English 428 Journal Assignment
See the syllabus for due dates.
Submit each journal to Turnitin.com and include printed receipt!
1
Which course readings do I write about?
Your journal entries should be focused on the assigned children's books. Evidence that you have read the
textbooks will show in how you write about the children's books. These journal entries are also used as
preparation for the course analytical paper; therefore, they should integrate quotes from the course
readers.
How many entries must I write?
A total of EIGHT journal entries are due throughout the semester. You are required to choose one of the
five picture books to write about. You are required to respond to each of the seven non-picture books.
MLA style is required.
How long should the journal entries be?
The entries must be TWO page (minimum) typed and as free as possible of grammatical and stylistic
errors. Most importantly, you should focus on being critical and thoughtful in your analysis; this
emphasis will produce the most useful journal.
Note: It is NOT acceptable to turn in as a journal entry papers you have written for other
classes. It is also not acceptable to use, without attribution, material from a teaching guide,
from reviews or collections of reviews, or any other material that has not been written by
you for this specific assignment. Plagiarism is a serious academic offense. See Student
Conduct Code in the university catalog. Penalty for academic dishonesty can be a “lower or
failing grade [on] the assignment, examination, or the entire course.” The student may also
be “expelled, suspended, [or] placed on probation” (CSUN catalog). I will pursue these
options if I discover plagiarized material in any of the course assignments.
TIPS: Do NOT use the word “cute” in referring to a book—it may indeed be cute but I expect far more
specific and analytical responses in your writing. (We can all use it while speaking, just not in our
writing).
Absolutely, positively do NOT say that a book is “great for all ages”—or any variation of such
an idea. As you will soon see in our class discussions, even if children and adults of varying maturity
levels can all enjoy a book, they will all have different kinds of responses to that book depending on a
multitude of factors.
Finally, MAKE SURE to use plenty of very specific examples to support your points. Don’t just
say “yes, the plot is well-constructed.” SHOW how it is well constructed by discussing examples and
details from the text.
Annotating your text, as you are reading it, often proves to be a helpful tool in thinking about and
writing about literature.
English 428 Journal Assignment
See the syllabus for due dates.
Submit each journal to Turnitin.com and include printed receipt!
2
Things to think about for your journal entries:
Obviously, you shouldn’t try to answer each question for each book—that is, do not try to
analyze every single category for every book. Instead, choose what seems most relevant to the book
from your point of view, keeping in mind the value of synthesizing information: each of these elements
can interact with other elements. For example, you might start by analyzing the plot of a particular
book and find that the development of the plot interacts intimately with the graphic design—for
example, rising tension in the words might be echoed by rising tension in the colors or in the line
movement of the pictures. Or you might find that the tone of the text is reflected in the colors chosen
by the illustrator: at sad moments, the pictures are washed in a melancholy blue, etc.
We will discuss these issues further in class, but as you read and start to write your entries,
think about what two or three elements seem to be interacting with each other and how they are doing
so.
1. Plot: Is it well constructed? Logical? Credible? Is there a climax? Does it develop “naturally from
the interaction of characters and events?” MAKE SURE YOU DO NOT SIMPLY SUMMARIZE THE
PLOT! Summarizing the plot (which should take no more than one or two sentences of any entry) is
NOT the same as analyzing it. Remember to answer “how”: if the plot is well constructed, how is it well
constructed? This practice will lead you to issues of foreshadowing, coincidence, believability, etc. Use
specific examples to support your argument.
2. Setting: Past, present, future? Is it definite, homogenized, vague? What purpose does it serve? Is it
believable? Why or why not? How does it contribute to or detract from the message(s) of the book?
3. Theme: What are the theme or themes? Is the book overly didactic, with themes overriding plot? Are
there particular political purposes discernible in the themes? What are the motifs and symbols used to
convey the themes?
4. Characterization: Are the characters convincing? What are their strengths and weaknesses? Are the
actions true to character? Do they grow or develop? Are they multi-dimensional or flat?
5. Style: Is the language lyrical, figurative, repetitive, conversational, descriptive, sentimental? Does it
draw the reader in or exclude the reader? How? Does it create/reflect the mood of the story? How?
6. Point of View: Who tells the story? Does it recreate effectively the language of children? How does
that affect the story? What perspectives does the narrator create or use, and how does that affect the way
the story is presented?
7. Illustration and Format: Do the illustrations reflect or enhance the story? Are they important, helpful,
peripheral? Are they aesthetically pleasing? Is the format appropriate, well-designed, complementary?
See Molly Bang’s elements of design for more specific issues.
8. Personal Evaluation and Censorship Concerns: What do you think of the book? Do you agree with the
overarching concerns of the book? Who would benefit from reading the book? Do you feel the book is
appropriate for young readers? Middle readers? Young adults? Different ethic, religious or other
backgrounds? Why or why not? Would you use it in a class? Should it be in a school library? A public
library? If you think it is suitable in certain ways, can you still identify problems that others might raise?
What are they? How would you deal with these concerns?
9. Educational Activities: Assuming you would use it in a classroom, how might you introduce children
to it? What activities and experiences might work with it? (be specific!)
English 428 Journal Assignment
See the syllabus for due dates.
Submit each journal to Turnitin.com and include printed receipt!
3
10. Cultural Issues. Children’s literature is an integral part of the overall cultural indoctrination of
children, yet it can also be subversive of certain cherished adult ideas. Describe some of the cultural
indoctrination going on in the work you are discussing—how does it encourage children to grow up into
responsible adults? To what values does it subscribe? Are there ways in which it is subversive? What
values is it subverting? Note that you may find a book is totally subversive, or totally invested in adult
culture—but more likely, you will find a little of both.
11. The journal entry should include a brief summary of the text and your analytical response.