Bachelor of Secondary Education Department
Reaccredited Level IV by the Accrediting Agency of Chartered Colleges and Universities of the
Philippines
BACHELOR OF SECONDARY
DEPARTMENT
EDUCATION
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TABLE OF CONTENT
Introduction
Chapter 1: Introduction to the World of Children’s Literature
Pre-test
Content/Preparatory Activities
History of children’s literature
Recent trends in children’s literature
Connecting learning standards to Arts-Based Responses to Literature
Closure Activities
Evaluation
Assignments
Chapter 2: Elements of Quality Children’s Literature
Pre-test
Definition of Literature
Characteristics of Children’s Literature as Genre
Elements of Literature
Closure Activities
Evaluation
Assignment
Chapter 3: The Art Illustration, Early Childhood Books
Pre-Test
The Art of Illustration
Picture Books throughout Early Childhood
What is Picture Book?
Elements of Picture Book
Types of Picture Books
Closure Activities
Evaluation
Assignments
Chapter 4: Traditional Literature, Modern Literature, Animal Fantasy,
Contemporary Realistic Fiction
Pre-Test
Traditional Literature
Modern Literature
Fantasy/Animal Fantasy
Contemporary Realistic Fiction
Closure Activities
Evaluation
Assignment
Summative Assessment
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COURSE: EL 108 Children and Adolescent Literature
DEVELOPER AND THEIR BACKGROUND:
Prof . Elizabeth P. Balanquit – BSED Chairperson
Dr. Ninez B. Tulo – English Area Head
Mr. Michael A. Gandola – Lecturer (magandola@tsu.edu.ph)
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Provides a survey of the categories and types of the world’s literature for children and
adolescents. (EK-3)
COURSE OUTLINE:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
Introduction to the World of Children’s Literature
Elements of Quality Children’s Literature
The Art of Illustration, Early Childhood Books
Traditional Literature, Modern Literature, Animal Fantasy, Contemporary Realistic
Fiction
Biography and Autobiography, Informational Books
Understanding Young Adult Literature, Evaluating and Selecting Young Adult Literature
Connecting Adolescents and Their Literature
Exploring Young Adult Literature
RATIONALE :
This course is designed to introduce the learner of the importance of studying children’s and
adolescent literature, its meaning and its concepts. Children’s literature is important because it
provides students with opportunities to respond to literature; it gives students appreciation
about their own cultural heritage as well as those of others; it helps students develop emotional
intelligence and creativity; it nurtures growth and development of the student’s personality and
social skills; and it transmits important literature and themes from one generation to the next.
INSTRUCTION TO THE USERS
This module is intended for the self-phase learning opportunity of the students inside the
classroom or even without the guidance or direct instructions from their teacher. In consist of
reading materials and other learning activities that would help the learners gain the basic
knowledge they need to learn about this course and to understand the importance of studying
children and adolescent literature.
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Introduction
This chapter explores historical, social, and political influences on children’s literature, including recent
trends related to digital and technological influences, such as incorporating multiple ways of
communicating in response to multimedia messages prevalent in digital formats. Children’s literature
offers insight into the cultural, social, and political history of the place and time at which it was written.
The beliefs, norms, and values of the specific historical time and place it was written are reflected in the
content of the writing, the style, and genre of the writing, and the audience or market for which the text
was written. Placing children’s literature within these contexts allows readers to recognize and critique
the cultural messages carried within children’s books and consider the potential effect of those
messages on readers. While differences in the children’s literature from the past may be readily
apparent, contemporary books also reflect cultural, social, and political worlds of today, making it
equally important for educators to analyze the cultural messages contained within them as well.
After developing an understanding of contemporary children’s literature, this chapter focuses on how
teachers can take full advantage of children’s books in the classroom. In particular, children’s literature
incorporating multiple forms of communication, such as audio or movement, can create broader
opportunities for students to respond. These texts lend themselves especially well to arts-based
responses, which use visual art, music, drama, or dance activities to enhance understanding of texts.
Giving students opportunities to read books that communicate in multiple ways, and then giving
students opportunities to respond to those books using multiple ways of communicating, prepares them
to communicate effectively in an ever-changing world.
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CHAPTER 1
Introduction to the World of Children’s Literature
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this module the learners will be able to:
1. Demonstrate their understanding of the importance of studying children and adolescent
literature, its concepts and its meaning;
2. Demonstrate their understanding of the different genres through the types of literature
contributed by writers around the world.
3. Discuss the different elements related to children and young adult literature
4. Evaluate and select appropriate literature for children
5. Demonstrate understanding of how significant human experiences are best captured in various
literary forms that inspire humans to bring out the best in them.
PRE-TEST
Enumerate the items asks in each questions.
1. List down key theme and concerns of children’s literature.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
2. What are the characteristics of patterns in children’s literature.
f.
g.
h.
3. Give examples of arts-based responses to children’s literature
i.
j.
CONTENT PREPARATORY ACTIVITIES
Before we start this chapter, let’s think about the following questions
What is a good story?
Why read children’s classics?
Why do we need to study literature?
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DEVELOPMENTAL ACTIVITIES
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
What is a good story?
 A good story is about something the audience decides is interesting or important. A great story
often does both by using storytelling to make important news interesting.
 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)
 A good story, however, does more than inform or amplify. It adds value to the topic.
Why read children’s classics?
Some people mistakenly believe, writes children’s author Jill Paton Walsh, “that something written for
children is necessarily inferior, could not be a serious work of art.” As award-winning Katherine
Peterson argues, many intelligent, well-meaning people think that ”while adult literature may aim to be
art, the object of children’s books is to whip the little rascals into shape. ”
But great children’s stories are powerful, imaginative, and memorable; they resonate with readers of all
ages and have a lasting and profound impact. This site will examine a selection of classic children’s
novels as distinguished works of art. It will look at what makes these novels notable and why they have
such universal appeal.
Joseph Conrad wrote that every word in a good novel should contribute to the work’s overall purpose.
A great novel for either children or adults is like a symphony; it has any separate elements but they all
work together to create a unified effect.
Why should you care about children’s literature?
If you are in apposition of influence with children, be it as parent, teacher, librarian, or grandparent, you
can make a definitive impact on their lives by fostering a love of reading. Research has shown a
demonstrated relationship between reading, cognitive development, verbal skills, and academic
achievement. Children who are read to, not only are more articulate, but also have higher order
reasoning skills, a more effective writing style, superior reading comprehension, and more advanced
critical thinking skills.
Stories teach children how to cope with life’s challenges. They provide a trial run of life’s possibilities.
They also transmit the accumulated wisdom and values of our culture. Children learn through models
and heroes.
Key themes and concerns in children’s literature



Home
School
Parents
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








Siblings
Grandparents
Friendship
Toys, dolls, play
Pets and animals
Birthdays
Holidays
Magic
The imagination
Patterns in Children’s Literature
Children thrive on patterns that provide order and meaning to their lives. As Jon Stott points out, the
best children’s authors choose details that are significant and arrange them into meaningful pattern.
People’s lives are like a series of random event; an effective author shows the connections between
events, thereby creating meaning and significance.
Examples of characteristic patterns
 Home-away-home
 Movement from a protected environment to a new, adverse, or challenging environment
 City-country-city(sometimes reverse)
 Real world-fantasy world-real world
 Life-death-rebirth
 Separation from and reunion with parents (many classic adult novels end with marriage; many
children’s stories end with a reunion with parents)
 Help others less fortunate and they will help you
 Movement from innocence to experience, often patterned after the biblical fall
 Coming age, rite of passage
 Journey symbolizing development
 Seasonal cycle
Changes in children’s literature
Alice in Wonderland (1865) is usually considered the first successful children’s novel. Before the time of
its writing, children were viewed as adults-in-training so few works were written specifically for them.
children’s authors for the next hundred years believed that it was duty to protect the young. Few writer
exposed readers to the harsh facts of life. Since the 1970s, the trend has been towards the depiction of
a grittier realism. Children’s writers have introduces topics such as violence, death, divorce, and
abandonment into the stories
History of Children’s Literature
There have been many changes related to the publishing of literature for children since the beginning of
the 17th century when the only books published for children were school books to teach them the
alphabet and spelling, as well as morals, manners, and religion. At that time, the content of school books
was influenced by Puritan beliefs that children were inclined to evil and needed to be taught morals.
However, during this time, cheaply published books called chapbooks containing popular stories and
tales also began to be produced and sold. Since these books did not contain strictly moral stories, they
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were often criticized for departing from Puritan beliefs (Gangi, 2004). Puritanical thinking eventually
gave way to the Enlightenment ideals characterized by the philosophy of John Locke, which marked a
shift in the view of children to that of a “blank slate” that could be written upon. During this time, moral
tales and fables were still published, but more light-hearted books featuring word play, riddles, rhymes,
and games began to appear in children’s books as well. Children’s books also borrowed stories originally
written for adults, such as Gulliver’s Travels, Ivanhoe, and Robinson Crusoe.
Before the 17th century, children were seen as small adults; however, during the Enlightenment and
Romantic periods, childhood was viewed as a time of innocence that was distinct from adolescence
(young adulthood) and adulthood (Avery & Kinnell, 1995). These changes in viewpoints created a new
market for the writing and publishing of books specifically for children, who were seen as innocent and
playful beings rather than mini-adults. During the 18th century, John Newbery, a writer of children’s
books, greatly influenced children’s literature by starting the first publishing house dedicated to
children’s stories. He published his own stories, as well as the works of other children’s book authors
(Gangi, 2004). The idea of a publishing house just for children’s stories reflected a shift in how society
thought of children. During the 19th century, greater numbers of books were written for children’s play
and enjoyment, including the first picture book, which was written by Randolph Caldecott.
This early history of children’s literature illustrates how societal changes influenced writers and book
publishers to create and produce books specifically for children. As a market for children’s literature had
become firmly established in the 18th and 19th centuries, changes in children’s literature in the 20th
century were related to the content of books. For example, the period between World War I and World
War II showed a proliferation of books depicting idealism and a pioneering spirit, such as the showcasing
of small town life in the Little House on the Prairie series published between 1932 and 1943 by Laura
Ingalls Wilder (1971). However, stories from this time period still included some serious and realistic
writing, such as the simplicity and down-to-earth style of Margaret Wise Brown’s work for young
children, or the realities and hardships of life depicted in stories like Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski (1945)
that shared the struggles of a poor, working farm girl (Hunt, 1995).2
The emergence of more realistic stories preceded the onset of a major shift toward realism that
accompanied the social and political revolution of the 1960s and 1970s. Between the 1930s and 1950s,
writers became more willing to address topics related to societal issues and hardships, such as struggles
associated with poverty; however, in the 1960s and 1970s, a flood of children’s books emerged
centering on realism. Authors such as Beverly Clearly, Judy Blume and Paul Zindel wrote about growing
up, death, obesity, and other issues, which marked a shift in the boundaries of what was acceptable, and
arguably, even necessary for children to understand. These earlier authors paved the way for the writing
of M. E. Kerr, Cynthia Voigt, and Robert Cormier, who wrote about homelessness, race, and sexuality.
The realism of children’s literature in the 1960s and 1970s represented a radical shift at that time,
similar to many of the other shifts throughout history related to historical, political, and societal
influences.
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Recent Trends in Children’s Literature
Recent decades have brought additional changes in the publishing of children’s literature. The market
for children’s literature has been influenced by demand from parents, children with increased buying
power, and a proliferation of serial writing to boost sales. In addition, there have been changes in the
content of children’s books related to gender, diversity, and social class (Ching, 2005; Englehardt, 1991;
Gangi, 2004; Hunt, 1995; Larrick, 1965; Taxel, 1997; Zipes, 2001). While each of these areas is a
worthwhile topic of study on its own, this chapter does not focus on them beyond recognizing their
influence overall.
While the impact on children’s literature due to cultural influences has been apparent throughout the
decades, current trends center mostly on digital and technological advances in our society.
Technological advances have exerted huge effects on printing and publishing capabilities. Beyond
printing capabilities, authors and illustrators are writing to maintain the attention of children
accustomed to the fast-paced sensory input of digital resources, such as computer and video games,
smartphones, and tablet apps. Publishing companies have attempted to produce print texts that mimic
or resemble digital texts in wording, style, type of images, or format. Some print texts even borrow
concepts about page design from digital texts.
Exposure to digital and technological resources and global access to information have changed the
boundaries, topics, and perspectives represented in books for children (Dresang, 1999, 2003). These
changes in print texts include the use of non-linear plots that are organized not by a typical beginning,
middle, and end, but tell the story out of order and/or lead readers in multiple directions through the
text (e.g., The End, by David LaRochelle, 2007).
As Anstey and Bull (2006) explained, contemporary books are products of changing times that require
new understandings about text and are well suited for teaching and preparing students to
be multiliterate individuals. Multiliterate individuals are socially responsible, informed citizens who are
flexible and strategic as they engage in literacy practices with a variety of text types in a diverse world
(Anstey & Bull, 2006).
