CHILDREN’S LITERATURE

ABE3
TOPIC NO.1

LIFE MAP AND

MULTICULTURAL
CHILDREN LITERATURE

WEEK 1
 Life map is a visual time line. It traces key moments in your
life from the time you were born until the present day. The events
and experiences you draw in your life map can make great
starting points for writing topics, particularly for personal writing.

Your Turn Create your own life map.

1. Start your life map with the day you were born.
2.Record the dates of key moments in your life in time order.
3. Draw each event to help you remember it.
4. End your life map with the present day.

 Many of our fondest memories of grade school are of those

moments when we had fun while learning, the moments where we
uncovered a certain concept.
 a life map is a "symbol timeline" of your
life. There are no words on a life map -- just
pictures/symbols and arrows. Arrows connect the
symbols in the sequence they happened in your
life.
 If you create a life map of your life you will be
able to share it with students; it will serve as a
model they can use as they create their own life
maps. 
 When students have crested their life maps, you
might set aside time for them to share them with
their classmates.
 Students' life maps can serve as a graphic
organizer they can use as they write their
autobiographies. Each event/symbol will serve as
a "chapter" in their autobiography. That symbol
can also appear as an illustration for that chapter
in their book. The chapters follow the sequence
of events in their lives/life maps.
 Spiritual life maps are a pictorial delineation of
consumers' spiritual journeys. At its most basic
level, a drawing pencil is used to
sketch spiritually significant life events on paper.
Thus, much like road maps, spiritual life maps
tell us where we have come from, where we are
now, and where we are going.
TOPIC NO. 2

MULTICULTURAL
CHILDREN’S LITERATURE

WEEK1
 A definition of multicultural children’s
literature is given and its role in schools today is
explored. In this text, the importance of critical
literacy is emphasized along with an issues
approach to multicultural children’s literature. A
critical approach is imperative in these times
when schools and classrooms in the United States
have a population that is more and more diverse.
 Especially selections from works written for
children, called children’s literature, afford us
those moments, and they are quickly becoming
an invaluable part of the curriculum of not only
grade schools but also university classrooms that
prepare teachers to teach. But what distinguishes
children’s literature for this unique job?
 While it is written for children and usually
reflects children’s experiences, in recent years
this body of literature spans a range of topics that
includes almost everything,

 even those previously considered unsuitable for
children. This body of literature also aims to
reach out to a developmental span that is gigantic
and has grown into a category of multiple
proportions that provides avenues of learning that
are attention grabbing and motivating. But what
is children’s literature and what is its role in
today’s schools?
 What distinguishes this body of literature from
literature in general? How can this body of
literature be inclusive of many diverse
perspectives and reflect the stories, experiences,
and voices of all children? In this introductory
chapter, these questions are unpacked with a brief
historical overview of children’s literature.
 Multicultural children’s literature is about the
socio cultural experiences of previously
underrepresented groups. It validates these
groups’ experiences, including those occurring
because of differences in language, race, gender,
class, ethnicity, identity, and sexual orientation.”
 This is a list of multicultural books for children -
picture books through elementary chapter books.
A good multicultural book should:
 - present the character's culture accurately and
sensitively;
 - feature marginalized protagonists or
protagonists of color;
 - empower children of different ethnic
backgrounds;
 - have strong literary merit.
 Books that do not meet these criteria are subject
to removal from this list, as there are many books
out there that feature characters of ethnicity, but
are not respectful toward their culture.
TOPIC NO. 1

CRITICAL LITERACY

WEEK2
 Changing demographics in the United States and
abroad, in conjunction with an increased focus on
technology today more than ever before, brings
the spotlight on literacy, which continues to make
a greater demand on children and adults. In many
places, literacy divides the population in terms of
who gets to go to the best schools, who gets the
best jobs, and who is the most successful, in
general.
 In fact, the ways in which we speak and act
within the literate world often helps to determine
who we are and the world in which we interact
(Shor, 1999).

