Children's literature has, since its beginnings in the 18th century,
been a source both of entertainment and instruction for child readers as
well as a product which reflects adults' perceptions of children and
the choices that they make regarding what literature is suitable for the
young. It is addressed to a wide range of readers from pre-literate
toddlers to young adults and encompasses an equally wide range of genres
including picturebooks, traditional folk and fairy tales, novels,
poetry, and informational books. In this seminar, you will become
familiar with a selection of literature in the English-speaking cultures
across time, and learn to appreciate this branch of literature through
close reading and work with different critical approaches. You will
examine the distinctive qualities of children’s literature, explore the relation of didacticism and entertainment in texts for children at
different historical periods, and consider the changing concepts of the
child and its influence on the production of children's literature.
- Teacher: Emer O'Sullivan