo’s stealing lands him in the station jail. A valuable lesson because stealing, no matter this size of the object or the circumstances leading to the action, is wrong and more importantly, illegal! Children sometimes do not understand this and take gum and candy from stores to satisfy their need, not knowing it is wrong. The lesson, which I believe is provided in, The Magician’s Nephew, is not to dabble in the unknown. As they say, “Curiosity killed the cat”, and children, as cats do, have the tendincy to get into sticky situations!
My conclusion is that these books are children’s literature because they contain situations familiar to a child such as friendship, adventure and excitement to keep them entertained, and lessons learned to teach them life lessons.
I am re-posting my blog.
ReplyDelete-Elizabeth Sanchez
Innocence, adventure and imagination are some of the words that come to mind when one thinks of children’s literature. These elements are some of the few that I believe make up a great children’s book. Children `s literature are stories that are not only tested through time, but also by the audience it reaches, be it child or adult. I chose to illustrate and prove my ideas through the books, The Tales of Beedle the Bard, by J.K. Rowling, The Adventure Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain, and The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick. These three books not only exemplify the above characteristics, but in addition, the other ones I will be discussing.
One of the most important characteristics of children `s literature is the style of writing. The way the author chooses to portray their story by the use of dialogue and vocabulary is most definitely vital in order to be considered literature and as an enduring read. In books such as The Tales of Beedle the Bard, the vocabulary may seem simplistic and frivolous as some of it is even made up. Yet, through Rowling `s imagination and expression, she is able to capture and transport readers into the world of wizards and warlocks. On the other hand, other books introduce a more difficult vocabulary and bring about a challenging read. I believe that Tom Sawyer is not necessarily a read for younger children. Its dialogue composed of southern slang is harder to follow. However, it is through this slang that Twain connects Tom` s adventures and escapades in a way that allows children as well as adults to desire to be a part of that setting. Similarly, author Brian Selznick uses not only words and dialogue to bring about his story of wonder and adventure, but in addition, uses illustrations to tie it all together.
Normally, the protagonists of these stories are children and therefore, we get to view the world through their eyes. The child gives us a glimpse of optimism only as he or she can. Even so, authors of this genre of literature allow us to conjure up vivid images in our imagination as we read plots where some form of evil, temptation, or mystery usually takes place. As in real life, the child matures subtly in such a way that by the end of the tale the young and naïve child is wiser. This can be seen in the characters of Hugo Cabret and Tom Sawyer. In The Invention of Hugo Cabret, there are several evils, which Hugo needs to contend within this story. These are the death of his father, the drunkard uncle, his abandonment, the hidden truths, and his habit of stealing and lying. On the other hand, Tom Sawyer had to deal with a society that wanted him to conform, the witnessing of a murder, and most disturbingly, Injun Joe. In the end, both Hugo and Tom are wiser for having gone through their difficult circumstances and it is through these experiences that we get somewhat of a glimpse of their transformation.
Finally, there is a teaching underlying within most stories. Good overcomes evil. This is usually one of the morals learned by the end of every children `s book. For example, in The Tales of Beedle the Bard, the short story entitled, “The Wizard and Hopping Pot,” teaches its reader not only to help those in need, but to do it with a willing attitude. On the other hand, Tom Sawyer illustrates that growing up goes along with standing up for the truth. Lastly, in The Invention of Hugo Cabret the reader comes to realize that stealing is wrong and instead one should persevere to obtain the truth and one `s dream. Some lessons are easy to decipher and others are hidden. These are only to be found through the passage of time and study, but always to apply and relate to everyday life.
Nevertheless, it is through their writing style that an author can take their imagination and masterfully entrance his reader, whether young or old, into a world of make believe. Through carefully chosen words, scenarios masterfully turn to create an adventure in which readers want to partake. Innocence, imagination, adventure, vocabulary, the children involved, and morals taught, are some of the elements that differentiate children `s books from children `s literature. In conclusion, these characteristics are what make up great children `s literature and therefore are read from generation to generation.