Technological resources have changed the way information is communicated, and teachers must
prepare students to understand information from all types of texts, including digital texts. While this can
be facilitated using digital technology, some schools, classrooms, or homes have limited access to
technology. Fortunately, many flexible literacy skills can be developed through the use of print books
that have the characteristics described above, such as mimicking digital texts in style and formatting,
changing organizational patterns, exploring interactive formats, and representing messages in a variety
of ways. The availability of print books that can teach students necessary digital skills may narrow a gap
that could be perpetuated by the disparity between environments rich with technology and those that
are lacking in technology.
Changes in contemporary children’s books are not only related to digital and technological influences
but also the influence of a cultural movement of the late 20th century known as postmodernism.
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Postmodernism is largely a reaction to the assumed certainty of scientific, or objective, efforts to explain
reality. In essence, it stems from a recognition that reality is not simply mirrored in human
understanding of it, but rather, is constructed as the mind tries to understand its own particular and
personal reality. For this reason, postmodernism is highly skeptical of explanations which claim to be
valid for all groups, cultures, traditions, or races, and instead focuses on the relative truths of each
person. In the postmodern understanding, interpretation is everything; reality only comes into being
through our interpretations of what the world means to us individually.
Noting the changes in children’s literature related to digital and postmodern influences, teachers are
tasked with determining how and when texts should be used in today’s classrooms. In recent studies,
when teachers used texts with postmodern characteristics, it was discovered that the students
developed their ability to interpret visual images, their digital literacy skills, and their ability to think
critically (Pantaleo, 2004). Each of these skills is important to prepare students for future encounters
with both print and digital texts. Students may be interested in digital texts and other varieties of text
types, but they may not have a full range of abilities to interpret all the messages contained in these
texts. By including contemporary books in the curriculum, teachers can better prepare students for a
wide range of experiences in the world.
Multimodal Texts in Children’s Literature
It is easy to envision a classroom that relies on the use of a print textbook and resources that primarily
use printed words and visual images to represent meaning. However, print resources are changing in
ways that are reflective of the multiple ways, or modes, that are used to communicate within digital
contexts. The modes of communication encompass all forms of expression, including “Visual Meanings
(images, page layouts, screen formats); Audio Meanings (music, sound effects); Gestural Meanings
(body language, sensuality); Spatial Meanings (the meanings of environmental spaces, architectural
spaces); and Multimodal Meanings” (New London Group, 1996, p. 80). Though children’s literature,
especially picture books, rely mainly on print and visual modes (i.e., words combined with pictures),
there are growing numbers of children’s books that creatively incorporate audio, gestural, and spatial
modes as well. Multimodal texts are capable of drawing on students’ strengths and preparing them for a
multimodal society where individuals communicate through audio, gestural, visual, spatial, and print
resources, as well as various combinations of these modes.
Each mode has its own capacity to communicate, or potential to make meaning, which is called an
affordance (Kress & Jewitt, 2003; Kress & Van Leeuwen, 2001). Basically, this means that each mode
communicates the same idea in a different way than any other mode. The idea that modes have
different affordances, or potential to make meaning, suggests that some modes of communication are
better suited for some tasks than others. When modes are integrated, their combination also
contributes to an overall meaning that could not be achieved by the use of any one mode on its own.
Even within a mode, the materials used or the format of the communicated message can contribute
differently to the understanding of the message. For example, a written message carries different
meaning if it is written in sand versus carved in stone (Kress & Van Leeuwen, 2001).
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The meaning-making potential of a mode also depends on how a society or group of individuals values
that particular mode or how that mode is used within that society in different situations and contexts
(Kress & Jewitt, 2003). As individuals understand the potential usefulness of a mode of communication
within the context of their culture, they can choose the modes that most appropriately express their
message. Thinking back to the example of the cat story, not only does a particular mode communicate
the story differently, the choice of a mode may be appropriate in some circumstances but not in others.
For example, it would be more appropriate for a small child to act out the story while moving around
the room and meowing than a college professor teaching an English class!
Connecting Learning Standards to Arts-Based Responses to Literature
Children’s literature can be used by teachers as instructional materials to meet a variety of educational
goals and objectives. Using children’s literature that includes multiple modes of communication offers
more opportunities to invite students to respond using arts-based forms, such as visual art, drama,
music, and dance. Students may be more encouraged to respond to literature if teachers use more
familiar terms, such as music, art or drawing, acting or drama, and dance or movement rather than
discussing modes, like gestural, spatial, or audio, as terms. Arts-based responses allow students to use
all their senses as they make meaning. As an example, an arts-based response might be one in which
students act out what they think might happen in a story, create a rhythmic pattern or tune to symbolize
each character in a book, or move the same way as they believe characters felt or acted in given
situations to help analyze a character’s emotions and motivations. Multimodal books are not required
tools for arts-based responses in that teachers can encourage or create arts-based response activities
for any book, but when a text already utilizes audio, gesture, movement, or space in creative ways, it
can offer students a model and set the stage for engaging in arts-based responses.
Table 1. Literature Response Activities Purposes and Standards
Teachers’
Activities
Purposes
for
Literature
Response
Standards
Gauge students’ comprehension of the literature
Give students a chance to ask questions,
help students work out anything that is confusing, or
advance students’ understanding of the literature
See if students are able to communicate their
ideas to others
Make sure students understand bigger ideas in the
literature
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Key Ideas and Details. Asking and
answering questions in kindergarten
which develops into using details to
make inferences at 5th grade
Key Ideas and Details. Retelling in
Kindergarten
which
leads
to
determining themes and summarizing
See if students can recognize plot details and events
that affect the progression of the story
Help students see right/wrong, successful
solutions to problems, different perspectives,
consequences, or positive outcomes to actions
Help students become more empathic as they
understand
different
characters’
emotions
and actions
See how different students interpret the same story,
and let them see and value those differences
Help students make connections to curriculum
topics, their own lives, the world, other texts
See if students relate ideas in the story to other
topics they have learned in class
Help students prepare for things that they have not
experienced themselves
See if students enjoyed the stories
Key Ideas and Details. Identifying,
describing, and ultimately comparing
and contrasting characters, settings
and events
Comprehension and Collaboration.
Participate and engage in collaborative
discussions about grade level texts and
topics
(NYS) Responding to Literature 11.
Recognize and make connections from
literature to other texts, ideas, and
cultural perspectives
Self-selecting texts based on personal
preferences
Teachers’ Purposes and Links to Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts &
Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects (CCSS; National Governors
Association & Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010) and the NYS P-12 Common Core
Learning Standards (NYS Department of Education, 2011).
Table 1. Literature Response Activities Purposes and Standards
Siegel (2006) explained how translating information from one mode of communication into a different
mode, called transmediation, generates new understandings of the information. Since each mode has a
different potential to communicate, transmediation furthers students’ meaning making because it
requires them to think about content in different ways and is a clear benefit of arts-based responses. In
addition, when teachers generated their lists of the purposes for responding to literature, there were a
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small number they listed that did not match with the standards, including promoting creativity, allowing
students to think out of the box and explore their own thinking, fostering empathy, and giving students
a chance to be actively engaged and gain ownership of learning. These purposes for literature response
were important to teachers with respect to maintaining a positive and productive learning environment.
Arts-based responses offer rich opportunities to fulfill many purposes such as those included in Table 1,
while enhancing understanding of literature and creating lifelong learners.
The design of arts-based responses goes beyond thinking of a final product such as a cute craft to send
home, to instead, thinking about the activity as part of a process that will allow students to engage with
the content and literature. Because arts-based responses to children’s literature are central to achieving
teachers’ purposes and align with state standards, the final section of this chapter will feature welldesigned arts-based activities that can help students transmediate between modes and think about
making meaning in new ways.
Examples of Arts-Based Responses
The visual and performing arts responses to children’s literature featured in this section are offered as
suggestions and to inspire new ideas. Each book and each class offer unique opportunities to create and
innovate. As you consider the use of arts-based responses in your own classroom, envision each
suggestion taking place with students and teachers exploring and experiencing the text and the activity
together. Students are not professional actors, musicians, artists, or dancers, and yet they are fully
capable of visual and performing arts responses. Likewise, teachers do not need to be professional
artists or dancers either to effectively use arts-based responses with students. As pointed out by
Berghoff (1998), these responses are not about teaching the disciplines of art or music in the language
arts classroom but allowing learners to use their knowledge from these disciplines to learn in the
language arts classroom. These ways of thinking and expression are familiar to young children, she
explains. “From early childhood on, children make sense of the world through dramatic play, drawing,
dancing, singing and other communicative forms” (p. 521). Teachers can foster an environment where
these ways of thinking continue to be valued as students explore the world in ways that are familiar.
Each example in the following section also includes a link to the standard(s) that the activity addresses
as a reminder that offering arts-based responses accomplishes important curricular goals.
Music
Music responses explore how all elements of music and audio, including individual sounds, pitch (high or
low), dynamics (loud and soft), rhythm, and tempo (speed) communicate with listeners.
Sound translation
The text of This Jazz Man by Karen Erhardt (2006) follows the familiar tune of “This Old Man,” but the
verse on each page introduces a different jazz performer. As part of the verse, there is a string of sound
words that helps readers hear the sound of the instrument performed by that jazz player. There is also
an extended sound word phrase incorporated into the illustration. For this lesson, read through the
book as a class read aloud. Then reread the book and invite students to sing along with the reading using
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the tune to “This Old Man.” Finally, use materials available in the classroom to translate the string of
sound words back into sound (hands and feet, pencils, water bottles, books, etc.). Encourage students to
be creative as they find materials to make the sound. Once a sound has been chosen for each song
verse, reread and sing the song one more time. Instead of speaking the sound words, replace them with
the chosen sound to translate the sound words to actual sounds (Robertson, 2008).
Hear your life
What Charlie Heard by Mordicai Gerstein (2002) is a picture book biography of the life of composer
Charles Ives, who is known as a composer whose music was often misunderstood or regarded as difficult
to listen to (recall that this book was discussed previously in reference to audio modes). Charles Ives
heard all the sounds in his life as music, and his compositions are meant to portray this, however
dissonant or cacophonous (i.e., disagreeable; not harmonious) his compositions ended up being. For
example, one of his more famous pieces is a representation of two different marching bands playing two
different pieces in different keys, marching from opposite directions, crossing in front of the listener,
and then moving away. In this picture book biography, sound words are used as part of the illustrations
in different colors and fonts next to the object, person, or animal from which the sound originates. The
pages are full of sounds and colors, showing the sounds that permeated Charles Ives’ life. First, share
the book with students, guiding them as they interpret the messages communicated through multiple
modes. Then, invite students to write and illustrate a scene from their life using the same style. Figure 2
shows how a class of students represented sounds in an illustration drawn from a personal memoir
writing piece they were working on. In this classroom, when the teacher then asked students to go back
and revise their memoir, the exploration into the sound and visual representation of their story allowed
them to add much more robust sensory detail into their revisions (Robertson, 2008).
Figure 2. Student example of the illustration style in What Charlie Heard by Mordicai Gerstein.
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Drama
Drama responses allow students to explore how elements such as body language, posture, gesture,
voice, and inflection contribute to expressing and understanding meaning.
Color and emotions
The following activity allows students to explore the relationship between color and emotions and
involves two children’s literature books: My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss (1996), and The Way I
Feel by Janan Cain (2000). Both of these books relate emotions and moods to different colors. Start the
lesson by reading each of the books in a large group format. For the remainder of the lesson, ask
students to work within small groups. Provide each group with plenty of different colored pieces of
paper. To start, ask one person in the group to act out an emotion for the other members, charade style.
Other members of the group will then choose a piece of paper in a color they think represents the
acted-out emotion. The group members will then share the emotion they believed was being acted out,
as well as why they chose that particular color to represent it, and the actor can share if the group
members guessed the emotion they were portraying. Repeat the steps in this activity so that each
person in the group has an opportunity to act out an emotion or mood. Younger children still exploring
ways to name their emotions can use this activity to further develop their understanding of emotions.
Older children working on incorporating more descriptive words and explaining and portraying emotions
in their writing can use this activity to add further dimensions to how they and others think about
emotions and moods. This activity can be especially enlightening, since students may realize that though
they think they are showing one emotion, others may perceive it differently.
Sound and action story
The following activity invites students to think about the attributes of specific characters in a text. The
idea was adapted from a suggestion by Gelineau (2012) to create “original sound stories” by
determining sounds to match well-defined characters (p. 67). The following activity extends that idea by
asking students to create a sound as well as an action for each character in a book. While this activity
could be applied to many different texts, The boy who cried ninja by Alex Latimer (2011) is offered as a
suggestion to learn how the process works. The book has a wide variety of diverse characters, including
a Mom, Dad, Grampa, ninja, astronaut, giant squid, pirate, crocodile and monkey. First, read the
book, The boy who cried ninja, aloud. Then, break the class into small groups and have the students
decide on a sound and an accompanying action for each character. Each group will then practice reading
through the book: every time a character is mentioned (or shown in a picture) they perform the action
and make the sound for that character. After each group practices, they will perform their action and
sound stories for the class while the teacher reads the story aloud. The process of selecting a sound and
action that matches a character will deepen discussion of the characters, and performing the story for
the class will extend that discussion to the larger group. For older students, this is a good book to
introduce this activity, but then the process can be applied to books where the characters have more
development.
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Dance and movement
Dance and movement responses explore how both dance or body movement can express messages and
communicate with others.
