Children’s and Young Adult Literature
Fall 2007
Dr. Irma Maini
Office hours:M 5-7, R 2-3 and by appointment
Mailbox: English Department K
Office: K317
Phone: (201) 200-3077
E-mail: imaini@njcu.edu
Course Outcomes:
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
1. understand the various genres of Children’s and Young Adult literature
2. contextualize Children’s and Young Adult literature within its specific cultural,
sociopolitical, and historical backgrounds
3. analyze the way race, ethnicity, class, gender, and sexual preference intersect with identity
formation in Children’s and Young Adult literature
4. critically examine and evaluate various strategies for teaching Children’s and Young Adult
literature
Required Texts:
Judy Blume, Forever
Louis Sachar, Holes
J. D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye
Kate Walker, Peter
Faiza Guene, Kiffe KiffeTomorrow
Lois Lowry, The Giver
In addition to these works we will be discussing picture books, many of which will be on
Reserve in the Guarini library.
Most of the books used for this course will also be available in your local public library; you
need to get a library card for your local library and show it to me by mid september.
Course Requirements:
Discussion Leader: Each student/group will lead discussion on one of the assigned readings.
You will be expected to provide the class with a lesson plan that should include (A) an annotated
bibliography (author’s name, publisher, date when published, ISBN #, brief summary), (B) a
brief biography of the writer (C) specific strategies for teaching the assigned reading. Make sure
to address issues, ideas, style, and techniques of the reading within the context of race, ethnicity,
class, gender, and sexual preference. Make connections with earlier readings. You are the teacher
for this portion of the class and you will be responsible for engaging the class in a lively and
meaningful discussion. Please bring photocopies for the whole class.
Culture Study: Each group will choose a culture and do a study on that cultural topic using at
least 3 multicultural works. Analyze each work in terms of its use in the classroom, quality of
writing, and if it would enhance or diminish students’ understanding and empathy for that
culture.
Unit Study: This is your big project. Each student will put together a unit for study that will
have a collection of lessons and an organizing framework. More details to follow.
Reaction paper on a Caldecott Award Book or Honor book
Reaction paper on reading a book to a child/young adult
Participation and Attendance: This class will be run as a seminar, so come prepared to
participate actively in the discussion and give thoughtful and substantive commentary on the
readings. If you are absent for more than 3 classes, your grade will be lowered by a letter grade.
Come to class on time. Note: You are responsible to be present in class on the day you are the
discussion leader.
Evaluation Criteria:
20% Unit Study
15% Final
15% Discussion leadership
15% Culture Study
15% Participation, attendance, presentation
10% Reaction paper Caldecott Book
10% Reaction paper II
Plagiarism Policy:
The NJCU student handbook defines plagiarism as the attempt: “a) to steal and pass off ideas or
words of another as one’s own, b) to use material without crediting the source, and c) to present
as new and original an idea, phrase, or statement derived from an existing source.” In other
words, if you copy words or ideas from the Internet, a book, a newspaper, or any other source,
and do not use quotation marks, parenthetical citations, and a works cited page, you may be
plagiarizing. The English department considers plagiarism a flagrant violation of academic
integrity. Plagiarism in this course will result in automatic dismissal from the course, a grade of
“F” for the course, and a report of the incident to the Dean of Students.