From the books that we've read, I think what makes them children's literature is that most of them teach something whether directly or indirectly. As well as many of them seem to express the need to be true to yourself through obstacles that may come. Also, many of them show make sure to show the curiosity in children and how the curiosity may be a negative or a positive thing. All of which I think makes great children's literature. Some books that we have read that shows these some of these qualities are The Hobbit, The Invention of Hugo Cabret and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
ReplyDeleteThe Hobbit exemplifies the being true to yourself no matter what , I loved the way even though he encountered great power, he tried to steer clear of letting it take over and in the end succeeded. Bilbo set on this journey a where people thought he was nothing but a hobbit, not important at all, until he was bestowed with this task and carried out and returned home, a hero. That is something that I loved too, he began humble and stayed humble, he loved who he was and becoming a hero didn't change that.
Next Hugo Cabret, no one thought much of him either, for the most part he was thought of as no more than a thief if anything. And all he had was a key, a notebook and a message from his father which he seemed to treasure very much. Those things lead to him continuing something his father started and he was determined to do it. He strongly believed that doing fixing this automaton would change his life and it did. Makes you wonder about things people tell you are ridiculous, a waste of time. But, this book was kind of about hope and never giving up.
Now, Tom Sawyer, yes he was known for his tricky, but he quite bright in his own right, maybe not too book smart, but very street smart. We all know the shenanigans that he played on everyone around him and how trouble seemed to find him or even that he looked for it; but it was all in child's curiosity and hunger to want more. I don't think he knew how to stop sometimes, which was his dilemma to some extent. Though I'm still not quite sure if he would ever stop I think he learned a limit, which is also a good thing.
All of these books were written to serve some type of purpose teach you something one way or another and they all seemed to have succeeded and that is why I think they are part of children's literature. Most adult books have plot and tell a story but, they usually don't teach anything anymore , its just for the sake of reading, but I think all of theses books, have the qualities that I mentioned making them all memorable children's books.
What are the elements that make up a children's literature? There are, obviously, many different elements that make up stories for children, but they all have one element in common. That is, the ability to capture a child's imagination, just like the books we have read for this class.
ReplyDeleteIn Tom Sawyer, we read about fictional characters, but to children they seem real. Mark Twain knew how to really make the characters "come alive" for the reader. Just like in Hugo Cabret, Brian Selznick makes the characters come alive.
Not all literature captures characters like that, however. The Magician's Nephew is a great example of, not only bring the characters come alive, but also the place. C.S. Lewis, just like Twain and Selznick, introduces us to unique people, but he also introduces us to a unique place. A place that basically is an escape for our real world.
Children's literature is different from children books because anybody can make a child's imagination work, but only children's literature can make a child's imagination come to life. That is what I've learned by taking this class. Children naturally have an imagination, but authors, like Selznick and Lewis, makes their imagination real to them. Those that write children's literature takes the child and brings them into another world, and captures their imagination.
Nowadays, children are living stressful and timeless lives. Through reading, they let the stress out and have some time for themselves. Imagination, excitement and teaching are some elements that make up children’s literature.
ReplyDeleteChildren’s imagination flies with just an intriguing approach. This is shown by Brian Selznick, the author of The Invention of Hugo Cabret, who makes children’s imagination fly away with the illustrations he uses to tell the story. It’s fascinating to me the way Selznick portrayed Hugo and Isabelle watching the automaton writing for the first time. I felt I was part of the mystery of the machine! Although The Magician’s Nephew doesn’t have illustrations, it describes how Digory and Polly were transported from one world to the other for example. In this case, sensory images come to the readers’ imagination to grasp the message of C. S. Lewis, the author.
Excitement is another important element on children’s literature. Kids relate to kids, and, if they read about kids, they are expecting adventure, mystery, and friendship to be around as well. It could be solving the unknown, like knowing who Papa Georges really was and why the automaton would sign his name (The Invention of Hugo Cabret), or going on a journey around Narnia’s mountains (The Magician’s Nephew) but excitement would always be around the main characters, making the story interesting.
In children’s literature, every story has a lesson to be learned. When children read, they could relate themselves with the characters and could learn what to do in a similar situation. In The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Hugo learned to follow his dreams and never give up with the automaton. In The Magician’s Nephew, Digory learned to trust Aslan and to obey what he had said. Both stories give examples for children to obey their parents, to follow what they really want, and to never give up. Even though these stories are fiction, they have themes that apply to real life.
Elements such as adventure, imagination and learning make up children’s literature. They make possible that these stories are read from generation to generation not only to entertain little ones and big ones but also to create, imagine and teach.