Children's Literature

Instructor: Chi-Fen Emily Chen, Ph.D. 陳其芬

Department of English, National Kaohsiung First University of Science and Technology, Taiwan

 Please read Chapter 3 from Russell, D. L. (2009). Literature for children: a short introduction.

Introduction

• "A Story is a Doorway"     ~ by Richard Peck

A story is a doorway That opens on a wider place. A story is a mirror To reflect the reader's face. A story is a question You hadn't thought to ponder, A story is a pathway, Inviting your to wander. A story is a window, A story is a key, A story is a lighthouse, Beaming out to sea. A story's a beginning, A story is an end, And in the story's middle, You just might find a friend.

(*cited in Lynch-Brown & Tomlinson, 2005, Essentials of Children’s Literature, p. 2)

• What is a good story?

   A good story should alter you in some way; it should change your thinking, your feeling, your psyche, or the way you look at things. A story is an abstract experience; it's rather like venturing through a maze. When you come out of it, you should feel slightly changed (Allen Say).

• Why do we need to study literature?

- Literature is filled with ideas that need to be explored.     

- Literature helps us to see our world in new ways. It brings us to a deeper understanding of life.

• This unit presents a vocabulary with which we can discuss literature and offers some suggestions for appreciating and judging literature.