Schedule
Sept 6:
Introduction
Sept 10:
Cinderella variations (handout); Three little pigs variations
Sept 13:
“Picture Books: Visual and Verbal Art” (handout)
Sept 17:
Julia Alvarez, Before We Were Free (historical fiction)
Sept 20:
Hiroshima No Pika, The Wall, The People Could Fly (picture books)
Sept 24:
Judy Blume, Forever (realistic fiction)
Sept 27:
Library visit/Jerry Weiss center visit
Oct 1:
Censorship (handout); Heather has two Mommies, Daddy’s Roommate
Oct 4:
Nappy Hair, Little Black Sambo; Due: Reaction paper Caldecott Book
Oct 8:
Kate Walker, Peter
Oct 11:
Due: Reaction paper II; share with class
Oct 15:
J. D. Salinger, Catcher in the Rye
Oct 18:
Continue sharing Reaction paper II
Oct 22:
Faiza Guene, Kiffe Kiffe Tomorrow
Oct 25:
Smoky Night, Sami and the time of Trouble
Oct 29:
Due: Culture Study, class presentations
Nov 1:
Continue presentations
Nov 5:
Louis Sachar, Holes
Nov 8:
Poetry, Carver a Life in poems
Nov 12:
Lois Lowry, The Giver
Nov 15:
Poetry
Nov 19:
Librarian of Basra, Sitti’s Secret
Nov 22:
Thanksgiving
Nov 26:
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s ears,
Nov 29:
Due: Unit Study, presentations
Dec 3:
Continue presentations
Dec 6:
Continue presentations
Dec 10:
Continue presentations
Dec 13:
Iranian Film, “Children of Heaven”
Dec
Final
Adolescent in Literature (#2208)
Prof. Irma Maini
Office: G 267
Office hours: Mon 2-2:50, Tue 12-2:50
Phone: (201) 200- 3097
E-mail: imaini@optonline.net
Fall 2000
Course Description:
In this course we will critically examine the growing up narratives of adolescents: their issues
and concerns, their ideas and thoughts, their experiences and adventures. We will analyze these
stories of growth, development, and identity formation within the context of gender, race,
ethnicity, class, and sexual orientation. At the same time, we will study the various
characteristics of the genre Bildungsroman (the novel of development).
Required Text:
Robert Cormier, The Chocolate War
Sandra Cisneros, The House on Mango Street
Maxine Hong Kingston, The Woman Warrior
Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye
J. D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye
Course Requirements:
Writing assignments:
Two papers (5-8 pp) each and a journal entry for each reading done for the course. The journal
writing should reflect your ideas and opinions about the reading. What you liked, didn’t like,
found weird, or interesting about the reading. Be specific and thoughtful. Journal entries are due
on the day of the reading assignment. Journals will be graded on the basis of a check, -, +.
Complete all written assignments and hand them in on time. Late assignments will be
downgraded by a letter grade for each day they are late.
Discussion Leader: Each student will lead discussion on one of the assigned authors. You will be
expected to provide the class with a brief biography of the writer (about 5-7 minutes). Come
prepared with at least five questions that address the issues, ideas, and techniques of the reading
that will help stimulate class discussion. Keep in mind the race, class, gender, etc. context and
make connections with earlier readings. You are the teacher for this portion of the class and you
will be responsible for engaging the class in a lively and meaningful discussion.
Participation and Attendance: This class will be run as a seminar, so come prepared to participate
actively in the discussion and give thoughtful and substantive commentary on the readings. If
you are absent for more than 2 classes, your grade will be lowered by a letter grade. If you
are late by more than 5 minutes for 2 classes, it will be counted as one absence. You cannot
be absent on the day you are assigned to be the discussion leader.
Evaluation Criteria:
20% for discussion leadership, participation, journal writing, attendance, and commitment
20% for Paper 1
30% for Paper 2
15% for Midterm
15% for Final
Note: Graduate students will be required to do some extra reading and one extra project.
Schedule
Sep 7:
Introduction; genre discussion
Sep 14:
Salinger, Catcher in the Rye
Sep 21:
Weaver, “Honey Boy” (Xeroxed handout)
Sep 28:
Morrison, The Bluest Eye
Oct 5:
Yamamoto, “Seventeen Syllables” and Lahiri, “When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine”
(Xeroxed handouts)
Oct 12:
Kingston, The Woman Warrior
Oct 19:
Continue with The Woman Warrior. Due: Paper 1
Oct 26:
Midterm
Nov 2:
Ortiz Cofer, “American History” and Viramontes “Moths” (Xeroxed handouts)
Nov 9:
Cisneros, The House on Mango Street
Nov 16:
Cormier, The Chocolate War
Nov 23:
Thanksgiving holiday!
Nov 30:
Alexie, “This is What it Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona”
Dec 7:
Xeroxed handout. Due: Paper 2
Dec 14:
Final exam
Adolescent in Literature
Prof. Irma Maini
Paper 1
Due: Oct 18
Conflict is a central part of most literary works. It could be a conflict between
individual/s and society or community, between individuals/cultures/values or even
within a person’s inner self. Write a 4-6 page essay examining the conflict/s in the
life of a protagonist in any one of the works we have read so far. Critically analyze
the affect of that conflict on his/her “growing up” process, his/her sense of self,
his/her construction of identity.
