qxd 19/07/02 11:07 Page i Exploring Children’s Literature 8520pre.qxd 19/07/02 11:07 Page ii 8520pre.qxd 19/07/02 11:07 Page iii Exploring Children’s Literature Teaching the Language and Reading of Fiction Nikki Gamble and Sally Yates 8520pre.qxd 19/07/02 11:07 Page iv © Nikki Gamble and Sally Yates 2002 First published 2002 Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form, or by any means, only with the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction, in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency. Inquiries concerning reproduction outside those terms should be sent to the publishers. Paul Chapman Publishing A SAGE Publications Company 6 Bonhill Street London EC2A 4PU SAGE Publications Inc 2455 Teller Road Thousand Oaks, California 91320 SAGE Publications India Pvt Ltd 32, M-Block Market Greater Kailash - I New Delhi 110 048 Library of Congress Control Number: 2002104044 A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 0 7619 4045 6 ISBN 0 7619 4046 4 (pbk) Typeset by Dorwyn Ltd, Rowlands Castle, Hants. Printed in Great Britain by The Cromwell Press, Melksham 8520pre.qxd 19/07/02 11:07 Page v Contents Introduction 1 1 Developing personal knowledge about books 4 2 Narrative 20 3 Narration and point of view 28 4 Narrative structure, time and cohesion 39 5 Character, setting and themes 55 6 Language and style 71 7 Genres and traditional stories 85 8 Fantasy, realism and writing about the past 100 9 Reading and responding to fiction 122 10 Fiction for the classroom 149 11 Keeping in touch with children’s books 163 Select bibliography 179 Children’s books 182 Index 189 8520pre.qxd 19/07/02 11:07 Page vi 8520pre.qxd 19/07/02 11:07 Page 1 Introduction In this book With your little eye Take a look And play ‘I spy’ (Each Peach Pear Plum by J.
Ahlberg) It may seem an extreme arrogance to make an analogy between this text and the Ahlbergs’ incredibly multi-layered picture book, but our intentions are hon- ourable. The Ahlbergs’ book invites the reader to read and to follow their narrative path, but on the way enriches the reader’s experience through reference to innu- merable other narratives: songs, rhymes and stories of childhood. Tom Thumb in the cupboard I spy Mother Hubbard The Ahlbergs’ intention was that the child reader and the adult reader sharing the book would have their memories stirred by the intertextual references and would interrupt or extend their reading by recalling, retelling or seeking out, versions of those other narratives. The reader is invited to dip in and out of the book, and to trace through the mapping picture at the front the journeys of the characters involved in the book, who all come together at the end for the grand picnic.
Even this is not really the end, for like so many picture books, the pictures hint at mean- ings not expressed in the writing. Cinderella’s playful tickling of Robin Hood as he nurtures Baby Bunting hints perhaps at future narratives as yet untold. This book, too, is intended to take the reader on a journey. The journey may be linear: you can read straight through the book for an exploration of children’s lit- erature.
It is designed in addition, though, to tempt you to follow your interests, to inspire you to wander from the path at times through activities and recommenda- tions, and to make forays into libraries and bookshops for further reading. Our aim is not to tell you everything there is to know about children’s literature, but to explore some key issues relating to the study of literature for children and to teach- ing and learning about literature with children. We have provided signposts to enable you to study some aspects further through practical activities and readings. This is not a book about how children learn to read through the interpretation of the written code: we have made the assumption that the child can actually read the words.
Our focus is on how the child interprets the text and makes sense of what has been read. We were motivated to write the book for several reasons. First, we were both committed bibliophiles who had earned our livings initially as teachers sharing books with children, aiming to inspire them, motivate them, extend their think- ing and create classrooms of bookworms, hooked on books and talking ‘book talk’. We were convinced that children’s learning of language, reading and their writing, was greatly improved when they studied in detail the books they were reading as a class and as individuals.
We had both moved on to earn our livings interfering with the reading habits of students and teachers, aiming to inspire them to be ‘book people’. What we also know from working with children, 8520pre.qxd 19/07/02 11:07 Page 2 2 Exploring Children’s Literature students and teachers, is that a deep knowledge of how literature works, of the language and literary theory is a necessary foundation for teaching and learning from literature. The book has been written to make sense sequentially, but can also be dipped into. We have cross-referenced chapters to allow you to find your way about.
We have included activities to encourage you to participate actively in exploring liter- ature. You can work on these on your own, but they also make good group activ- ities, and sharing what you have done and learned is always more productive than solitary learning. We advise that at the outset of your study you set up a personal record-keeping system that will enable you to locate books that you have read quickly and efficiently. How you choose to maintain your records is a matter of personal preference but we make some suggestions in Chapter 1.
