Simply typing in "social issues in children's literature" in a google.com search blank, I was curious to find what would be the most common occuring issue. Ironically enough, gender issues was most frequent in the titles of search findings. I chose a few to read through and found that a lot of them talked about gender issues the way we have already in class. For example, one website spoke of gender issues in children's literature claiming that the is passive, and acted upon, rather than active and doing the action towards people. What this website also stated, which was a new way of hearing it for me. is that children identify with characters in the book. Because of this, s find it hard to identify with themselves in literature because there are limited female characters that are strong and independent. Another website pointed out that gender bias exists in illustrations, language, and content. Which, after reading several works, is not hard to believe.
http://www.kidsource.com/education/gender.issues.L.A.html
http://www.indiana.edu/~reading/ieo/digests/d135.html
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Sally Mae and the Flooding River
Installment #4:
When the sun began to rise on the third morning, full and radiant, she grew weary and tired. She had been walking straight for three days and three nights and the company of the birds hadn’t been enough to keep her going. She placed her bag under a tree and laid down on the bank of low river. She was so tired and exhausted she slept through the day and night.
When Sally Mae woke up the next morning, all she could hear was what sounded like rushing water. She looked around terrified and she screamed at the top of her lungs. There had been a thunderstorm at night and the river had risen all around her. She was isolated on an island that was in the middle of the river. With regret at her loss, she undid her bow and cautiously threw it into the water. The current was so strong that it was carried away and disappeared in an instant. Never having learned to swim, she was frightened and panicky. “How will I ever get off this island?” Sally Mae wondered.
One of her bird friends, Nick, flew over to land on her shoulder. “What’s wrong Sally Mae? Can’t you swim across to the bank?” he asked.
“I can’t swim,” she sobbed, “I can only cook and clean. Please help me Nick. I don’t know what I will do!”
Previously on Sally Mae:
Once upon a time there lived a named Sally Mae. She grew up in a house made out of gemstones all folded together. Her favorite stone was sapphire because of its deep color and the way it sometimes formed a star. She also loved it because her daddy always told her it matched the color of her eyes.
Sally Mae was a very beautiful . She had flowing hair, which she always wore in braided plaits as was the fashion. She wore a dress every day, all different colors of the rainbow: pink, purple, light blue, and pale green, always with a white ribbon tied around her waist in an overflowing bow. Sally Mae enjoyed spending time outdoors, talking with the birds and chipmunks about where they had traveled to and what they had seen. She also loved smelling the flowers, especially orchids- those were her favorite.
Around the house Sally Mae was a help to her father. She knew how to tend to a garden and fix supper for her father. She commonly took charge of her mother’s duties; her mother was a business woman who traveled around the world selling jewelry and gems much like the ones her house was formed out of. Sally Mae hardly ever saw her mother and relished the few days she had with her.
One fine July morning Sally Mae leaped out of the door with joy at the sight of her mother’s deep purple Rolls Royce. When the chauffeur opened the door, her smile faded and her enchantment disappeared. Her mother’s aide, Victoria, stepped out. Victoria had never liked Sally Mae and only put up with her for her jobs sake. She strode right past Sally Mae and didn’t even recognize her existence.
“I’m here to take Sally Mae into the real world and teach her real skills,” she hollered at Daddy. “She needs to learn how to hold her own in real life, not just twiddle her around her own house, picking daisies and stirring soup.”
“She’s my only ray of sunshine,” protested father, “you can’t take her.” But there was no hope; Daddy had no power over Victoria, as hard as he may fight. She was powerful and threatening.
“We will leave in the morning, tell her to pack her bags,” Victoria scowled.
“I don’t want to go. NO! I will not leave!” Sally Mae screamed. Yelling with all her might, she realized it was useless. Sally Mae was going to have to fix this problem on her own.
Pack her bags she did, but not for Victoria. She was going to leave that night and escape out her doomed future. She wanted to be with nature and the birds, not in the world of merchants and business. When the moon was high she crawled out of her window. Chirping to the birds, she explained she needed a new home, one without Victoria. She was going to miss her house made out of beautiful stones, and pulled some off of the window sill to take with her.
