dr. shirley pauler house on mango street. setting: outdoors on a summer night character: kitten
TRANSCRIPT
Kitten’s first Full MoonCaldecott Medal Winner
Setting: outdoors on a summer Night
Character: Kitten
Henkes’ Books Title/Topic Match
1. Chester's Way2. Lilly’s Purple Plastic
Purse3. Kitten’s First Full
Moon4. Sheila Rae, the
Brave5. Julius, the Baby of
the World6. Chrysanthemum
A. The effects of teasingB. Accepting a new
siblingC. Making new friendsD. Asking for forgivenessE. Overcoming sadness
about moving F. Bravery overcoming
timidityG. Pursuing a reward that
only comes after the pursuit is abandoned
Plot
Expectations vary with age Strict chronological order for young audience Older: can follow “flashbacks”, more complex
plots Conflict draws reader in – engages the
reader Criteria:
Natural (believable) Not predictable all the way through
Good Characterization…
Invites identification Shows weaknesses as well as strengths
(believable) Is interesting, unique – Ramona, not
Nancy Drew- create a character that is one of a kind
Shows change over time (longer books) – Does not always happen in a picture story book.
Setting (2 aspects)
Criteria: Supportive of characters & plot Accurate (if specific)
Contribution: Creates mood May be antagonist Can provide historical background May symbolize aspects of plot or character Adds credibility to story
Theme
Unifies plot, characterization, and setting Sometimes stated by a character Often value – laden Criteria:
Worthwhile Relevant to a child’s experience
Writing Style
Choice of words, their arrangement, kinds of sentences.
Use of figurative language, interesting sentence structures, reputation, rhythms to evoke mood.
Should trust reader to “fill in the gaps” (understatement)
Point of View (Narrator)
First person (usually main character) Lends an immediacy to the telling
Second Person “You” to address the reader or a story character May establish a conversational tone
3rd person Omniscient (can get into the head of all the major characters) Limited omniscient
Criteria Consistency appropriateness
Other Story Aspects:
Tone – author’s attitude toward subject or audience
Mood – atmosphere of the story, feelings it evokes
Traditional Literature…Dewy 398
Is a body of ancient stories & poems preserved & passed down by storytellers
Is attributed to entire groups of people or cultures No identifiable author
Includes many types of stories Most are fantasy, but some are realistic
Has common characteristic of the literary elements(plot, characters, setting, wiring style, themes…)
Functioned to pass on cultural values on through generations
Plot
In traditional tales, story… Is shorter that in other genres Quickly introduces conflict Often has recurring actions Has a quick resolution & ending
Storyteller used this element to hold attention of audience
characterization
Less developed that in any other genre Uni-dimensional – just one major
characteristic Good characters: completely good Bad characters: completely evil
Consider: what actions are rewarded?
Setting (Time & Place)
Vague (In the beginning…) long ago in a land far away…) May be “formulaic” (Once upon…) Time the far distant past Place: often symbolic: careful description not
needed As you read, consider
In picture storybooks, how is setting portrayed in illustrations? Who makes that decision?
In there anything in the setting that is symbolic?• Does it reflect the tension in the plot?• Does it symbolize the theme?
Theme
What is “theme”? A universal truth or lesson to be learned
Reflects values of culture in time of story’s origin
Often involves moral issues Consider
What character qualities and behaviors are rewarded… punished?
How do plot, characterization, and setting contribute to the theme?
Style of Language
Remember: stories all began as oral tales Memory of storyteller is limited Capacity of audience to remember is limited
Simple – only necessary description Realistic conversation Often enriched with repeating refrains Some stories us dialect of tine/place (Uncle
Remus Stories) Motifs – recurring features such as the
number three ( three little pigs, three Billy goats gruff
Choosing/evaluating trade lit
Dies it preserve the storytelling style? Does it preserve the flavor of the culture
or culture country of its oragin? Use of colloquiaisms, unusual speech
patterns, propper names common to the culture, a few foreigh terns
Do illustrations (if present) fit well with the tone of the text and portray the essence of the culture of origin? Are they well done?
Does the writing exemplify a rich literary style?
Folktales
A sub –category of traditional literature found in every culture Originated in lives/imaginations of people or “folk” Children’s favorite type of traditional literature
(from age 3 on)
Vary in content based on original intended audience King’s court and mobility – tales of valor,
heroism benevolence of ruling class (called castle tales)
Common people –ruling classes are portrayed as unjust or hard taskmasters (called cottage tales) Riches were considered “fair game” for
common folk who were clever or strong enough to acquire them.
Depictions of Ethnicity Found in Children’s Books:
Culturally Neutral – Include children from cultural minorities, but book is about other topics Examples inched illustrated non-fiction books, with pictures showing cultural minorities
Culturally Generic – “What Mary Jo Shares” – focus on characters (main character or supporting character who represent a cultural minority, but contain few details that would help reader develop greater understanding on the characters culture
Culturally Specific – characters from minority culture are depicted in ways that include specific cultural details; cultural themes are present, and may even be the prevailing theme of the book
Alphabet Books
May be for any grade level, pre-school – grade 5 because Not all are intended to teach alphabet