Readings
·
Essentials of Children’s Literature, Chapter 10, Realistic Fiction
· One of the recommended realistic fiction books about animals in
Essentials of Children’s Literature Chapter 10
– OR
· a quality realistic fiction book of your choice, about animals. Other than elements of the personification of animals (perhaps they talk, wear clothes, do other human things), there should be no other fantasy in the work (no magic, for example).
Remember that you can search for books using the
Links to Children’s Books Online
page of the Course Information documents for additional reading ideas.
Assignment 1 – 1 ½ pages
1. Summarize your understanding of the chapter and share any insights, referring to specific examples of literature.
2. Identify a life experience that you would write about in children’s realistic fiction (if you were a fiction writer) and why you think this particular life experience is important in our contemporary context for a particular age range.
Assignment 2- 1 ½ pages
your reading of your chosen work of realistic fiction in which animals are centrally involved. Remember that other than elements of the personification of animals (perhaps they talk, wear clothes, do other human things), there should be no other fantasy in the work (magic, for example).
1. Summarize the book briefly.
2. Discuss your insights into how and why animals are used as characters. How would the story’s effect have been different without the animal characters?
