English 228 - Children's Literature

Gillian Kendall

TTh 9:00-10:20 a.m.

In this course, we will, by examining literature for children, discuss the process of the invention of the child as well as the evolution of ideas about what constitutes literature that is meant for children--or literature that has come to be considered as suitable for children.  Some of our readings constitute a backlash against the genre of moralistic children's tales. We will, of course, be examining the literature as adults and neither indulging in extensive conjecture as to what a book means to a child or engaging in (too much) nostalgia.  Among the many works we may read are fairy tales, Maurice Sendak picture books, Holes, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Treasure Island, I Was a Rat, Alice in Wonderland, The Golden Compass, stories by Saki, Gulliver's Travels, one of the Harry Potter books, Pinocchio, and/or other works.