Walk like a/an…
Every time students need to move around the room, make the most of these transitions by turning them
into a response activity focusing on dance and movement. For example, as students move to get in line
or to shift activities in the room, connect to a character in a class read-aloud by asking students to move
as if they are feeling one or more of the emotions that character had experienced. This will help
students identify with and understand the actions of the characters.
Find your style (dance and music response)
Often in children’s literature, common themes or storylines are repeated. Start this lesson by creating a
story map (WETA Public Broadcasting, 2015)—a graphic organizer that outlines the elements of story,
such as setting, characters, plots and events, problems and solutions—for the following three stories:
1) The Twelve Dancing Princesses, a classic fairy tale with many adaptations (though the illustrations in
Marianna Mayer’s *1989+ and Ruth Sanderson’s *1990+ versions are particularly beautiful), 2) The Barn
Dance by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault (1986), and 3) Brothers of the Knight by Debbie Allen
(2001). Each book follows a similar story line but has its own style, tone, and setting. Ask students to
explore the illustrations, the language use, and the design of the books as they compare and contrast
the three stories. Add a further dimension to the stories by pairing them with musical samples
representing the three styles displayed in the books (a classical piece, such as Bach’s “Minuet in G”; an
American folk song, such as “Turkey in the Straw”; and a current, popular, hip hop selection.) With
music selected, let students dance to the styles in the books. Discuss or find examples of costumes,
props, or musical instruments to explore the elements of tone, style and setting in each story. The
decision making process as students choose the music, instruments, or dance moves that connect with
the different styles represented in the books actively engages students in the process of transmediation,
described earlier as a process of translating information from one mode to another and thus creating
new understandings.
Visual art
Visual arts responses explore how color, lines, shapes, drawing, painting, and all other elements of art
communicate messages to the viewer.
Make a match
Illustrators are artists, and their work is based on traditions and styles in art. Share illustrations from a
children’s picture book and compare them to a matching art style. For example, pair the illustrations in
Marianna Mayer’s (1989) Twelve Dancing Princesses with Jean-Honore’ Fragonard’s The Swing (students
may also be very excited to recognize this particular painting from Disney’s Frozen). Compare Picasso’s
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cubism artwork with the illustrations in D. B. Johnson’s (2002) Henry Builds a Cabin or the work of
children’s book author David Wiesner with surrealism works of Salvador Dali or Vladimir Kush. Extend
the activity by asking students go on an “art hunt” and make matches between picture book illustrations
and pieces of artwork. For a challenge, ask students to create their own illustrations. Though some of
the styles may seem detailed and difficult for children to replicate, they may still choose one of the
harder styles to explore the process. Or suggest they work with an easier style, such as naïve artwork,
characterized by a childlike nature and represented in picture books such as The Bookshop Dog by
Cynthia Rylant (1996) or Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback (1999). Students can create
illustrations to go with a story they are writing or related to an event in their life. After matching art and
illustrations or illustrating using a certain style, have a discussion with students about why a style might
be used with a certain book. Did the style help tell the story or set the mood? When they used the style
themselves, how did it affect the overall message they were communicating?
Pinhole view
Illustrators are becoming much more innovative in the creation of wordless picture books. The wordless
picture book Flashlight by Lizi Boyd (2014) offers many opportunities for discovery. The illustrations
show the character exiting a tent in the woods at night. Most of the page is black with grey line drawings
to show the dim background. The character is holding a flashlight and there is a bright spot of the
illustration on each page in the path of the flashlight. Small holes are cut out of each page giving a
glimpse of what is to come or perhaps something missed on the page before, further drawing visual
attention to details in the book. Since exploring dark spaces may not be conducive to a classroom or
school environment, teachers can extend the reading of this book by using the idea of the cut outs. Have
students view the classroom, other areas in the school, or outdoor areas of the school grounds through
a hole cut in a piece of paper. Have them sketch the new things to which this pinhole view of the world
drew their attention. What do they see differently with different shaped holes? Do they see things they
did not notice without the pinhole view? This artistic response helps students understand the effect and
theme of the book and also helps give them a different perspective on their environment.
CLOSURE ACTIVTIES
Summary
This chapter began by establishing the historical, social, and political influences on children’s literature
beginning in the 17th century and leading to contemporary influences, including digital and
technological advances, postmodernism, and the prevalence of multiple modes of communicating. The
discussion then turned to how teachers can utilize multimodal texts in classrooms to teach the skills
outlined in state standards and aligned with teachers’ purposes. Arts-based responses using traditional
and multimodal texts were described as a way for teachers to support all students to fulfill purposes for
responding to literature, including those that may not have direct correlations to the standards but are
still necessary for establishing a positive classroom learning environment. Examples of drama, music,
dance and movement, and visual arts response activities were presented to specifically show how
contemporary literature, including multimodal literature, can be used in classroom settings. Teachers
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are encouraged to explore multimodal children’s literature and design meaningful arts-based response
activities that will enhance the learning of every child in their classroom.
SYNTHESIS / GENERALIZATION
We study literature because it is filled with ideas that needed to be explore and literature helps
us to see the new ways. It brings us to a deeper understanding of life.
How does children’s literature started? Before the 17th century, children were seen as small
adults; however, during the Enlightenment and Romantic periods, childhood was viewed as a
time of innocence that was distinct from adolescence (young adulthood) and adulthood (Avery
& Kinnell, 1995). These changes in viewpoints created a new market for the writing and
publishing of books specifically for children, who were seen as innocent and playful beings
rather than mini-adults. During the 18th century, John Newbery, a writer of children’s books,
greatly influenced children’s literature by starting the first publishing house dedicated to
children’s stories. He published his own stories, as well as the works of other children’s book
authors (Gangi, 2004). The idea of a publishing house just for children’s stories reflected a shift
in how society thought of children. During the 19th century, greater numbers of books were
written for children’s play and enjoyment, including the first picture book, which was written by
Randolph Caldecott.
.
Recent decades have brought additional changes in the publishing of children’s literature. The
market for children’s literature has been influenced by demand from parents, children with
increased buying power, and a proliferation of serial writing to boost sales. In addition, there
have been changes in the content of children’s books related to gender, diversity, and social
class (Ching, 2005; Englehardt, 1991; Gangi, 2004; Hunt, 1995; Larrick, 1965; Taxel, 1997; Zipes,
2001). While each of these areas is a worthwhile topic of study on its own, this chapter does not
focus on them beyond recognizing their influence overall.
While the impact on children’s literature due to cultural influences has been apparent
throughout the decades, current trends center mostly on digital and technological advances in
our society. Technological advances have exerted huge effects on printing and publishing
capabilities. Beyond printing capabilities, authors and illustrators are writing to maintain the
attention of children accustomed to the fast-paced sensory input of digital resources, such as
computer and video games, smartphones, and tablet apps. Publishing companies have
attempted to produce print texts that mimic or resemble digital texts in wording, style, type of
images, or format. Some print texts even borrow concepts about page design from digital texts.
Exposure to digital and technological resources and global access to information have changed
the boundaries, topics, and perspectives represented in books for children (Dresang, 1999,
2003). These changes in print texts include the use of non-linear plots that are organized not by
a typical beginning, middle, and end, but tell the story out of order and/or lead readers in
multiple directions through the text (e.g., The End, by David LaRochelle, 2007).
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EVALUATION
Questions and Activities
1. Find a book (maybe one you read as a child) that represents the time or place in history in which
it was written. Find a contemporary book which represents the current time and place in history.
Imagine you are looking at either book as an outsider to that time and place. What social,
cultural, or political messages, either purposeful or inadvertent, are reflected in that piece of
literature?
2. Browse the children’s books at the local library or on-line library and critically analyze the
messages to find books that represent a new perspective or voice that is not usually heard, such
as a story told from the perspective of a character from a diverse population or a unique
representation of gender roles. What social, cultural, or political messages are reflected in that
piece of literature?
3. Select texts and create arts-based response activities in each area (drama, music, dance, and
visual art) designed to enhance understanding of the texts. Share your idea with two other
classmates and determine the state standards that connect to the arts-based response activities
each person designed.
Post test
Enumerate the items asks in each questions.
1. List down key theme and concerns of children’s literature.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
2. What are the characteristics of patterns in children’s literature.
f.
g.
h.
3. Give examples of arts-based responses to children’s literature
i.
j.
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ASSIGNMENT / AGREEMENT
Do the following task to be written or printed on a clean sheet of paper.
1. Write a short essay on why the teaching of children’s literature is important.
2. Write about your favorite children’s literature.
REFERENCES
Anstey, M., & Bull, G. (2006). Teaching and learning multiliteracies: Changing times, changing literacies.
Newark, DE: International Reading Association, Inc. and the Australian Literacy Educators’ Association.
Avery, G., & Kinnell, M. (1995). Morality and levity (1780-1820). In P. Hunt (Ed.), Children’s literature: An
illustrated history (pp. 46-76). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Berghoff, B. (1998). Inquiry about learning and learners: Multiple sign systems and reading. The Reading
Teacher, 51, 520-523.
Ching, S. H. D. (2005). Multicultural children’s literature as an instrument of power. Language Arts,
83(2), 128-136.
Dresang, E. (1999). Radical change: Books for youth in a digital age. New York, NY: H.W. Wilson
Company.
Dresang, E. (2003). Controversial books and contemporary children. Journal of Children’s Literature,
29(1), 20-31.
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Eisner, E. (1991). Rethinking literacy. Educational Horizons, 69, 120-128.
Engelhardt, T. (1991, June). Reading may be harmful to your kids: In the nadirland of today’s children’s
books. Harper’s Magazine, 282, 55-62.
Gangi, J. M. (2004). Encountering children’s literature: An arts approach. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson
Education, Inc.
Gelineau, R. P. (2012). Integrating the arts across the elementary school curriculum. Belmont, CA:
Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.
Hunt, P. (Ed.). (1995). Children’s literature: An illustrated history. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Kress, G. (2000). Multimodality. In B. Cope & M. Kalantzis (Eds.), Multiliteracies: Literacy learning and
the design of social futures (pp. 182-202). New York, NY: Routledge.
Kress, G., & Jewitt, C. (Eds.). (2003). Multimodal literacy. New York, NY: Peter Lang Publishing, Inc.
Kress, G., & Van Leeuwen, T. (2001). Multimodal discourse: The modes and media of contemporary
curriculum. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Larrick, N. (1965, September 11). The all-white world of children’s books. Saturday Review, 63-65, 84-85.
Lemke, J. L. (1990). Talking science. Norwood, NJ: Ablex Publishing Corporation.
National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers.
(2010). Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies,
Science,
and
Technical
Subjects. Washington,
DC:
Author.
Retrieved
from http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/
New London Group. (1996). A pedagogy of multiliteracies: Designing social futures. Harvard Educational
Review,
66,
60–92.
Retrieved
from http://vassarliteracy.pbworks.com/f/Pedagogy+of+Multiliteracies_New+London+Group.pdf
New York State Department of Education (2011). New York State P-12 Common core learning
standards for English language arts and literacy. Retrieved
from http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/common_core_standards/pdfdocs/p12_common_core_learnin
g_standards_ela.pdf
Pantaleo, S. (2004). The long, long way: Young children explore the fabula and syuzhet
of Shortcut. Children’s Literature in Education, 35, 1-19. doi:10.1023/B:CLID.0000018897.74948.2a
Robertson, J. M. (2008) Fourth- and fifth-grade classroom case study of response to multimodal
representations in children’s picture books. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Syracuse University,
Syracuse, New York.
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Serafini, F. (2005). Voices in the park, voices in the classroom: Readers responding to postmodern
picture books. Reading Research and Instruction, 44(3), 47-64. doi:10.1080/19388070509558431
Siegel, M. (2006). Rereading the signs: Multimodal transformations in the field of literacy
education. Language Arts, 84, 65-77.
Taxel, J. (1997). Multicultural literature and politics of reaction. Teacher’s College Record, 98, 417-448.
Wertheim,
M.
(n.d.). Faith
and
reason: Postmodernism. Retrieved
from http://www.pbs.org/faithandreason/gengloss/postm-body.html
WETA Public Broadcasting (2015). Story maps. Retrieved from http://www.readingrockets.org/
Zipes, J. (2001). Sticks and stones: The troublesome success of children’s literature from Slovenly Peter to
Harry Potter. New York, NY: Routledge.
Children’s Literature References
Allen, D. (2001). Brothers of the knight. New York, NY: Puffin.
Boyd, L. (2014). Flashlight. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books, LLC.
Brown, M. W. (2006). Goodnight moon. New York, NY: HarperCollins Children’s Books.
Brown, M. W. (2006). Runaway bunny. New York, NY: HarperCollins Children’s Books.
Brown, M.W. (1993). The little island. New York, NY: Dragonfly Books.
Cain, J. (2000). The way I feel. Seattle, WA: Parenting Press.
Dr. Seuss (1996). My many colored days. New York, NY: Knopf Books for Young Readers.
Erhardt, K. (2006). This jazzman. New York, NY: Harcourt, Inc.
Gallaz, C., & Arisman, M. (2003). The wolf who loved music. Mankato, MN: Creative Editions.