We would urge you to use this book as a springboard for further reading of both children’s books and critical works. We have been inspired in our writing by the work of others, and hope that the reference we make to our sources will encourage your own deeper reading and reflection. The children’s books referred to are listed separately and we hope the list inspires you to take risks with your own reading and to explore pre- viously unknown literary territory. We make no apology for the fact that several of the books referred to will not be in print at the time of publication.
The major- ity of the books are in print and principles can be learnt from those that are not. They are also available through libraries, and remain good books whether or not a publisher currently has them in print. The content of the book relates closely to the subject knowledge required to deliver parts of the National Curriculum in England and in Wales and the National Literacy Strategy in England. It also addresses much of the subject knowledge required to reach the required Standards for teaching in England and Wales, and the matrix in Appendix 10.3 in Chapter 10 demonstrates this interrelationship.
However, it also has a relevance for teachers working to different curricula, and to those interested in and working with children and children’s books outside education. Many of those working with children have a love and breadth of knowledge of children’s books. This is evidenced though visiting schools and libraries where children buzz with excitement about books and engage readily in book talk; where the classroom and library book shelves are well stocked and reflect a wide range of texts including old favourites and recent arrivals. Teachers and others are generous in disseminating their practice through articles in journals such as Language Matters, inspiring the practice of others.
Certainly, to work effectively with chil- dren to develop their knowledge of and responses to literature, adults require sound knowledge of a range of literature and how it can be shared with children to inspire and challenge. This might seem to be a very obvious statement, but it is one that needs to be stated. Whilst it would be unlikely for anyone to approach teaching children about science or maths or history without researching or revis- ing the subject content or concepts involved, it is not unusual for student teach- ers and even teachers on professional courses to confess to ‘not being a great reader myself’. Those working with children in schools, libraries and bookshops seem to divide into those who are committed bibliophiles already, and those who merely tolerate books.
However, there is a grave danger in the attitude of those who describe themselves as ‘non-readers’. It is not possible for teachers in the pri- mary sector, to ‘opt out’ of responsibility for the subject content of areas of the curriculum. It would not, for example, be acceptable for a teacher or student to claim ‘I don’t really do fractions’ or ‘the Romans’, or ‘forces’. But it is possible to find teachers who are not at ease with choosing books and reading aloud to chil- dren, who do not have regular shared story times outside formal lessons, and do not feel comfortable in exploring books with children.
Librarians working with children and children’s booksellers are perhaps more likely to be working from a broad interest in and experience of reading a wide range of texts for children, but this again may be variable. Whilst some of our most enlightened work on literature has come from the Newcastle branch of a major national book-selling chain, in one branch being placed in the children’s section was seen as ‘career death’.qxd 19/07/02 11:07 Page 3 Introduction 3 The activities are not related to particular ages and stages of children. This is because they are aimed at your own development and understanding. They are to enable you to learn principles of how to work with books that you can apply to any text you deem suitable for children and your teaching and learning intentions.
Chapter 1 starts with you as a reader and explores the nature and scope of your reading. It invites you to take stock and to set targets to extend your reading, although you will benefit from reading further into the book to enlighten reading and focus your target-setting. Chapters 2–6 are intended to support your developing knowledge of children’s literature, starting with a definition of narrative fiction and then focusing in turn on the discrete elements of narrative. A range of tasks is included to help you develop skills in textual analysis.
We stress here that these chapters do not present a model that can be transported directly into the classroom, though you will be able to apply your skills and knowledge. Rather our intention is to develop your personal knowledge and understanding so that your teaching is well informed. We particularly emphasise that children’s reading experiences should be holistic and meaning making paramount. Chapters 7–8 focus on developing your knowledge of the major genres of chil- dren’s fiction including traditional stories, contemporary fiction and picture books.
We outline some of the characteristics of each genre and discuss issues that have relevance for those who work with children and their books, e. issues relating to language. We have had to be selective and there are some genres that are not discussed here. We hope that this book will whet your appetite so that you continue your exploration taking in the genres that we have not explored in depth: mystery fiction, horror stories, etc.
(Series fiction is addressed in Chapter 10.) Chapter 9 considers the reader’s response. This chapter also considers the demands placed on the reader by reading picture books, and outlines codes and strategies for reading visual text. The practicalities of building a fiction collection are addressed in Chapter 10. The information presented here can be used to support the development of a book policy in school.