Don’t just write a summary of the work. Give specific examples from the text,
quote from it, and use the MLA style for your citations. You don’t need to do any
research for this paper. Check your paper for typos and grammar.
Adolescent in Literature
Prof. Irma Maini
Midterm
Write 2 essay type answers to the following prompts. Give examples from the texts
and be as specific as possible.
Part I
Discuss the symbolic and thematic significance of the following titles as they relate
to the works as a whole: “Moths,” “What Means Switch,” “Born With Religion,”
“American History” (any 3).
Part II
Critically examine the role of class in the development of identity and self in the
protagonists in Catcher in the Rye, The House on Mango Street, Sula (any 2).
OR
Analyze the narrative style and language in Catcher in the Rye, The House on
Mango Street, Sula (any 2).
Adolescent in Literature
Prof. Irma Maini
Final
Write 2 essay type answers to the following prompts. Give examples from the texts
and be as specific as possible.
1) Oftentimes readers debate and argue the effectiveness of the endings of novels.
Discuss and analyze the endings of Bastard Out of Carolina and We All Fall
Down. In what way did the writers bring together some of the important
thematic issues toward the end of their novels? Were they successful or not?
Explain your reasons either way, giving specific examples to support your
ideas.
2) Analyze and examine the imagery and symbolism in any 3 of the following
texts:
“This is What it Means to say Phoenix, Arizona”
“The Red Convertible”
“Where are you Going? Where have you Been?”
“Seventeen Syllables”
“Yoneko’s Earthquake”
How do the symbols and images help to develop and deepen the meaning of the
narrative? Make sure you relate the use of symbols and images to the text as a
whole.
Adolescent in Literature
Prof. Irma Maini
Term Paper
Write a comparative literary research paper (7-8 pages) analyzing and examining the narratives
of growth and development, paying special attention to the issue of identity politics, the role of
community/family, the discourse of oppression and repression in any one of the texts listed
below and one text from the reading list for this course. Use the MLA format for your paper.
OR
Write a report (5-7 pages) on the way you would teach one of the texts listed below in a high
school. The report should include a detailed class-plan, the issues you would address the
additional material you would use, writing exercises/assignments, etc. Also explain how you
would address questions regarding race, ethnicity, gender, class and /or sexual choice that are
present in these texts. In addition choose one text from the reading list for this course and show
how you would use it as a comparative text to your main text.
Joy Kogawa
Obasan
Milton Muryama
All I Asking for is My Body
Paule Marshall
Brown girl, Brownstones
Toni Morrison
Sula
Tomas Rivera
And the Earth did not Devour Him
Helena Viramontes
Under the Feet of Jesus
James Baldwin
Go Tell it on the Mountain
Ralph Ellison
Invisible Man
Willa Cather
My Antonia
Anzia Yezierska
Breadgivers
(If you would like to work on a specific text not listed here, please let me know before you start
your paper)
Adolescent in Literature
Prof. Irma Maini
Office: G 262
Office hours: Mon 11-1, Thr 12-1, 3-4
Phone: (201) 200- 3077
E-mail: imaini@njcu.edu
Fall 2001
Course Description:
In this course we will critically examine the growing up narratives of adolescents: their issues
and concerns, their ideas and thoughts, their experiences and adventures. We will analyze these
stories of growth, development, and identity formation within the context of gender, race,
ethnicity, class, and sexual orientation. At the same time, we will study the various
characteristics of the genre Bildungsroman (the novel of development).
Required Text:
Dorothy Allison, Bastard Out of Carolina
Robert Cormier, We all Fall Down
Sandra Cisneros, The House on Mango Street
Toni Morrison, Sula
J. D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye
Course Requirements:
Writing assignments:
Paper I (4-6 pp), Paper II (8-10 pp) and a journal entry for each reading done for the course. The
journal writing should reflect your ideas and opinions about the reading. What you liked, didn’t
like, found weird, or interesting about the reading. Be specific and thoughtful. Journal entries are
due on the day of the reading assignment. Journals will be graded on the basis of a check, -, +.
Complete all written assignments and hand them in on time. Late assignments will be
downgraded by a letter grade for each day they are late.