Gerstein, M. (2002). What Charlie heard. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Johnson, D. B. (2002). Henry builds a cabin. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Ladia, M. A. P. (2010). Rediscovering Children’s Literature,
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CHAPTER 2
Elements of Quality Children’s Literature
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this module the learners will be able to:
1. Demonstrate their understanding of the importance of studying children and adolescent
literature, its concepts and its meaning;
2. Demonstrate their understanding of the different genres through the types of literature
contributed by writers around the world.
3. Discuss the different elements related to children and young adult literature
PRE-TEST
Answer the following items by selecting the correct answer to each question.
1. It is defined as writings that have excellence of form or expression, which express ideas of a
permanent or universal interest.
2. The figure who opposes the protagonist and creates the conflict.
3. The figure whose personality traits are the opposite of main characters.
4. They have more fully developed personalities.
5. Refers to the time, the geographical location, and the general environment and circumstances
that prevail in a narrative.
6. Setting is fully described in both time and place, usually found in historical fiction.
7. Setting is vague and general, which helps to convey a universal, timeless tale.
8. A series of interconnected events in which every occurrence has a specific purpose.
9. It is the main, underlying idea of a piece of literature.
10. It refers to the author’s mood and manner of expression in a work of literature.
Tone
setting
Plot
Setting
Protagonist
Theme
Back drop
Round character
Integral setting
Foil character
Antagonist
CONTENT PREPARATORY ACTIVITIES
Definition of Literature
Literature is defined as writings that have excellence of form or expression, which express ideas of a
permanent or universal interest. Literature is not written to give the reader facts. It is not a report but
an opportunity for social practice (Jones). It enables the reader to examine thought and action
compassionately. The reader can identify with a character and his story allowing him to see life through
the eyes of the character, and share the author’s insight (Reed).
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The ultimate goal of literature is to understand others and ourselves. It provides the reader with clues to
life itself. The speaker is the author in disguise controlling what he wants the reader to see and when
and how he wants the reader to see it. It is the job of the reader to ask why. This is part of the practice
of living – seeing whether others notice what another notices and can make the same interpretations
while reaching the same conclusions. Literature offers this practice in understanding and provides a
better opportunity in living (Reed).
We generally refer to the things that make up a work of literature, its component parts, as elements.
This list contains such things as
 Plot
 Character
 Setting
 Theme
 Point of view
To be a critic of literature, that is to be one who talks about what literature does and means, we need a
common vocabulary. For this reason, we study a list of literary terms.
Literary Genre
A genre is a type. The basic types of literature are fiction, nonfiction, poetry and drama. But within those
there are sub-types:
Fiction: novel, short story
Nonfiction: essay, editorial, news story, feature story,
Poetry: verse, narrative poetry, epic poetry, free verse, and many more
Drama: classical, tragedy, comedy
In addition to the genre above, we will consider anything written and published to be literature. So a
web page is literature. A VCR manual is literature. An ad in a magazine is a type of literature.
Writing has various purposes. Four main purpose of writing are to
 Inform
 Persuade
 Entertain
 Describe
These purposes are generally integrated. In other words, a short story can achieve all four purposes. In
fact, it may be a poor short story if it doesn’t. A VCR manual is not as extensive in its purpose. A VCR
manual is there to inform, to tell the VCR user how to operate the machine. It may also describe some
aspects of the machine or operation, but probably doesn’t persuade, and most likely doesn’t entertain.
But fiction, drama, and poetry can do much more than what’s listed above. When it’s really good,
literature can teach us what it means to be human, to show us where we belong in our time and in all
time. It can show us how to live rightly and love well, and it can show us how to be the best we can be.
We learn form stories. Early religions used stories to teach their truths and laws. Think of the parables in
the Bible. These are stories to teach people about Christianity. Ancient peoples used stories or myths to
try to explain the mysteries of nature and even to define their own origin and afterlife.
Today, our parents read us stories when we are children. These stories are primarily used to teach us
about life and the world around us, to help us understand our mentioned and to know about human
relationships.
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When we begin to choose our own stories, we often choose types of stories that appeal to our
preferences and interests. Some of us like mystery stories or horror stories, while others like sports or
animal stories, and still others like stories about people and families. There are many choices for us.
In school, teachers want us to read books that are important to our understanding of culture and
history. Stories that are common to a group of people help unite them. For example, most people will
have read Romeo and Juliet by the time they are adults. When references are made to that play, people
who have read it is connected in the group who “get it,” while those who haven’t are on the outside.
Common stories are one way that people in a society are bonded together. There are certain books that
are considered historically, socially or culturally important.
Teachers also want us to read books that stretch our minds and get us to think about important or
interesting ideas.
Teachers also want us to read because they know that reading helps in many ways:
 We learn new words when we read
 We become better writers
 We learn more about the world
 We learn more about ourselves
Whatever genre of literature we choose to enjoy on our own, it’s important to choose something and to
continue to read long after we’ve left school. It’s one of the best ways there is to continue to expand our
minds.
A definition of Children’s Literature
“Literature is the imaginative shaping of life and thought into the forms and structures of language.”
The province of literature is the human condition, life with all its feelings, thoughts and insights.
Characteristics of Children’s Literature as Genre
From Perry Nodelman, the Pleasures of Children’s Literature, 1st ed. Longman, 1992
1. It is simple and straightforward.
This does not mean that vocabulary needs to be overly simplistic or that style should be choppy
or flat(as too many books for children)
2. Focuses on action.
Subtle psychological event are often implied through narration and comment on actions.
3. Is about childhood.
4. Expresses a child’s point of view
5. It optimistic.
“Hope is a vital dimension of a children’s book.” (Sarah Smedman)
6. Tends toward fantasy.
Fantasy often implies a symbolic defiance of our knowledge or reality, and represents the
potential that lies below the surface in each of us.
7. Is a form of pastoral idyll.
The pastoral idyll celebrate the joys and innocence of rural life, close to nature and in the
company of friends.
8. Views an un-idyllic world for the view point of innocence.
More complex and interesting books reflect ambivalence about desire to have the comforts of
home and the exciting dangers of adventure, desire to be innocent and experiences, desire to
grow up but not grow up, etc.
9. Is didactic.
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Traditionally, children’s literature has been as attempting to educate children. A universal theme
is teaching children that despite its boredom, home are better place to be than the dangerous
world outside.
10. Tends to be repetitious.
Repeating task is a basic method of education.
Repetition is a common trait of oral literature.
Repetitions with variations o words, phrases, situations, and narrative patterns are common in
children’s literature.
11. Tends to balance the idyllic and the didactic.
Some books are almost completely didactic (teaching them how to become like mature adults and deal
with the adult world) or idyllic (reflecting a desire to retain the innocence of childhood), but most books
combine the two approaches, and deal with opposing ideas, such as home vs. away, communal concern
vs. self-concern, good vs. evil.
DEVELOPMENTAL ACTIVITIES
THE ELEMENTS OF LITERATURE
Characters
1. Types of Characters:
 Protagonist (hero): the central figure with whom we usually sympathize or identify.
 Antagonist (villain): the figure who opposes the protagonist and creates the conflict.
 Foil Character: the figure whose personality traits are the opposite of main characters. This
is supporting character and usually made to shine the protagonist.
2. The ways characters are portrayed:
 Flat characters (stock, static characters or stereotypes): they have no depth and no change;
we only see one side or aspect of them. Most supporting characters are portrayed in this
way, for example, a strict teacher, a helpful policeman, and an evil stepmother.
 Round character (dynamic character): they have more fully developed personalities. We
expect the protagonist and antagonist to be rounded individuals who express a range of
emotion and change throughout the narrative, usually toward greater maturity.
3. The ways characters are revealed:
 What the narrator says about the character.
 What the other character say about the character
 What the character says about himself or herself
 What the character actually does
Setting
The setting refers to the time, the geographical location, and the general environment and
circumstances that prevail in a narrative. The setting helps to establish the mood of a story.
Two types of setting
1. Integral setting: the setting is fully described in both time and place, usually found in historical
fiction.
2. Backdrop setting: the setting is vague and general, which helps to convey a universal, timeless
tale. This type of setting is often found in folktales and simply sets the stage and the mood. For
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example, “long ago in a cottage in the deep woods” and “once upon a time there was a great
land that hsd an Emperor.”
Narrative Point of View
 Internal narrator: (first person narrator: the narrator uses “I” to refer to himself/herself: the
narrator is a character in the story, but not necessarily, the protagonist. This narrative point of
view allows for a very personal touch in the story telling.
 Omniscient narrator (multiple points of view: the narrator is “all-knowing”) the narrator is not a
character in the story but knows everything about the story. The omniscient narrator can show
the thoughts and experiences of any character in the story. It permits the writer the broadest
scope.
 Limited narrator (external subjective narrator; the 3rd person point of view): the narrator is not
a character in the story but look at things only through the eyes of a single character. This type
of narrative permits the narrator to quickly build a close bond between the protagonist and the
reader, without being confined by the protagonist’s educational or language restrictions.
Plot
The plot of a story is a series of interconnected events in which every occurrence has a specific purpose.
A plot is all about establishing connections, suggesting causes, and showing relationships.
Four type of plot structure:
 A dramatic or progressive plot: this is a chronological structure which first establishes the setting
and conflict, then follows the rising action through to a climax (the peak of the action and turning
point), and concludes with a denouement (a wrapping up of loose ends).
climax
setting

rising action
denouement
conflict
end
An episodic plot: this is also a chronological structure, but it consists of a series of loosely related
incidents, usually of chapter length, tied together by a common theme and/or characters. Episodic
plots works best when the writer wishes to explore the personalities of the characters, the nature of
their existence, and the flavor of an era.
Climax 1
rising
action
Climax 3
rising
action
rising
action
ending 1
ending 2
Chapter 1

Climax 2
Chapter 2
etc.
ending 3
Chapter 3
A parallel plot: the writer weaves two or more dramatic plots that are usually linked by a common
character and a similar theme.
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
A flashback: this structure conveys information about events that occurred earlier. It permits
authors to begin the story in the midst of the action but later fill in the background for full
understanding of the present events. Flashbacks can occur more than once and in different parts of
a story.
climax
end
exposition
conflict
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5
Apr. 2019 Jan. 2019 Feb. 2019 Mar. 2019 May. 2019
etc.
Chapter 12 Dec.
Nov. 2019 2020
Dec.
2019
Conflict
1. Common types of conflicts:
 The protagonist against another
 The protagonist against society
 The protagonist against nature
 The protagonist against self
2. A single story may contain more than one type of conflict, although one often predominates.
The conflict provides the excitement and makes possible the growth and development of the
protagonist’s character.
Theme
1. The theme is the main, underlying idea of a piece of literature. It is woven subtly into the fabric
of the story rather than being lectured or preached by the author.
2. Among the frequently found thematic issues in children’s literature are the problems of growing
un and maturing, such as adjustment to society, love and friendship, achieving one’s identity,
and finding one’s place in the world.
Style
1. Word choice
2. Sentence length and construction
 Short sentences best convey suspense, tension, and swift action.
 Longer sentences work best when explanations and descriptions are needed.
 Prose has rhythm just as poetry does. Its rhythm can produced by the juxtapositions of
sounds, the use of repetition with a slight variation of patterns, and the varied length of
sentences.
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3. Exposition: the narrator’s passages that provide background information and/or introduce
characters to help readers understand the events of a story. Children prefer a balance between
exposition and dialogue.
4. Dialogue: the words spoken by the characters, usually to each other, not to the reader. Children
especially enjoy dialogue as a realistic and convincing way of defining character.
Tone
Tone refers to the author’s mood and manner of expression in a work of literature. The tone can be
serious, didactic, humorous, satirical, caustic/sarcastic, passionate, sensitive, sentimental, zealous,
indifferent, poignant, warm, agitate and so on.
Humor:
Incongruity is the foundation of humor. We laugh at the tension resulting from something out of the
ordinary. Humor is elusive. Humor tends to be age specific. Humor can be either sympathetic or
genitive. One prerequisite is that the victim must seem to deserve the fate or the harm must not be
critical.
Ten types of humor most common in children’s books (Kappas, 1967):
 Exaggeration
 Incongruity
 Surprise
 Slapstick
 Absurdity
 Situational humor
 Ridicule/satire
 Defiance
 Violence
 Verbal humor: word play, name-calling, jokes and puns, malapropisms (the unintentional misuse
of language), or the misinterpretation of language.
Parody:
A parody is a literary imitation of another piece of literature, usually using exaggeration for comic
purpose.
A parody implies a degree of sophistication that deconstructs the original story and depicts the
characters from a different perspective.
Parodies can demonstrate the vitality of literature and can suggest new ways of interpreting old tales.
Condescending tones:
Condescending tones are inappropriate for children’s stories, placing the adult narrator in a superior
position.
For examples, a moralizing, didactic, sentimental, or cynical tone is not appreciated in children’s
literature nowadays.
CLOSURE ACTIVTIES
1. Explain how the different elements of a story contribute to a good story.
2. Discuss the characteristics of children’s literature by giving illustrations.
3. Present the definition of the childrens literature as well as its elements by way of a song, a rap
or acrostics.
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SYNTHESIS / GENERALIZATION
Literature is defined as writings that have excellence of form or expression, which express ideas of a
permanent or universal interest.
