There are no pre-requisites for this module to be added

This module introduces you to children’s literature and its relationship with constructions of childhood and the role of stories for children in education. You will learn how the origins of children’s literature relate to emerging conceptions of childhood as a distinct stage of life and the pedagogical theories and social concerns that accompanied those constructions. You will explore what, if anything, sets children’s literature apart from literature for adults, including the idea of what makes a text ‘suitable’ or ‘unsuitable’ for child readerships of different age groups and in different cultural and historical contexts. You will consider these questions in terms of content, genre, and form, asking how such evaluations are arrived at and how individual texts respond. The module will challenge you to reconsider your preconceptions of childhood as well as those in wider media and culture. You will develop your thinking through discussion, reflection, and written assignments.

Upon completion of this module you will be able to

LO1: Explain distinctive characteristics of children’s literature including its conventions, narrative strategies, readerships, and educational and entertainment purposes.

LO2: Show awareness of social, cultural, and historical contexts and their impact on forming children’s literature as a distinct type of cultural production.

LO3: Demonstrate critical understanding of childhood and children’s literature as constructed categories using primary materials and secondary scholarly sources.

LO4: Explore how children’s literature engages with and packages a variety of content in ways appropriate to child readerships.