 Students and teachers today are called on to be

literate in more complex ways than ever before.
In such a world, literacy is not just knowing how
to read and write; it is much broader.
 It is making apparent and revealing the inner
workings of a particular group or society and the
ways in which the group or society defines itself
in different contexts. In order to “be literate,”
therefore, one needs to know enough information
to be able to participate and function fully within
various contexts in that society or group. So a
simplistic example would be when one is
“computer literate,” one knows the ins and outs
of using a computer, one knows and understands
the language that computer professionals use, and
so on.
 In other words, a computer literate person knows
enough about the inner workings of computers
and people associated with computers in order to
fully participate in that society.
 Another example would be texting. The children
and youth of today are more “literate” in their
text messaging world, which includes various
short forms for commonly used Critical literacy
is an extension of the aforementioned definition
of literacy and grew out of a critical approach to
education.
 Critical literacy may be defined as the process of
becoming literate about a society or group
through questioning, through seeing things from
various viewpoints, through uncovering biases
and reading “between the lines,” and through
critically analyzing the workings of a society
historically and culturally, in order to thrive in it.
 Teacher read aloud are planned oral readings of
children's books. They are a vital part of literacy
instruction in primary classrooms. Teachers can
use read aloud to develop children's background
knowledge, stimulate their interest in high-
quality literature, increase their comprehension
skills, and foster critical thinking. While reading,
teachers model strategies that children can use
during their own independent reading.
 Critical literacy literature consists of high-
quality children's books that prompt children to
think and talk about social issues that impact
their daily lives. Critical literacy read aloud:
establishing the basics 
 Books play an important role in children's social
and academic development. Reading high-quality
books increases children's overall language
competence, and the process of reading,
listening, questioning, and responding to a story
provides a foundation for reflective and critical
thinking (Pressley 2006).
 Children emulate their teachers, and they are
eager to read the books their teachers read
(Cunningham 2005). Reading aloud from high-
quality literature supports primary children's
literacy development in multiple ways. Including
the reading and discussion of critical literacy
texts can add even more lea Every read-aloud
should include high-quality children's literature,
but not every read-aloud has to feature a critical
literacy text. In fact, texts are not critical in and
of themselves; it is the conversations that take
place around the texts that qualify as critical.
Learning opportunities for young children.
 Teachers initiate critical conversations through
the questions they pose. Such conversations
move beyond traditional who, what, when, and
where questions to a deeper understanding that
goes beyond the print on the page. 
 Before developing critical questions, a teacher
must settle on a book for the read-aloud.
Traditional children's books seldom address
social issues of interest or importance to children,
making the task of finding the right book a
challenge.
 The questions a teacher asks will depend on the text
selected, the children in the class, the values of the
school and community, and individual experiences.
Simpson (1996) offers several suggestions to help
teachers preparing for read aloud. She suggests
teaching children that:
  
 characters are not real but constructed by authors
and that stories are not reality but selective versions
of it; authors lead the reader to respond to the story
in particular ways through use of language, point of
view, and other conventions, and that children can
generate alternatives to authors'
 perspectives; authors leave gaps in stories, so
readers can look for what is missing and explore
why; and authors write for particular audiences
and assume that these audiences have specific
cultural knowledge and share certain values.
TOPIC NO. 1

CRITICAL APPROACH

WEEK3
 A critical approach teaches students to question,
inquire into, and reveal the power relations that
exist in the workings of society or a group. It
encourages students and teachers to take an
active role in their learning, to take action and be
doers rather than merely passive listeners. It is a
methodology that teaches students that they can
be independent agents of a change for the better;
 rather, they should be agents of change, creating
opportunities and choices for themselves. The
scope of critical literacy goes beyond a two-
dimensional transaction of knowing how to
function in a group to creating possibilities for
multidimensional understandings between the
individual and the group or society.

 Educators and theorists such as Anderson and
Irvine (1993) described critical literacy as
follows: “Learning to read and write as part of
the process of becoming conscious of one’s
experience as historically constructed within
specific power relations”.

TOPIC NO. 1

The Origins of Traditional

Literature

WEEK4
 The origin of these stories is speculative, since
information about their authors or original tellers
is unknown. Often, a traditional story is not the
work of a single individual but of a collective,
which modifies the story until it begins to settle
into a form.
 Usually, the telling begins for a purpose such as
to communicate beliefs, explain natural
phenomena or to hand down values that are
important to a culture.
 Themes in Traditional Literature

 Oral stories have simple themes such as good vs.
evil, weak vs. strong or beauty vs. ugliness. The
polarization of opposites serves to highlight each
theme and draw attention to the theme’s qualities.
These opposite characteristics often pit one
against each other in a battle for power, respect
or love. The theme then guides the plot elements
of the story.
 Traditional literature is literature that has no
known author and stories that have been handed
down orally from one generation to the next, with
each storyteller adding slight variations. These
stories often tell of a culture's customs, values,
and beliefs. Traditional Literature is timeless.
Pieces originated from oral storytelling, and have
been passed down through the generations, to
later be written down. Fables, Fariytales
(Traditional and Fractured), Myths and
Folklore are examples of traditional literature.
 You have probably heard of tales like 'Cinderella'
and the 'Three Little Pigs', but do you know how
many times they have been retold? Stories like
these are part of the genre known as traditional
literature, which are stories that have been passed
down through generations. Much of traditional
literature was initially told orally and written
down later on. Because of this, the stories are
often altered slightly in each retelling.
 For example, Cinderella's name in other versions has
been 'Zezolla' and 'Cendrillon.' Nevertheless, the
heart of the story will still remain.

 The purpose of traditional literature is having the

story be relatable to everyone. For this reason,
universal themes are important to the genre. Some
common themes include good versus evil, the weak
versus the strong,
 the beautiful versus the ugly, and the rich versus the
poor. Even if the characters are magical or
nonhuman, the message of the story is always one
that the majority of people can understand and value.
TOPIC NO. 2

Traditional Characters

WEEK4
 While traditional literature can vary in type, most
stories of this genre share common
characteristics, especially character archetypes.
To help readers easily recognize the story's
problem, its characters are broken into clear good
versus evil. The hero of the story is usually given
a mission that seems impossible to achieve, and
the villain is set to keep the hero from
accomplishing it.

