Literature for Children

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Prior to the 18th century, children were viewed as little adults. The invention of childhood grew during the Age of Enlightenment along with a rapid increase of printed titles (1620: 6,000 vs. end of 18th century: 56,000). As a result, religious texts began to lose dominance over the written word and thus grew a new body of literature for children. The critical study and evaluation of literature for children has made significant growth since its modest beginnings in the early twentieth century, which we will examine in this course. We will also explore the creation of childhood, children as imagined readers, and how social, political, and cultural factors have influenced topics such as childhood, family, and religion in "classic" and award winning multicultural children's literature. By comparing literature with similar themes over time, we will explore how authors have reflected, challenged, or attempted to remain neutral in their writing about dominant social and cultural values and beliefs, especially those pertaining to race/racism, ethnic and cultural diversity, and equity and social justice. We will discuss literature within the context of historical and political events of when the work was published and consider how literature can be a reflection of a time-period and authors' political ideologies (Stephens, 1992; Sutherland, 1985). Finally, we will consider how literature can foster dialogue in K-8 classrooms to promote anti-racist counter-narratives to develop children's understanding of their role in contributing to a more just, equitable, and humane world.