The ultimate goal of literature is to understand others and ourselves. It provides the reader with clues to
life itself.
Elements of literature
We generally refer to the things that make up a work of literature, its component parts, as elements.
Such things as Plot, Character, Setting, Theme and Point of view
A genre is a type. The basic types of literature are fiction, nonfiction, poetry and drama. But within those
there are sub-types:
Fiction: novel, short story
Nonfiction: essay, editorial, news story, feature story,
Poetry: verse, narrative poetry, epic poetry, free verse, and many more
Drama: classical, tragedy, comedy
In addition to the genre above, we will consider anything written and published to be literature. So a
web page is literature. A VCR manual is literature. An ad in a magazine is a type of literature.
EVALUATION
POST TEST
Provide the concept/idea or word that being describe:
1. It refers to the author’s mood and manner of expression in a work of literature.
________________
2. The figure who opposes the protagonist and creates the conflict. ____________________
3. The figure whose personality traits are the opposite of main characters.
_____________________
4. They have more fully developed personalities.
___________________
5. Refers to the time, the geographical location, and the general environment and circumstances
that prevail in a narrative. ______________________
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6. Setting is vague and general, which helps to convey a universal, timeless tale.
__________________
7. A series of interconnected events in which every occurrence has a specific purpose.
______________
8. It is the main, underlying idea of a piece of literature.
__________________
9. It refers to the author’s mood and manner of expression in a work of literature.
________________
10. It is defined as writings that have excellence of form or expression, which express ideas of a
permanent or universal interest. _____________________
ASSIGNMENT / AGREEMENT
1. Select one of your favorite story and identify the elements of the story. Use graphical
representation or matrix in presenting your answer.
2. Browse an story from the internet or books and classify them according to their genres. Provide
short preview or summary of the selected story. Use matrix in presenting your answers.
REFERENCE
Ladia, M.A.P. (2014) Rediscovering Children’s Literature
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CHAPTER 3
The Art of Illustration, Early Childhood Books
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this module the learners will be able to:
1. Demonstrate their understanding of the importance of Arts Illustrations in children’s literature
2. Demonstrate their understanding on the impact of picture books to young learners.
3. Discuss the elements, different type and characteristics of picture books
PRE-TEST
Read each item carefully and try to answer or provide the concept or thing being described or asked.
1. It enhances text by providing a visual representation of the subject matter.
_____________________
2. It provides a children’s visual experience, where the story develops and is supported by rich
illustrations. ______________________
3. They enjoy books that have bright colors and big pictures. _______________________
4. They begin to see that the print holds meaning and they can quickly become adept at print
concepts such as holding the book properly, turning the pages, and even tracking the print as
they “read.” ____________________
5. Children can actively participate in read-alouds by asking and answering questions about the
text and retelling stories. _____________________
6. Types of picture books which include board books, pull-tab books, flap books, pop-up books,
cloth books, and plastic books. _________________
7. Types of picture books that foster visual literacy and language development in children.
___________________
8. A type of picture book in which a text is absent or minimal, so children can apply meaning to the
story. ____________________
9. These are realistic stories that have animal or inanimate objects as the main character.
______________________
10. In this genre a fusion of reality and imagination with dreamlike imagery heightens the
experience of the young reader. _________________
CONTENT PREPARATORY ACTIVITIES
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Illustration is one of the most versatile art forms in today’s visual culture. Somehow it has always
crossed boundaries between fine art and drawing into a “grey” area, and has consistently provoked
debate, but how do we comfortably define it?
The “label” illustration/illustrator is ambiguous. The definition of the form is amorphous and indefinite,
constantly challenging notions and perceptions of contemporary image making. Like photography and
printmaking, illustration has often been questioned by its intent — if it’s commercial, is it art? The
answer to that is obvious; some of today’s greatest artworks have been commissioned, for
example, Angel of the North by Antony Gormley or Marc Quinn’s sculpture of Alison Lapper and Mario
Testino’s flawless images of Kate Moss.
As a genre, illustration has been born out of many things, grown broader in its context through new
media and technology, and this has signified that illustration now shares a valid platform with fine art.
Today’s illustrators go beyond caricature and visual representation to observational statements about
current trends and popular culture. Contemporary illustration is a new movement with illustrators
drawing influences from graffiti, fashion, computer games and animation. There are fewer boundaries
and more friction.
DEVELOPMENTAL ACTIVITIES
THE ART OF ILLUSTRATION
Not very long ago an artist who was an illustrator wasn't taken very seriously by the pundits of fine art.
Those days, thankfully, are gone. It is hard to believe, looking at the illustration above, that N.C. Wyeth
struggled for artistic recognition beyond the well known pages of children literature. "-despite
worldwide acclaim, he judged himself a failure, believing that illustration was of no importance."
Illustration enhances text by providing a visual representation of the subject matter. The illustration may
be intended to simplify complicated concepts or objects that are difficult to describe textually.
The Way Things Work is one of our all-time favorite books for kids and adults. Here we can take apart
and put together the complicated ideas of machinery and systems. David Macaulay gives diagrams a
whole new life in his many books.
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Our first interaction to Illustration is often in children's literature and "picture books". What is your
favorite children's book illustrator? Here is a sample.
Some places to see original illustrations are:
Brandywine Museum in Chads Ford, PA
National Museum of American Illustration in Newport, RI
Society of Illustrators in New York City.
Of course, illustration is not only inside of books but book covers, posters, zines, and websites. The New
Yorker Magazine is the archetype of illustration as commentary on events of the day.
Many artists have often worked as professional illustrators in order to support their careers as artists.
And, many such artists have incorporated the techniques of illustration into their artistic practices, or
even—and this is more common during the second half of the 20th century—had their illustration
considered fine art and exhibited within fine art institutions. Recent examples include the work of R.
Crumb, Art Spiegelman, and Saul Steinberg. One of the 20th century's most famous artists, Andy
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Warhol, began his career as a relatively successful fashion illustrator before
developing the artistic practice he has become known for.
Picture Books throughout Early Childhood
Picture books provide children a visual experience, where the story develops and
is supported by rich illustrations. They are a wonderful tool to generate
excitement about books and reading and to provide the opportunities for
discussions about the story and the illustrations. The evidence is strong in
showing that rich language and literacy experiences early on are related to later
learning. Reading (and re-reading) picture books contribute to these important early experiences.
Infants
Infants and toddlers enjoy books that have bright colors and big pictures. Consider offering sturdy
books that can be handled by their small hands, but don’t make other books off-limits. Even young
toddlers can learn proper book handling and caring for books. Include books that encourage active
participation from the young child such as “touch and feel” books and lift-the-flap books. Be sure to
read books with large pictures to talk about and books that have rhyming and repetition. Make the
experience warm and inviting by holding the child on your lap and looking at the book together. Allow
the child to handle the book and to help turn pages. Be comfortable in re-reading books and also in
veering from the printed words. Engage in conversation about the book by telling the child more about
the pictures or elaborating on the printed words. Youngsters will come to learn that reading is a
pleasurable experience and that books are just as interesting as toys. Therefore, be sure to have a
multitude
of
books
available
for
them
to
explore
independently
as
well.
Preschoolers
Preschoolers actively construct literacy knowledge through texts such as picture books. They begin to
see that the print holds meaning and they can quickly become adept at print concepts such as holding
the book properly, turning the pages, and even tracking the print as they “read.” Children this age can
also begin to engage in meaningful conversations about picture books. For instance, children can make
personal connections to a story or talk about their favorite part and why they like or don’t like a
particular story or character.
Kindergarten and Grade 1
Reading picture books aloud at this age offers children the opportunity to enjoy literature and see value
and beauty in reading. Children can actively participate in read-alouds by asking and answering
questions about the text and retelling stories. Comparing and contrasting stories is also a great use of
picture books at this age level. Children can make connections between similar stories, similar
characters, and similar genres or authors. Additionally, picture books can be used as models for
generating writing from young children, such as texts with a pattern or a cumulative storyline.
Grades 2 and 3
Picture books offer a great opportunity for close reading. This is where the text is read and re-read
several times to consider the author’s purpose, the structure, and the flow of the text. Reading picture
books aloud can provide the modeling and scaffolding of this close reading. Children can recount the
stories to determine their central message, lesson, or moral. Picture books can be used to study
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characters, and how their motivations and feelings contribute to the story. They also provide shorter
text to practice comparing and contrasting themes, plots, and characters across stories.
Beyond Grade 3
Sometimes we think that as children get older and begin reading on their own that there is little reason
to read pictures books with them. Not so. Beyond the early years, picture books are great vehicles to
teach literary elements. Literary devices such as imagery, voice, theme, satire, and personification can
be identified and discussed using carefully selected picture books. These can be valuable
understandings for older children to then apply to reading chapter books, and also to apply to their own
narrative writing.
– Shannon Riley-Ayers, Assistant Research Professor, NIEER
What is Picture Book?
A universal definition of a picture book is hard to pin down, but one thing experts agree on is that the
interplay of narrative and illustration is fundamental to the book as a whole. Picture books, picture
storybooks, and illustrated books are similar in that illustrations play an integral role in each format.
These terms are often used interchangeably. The difference between the three is the degree to which
illustrations play a role.
In a picture storybook, the pictures merely complement the story, often mirroring the plot.
In an illustrated book is a fusion of words and pictures. Outstanding picture books seamlessly meld both
components together, forming a rich and rewarding reading experience. While the illustrations are the
core of the book, the text is still essential. After all, it inspired the pictures.
“A picture book for children as distinguished from other books with illustrations is one that essentially
provides the child with a visual experience. A picture book has a collective unity of story-line, theme, or
concept, developed through the series of pictures of which the book is comprised.”
Elements of a Picture Book
Picture books are a format(form/design) and no a genre(content), though many people sometimes use
the term “genre” to describe picture books as a whole. Picturing books does not refer to picture books
as a genre because it is the format that is the physical aspects, of picture books that make them distinct
within the field of children’s literature.




32 pages is standard (though titles can be 24-48 pages)
Illustrations dominate text
Illustrations integrate with the narrative to bring story to a satisfying conclusion.
Word count is generally less than 500 words. Although picture books can have over 2000 words
or have none at all, as is the case with wordless picture books.
Types of Picture Books
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1. TOY BOOKS include board books, pull-tab books, flap books, pop-up books, cloth books, and
plastic books (bathtub books). Took books can be simple or very complex. They are a wonderful
introduction to children’s literature…and quite fun to incorporate into story time.
2. CONCEPT BOOKS foster visual literacy and language development in children. Concept books
introduce children to shapes, colors, the alphabet, counting, and more difficult concepts, such as
principles of grammar and time.
3. ALPHABET BOOKS introduce children to the ABCs and COUNTING BOOKS introduce numbers
and counting.
4. WORDLESS BOOKS are excellent tools to help children develop language and narrative skills. In
wordless books text is absent or minimal, so children apply meaning to the story. The marvel of
wordless/nearly wordless books offer is the opportunity to retell the story over and over.
Genre of Picture Books
Genre is a term used in literature to designate a type-for example: mystery, adventure, romance,
science fiction, history, traditional literature, informational, and anthropomorphic (animal) stories.
Unlike novels, pictures books have fewer genres. While they exist, it is difficult to find mystery or science
fiction picture books.
The principal genres for most picture books are:
1. ANTHROPOMORPHIC (ANIMAL) STORIES are realistic stories that have animal or inanimate
objects as the main character. Animals/objects talk, walk, dress, and otherwise behave like
humans. There is usually little or no magic because the animals or objects have human
characteristics that render them capable of extraordinary feats. Settings can be imaginary or
contemporary.
2. REALISTIC STORIES feature sympathetic characters that children identify and empathize with.
For the last two decades or so authors have explored timely somber topics in picture books,
such as cancer, death, homosexuality, adoption and AIDS—to name a few. Realistic books can
have a contemporary or historical setting.
3. MAGIC REALISM is a fusion of reality and imagination with dreamlike imagery that heightens
the experience. Ordinary activities are infused with a sense of wonder and promise—anything is
possible: a boy can take a purple crayon and create a fabulous dream world, a board game can
come to life, or a boat can transport a frustrated child to a land where Wild Things rule. These
takes can have a contemporary or an imaginary setting.
4. TRADITIONAL LITERATURE includes tall tales, fairy tales, folktales, trickster tales, myths,
legends, noodlehead tales, jakata tales, beast tales, creation stories, pourqoui tales, mother
goose, and fables. Traditional literature features storytelling patterns rich language, and
elements of fantasy. Traditional literature can be set in both imaginary and contemporary
settings.
5. INFORMATIONAL (nonfiction) picture books are an alternative to encyclopedias and other
reference sources. Illustrations and/or photographs are bright and colorful. Accuracy and
timeliness of titles is important. Look for source notes, bibliographies, indexes, and table of
contents—the mark of exceptional nonfiction. Quality informational books are easy to read and
eliminate threat to young readers.
Source: Picturing Books: a website about picture books by Denise J. Matulka
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CLOSURE ACTIVTIES
DISCUSSION POINTS: Write your answers on a clean sheet of paper and attach on this page.
1. Why picture books attractive to children? In what way do pictures help in the understanding of
the stories?
2. Create or provide some examples of picture books in class and discuss the elements present in
that picture book.