Discussion Leader: Each student will lead discussion on one of the assigned authors. You will be
expected to provide the class with a brief biography of the writer (about 5-7 minutes). Come
prepared with at least five questions that address the issues, ideas, and techniques of the reading
that will help stimulate class discussion. Keep in mind the race, class, gender, etc. context and
make connections with earlier readings. You are the teacher for this portion of the class and you
will be responsible for engaging the class in a lively and meaningful discussion.
Participation and Attendance: This class will be run as a seminar, so come prepared to participate
actively in the discussion and give thoughtful and substantive commentary on the readings. If
you are absent for more than 2 classes, your grade will be lowered by a letter grade. If you
are late by more than 5 minutes for 2 classes, it will be counted as one absence. You cannot
be absent on the day you are assigned to be the discussion leader.
Evaluation Criteria:
20% for discussion leadership, quizzes, participation, journal writing, attendance
20% for Paper 1
30% for Paper 2
15% for Midterm
15% for Final
Note: Graduate students will be required to do some extra reading and one extra project.
Schedule
Sep 6:
Introduction; genre discussion
Sep 13:
Salinger, Catcher in the Rye
Sep 20:
Weaver, “Honey Boy” and Youngblood, “Born With Religion” (handouts)
Sep 27:
Morrison, Sula
Oct 4:
Ortiz Cofer, “American History” and Viramontes “Moths” (handouts)
Oct 11:
Cisneros, The House on Mango Street
Oct 18:
Due: Paper 1. Jen, “What Means Switch” and Kingston’s “Learning to Speak
Like an American” (handouts)
Oct 25:
Midterm
Nov 1:
Allison, Bastard Out of Carolina
Nov 8:
Continue Bastard Out of Carolina
Nov 15:
Alexie, “This is What it Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona” and Erdrich, “the Red
Convertible” (handouts)
Nov 22:
Thanksgiving holiday!
Nov 30:
Cormier, We all Fall Down
Dec 7:
Oates, “Where are you Going? Where have you Been?” (handout)
Dec 13:
Due: Paper 2
Exam week:
Final TBA
Adolescent in Literature
Fall 2003
Dr. Irma Maini
Office hours:T: 3-4, R: 3-7 and by appointment
Mailbox: English Department 303G
Office: Grossnickle 262
Phone: (201) 200-3077
E-mail: imaini@njcu.edu
Course Outcomes:
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
5. critically analyze the connections and differences in the growing up narratives from various
parts of the world
6. contextualize the stories of growth and development within their specific cultural,
sociopolitical, and historical backgrounds
7. analyze the way race, ethnicity, class, gender, and sexual preference intersect with identity
formation of adolescents in the US and other parts of the world
8. critically examine the characteristics of the Bildungsroman genre and its redefinition by
writers of color
Required Text:
Dorothy Allison, Bastard Out of Carolina
Tsitsi Dangarembga, Nervous Conditions
Marlene Nourbese Philip, Harriet’s Daughter
Lois Sachar, Holes
J. D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye
Suzanna Fisher Staples, Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind
Kate Walker, Peter
Course Requirements:
Writing assignments:
Three in-class essays
In-class final
Research Paper
Journal entry (about a page) for each reading done for the course. The journal writing should
reflect your ideas and opinions about the reading. What you liked, didn’t like, found weird, or
interesting about the reading. Make connections with previous readings, discussions and try to
bring an international approach to your response. Journal entries are due on the day of the
reading assignment. Journals will be graded on the basis of a check, -, +.
Complete all written assignments and hand them in on time. Late assignments will be
downgraded by a letter grade for each day they are late.
Discussion Leader: Each student will lead discussion on one of the assigned authors. You will be
expected to provide the class with a brief biography of the writer as well as relevant information
about the country, time-period, and cultural background of the work. Come prepared with at least
five questions (photocopied for the class) that address the issues, ideas, and techniques of the
reading that will help stimulate class discussion. Keep in mind the international focus and
formulate your discussion within the context of race, ethnicity, class, gender, and sexual
preference. Make connections with earlier readings. You are the teacher for this portion of the
class and you will be responsible for engaging the class in a lively and meaningful discussion.
Hand me your lesson plan at the end of class.