When the sun began to rise on the third morning, full and radiant, she grew weary and tired. She had been walking straight for three days and three nights and the company of the birds hadn’t been enough to keep her going. She placed her bag under a tree and laid down on the bank of low river. She was so tired and exhausted she slept through the day and night.
When Sally Mae woke up the next morning, all she could hear was what sounded like rushing water. She looked around terrified and she screamed at the top of her lungs. There had been a thunderstorm at night and the river had risen all around her. She was isolated on an island that was in the middle of the river. With regret at her loss, she undid her bow and cautiously threw it into the water. The current was so strong that it was carried away and disappeared in an instant. Never having learned to swim, she was frightened and panicky. “How will I ever get off this island?” Sally Mae wondered.
One of her bird friends, Nick, flew over to land on her shoulder. “What’s wrong Sally Mae? Can’t you swim across to the bank?” he asked.
“I can’t swim,” she sobbed, “I can only cook and clean. Please help me Nick. I don’t know what I will do!”
Previously on Sally Mae:
Once upon a time there lived a named Sally Mae. She grew up in a house made out of gemstones all folded together. Her favorite stone was sapphire because of its deep color and the way it sometimes formed a star. She also loved it because her daddy always told her it matched the color of her eyes.
Sally Mae was a very beautiful . She had flowing hair, which she always wore in braided plaits as was the fashion. She wore a dress every day, all different colors of the rainbow: pink, purple, light blue, and pale green, always with a white ribbon tied around her waist in an overflowing bow. Sally Mae enjoyed spending time outdoors, talking with the birds and chipmunks about where they had traveled to and what they had seen. She also loved smelling the flowers, especially orchids- those were her favorite.
Around the house Sally Mae was a help to her father. She knew how to tend to a garden and fix supper for her father. She commonly took charge of her mother’s duties; her mother was a business woman who traveled around the world selling jewelry and gems much like the ones her house was formed out of. Sally Mae hardly ever saw her mother and relished the few days she had with her.
One fine July morning Sally Mae leaped out of the door with joy at the sight of her mother’s deep purple Rolls Royce. When the chauffeur opened the door, her smile faded and her enchantment disappeared. Her mother’s aide, Victoria, stepped out. Victoria had never liked Sally Mae and only put up with her for her jobs sake. She strode right past Sally Mae and didn’t even recognize her existence.
“I’m here to take Sally Mae into the real world and teach her real skills,” she hollered at Daddy. “She needs to learn how to hold her own in real life, not just twiddle her around her own house, picking daisies and stirring soup.”
“She’s my only ray of sunshine,” protested father, “you can’t take her.” But there was no hope; Daddy had no power over Victoria, as hard as he may fight. She was powerful and threatening.
“We will leave in the morning, tell her to pack her bags,” Victoria scowled.
“I don’t want to go. NO! I will not leave!” Sally Mae screamed. Yelling with all her might, she realized it was useless. Sally Mae was going to have to fix this problem on her own.
Pack her bags she did, but not for Victoria. She was going to leave that night and escape out her doomed future. She wanted to be with nature and the birds, not in the world of merchants and business. When the moon was high she crawled out of her window. Chirping to the birds, she explained she needed a new home, one without Victoria. She was going to miss her house made out of beautiful stones, and pulled some off of the window sill to take with her.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Review of National Children's Literacy Website
After typing into the search blank on Google.com "children learning to read," I stumbled upon this webpage provided by Soho Center's National Children's Literacy Information. One thing I found interesting is several of the tips the page gave in order to help children learn to read. For example, I said to practice language sounds, which is something I had never thought about. It gave suggestions such as asking children to make several rhymes in discover connections in sounds. It also suggested taking words apart by there sounds and putting them back together.
While I realize that for most people this isn't going to be relevant until they have children themselves one day, if they do at all, I personally will have use for this type of information as an education major. Of course I know the typical guidelines such as reading to children every day, having them read to you, teaching the alphabet, etc. but I didn't realize there was a connection between children's ability to read and they're ability to create connections between sounds. This will help me in my future career.