SYNTHESIS / GENERALIZATION
Illustration enhances text by providing a visual representation of the subject matter. The
illustration may be intended to simplify complicated concepts or objects that are difficult to
describe textually. Picture books, picture storybooks, and illustrated books are similar in that
illustrations play an integral role in each format.
What is a picture book and how it helps the young learners to learn literacy through literatures.
A picture book for children as distinguished from other books with illustrations is one that
essentially provides the child with a visual experience. A picture book has a collective unity of
story-line, theme, or concept, developed through the series of pictures of which the book is
comprised. Picture books are a format(form/design) and no a genre(content), though many
people sometimes use the term “genre” to describe picture books as a whole. Picturing books
does not refer to picture books as a genre because it is the format that is the physical aspects, of
picture books that make them distinct within the field of children’s literature.
EVALUATION
POST TEST
Read each item carefully and try to answer or provide the concept or thing being described or asked.
1. It enhances text by providing a visual representation of the subject matter.
_____________________
2. It provides a children’s visual experience, where the story develops and is supported by rich
illustrations. ______________________
3. They enjoy books that have bright colors and big pictures. _______________________
39 | P a g e
4. They begin to see that the print holds meaning and they can quickly become adept at print
concepts such as holding the book properly, turning the pages, and even tracking the print as
they “read.” ____________________
5. Children can actively participate in read-alouds by asking and answering questions about the
text and retelling stories. _____________________
6. Types of picture books which include board books, pull-tab books, flap books, pop-up books,
cloth books, and plastic books. _________________
7. Types of picture books that foster visual literacy and language development in children.
___________________
8. A type of picture book in which a text is absent or minimal, so children can apply meaning to the
story. ____________________
9. These are realistic stories that have animal or inanimate objects as the main character.
______________________
10. In this genre a fusion of reality and imagination with dreamlike imagery heightens the
experience of the young reader. _________________
ASSIGNMENT / AGREEMENT
Choose a simple story and make a picture book out of it or you could come up with a story of your own
and present it through a picture book, be ready to present it in class.
ATTACH YOUR WORK ON THIS PAGE.
REFERENCES
https://aestheticamagazine.com/defining-the-art-of-illustration/
http://illustrationart.blogspot.com/2011/10/old-question-finally-answered.html
https://newburyportart.squarespace.com/blog/2018/3/7/the-art-of-illustration
http://nieer.org/2013/11/27/picture-books-throughout-early-childhood
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CHAPTER 4
Traditional Literature, Modern Literature, Animal Fantasy, Contemporary Realistic Fiction
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this module the learners will be able to:
1. Demonstrate their understanding of the importance of studying children and adolescent
literature, its concepts and its meaning;
2. Demonstrate their understanding of the different genres through the types of literature
contributed by writers around the world.
3. Discuss the different elements related to children and young adult literature
4. Evaluate and select appropriate literature for children
5. Demonstrate understanding of how significant human experiences are best captured in various
literary forms that inspire humans to bring out the best in them.
PRE-TEST
Read each items carefully and answer the questions or provide information that is ask or being describe,
1. It includes all the myths, legends, epics and folktales passed down by word of mouth through
generations. ______________________
2. The characters are mainly gods and goddesses, with occasional mention of humans, and the
setting is high above earth in the home of the gods.________________________
3. These are long stories of human adventure and heroism recounted in many episodes, often in
verse. __________________________
4. These are stories based on either real or supposedly real individuals or their marvelous deeds.
__________________________
5. These are highly exaggerated accounts of the exploits of persons, both real and imagined, so
they may be considered a subcategory of legends, though with much more recent origin.
______________________
6. These are simple stories that incorporate characters (typically animals) whose actions teach a
moral lesson or universal truth._______________________
7. It is any story of the impossible, but it is presented as if they were
possible.________________________
8. They are stories in which animals behave as human beings in that way they experience
emotions, talks, and have the ability to reason.___________________
9. It attempts to portray the world as it is. It contains no fantasy, no supernatural elements, and it
usually depicts ordinary people going about the business of daily living, with all its joys, sorrow,
successes, and failures.________________________
10. The quest may be pursuit for a lofty purpose, such as justice or love, or for a rich reward, such as
a magical power or a hidden treasure.________________________
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CONTENT PREPARATORY ACTIVITIES
"Traditional literature encompasses books rendered from oral tradition--stories that have been passed
down for ages (Kiefer, 2007)--and as a result are commonly shared throughout the world. This literature
includes folktales, myths, fables, and legends."
Barone, D. M. (2011). Children's Literature in the Classroom: Engaging Lifelong Readers. Guilford Press.
"Folktales differ from the stories of today in that folktales are more interested in preserving tradition
rather than creating it. Whereas the modern storyteller values originality of plot, the folklorist values
connecting his audience with past and present culture (Thompson 4). With all due redundancy, folktales
capture tales of the folk. They are living histories of the people of a particular time and place. They shed
light on the values, aspirations, fears and dreams of a particular culture. They educate, inspire and
entertain."
Boyd, D. Using Folktales to Create (Even More) Drama in the Middle School Classroom.
DEVELOPMENTAL ACTIVITIES
What is folk literature?
 Folk literature includes all the myths, legends, epics and folktales passed down by word of mouth
through generations. The authors of traditional literature are usually unknown or unidentifiable.
 These stories have endured because they are entertaining, they embody the culture’s belief system,
and they contain fundamental human truths by which people have lived for centuries. Knowing the
characters and situations of folk literature is part of being culturally literate.
Traditional literature, regardless of its place of origin, seems clearly to have arisen to meet a variety of
human needs:
1. The need to explain the ,mysteries of the natural world
2. The need to articulate our fears and dreams
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3. The need to impose order on the apparent random, even chaotic, nature of life.
4. The need to entertain ourselves and each other.


The brevity, immediate action, easily understandable characters, recurring features, fantastic
elements, and happy endings particularly appeal to children between the ages of 3 to 8.
Traditional literature can help children begin to develop a sense of morality. It helps children to sort
out good and evil in the world and to identify with the good.
Characteristics of Traditional Literature of Folk Literature
Folktales employ certain characteristics or conventions common to virtually all tales. The most
familiar involve the setting, character, plot, theme and conflict, and style.
A. Setting – most folktale settings remove the tale from the real world, taking us to a time and
place where animals talk, witches and wizard roam, and magic spells are commonplace. The
settings are usually unimportant and desrcibed and referred to in vague terms (e.g., “Long ago
in a far away land…” and “Once upon a time in a dark forest…”)
B. Character – the character in folk literature are usually flat, simple and straightforward. they are
typically either completely good or entirely evil and easy to identify. The characters are usually
stereotypical, for example, wicked stepmothers, weak-willed fathers, jealous siblings, faithful
friends.
C. Plot – plots are generally shorter and simpler than in other genres of literature. The action is
concentrated, no lengthy explanations and descriptions. Conflicts are quickly established and
events move swiftly to their conclusion. The action never slows down. Endings are almost
always happy (“They lived happily ever after”)
D. Theme and conflict – theme in folk literature are usually quite simple, but serious and powerful.
Folktale themes espouse the virtues of compassion, generosity, and humility over the vices of
greed, selfishness, and excessive pride.
E. Style – the language is typically economical, with a minimal amount of description and a heavy
reliance on formulaic patterns. e.g., conventional openings and closings. Folktale often use a
technique – stylized intensification, which occurs when, with each repetition, an element is
further exaggerated or intensified. This has the effect of increasing the drama.
Types of Traditional Literature
1. MYTHS – are stories that recount and explain the origins of the world and the phenomena of
nature. The characters are mainly gods and goddesses, with occasional mention of humans, and
the setting is high above earth in the home of the gods.
2. EPICS – are long stories of human adventure and heroism recounted in many episodes, often in
verse. Epics are grounded in mythology, and their characters can be both human and divine.
However, the hero is always human (e.g., “Iliad”, “Odyssey”, “Beowulf” and “The Song of
Roland”). The setting is earthly but not always realistic.
Online texts:
Bulfinch’s Mythology(by Thomas Bulfinch) – The Age of Fables or Stories of Gods and Heroes,
such as the Golden Fleece, The Adventures of Ulysses, and The Adventures of Aeneas.
3. LEGENDS – are stories based on either real or supposedly real individuals or their marvelous
deeds. Legendary characters such as King Arthur and Robin Hood are a tantalizing mix of realism
and fantasy.
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4. TALL TALES – are highly exaggerated accounts of the exploits of persons, both real and
imagined, so they may be considered a subcategory of legends, though with much more recent
origin. Tall tales usually defy logic and are usually without moral lessons.
Online examples:
Legends,
Legends and Sages
American Folklore – legends
American Folklore – Tall Tales
King Arthur and his Knights
King Arthur for kids (animation)
Animated Tall Tales
5. FABLES – are simple stories that incorporate characters (typically animals) whose actions teach a
moral lesson or universal truth. Often the moral is stated at the end of the story.
Online examples:
The online collection of Aesop’s Fables
Aesop’s Fables at by Gosh.com
Aesop’s Fables on the Golden Scales
Aesop’s Fables: Traditional and Modern
What Is Modern Literature?
Modern literature is written in the contemporary period. When modern literature began is hard to
define and varies from country to country, but it covers at least the 20th and 21st centuries. Literature
covers all written works including letters and journals, but is best known for novels, poetry and nonfiction articles as found in magazines and newspapers. It should not be confused with modernist
literature, even though the two groups are contemporary.
PRIMARY WRITERS OF THE MODERN PERIOD
German
French
poetry
Goethe
Russian
English
Britain
United States
Pushkin
Wordsworth
Whitman
Tolstoy
Dickens
Twain
Hugo
Novel
Romanticism
Goethe, Hugo
modernism
Ibsen
drama
General Features
From the dawn of civilization up to the modern period (ca. 1800-present), poetry and verse drama (as
opposed to prose drama) were generally favoured as the most profound means of telling a story.
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Beginning in the nineteenth century, however, drama has been composed chiefly in prose, and
the novel has reigned as the primary literary form.
Modernism ca. 1850-present
The term "modern", in the context of history and art history, has three common meanings. In discussion
of history, it usually means either the period ca. 1500-present (when history is divided into ancient,
medieval, and modern) or the period ca. 1800-present (when the divisions are ancient, medieval, early
modern, and modern). In discussion of art history, it usually means the period during which "modern
art" has been produced: ca. 1850-present.
MODERN LITERATURE
Branch
primary authors
prose
Flaubert, Tolstoy
drama
Ibsen
prose
Proust, Kafka, Joyce
poetry
Baudelaire, Rilke, Eliot
realism
radicalism
Modern art (aka "modernist art") simply denotes new, non-traditional art. Modern artists, who
deliberately sought to break with traditional styles, innovated a wide range of new aesthetics. Modern
literature can be broadly divided into two approaches, realism and radicalism, both of which can be
traced back to ca. 1850.
Realist literature features realistic characters, settings, and plot, which are described in a
straightforward, detailed manner (just as a work of visual art, in order to be realistic, must be
straightforward and detailed). Events are not idealized, fantastic, or excessively improbable; life and
society are simply presented as they are, positive and negative qualities alike. The founding of realist
literature is generally credited to French author Gustave Flaubert, whose masterpiece Madame
Bovary recounts the anguished boredom of a rural doctor's wife.
Note that the term "realist author" is typically reserved for writers devoted to strict realism, such as
Flaubert (the foremost realist author in French) and Tolstoy (the foremost in Russian). The literary
category of "realism", however, is often stretched to include less severely realistic authors who
nonetheless incorporated much realism into their works. This relaxed definition would include such
authors as Dickens, Twain, and Hugo.
45 | P a g e
Realist drama was pioneered by Norwegian Henrik Ibsen, founder and greatest figure of modernist
drama. Indeed, Scandinavia was one of the two leading regions of modern drama, giving rise to both
Ibsen (Norway's foremost author) and August Strindberg (Sweden's foremost author). The other leading
region was Russia, whose most revered dramatist is Anton Chekhov. In his later works, Ibsen (as well as
Strindberg) shifted toward radicalism, making him simultaneously the foremost pioneer of radical
drama.
The primary modernist playwrights in English are George Bernard Shaw (UK) and Eugene O'Neill (US).
Radical literature features a wide range of untraditional techniques, often inspired by movements in
visual art. Impressionist writing, for instance, communicates with fleeting suggestion rather than clear,
direct narrative, while symbolist literature focuses heavily on symbolic images. Surrealist literature
appeals to the subconscious with fantastic, dreamlike qualities, while expressionist writing brazenly
ignores external appearances, instead directly exposing inner, psychological realities.
Regardless of which "-ist" labels might apply to a particular work, however, all radical literature is united
by the rejection of traditional restrictions (to varying degrees). Rules of spelling and grammar might be
ignored, or conventional linear narrative subverted. In poetry, restrictions of metre and rhyme are
often loosened, and even removed altogether (resulting in free verse). In drama, conventions are
routinely shattered with regard to acting itself and theatre's auxiliary elements (e.g. staging, lighting,
costumes).