Participation and Attendance: This class will be run as a seminar, so come prepared to participate
actively in the discussion and give thoughtful and substantive commentary on the readings. If
you are absent for more than 2 classes, your grade will be lowered by a letter grade. Come to
class on time. You are responsible to be present in class on the day you are the discussion leader.
Evaluation Criteria:
45% Three in-class essays
20% Research Paper
15% Final
10% Discussion leadership
10% Participation, journal writing, attendance
Note: Graduate students will be required to do some extra reading and one extra project.
Plagiarism Policy:
The NJCU student handbook defines plagiarism as the attempt: “a) to steal and pass off ideas or
words of another as one’s own, b) to use material without crediting the source, and c) to present
as new and original an idea, phrase, or statement derived from an existing source.” In other
words, if you copy words or ideas from the Internet, a book, a newspaper, or any other source,
and do not use quotation marks, parenthetical citations, and a works cited page, you may be
plagiarizing. The English department considers plagiarism a flagrant violation of academic
integrity. Plagiarism in this course will result in automatic dismissal from the course, a grade of
“F” for the course, and a report of the incident to the Dean of Students.
Schedule
Sep 2:
Introduction; Athol Fugard’s Master Harold and the Boys (South Africa)
Sep 9:
Fatima Mernissi’s Dreams of Trespass:Tales of a Harem Girlhood (handout)
(Morocco)
Sep 16:
Tsitsi Dangarembga’s Nervous Conditions (Zimbabwe)
Sep 23:
Continue Nervous Conditions; Ortiz Cofer’s “American History” (US Latino)
Sep 30:
Suzanna Fisher Staples’ Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind (Pakistan)
Oct 7:
In-class Essay I; attend Symposium in NJCU “Families and Immigration”
Oct 14:
J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye (US)
Oct 21:
Lois Sachar’s Holes (US)
Oct 28:
Kate Walker’s Peter (Australia)
Nov 4:
In-class Essay II; Dorothy Allison’s Bastard out of Carolina (US)
Nov 11:
Due: Research Paper Proposal; continue Bastard out of Carolina
Nov 18:
Marlene Nourbese Philip’s Harriet’s Daughter (West Indies/Canada)
Nov 25:
Due: First draft of Research Paper; Bend it Like Beckham (film)
(England/India)
Dec 2:
In-class Essay III; Olive Senior’s “Zig Zag” (handout) (Jamaica)
Dec 9:
Due: Final draft of Research Paper; Joyce Carol Oates’ “Where are you Going?
Where have you Been?” (US)
Dec 16:
In-class Final
Identify the following from Catcher in the Rye:
1) What was the name of Holden’s school?
2) What was his father’s profession?
3) Who was Phoebe?
4) What happens to Holden’s younger brother?
5) In which city did his parents live?
6) Who was Sally?
7) What was the name of the English teacher Holden visits in the end of the novel?
8) How old was Holden?
9) What month of the year is the story set in?
10) Where was Holden’s older brother?
Identify the following:
1) How many hot dogs could Honey Boy eat?
2) What was the name of Honey Boy’s brother?
3) Who is the narrator of the story?
4) Name the city the story is set in.
5) What is the time/decade of the main story?
6) Who is Janice?
7) Who kills Honey Boy?
8) Who is the narrator of the story “Born with religion?”
9) What is the name of her brother?
10) How old was the narrator when her birth mother left her with Big Mama?
Identify the following:
1) Where was the narrator when J.F.Kennedy died?
2) What was she looking forward to on the day JFK died?
3) Where did the narrator in “American History” live?
4) What was the name of the boy she liked?
5) What does his mother say to the narrator?
6) What did the narrator’s sisters in “The Moths” call her?
7) Why did the narrator go to her grandmother at the end of the story?
8) How old was she at that time?
9) What does the narrator do at the end of the story?
10) Why does the narrator’s father get angry with her?
Identify the following from Bastard out of Carolina:
1) What does Bone call her stepfather?
2) What is Bone’s mother’s name?
3) Where does Bone’s mother work?
4) Who is Earle?
5) What is Bone’s half-sister’s name?
6) Who is Shannon Pearle?
7) How does she die?
8) From which store does Bone shoplift candy?
9) What does Bone’s stepfather do to her in the end of the novel?
10) Who does Bone live with at the end of the novel?