C-ID Descriptor
Children’s Literature

Eligibility for college-level composition (C-ID ENGL 100) as determined by college assessment or other appropriate method.

N/A

Successful completion of college-level composition (C-ID ENGL 100) or equivalent.

1. Literary terminology
2. Important genres, authors, and themes (classical to contemporary)
3. Contexts (historical, psychological, political, social, aesthetic, philosophical)
4. Multicultural issues, authors, and audiences
5. Critical reading strategies
6. Writing strategies
7. Sociological aspects

At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Demonstrate familiarity with major authors, works, genres, and themes of children’s literature
2. Analyze and interpret themes found in the literature and intellectual movements of children’s literature
3. Demonstrate understanding of appropriate academic discourse and the conventions of critical literary analysis
4. Relate the literary works to their historical, philosophical, social, political, and aesthetic contexts
5. Demonstrate comprehension of the above through class discussion, written exams, and essays
6. Demonstrate awareness of culturally diverse audiences

A variety of writing assignments including academic essays as well as shorter assignments such as summaries, annotated bibliographies, reader responses/journals, in-class writing, group projects, or research projects.

Other methods of evaluation such as portfolios, oral presentations, exams, quizzes, and class participation.

Sample textbooks (most recent editions):

Nikolajeva, Maria.  Aesthetic Approaches to Children's Literature, Scarecrow

Nodelman, Perry, and Mavis Reimer. The Pleasures of Children's Literature, Allyn & Bacon

Hunt, Peter. Understanding Children's Literature, Routledge.

Nel, Philip, and Lissa Paul, eds.  Keywords for Children's Literature, NYU Press.

Zipes, et al.  The Norton Anthology of Children's Literature, Norton.

Lukens, R. A Critical Handbook of Children's Literature, Pearson.

Saltman, Judith.  Riverside Anthology of Children’s Literature, Houghton.

Open Educational Resources (OER) texts. 

Sample Manuals or Other Support Materials

Gardner, J. E. Writing About Literature:  A Portable Guide, Bedford/St. Martin’s

Harmon, W., and H. Holman. A Handbook to Literature. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall

Selected handbook or style manual (MLA, CMS), including Open Educational Resources (OER) texts and materials.