One especially popular innovation of radical literature is stream of consciousness, which attempts to set
down the constant flow of thought experienced by the mind. This technique is most famously employed
in the novel Ulysses, masterpiece of Irish author James Joyce, often considered the greatest of all radical
prose writers. The foremost radical prose author in French is Marcel Proust; in German, Franz Kafka.
In the field of radical poetry, the most renowned author in French is Charles Baudelaire; in
German, Rainer Rilke; in English, Thomas Stearns Eliot.
Throughout the modern age, all artistic barriers (regarding both form and content) were torn down,
ultimately unleashing total aesthetic freedom. Consequently, the art world gradually ceased to feature
overarching aesthetic movements. Today, authors write whatever they please, in whatever style they
please, drawing upon any influences they please (from antiquity to the twenty-first century); "art
history" has thus, in a sense, come to an end.
Romanticism ca. 1750-1900
As described above, the age of modern literature spans ca. 1850-present. Modernism overlaps
with Romanticism, which flourished ca. 1750-1900.
Romanticism denotes unrestrained expression of emotion. Romantic literature features a number of
typical Romantic themes, including the natural world, simple/pastoral life, social struggle, exotic lands
and cultures, magical/supernatural elements, and historical nostalgia. A range of familiar modern genres
initially flourished during the Romantic age, including adventure (from Edmond Dantès to Long John
Silver), fantasy (from Peter Pan to Dracula), and science fiction (from Captain Nemo to Frankenstein).
46 | P a g e
Another major Romantic genre is the fairytale, which may be defined as "a brief story with magical
elements". While fairytales have flourished (in both oral and written form) in all periods, they
experienced a surge of attention from Romantic authors. The stories composed by these authors (either
by drawing on traditional material or inventing new stories in the traditional spirit) have become the
most widely familiar body of European fairytales.
As noted above, some Romantic collections of fairytales were freshly invented, while others were new
settings of traditional stories. In the latter case, the most popular sources were French (e.g. Little Red
Riding Hood, Beauty and the Beast) and German (e.g. Snow White, Rumpelstiltskin). The most influential
authors of traditional fairytales are the German Brothers Grimm (Jacob and Wilhelm), while the
foremost author of newly-invented fairytales is Hans Christian Andersen (e.g. The Emperor's New
Clothes, The Little Mermaid, The Ugly Duckling), Denmark's greatest writer.
Drama
Romantic
drama thrived
chiefly
in
France
and
Germany,
led
by Hugo and Goethe respectively.4 (Sometimes the supreme position in German drama is accorded
instead to Friedrich Schiller, the most renowned figure in German literature after Goethe.) The satirical
tragedy Ruy Blas (in which a commoner rises to the rank of prime minister) is often considered Hugo's
greatest play, while Goethe's foremost drama is Faust.
Modernist drama, on the other hand, flourished primarily in Scandinavia and Russia. The founder and
leader of modern drama is Norwegian Henrik Ibsen, whose most renowned plays include A Doll's
House, Ghosts, and The Master Builder. (Widespread consensus has not emerged on a single "greatest"
Ibsen play.)
Poetry and Prose
The
five
leading
nations
of
modern
literature
(ca.
1800-present)
have
been France, Germany, Russia, England, and the United States. (With the decline of overarching
aesthetic trends, however, the presence of such "literary leaders" has dwindled since the late twentieth
century.) The figures who hold the title of "greatest novelist" and/or "greatest poet" for each nation are
nearly all widely agreed-upon; most lived in the nineteenth century.
PRIMARY POETS AND NOVELISTS OF THE MODERN PERIOD
poetry
novel
German
French
Goethe
Hugo
Russian
English
Britain
United States
Pushkin
Wordsworth
Whitman
Tolstoy
Dickens
Twain
The principal founder of the Romantic movement (which originated in late eighteenth-century German
literature) was Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, generally considered the greatest poet, novelist, and
dramatist in the German language. Goethe's masterpiece is Faust, an adaptation of the traditional
47 | P a g e
legend of a world-weary scholar who trades his soul to the devil for knowledge and power. Faust is
simultaneously considered a drama and an epic poem, as it straddles the two forms. (As an epic
poem, Faust is the only serious modern rival to Milton's Paradise Lost.)5
In France, Romantic literature was led by Victor Hugo, often considered the supreme French poet and
novelist, as well as the greatest French Romantic dramatist. His poetic masterpiece is the epic La
Légende des siècles, which traces the history of humanity from the Garden of Eden onward. His two
most renowned novels are The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Les Misérables.
Romanticism in Russia was led by Alexander Pushkin, widely esteemed the greatest Russian poet.
Pushkin's masterpiece is Eugene Onegin, an epic poem (often described as a "novel in verse") that
recounts the tragic life of a directionless nobleman. The foremost work of Leo Tolstoy, Russia's leading
novelist, is War and Peace, which chronicles the Napoleonic invasion from the perspective of several
Russian families.
Charles Dickens is often singled out as England's greatest novelist. His foremost novels include A Tale of
Two Cities (by some estimates the best-selling novel of all time), Great Expectations, and David
Copperfield. Dickens also penned A Christmas Carol, the world's most famous novella (a prose story of
intermediate length, between a short story and a novel).
The title of "greatest English poet" in the modern period is contended by several Romantic poets, of
which William Wordsworth may be foremost. Some have argued that Wordsworth is the greatest lyric
poet in English, and occupies the third rank of English literature (after Shakespeare and Milton); at any
rate, he was certainly the leading force in establishing the Romantic movement in England.
Wordsworth's outstanding collections are Lyrical Ballads (co-authored with Coleridge, and considered
the founding work of English Romanticism) and Poems in Two Volumes.6
Mark Twain, often considered the foremost American novelist, is known primarily for The Adventures of
Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (his masterpiece). Though consensus is less strong
regarding America's greatest poet, the leading candidate may be Walt Whitman, whose masterpiece is
the massive lyric collection Leaves of Grass.
The Main Characteristics of Modernist Literature
Literature scholars differ over the years that encompass the Modernist period, however most generally
agree that modernist authors published as early as the 1880s and into the mid-1940s. During this period,
society at every level underwent profound changes. War and industrialization seemed to devalue the
individual. Global communication made the world a smaller place. The pace of change was dizzying.
Writers responded to this new world in a variety of ways.
Individualism
In Modernist literature, the individual is more interesting than society. Specifically, modernist writers
were fascinated with how the individual adapted to the changing world. In some cases, the individual
triumphed over obstacles. For the most part, Modernist literature featured characters who just kept
their heads above water. Writers presented the world or society as a challenge to the integrity of their
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characters. Ernest Hemingway is especially remembered for vivid characters who accepted their
circumstances at face value and persevered.
Experimentation
Modernist writers broke free of old forms and techniques. Poets abandoned traditional rhyme schemes
and wrote in free verse. Novelists defied all expectations. Writers mixed images from the past with
modern languages and themes, creating a collage of styles. The inner workings of consciousness were a
common subject for modernists. This preoccupation led to a form of narration called stream of
consciousness, where the point of view of the novel meanders in a pattern resembling human thought.
Authors James Joyce and Virginia Woolf, along with poets T.S. Eliot and Ezra Pound, are well known for
their experimental Modernist works.
Absurdity
The carnage of two World Wars profoundly affected writers of the period. Several great English poets
died or were wounded in WWI. At the same time, global capitalism was reorganizing society at every
level. For many writers, the world was becoming a more absurd place every day. The mysteriousness of
life was being lost in the rush of daily life. The senseless violence of WWII was yet more evidence that
humanity had lost its way. Modernist authors depicted this absurdity in their works. Franz Kafka's "The
Metamorphosis," in which a traveling salesman is transformed into an insect-like creature, is an example
of modern absurdism.
Symbolism
The Modernist writers infused objects, people, places and events with significant meanings. They
imagined a reality with multiple layers, many of them hidden or in a sort of code. The idea of a poem as
a riddle to be cracked had its beginnings in the Modernist period. Symbolism was not a new concept in
literature, but the Modernists' particular use of symbols was an innovation. They left much more to the
reader's imagination than earlier writers, leading to open-ended narratives with multiple
interpretations. For example, James Joyce's "Ulysses" incorporates distinctive, open-ended symbols in
each chapter.
Formalism
Writers of the Modernist period saw literature more as a craft than a flowering of creativity. They
believed that poems and novels were constructed from smaller parts instead of the organic, internal
process that earlier generations had described. The idea of literature as craft fed the Modernists' desire
for creativity and originality. Modernist poetry often includes foreign languages, dense vocabulary and
invented words. The poet e.e. cummings abandoned all structure and spread his words all across the
page.
4.3 Fantasy/Animal Fantasy
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Fantasy is any story of the impossible, but it is presented as if they were possible. Moreover, the fantasy
element has to be fresh and original. It may include magic, talking animals, time travel, the supernatural,
and adventures in alternative worlds-any feature that is contrary to the laws of nature as we understand
them.
Fantasy is highly imaginative story about characters, places, and events, yet it is believable. Good
fantasy is rooted in reality and in human nature. Modern fantasies often contain truths that help the
reader to understand today’s society, though the events they describe cannot happen in real life.
“The imaginary world captures us; its underlying reality moves us.”
(Russell, 2009, p. 217)
Characteristics
 Settings transcend to the world of reality.
 Characters are well developed and behave in believable ways.
 Plots are well structured and believable too.
 Themes reflect the same universal ideas present on other forms of children’s literature – the
value of friendship, loyalty, the overcoming of fear, and respect for others, coming of age.
 The tone is often serious, though stories are often light, airy, and humorous.
Types of Fantasy
1. Modern Folktales (Literary Folktales)
They are tales told in a form similar to that of a traditional tale with the accompanying typical
elements: little character description, strong conflict, and fast-moving plot with a sudden
resolution, vague setting, and sometimes magical elements. However, these tales were original
and written by known authors.
Examples: Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairy Tales (e.g., “The Ugly Duckling”, “Then Nightingale”,
“Thumbelina”, “The Emperor’s New Clothes”, 1985)
2. Animal Fantasy
They are stories in which animals behave as human beings in that way they experience
emotions, talks, and have the ability to reason. The animals in fantasies also retain many of their
animal characteristics. Animal fantasies often have easy-to-follow episodic plots. Animal fantasy
constitutes a form of literary symbolism, the animal characters symbolizing human
counterparts, and these fantasies are often vehicles for exploring human emotions, values, and
relationship.
Examples: The Tale of Peter Rabbit (Beatrix Potter, 1902)The Wind in the Willows(Kenneth
Grahame, 1908), Voyages of Dr. Dolittle (Hugh Lofting, 1922), Charlotte’s Web(E.B. White,
1952), Sylvester and the Magic Pebble (William Steig, 1969)
3. Toy Fantasy
They are stories which admired or beloved toys (e.g., teddy bears, puppets, or dolls) are brought
to life and transformed into animated beings who talk, think, live, breathe, and love like humans
do. Modern toy fantasies are most frequently in picture-book format.
Examples: The Adventures of Pinocchio (Carlo, Collodi, 1881), Winnie the Pooh (A.A. Milne,
1926)
4. Magical Fantasy
The magic itself – whether a magical object or character with a magical powers – becomes the
very subject of the story, rather than simply a means to an end. Note that the magical always
operates according to some established rules.
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5.
6.
7.
8.
Examples: Pippi Long Stockings (Astrid Lindgren, 1950), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Roald
Dhal, 1964), Silvester and the Magic Pebble(William Steig, 1969)
Enchanted Journeys and Alternative Worlds
In many fantasies, we see the protagonists undertaking journey to some fantasy world or
alternative world.
Realistic stories also use the journey motif, but only in fantasies journeys do magical things
occur.
The journey may have some purpose (e.g., Alice Wants to Find the Queens Garden, Dorothy
Wants to Find the Emeralds City and ultimately a way back home, but the purpose is usually
overshadowed by the thrill and delight offered by the extraordinary events happening in the
fantasy world.
Examples: Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland ( Lewis Carroll, 1865), The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
( L. Frank Baum,1900), Peter Pan (Sir James Barrie, 1911), Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
(J.K. Rowlings,1998), Gulliver’s Travels (Jonathan Swift, 1726), The Borrowers (Mary Norton,
1953).
Heroic or Quest Fantasy(High Fantasy)
They are adventure stories with a request, search, motif. The quest may be pursuit for a lofty
purpose, such as justice or love, or for a rich reward, such as a magical power or a hidden
treasure.
Examples: The Hobbit/ The Lord of the Rings trilogy (J.R.R. Tolkien, 1937), The Lion, the Witch,
and the Wardrobe (C.S. Lewis, 1950), Then Book of Three (Lloyd Alexander, 1964), The Hero and
the Crown (Robin McKinley, 1985)
Supernatural and Mystery Fantasy
One common form of supernatural fantasy is the ghost story. Ghosts in children’s books can be
fearful o helpful protectors. Another common form is the mystery in which the solution is
partially supernatural or arrived at with supernatural assistance, for example, witchcraft.
Examples: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (Washington Irving, 1917), Harry Potter and the
Sorcerer’s Stone (J.K. Rowling, 1998).
Science Fiction
Science fiction is a form of imaginative literature that provides a picture of something that could
happen based on real scientific facts and principles. They may portray a world that young people
will one day inhabit ; thus, there are sometimes called “futuristic fiction”.