I felt like overall this webpage was informative and relevant. The information was also reliable and of good qualaity, as far as I can tell. I felt like it was a well established society and that they had accurate information. Finally, the layout of the website was easy to read and use, which makes it a lot easier to do reasearch.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Alice in Wonderland Discussion
One of the things I find really interesting as I read through Alice in Wonderland is how it's nothing like what I remember as a child. As a matter of fact, I never read the book when I was young and the only thing I can remember from the movie is a disappearing cat and the queen of hearts being particularly cruel. I didn't like her and was actually afraid of the movie and did not enjoy it at all. As I go through and read the book, I can see why I would have been afraid of it as a young child. Alice is constantly encountering dangerous situations (such as growing too much or shrking too small) and I think that this probably scared me as a little because I was afraid that it would happen to me too. Reflecting on my different lenses of intake between now and then, I'm struggling to understand why any child these days would enjoy that book or movie. Which leads me even further to question what the difference is between children today and two hundred years ago that makes the difference in our creative intake. I think the perception of what's fun and entertaining has just changed so drastically (especially with the invention of new technologies) that children have different likes.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
General Study Guide for Children's Literature
1. Who are the main characters (protagonist/antagonist)?
2. What are the characteristics/personality traits of the main protagonist(s)? How does this relate to other works of children's literature? i.e. helpless - occurs in other stories such as Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, etc.
3. What are the characteristics/personality traits of the main antagonist(s)? How does this relate to other works of children's literature?
4. How does the author use other characters the develop the story and/or personalities of the main characters?
5. Where is the story set? Is the setting important to the plot? Do other setting descriptions, such as weather, contribute to the story?
6. Does the author use diction and vocabulary that applies to children 2-5, 6-10, or 11-15 years of age? What are some examples of words that hints at the audience age?
7. Does the author have a moral/value that they are trying to spread? What value is this? Is this value/moral relative to the time period the author was living in? Is it still relavent today?
8. Are there pictures in this book? How do the pictures contribute to the story?
2. What are the characteristics/personality traits of the main protagonist(s)? How does this relate to other works of children's literature? i.e. helpless - occurs in other stories such as Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, etc.
3. What are the characteristics/personality traits of the main antagonist(s)? How does this relate to other works of children's literature?
4. How does the author use other characters the develop the story and/or personalities of the main characters?
5. Where is the story set? Is the setting important to the plot? Do other setting descriptions, such as weather, contribute to the story?
6. Does the author use diction and vocabulary that applies to children 2-5, 6-10, or 11-15 years of age? What are some examples of words that hints at the audience age?
7. Does the author have a moral/value that they are trying to spread? What value is this? Is this value/moral relative to the time period the author was living in? Is it still relavent today?
8. Are there pictures in this book? How do the pictures contribute to the story?
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Sally Mae and the Flooding River
Installment #3:
“I’m here to take Sally Mae into the real world and teach her real skills,” she hollered at Daddy. “She needs to learn how to hold her own in real life, not just twiddle her around her own house, picking daisies and stirring soup.”
“She’s my only ray of sunshine,” protested father, “you can’t take her.” But there was no hope; Daddy had no power over Victoria, as hard as he may fight. She was powerful and threatening.
“We will leave in the morning, tell her to pack her bags,” Victoria scowled.
“I don’t want to go. NO! I will not leave!” Sally Mae screamed. Yelling with all her might, she realized it was useless. Sally Mae was going to have to fix this problem on her own.
Pack her bags she did, but not for Victoria. She was going to leave that night and escape out her doomed future. She wanted to be with nature and the birds, not in the world of merchants and business. When the moon was high she crawled out of her window. Chirping to the birds, she explained she needed a new home, one without Victoria. She was going to miss her house made out of beautiful stones, and pulled some off of the window sill to take with her.
Previously from Sally Mae:
Once upon a time there lived a named Sally Mae. She grew up in a house made out of gemstones all folded together. Her favorite stone was sapphire because of its deep color and the way it sometimes formed a star. She also loved it because her daddy always told her it matched the color of her eyes.
