Synopses & Reviews
LITERATURE AND THE CHILD, 7th Edition, covers the two major topical areas of children's literature--the genres of children's literature (picture books, folklore, etc.) and the use of children's literature in the classroom. Deliberately concise, the book offers succinct yet beautifully written and illustrated discussions that reflect the tone and feel of children's books. Featuring discussions of the latest works of children's literature, the text includes coverage of the growing importance of young adult literature as well as expanded emphasis on upper-level children's literature and adolescent literature. The authors pay careful attention to diversity in children's literature and equip students with practical, research-based teaching ideas.
Review
"It contains a wealth of information! The spotlights on well known children and adolescent authors throughout the text are helpful and I enjoyed learning more about the writers and their approaches to writing in the different genres."
Review
"All genres of literature are covered in enough depth to allow teachers to differentiate between them. Good examples of each genre are presented with many author profiles to supplement them. Criteria for selecting good literature are given and extensive book lists are included with each chapter. Teaching ideas are also included in each chapter showing creative ways to utilize each genre in the classroom. The bottom line to any text on children's and adolescent literature is getting good books into the hands of children. This text will help teachers to accomplish that!"
About the Author
After teaching in elementary and middle school classrooms for several years, Lee Galda received her Ph.D. in English Education from New York University. A former professor at the University of Georgia, she is now a professor at the University of Minnesota where she teaches courses in children's literature and language arts. Dr. Galda is a member of the National Reading Conference, the National Council of Teachers of English, the International Reading Association, the American Library Association, and the United States Board on Books for Young People. She also sits on the review boards of many professional journals. She was the Children's Books Department editor for THE READING TEACHER from 1989 to 1993, served as a contributing editor for THE RIVERBANK REVIEW, and was a Newbery Medal judge for the 2003 nomination. Author of numerous articles and book chapters, Dr. Galda recently co-authored a chapter on research in children's literature in the HANDBOOK OF READING RESEARCH, VOLUME III. Other recent chapters appear in the HANDBOOK OF RESEARCH ON TEACHING THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS, 2nd, and THEORETICAL MODELS AND PROCESSES OF READING, 5th. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with her husband and two children.Bernice E. Cullinan is known both nationally and internationally for her work in children's literature. She has written more than 30 books on literature for classroom teachers and librarians, including LITERATURE AND THE CHILD, 5E, POETRY LESSONS TO DAZZLE AND DELIGHT, and THREE VOICES: INVITATION TO POETRY ACROSS THE CURRICULUM. She also has written a book for parents, READ TO ME: RAISING KIDS WHO LOVE TO READ. Dr. Cullinan is editor in chief of Wordsong?the poetry imprint of Boyds Mills Press, a Highlights for Children company?and has collected poems written by the recipients of the National Council of Teachers of English Award for Poetry in A JAR OF TINY STARS. She served as president of the International Reading Association, was inducted into the Reading Hall of Fame and The Ohio State University Hall of Fame, and selected as the recipient of the Arbuthnot Award for Outstanding Teacher of Children's Literature. Dr. Cullinan lives in New York City.Lawrence R. Sipe is an associate professor in the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education, where he teaches courses in children's and adolescent literature and conducts research on young children's responses to picturebooks. He taught in primary and elementary classrooms for six years, including a two-year stint in an isolated one-room school in the province of Newfoundland, Canada. For 13 years, he served as coordinator of professional development for K-6 teachers for a school board in Newfoundland. Dr. Sipe's awards include Outstanding Dissertation of the Year from the International Reading Association, the Outstanding Dissertation Award from the College Reading Association, the Promising Researcher Award from the National Council of Teachers of English, and the Early Career Achievement Award from the National Reading Conference. He also has won several honors for teaching, including the Teaching Excellence Award for the Province of Newfoundland, the Graduate School of Education Teaching Award, and the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching from the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Sipe is the North American Editor of the journal CHILDREN'S LITERATURE IN EDUCATION. His book STORYTIME: YOUNG CHILDREN'S LITERARY UNDERSTANDING IN THE CLASSROOM was published in 2008 by Teachers College Press. He earned a Ph.D. in Children's Literature and Emergent Literacy from The Ohio State University.
Table of Contents
"Wonderful teachings ideas support each chapter and provide in-depth approaches to literature, making it come alive for students of all ages." "This textbook is written by experts in the field who know children's literature and who know how children/youth grow as language users. In other words, they know how to bring students and literature together in sound ways. My students have told me they often sell their textbooks, but they want to keep this one." "The greatest strength of this textbook is the expertise and wisdom the authors bring to developing a textbook. I know their work, and I trust what they have to say. Along with their knowledge about children's literature, I appreciate the theoretical orientations they rely upon in discussing how to share literature with students. The textbook shows how to bring children and books together in sound ways. I love the opening scenarios of chapters that offer readers an opportunity to visit a classroom where the teacher is providing authentic experiences with literature. I find this modeling invaluable because so much of what my students have seen and/or experienced are examples of literature being "killed" in the name of teaching. Plus, as I have suggested, this modeling is consistent with the theoretical and philosophical underpinnings of my teaching. I also appreciate the closer look at a work of literature and the author because this provides a vivid picture of how literature works and helps readers become more acquainted with authors and seeds of creativity. Another aspect of this textbook that I admire is that the authors recognize the complexity that can surround issues in the field of children's literature. The authors discuss issues in depth without losing the interest of the reader. Moreover, the authors discuss books in ways that invite reading literature during the course and beyond. They write well, and they have much to offer." "It contains a wealth of information! The spotlights on well known children and adolescent authors throughout the text are helpful and I enjoyed learning more about the writers and their approaches to writing in the different genres." "All genres of literature are covered in enough depth to allow teachers to differentiate between them. Good examples of each genre are presented with many author profiles to supplement them. Criteria for selecting good literature are given and extensive book lists are included with each chapter. Teaching ideas are also included in each chapter showing creative ways to utilize each genre in the classroom. The bottom line to any text on children's and adolescent literature is getting good books into the hands of children. This text will help teachers to accomplish that!"