 The main characters can be humans, gods, or
animals. They are usually very one-dimensional,
meaning that each character will have one
definable trait used to describe him/her. These
traits could be physical or related to the
characters' personalities.
 For example, if there is a witch character, the
witch will most likely be defined by her evil
personality, with 'no personal growth' or change
of heart.
 Settings in Traditional Literature
Traditional literature is set in an ambiguous
or indeterminate time and place. Because the
themes and characters of these stories should
have universal appeal, the setting is left vague in
order to make it easier to for people to relate.
Using a specific setting could potentially alienate
a reader.
Some Examples
 The canon of traditional literature is full of
interesting and instructional
 examples. Greek and Roman myths explain the
natural world. Sun and moon gods drove their
orbs across the sky. Tall tales and legends such as
Johnny Appleseed explained the prevalence of
apples in certain areas and taught people about
the strength and determination that characterized
the settlers of the early United States. Fables such
as those of Hans Christian Andersen teach good
behavior and moral decision-making.

TOPIC NO. 3

Characters in Traditional
Literature

WEEK4
 Characters in Traditional Literature

 Just as with themes, characters are simple. The

heroes of traditional literature are not nuanced
characters with complicated personalities. The
characters are one-dimensional, polar opposites
who represent good or evil, so the choices
between them are clear to children and grown-
ups. With simple opposites, listeners and readers
can easily relate to a character in the hope that
children will emulate a good character.

 Remember that characters drive plots. It’s
important that other children like and empathize
with the characters you create. They have to care
about what happens next because of them.
 Your readers want to know how they will handle
difficult situations. They have to understand them
and their personality traits, both the negative and
the positive. As writers we have to get our
readers to empathize with our creations and to
care if they succeed or fail. If the main characters
do not seem real in our imaginations, or in the
settings we choose, children will lose interest in
them.
Four Things To Remember
 1.You do not have to describe characters in picture books.
Characters are shown in illustrations. You can’t afford to
include descriptions with a limited word count. Try to include
only what is necessary for the story to make sense.
 2.The reader needs to think of your characters as real people.
Take interesting bits and pieces from people you know, mix
them up, and create characters who are unique.
 3.Characters act and speak. Actions show personality. What
they do and how they react depends on their background, their
experiences and their personality type. The best characters act
consistently.
 4.Every character needs a reason to feature in your book.
What do your characters want? What motivates them? Why do
they want it? Young readers must be able to relate to your
characters.
Seven Types Of Characters In Children’s Books
 Child Or Teenage Protagonists
 Adult Protagonists
 Animal Protagonists
 Supernatural Or Fantasy Protagonists
 Other Child And Teenage Characters
 Parents And Other Adults
 Younger Characters
Problem Areas 
 First time writers often create characters who are too
similar to one another. To avoid this, create differences.
Throw unlikely personalities together. This lets you
explore emotions based on unfamiliarity, fear, irritation,
envy, rivalry, and mistrust.

 List Your Characters 

 Make a list of all the characters in your book.

 Tip: Having too many characters in a group always

weakens the story. If you have too many characters with
the same personality type, you don’t need all of them.
If they are too similar, change the characters
enough to make them distinct from each other. 
How To Make Your Characters Act

 Emotions move your characters and your plot

forward. Try to create situations that create these
emotional reactions.
 If children have to confront a threat, they must
have reasons for acting as they do. To make them
more believable, show the world through their
perspective.
TOPIC NO. 1

Types of Traditional Literature

WEEK5
 Fairytales
 Often romantic and always fictional, these stories
usually occur 'long, long ago' in 'a far away land.'
They are stories of enchanted creatures like
witches, giants, and dragons, and fanciful settings
like castles or forests. Common characteristics
include reoccurring numbers, royalty and, of
course, the happily-ever-after ending.
 For example, take 'Cinderella', the story that
began in the late 17th century. Cinderella, a
beautiful girl enslaved by her evil stepmother,
longs for a better life. When her fairy godmother
appears to grant her a wish, Cinderella meets the
Prince, who saves her and marries her. The lesson
is that kindness and love will triumph over
selfishness and evil.
Fables
 Also fictional, these stories are typically short in
length and heavily allegorical or symbolic. They
use morals to both
 entertain and educate the readers. Common
characteristics include talking animals, few
characters, and a lot of action, with the lesson of
the story appearing at the end.
 For example, take the fable of 'The Tortoise and
the Hare'. The Hare mocks the Tortoise for his
slowness, so the Tortoise challenges him to a
race. Though the Hare is stronger and faster, he
lets pride and over-confidence get in his way. The
Tortoise, who is slow yet steady, wins the race,
concluding to the readers that perseverance is
more worthy than speed or strength.
Legends
 Unlike the other two, this type of traditional
literature is based on real people and events, or
those thought to have been real. The stories are
exaggerated to depict heroism, or to give
explanation to something not necessarily
explainable.
 are stories, usually of a national or folk hero,
which are both based in fact but also include
imaginative material.

Myths, legend or traditional narrative, are often
based on historical events, explain human
behaviour or natural phenomena.

Fables are narration demonstrating a useful truth

and teaching morals or lessons.