Sally Mae was a very beautiful . She had flowing hair, which she always wore in braided plaits as was the fashion. She wore a dress every day, all different colors of the rainbow: pink, purple, light blue, and pale green, always with a white ribbon tied around her waist in an overflowing bow. Sally Mae enjoyed spending time outdoors, talking with the birds and chipmunks about where they had traveled to and what they had seen. She also loved smelling the flowers, especially orchids- those were her favorite.
Around the house Sally Mae was a help to her father. She knew how to tend to a garden and fix supper for her father. She commonly took charge of her mother’s duties; her mother was a business woman who traveled around the world selling jewelry and gems much like the ones her house was formed out of. Sally Mae hardly ever saw her mother and relished the few days she had with her.
One fine July morning Sally Mae leaped out of the door with joy at the sight of her mother’s deep purple Rolls Royce. When the chauffeur opened the door, her smile faded and her enchantment disappeared. Her mother’s aide, Victoria, stepped out. Victoria had never liked Sally Mae and only put up with her for her jobs sake. She strode right past Sally Mae and didn’t even recognize her existence.
“I’m here to take Sally Mae into the real world and teach her real skills,” she hollered at Daddy. “She needs to learn how to hold her own in real life, not just twiddle her around her own house, picking daisies and stirring soup.”
“She’s my only ray of sunshine,” protested father, “you can’t take her.” But there was no hope; Daddy had no power over Victoria, as hard as he may fight. She was powerful and threatening.
“We will leave in the morning, tell her to pack her bags,” Victoria scowled.
“I don’t want to go. NO! I will not leave!” Sally Mae screamed. Yelling with all her might, she realized it was useless. Sally Mae was going to have to fix this problem on her own.
Pack her bags she did, but not for Victoria. She was going to leave that night and escape out her doomed future. She wanted to be with nature and the birds, not in the world of merchants and business. When the moon was high she crawled out of her window. Chirping to the birds, she explained she needed a new home, one without Victoria. She was going to miss her house made out of beautiful stones, and pulled some off of the window sill to take with her.
Previously from Sally Mae:
Once upon a time there lived a named Sally Mae. She grew up in a house made out of gemstones all folded together. Her favorite stone was sapphire because of its deep color and the way it sometimes formed a star. She also loved it because her daddy always told her it matched the color of her eyes.
Sally Mae was a very beautiful . She had flowing hair, which she always wore in braided plaits as was the fashion. She wore a dress every day, all different colors of the rainbow: pink, purple, light blue, and pale green, always with a white ribbon tied around her waist in an overflowing bow. Sally Mae enjoyed spending time outdoors, talking with the birds and chipmunks about where they had traveled to and what they had seen. She also loved smelling the flowers, especially orchids- those were her favorite.
Around the house Sally Mae was a help to her father. She knew how to tend to a garden and fix supper for her father. She commonly took charge of her mother’s duties; her mother was a business woman who traveled around the world selling jewelry and gems much like the ones her house was formed out of. Sally Mae hardly ever saw her mother and relished the few days she had with her.
One fine July morning Sally Mae leaped out of the door with joy at the sight of her mother’s deep purple Rolls Royce. When the chauffeur opened the door, her smile faded and her enchantment disappeared. Her mother’s aide, Victoria, stepped out. Victoria had never liked Sally Mae and only put up with her for her jobs sake. She strode right past Sally Mae and didn’t even recognize her existence.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Meet Samantha: An American Girl
What I found most interesting in this book was the way that Samantha, a young girl of nine years, was treated and expected to behave. What hit me most when reading this was how much her ideal behavior could impact young readers. As a young lady of position, she wasn't ever expected to work or make her own living, compared to Nellie, a girl of the same age who has a cough from working long hours in the factories. The author created a nice parrallel between the characters of the two girls- they come from completely different backgrounds but at heart, they are both little girls who are up to mischief and enjoy the company of dolls. Finally, one thing found in this book characteristic of tales such as Hansel and Gretel was the rebellion that was portrayed in child. Samantha snuck out of the house and disrespectfully spoke to her Grandmary, but she went unpunished for her defiance. On the contrary, she was rewarded and given a hug.
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