Current Children's Literature: Recent Writings and Trends
Spring 1997
Kathy Meyer Reimer
Office: CC115D
Office Phone: 535-7443
Home Phone: 534-3995

Course Description:

A study of current trends in children's literature, of notable writers, publishers, illustrators and illustrations, of various types of writing for children, of critical review sources, and of resources for classroom use; also extensive reading of children's literature.

Intents:


1. To read broadly--surveying children's literature of the 1980s and 1990s.





2. To read critically --becoming familiar with review and critique resources as well as writing critiques.





3. To read deeply--choosing a particular topic or area in which to read (and share) as exhaustively as possible.





4. To read analytically--identifying and following trends in recent children's literature (through reading and journal articles).

This course will be a place to:

1. gather resources.
2. plan for the classroom and teaching.
3. share and discuss with others who have similar interests.
4. read!

Course Texts: (A few of the many possibilities)

Broad selection of children's literature, including:

Avi. Nothing But the Truth.
Cushman, Karen. The Midwife's Apprentice.

Selection from other books available from the library or the bookstore.

Huck, C., Hepler, S. Hickman, J., & Kiefer, B. (1997). Children's Literature in the Elementary School. (6th ed.) NY: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich.

Cullinan, B. (1987). Children's Literature in the Reading Program. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

Harris, V. (1992). Teaching Multicultural Literature. NY: Christopher Gordon.

Hickman, J. & (1989). Weaving Charlotte's Web. Christopher Gordon Publishers.

Seale, D. & Slapin. (1992). Through Indian Eyes. PA: New Society Publishers.

Short, K, Harste, J. & Burke, C. (1995). Creating Classrooms for Authors and Inquirers. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Course Requirements:

1. Classroom focus project.





2. Bibliography. The class will decide what would be the most useful format. If we use a similar format we can use each other's files as a resource.





3. Become familiar with at least six different critical review sources and write your own reviews on a number of books.





4. Develop strategies for working with / teaching books from / about cultures of which you are not personally a member.





5. Find a useful format in which to share the information you have learned--with your classroom and with your colleagues in the course.

6. Read and be prepared to talk with others about discussion books. This might include reflective writing to be brought to each class session--we will decide what is most helpful.





7. Have a plan and focus for your broad reading. It may be that you want to reshape your reading program or look critically at some of the sources you have been using. Any project that relates to books and reading is fair game! (I assume it will be related to no. 1.)





8. Read the reflections of other students on journal articles and critical reviews once during the course and write a response to the writer of the reflections. Once again, we will decide as a group how feedback to writing and projects will be most useful once we have a better sense of the groups' projects.

The course is intended to be as useful as possible to you in your classroom teaching. The hope is that you will be able to benefit from the reading of others in the course as well as your own reading. In this limited amount of time you will not be able to read all you would like to, but you will be able to learn from the reading others have done. The focus will be your classroom, and what you want to happen in your classroom with reading, writing, and books.

We have the option of having a book-maker come in and discuss bookmaking with children if you are interested. There also might be the option of having an author come and talk about how they pull the concepts together that they want to include in the finished book.