Examples: Frankenstein ( Marry Shelley, 1818), The Time Machine (H.G. Wells, 1895), Rocket
Ship Galileo ( Robert Heinlein, 1947), A Wrinkle In Time (Madeleine L’Engle, 1962) The white
Mountains ( John Christopher, 1967), The Giver ( Lois Lowry, 1993).
Values of Fantasy for Children
Children can develop their imagination through the vicarious experience of entering a different
world.
Imagination keeps us hopeful, enabling us to see the myriad possibilities that life offers.
Children can increase their ability to think divergently. In fantasies, the normal rules of the real
life are suspended, permitting the reader to gain a new perspective on the world of reality.
Fantasy provides a temporary escape from reality for children.
Fantasy can entertain through its humor. Two universal sources of humor are exaggeration and
the ridiculous or far-fetched; both of these characteristics are often found in modern fantasies.
Children can be inspired by an author’s treatment of serious themes in fantasies.
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Discussion Points:
1. How do you explain the meaning of this line: “The imaginary world captures us; its underlying
reality moves us.”
2. Using the Venn diagram, write a comparison and contrast of Traditional Literature form Modern
Literature.
3. Could you describe the characteristics of Modern Fantasy.
4.4 Contemporary Realistic Fiction
Realistic fiction attempts to portray the world as it is. It contains no fantasy, no supernatural elements,
and it usually depicts ordinary people going about the business of daily living, with all its joys, sorrow,
successes, and failures.
Over the past 150 years, children’s literature has gradually moved from a romantic view of the world
toward a more realistic view (*Note: “Romance” refers to the fiction portraying a world that seems
happier than the one we live in). Subjects that were once taboo in realistic fiction is now commonplace
and language and character development are presented with greater candor and boldness.
In good realistic fiction
1. The characters are engaging and believable
2. The dialogue is believable.
3. The plot is fresh and original.
4. The setting is true to life.
5. The problems faced by the characters are honestly portrayed.
6. The resolution makes sense.
7. The theme grows naturally out of the action and characters – the writer does not preach at us.
Characteristics
The Coming-of-Age Theme
Many realistic stories depict their protagonist growing up or coming of age. The coming-of-age stories
typically trace the protagonist’s growth from a self-absorbed, immature individual into an expensive,
mature human being concerned with the welfare of others, and his/her place in the world scheme.
In good realistic fiction, the characters possess a clearly defined personality and exhibits growth during
the course of the story. Their growth of self-awareness usually comes with struggling, pain, and even
suffering.
In children’s stories, the protagonist usually reaches a higher level of maturity and a greater sense of
self-awareness by the book’s end, nut has not achieved adulthood.
Humor in Realistic Fiction
In realistic fiction, humor is frequently used to break the tension in sensitive situations, unlike fantasies
in which the humor is often the humor of the absurd. Humor is s form of self-preservation, of the three
forms, coping.
In realistic fiction, humor usually takes one of the three forms:
1. The humor of character. This depends on the antics of an eccentric personality.
52 | P a g e
2. The humor of situation. Surprising, awkward, or ridiculous actions or situations are among the
most common sources of children’s humor.
3. The humor of language. Plays on words, verbal irony, malapropism (the misuse of words),
misunderstandings, all contribute to verbal humor.
Discussion Points:
1.
2.
3.
4.
What could be described as Realistic Fiction?
At what age should a teacher introduce Realistic Fiction? Explain your answer.
What is meant by “Coming-of-Age Theme”? Could you give some examples of such stories?
What is the use of “humor” in Realistic Fiction? Could you give television shows that cater to
these kinds?
CLOSURE ACTIVTIES
1. Compare and contrast traditional literature to modern literature.
TRADITIONAL LITERATURE
MODERN LITERATURE
2. List down some examples of Traditional and Modern Literature and point out their differences
and similarities.
3. Using Venn diagram compare and contrast Fantasy story and realistic fiction. Discuss your
interpretation and insights comprehensively.
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SYNTHESIS / GENERALIZATION
"Traditional literature encompasses books rendered from oral tradition--stories that have been passed
down for ages (Kiefer, 2007)--and as a result are commonly shared throughout the world. This literature
includes folktales, myths, fables, and legends", while "Folktales differ from the stories of today in that
folktales are more interested in preserving tradition rather than creating it. Whereas the modern
storyteller values originality of plot, the folklorist values connecting his audience with past and present
culture. With all due redundancy, folktales capture tales of the folk. They are living histories of the
people of a particular time and place. They shed light on the values, aspirations, fears and dreams of a
particular culture. They educate, inspire and entertain."
In the same manner, literature scholars differ over the years that encompass the Modernist period,
however most generally agree that modernist authors published as early as the 1880s and into the mid1940s. During this period, society at every level underwent profound changes. War and industrialization
seemed to devalue the individual. Global communication made the world a smaller place. The pace of
change was dizzying. Writers responded to this new world in a variety of ways.
On the other hand, fantasy is highly imaginative story about characters, places, and events, yet it is
believable. Good fantasy is rooted in reality and in human nature. Modern fantasies often contain truths
that help the reader to understand today’s society, though the events they describe cannot happen in
real life while realistic fiction attempts to portray the world as it is. It contains no fantasy, no
supernatural elements, and it usually depicts ordinary people going about the business of daily living,
with all its joys, sorrow, successes, and failures.
EVALUATION
POST TEST
Read each items carefully and answer the questions or provide information that is ask or being describe,
1. It includes all the myths, legends, epics and folktales passed down by word of mouth through
generations. ______________________
2. The characters are mainly gods and goddesses, with occasional mention of humans, and the
setting is high above earth in the home of the gods.________________________
3. These are long stories of human adventure and heroism recounted in many episodes, often in
verse. __________________________
4. These are stories based on either real or supposedly real individuals or their marvelous deeds.
__________________________
5. These are highly exaggerated accounts of the exploits of persons, both real and imagined, so
they may be considered a subcategory of legends, though with much more recent origin.
______________________
6. These are simple stories that incorporate characters (typically animals) whose actions teach a
moral lesson or universal truth._______________________
7. It is any story of the impossible, but it is presented as if they were
possible.________________________
54 | P a g e
8. They are stories in which animals behave as human beings in that way they experience
emotions, talks, and have the ability to reason.___________________
9. It attempts to portray the world as it is. It contains no fantasy, no supernatural elements, and it
usually depicts ordinary people going about the business of daily living, with all its joys, sorrow,
successes, and failures.________________________
10. The quest may be pursuit for a lofty purpose, such as justice or love, or for a rich reward, such as
a magical power or a hidden treasure.________________________
ASSIGNMENT / AGREEMENT
1. Make a survey of the different kinds of modern fantasy that you have watch for the past five years
and classify them according to kind. Be ready to make a graphical presentation.
2. A power point presentation of your book report (including a biographical sketch of the author, a
summary of the book, an analysis of plots and characters, a discussion of themes, symbols, tones
and styles, your criticism and personal response to the book).
REFERENCES
Ladia, M.A..P. Rediscovering Children’s Literature.
Internet links:
Wollacot, Mark (June 18, 2020). What is Modern Literature?
https://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-modern-literature.htm
Essential Humanities – Modern Literature
http://www.essential-humanities.net/western-art/literature/modern/
Josh, Patrick. (June 13, 2017) The Main Characteristics of Modernist
https://penandthepad.com/main-characteristics-modernist-literature-8451197.html
Children's and Young Adult Literature: Traditional literature/Folklore
https://libguides.usask.ca/childlit/traditional
55 | P a g e
Literature
NAME:_________________________________
YEAR & SECTION:________________________
SCORE:______________
DATE:_______________
SUMMATIVE EXAM (MID-TERM)
GENERAL INSTRUCTION: Read each directions carefully. Write your answers in “ALLCAPITAL” letter.
Strictly No Erasure and Superimpositions
Test I: Multiple Choice
Direction: Read each item carefully and select the correct answer. Write the letter of your answer
before the number.
1.It includes all the myths, legends, epics and folktales passed down by word of mouth through
generations.
a.
Folk literature
b.
Modern literature
c.
Realistic fiction
d.
Fantasy
2.The characters are mainly gods and goddesses, with occasional mention of humans, and the setting is
high above earth in the home of the gods.
a.
Fantasy
b.
Legend
c.
Myths
d.
Epics
3.They are long stories of human adventure and heroism recounted in many episodes, often in verse.
a.
Novel
b.
Epic
c.
Quest stories
d.
Heroism stories
4.These stories are based on either real or supposedly real individuals or their marvelous deeds.
a.
Legend
b.
Epic
c.
Myths
d.
parable
5.These stories are highly exaggerated accounts of the exploits of persons, both real and imagined, so
they may be considered a subcategory of legends, though with much more recent origin.
a.
Legend
b.
Tall tales
c.
Folk tales
d.
Fantasy tales
56 | P a g e
6.These are simple stories that incorporate characters (typically animals) whose actions teach a moral
lesson or universal truth.
a.
Fables
b.
Parable
c.
Legend
d.
Myth
7.These are any story of the impossible, but it is presented as if they were possible.
a.
Fairy tales
b.
Myths
c.
Fantasy
d.
Magical
8.They are stories in which animals behave as human beings in that way they experience emotions,
talks, and have the ability to reason.
a.
Fantasy
b.
Animal fantasy
c.
Magical fantasy
d.
Heroic or Quest fantasy
9.It attempts to portray the world as it is. It contains no fantasy, no supernatural elements, and it usually
depicts ordinary people going about the business of daily living, with all its joys, sorrow, successes, and
failures.
a.
Fiction
b.
Realistic
c.
Realistic fiction
d.
Real stories
10.The quest may be pursuit for a lofty purpose, such as justice or love, or for a rich reward, such as a
magical power or a hidden treasure.
a.
Fantasy
b.
Animal fantasy
c.
Magical fantasy
d.
Heroic or Quest fantasy
Test II: Definition Identification
Direction: Identify the following. Write your answers on the space provided before the number.
________________________1. It enhances text by providing a visual representation of the subject
matter.
________________________2. It provides a children’s visual experience, where the story develops and
is supported by rich illustrations.
________________________3. They enjoy books that have bright colors and big pictures.
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________________________4. They begin to see that the print holds meaning and they can quickly
become adept at print concepts such as holding the book properly, turning the pages, and even tracking
the print as they “read.”
________________________5. Children can actively participate in read-alouds by asking and answering
questions about the text and retelling stories.
________________________6. Types of picture books which include board books, pull-tab books, flap
books, pop-up books, cloth books, and plastic books.
________________________7. Types of picture books that foster visual literacy and language
development in children.
________________________8. A type of picture book in which a text is absent or minimal, so children
can apply meaning to the story.
________________________9. These are realistic stories that have animal or inanimate objects as the
main character.
_______________________10. In this genre a fusion of reality and imagination with dreamlike imagery
heightens the experience of the young reader.
Test III: Matching Type
Direction: Read each item in column A and select your answer from column B. Write your answer on the
space provided.
COLUMN A
____1. It is defined as writings that have
excellence of form or expression, which express
ideas of a permanent or universal interest.
____2. The figure who opposes the protagonist
and creates the conflict.
____3. The figure whose personality traits are the
opposite of main characters.
____4. They have more fully developed
personalities.
____5. Refers to the time, the geographical
location, and the general environment and
circumstances that prevail in a narrative.
____6. Setting is fully described in both time and
place, usually found in historical fiction.
____7. Setting is vague and general, which helps to
convey a universal, timeless tale.
____8. A series of interconnected events in which
every occurrence has a specific purpose.
____9. It is the main, underlying idea of a piece of
literature.
____10. It refers to the author’s mood and manner
of expression in a work of literature
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COLUMN B
A.
Foil character
B.
Setting
C.
Literature
D.
Antagonist
E.
Integral setting
F.
Plot
G.
Round character
H.
Backdrop setting
I.
Tone
J.
Protagonist
K.
Theme
Test IV: True or False
Direction: Write T if the statement is true and F if the statement if false. Write your answer before the
number.
1. Alice in Wonderland (1865) is usually considered the first successful children’s novel.
2. As Jon Stott points out, the best children’s authors choose details that are significant and arrange
them into meaningful pattern. People’s lives are like a series of random event; an effective author shows
the connections between events, thereby creating meaning and significance.
3. 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.
4. Children’s literature can be used by teachers as instructional materials to meet a variety of
educational goals and objectives.
5. The visual and performing arts responses to children’s literature featured in this section are offered as
suggestions and to inspire new ideas.
6. Drama responses allow students to explore how elements such as body language, posture, gesture,
voice, and inflection contribute to expressing and understanding meaning.
7. Visual arts responses explore how color, lines, shapes, drawing, painting, and all other elements of art
communicate messages to the viewer.
8. Literature is the imaginative shaping of life and thought into the forms and structures of language.”
The province of literature is the human condition, life with all its feelings, thoughts and insights.
9. Simple and straightforward is one of the characteristics of children’s literature.
10. Incongruity is the foundation of humor. We laugh at the tension resulting from something out of the
ordinary. Humor is elusive. Humor tends to be age specific. Humor can be either sympathetic or
genitive.
Test V: Enumeration
Direction: Read and Enumerate the following
1.
Key themes and concerns in children’s literature
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
2.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Examples Arts-based responses to children’s literature
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