Children's Literature and Critical Theory: Reading and Writing for Understanding

In order to place criticism into the discussion of children's literature, the author explores the writings of professors who have laid the groundwork in critical theory for all literature, explaining what literary criticism is, how it works, and why it is an important part of studying any literature. She introduces the prominent schools of literary criticism and shows how her students in children's literature classes, and teachers in the field, have become critics in their own right. The book contains brief introductions to some classroom practices which evolved from teachers reading critical theory, helping to create role models for others who wish to develop a program of critical theory in the elementary schools. The author includes extensive discussions of issues such as canon formation, realism in literature, and response theory, striving to introduce her readers to criticism to suggest its role in shaping all readers' responses to children's stories. She also encourages them to first be real readers who enjoy listening to the author's story before turning to someone else's theories about literature and searching for critical answers that fit their personal responses. A glossary of literary terms for new readers of criticism is included as well as an extensive bibliography for further reading on the topics discussed.

May, Jill P.

Teen & Young Adult

Oxford University Press

Rarely has children's literature attracted as much attention and debate as it does now. With teachers, legislators, academics, and parents all clamoring for an educational renaissance, literacy is in the spotlight. But what about literary criticism? A venerated component of the traditional literature curriculum, critical theory has been all but ignored in the study of children's books. Jill May's unique and vital text sets out to remedy this oversight. Based on years of thorough research and classroom experience, Children's Literature and Critical Theory argues that critical theory is an essential part of any elementary literature program. The author begins by exploring the writings of scholars who have laid the groundwork in critical theory for all literature, introducing methods of analysis which are typically used in scholarly discussions about children's books. May continually relates how her students in children's literature classes and teachers in the field have become critics in their own right; how young people who wish to be teachers can become involved in analysis which leads to making decisions about classroom practices; how instructors can change their perspectives by learning new ways of teaching; and how readers can learn to appreciate divergent writing styles and to argue with the experts. Children's Literature and Critical Theory discusses numerous fundamental issues, from canon formation to response theory, suggesting their roles in shaping all readers' responses to children's stories. Complete with a comprehensive glossary of literary terms for new readers of criticism and an extensive bibliography for further reading, this remarkable text is essential reading for students and scholars working in children's literature, education, library science, and child development.

Children's Books

This collection of original essays concentrates on the meaning of cultural aesthetics in children's and adolescent literature and uniquely tackles the particular issues teachers face today. Discusses beginning literary patterns of a particular group, stereotypic representations of American cultures, imagery in American adolescent and children's literature, and issues of literary inclusion. Theory and practice come together throughout the three sections of the text.

Exploring Culturally Diverse Literature for Children and Adolescents: Learning to Listen in New Ways

Henderson, Darwin L.

Pearson

Exploring Culturally Diverse Literature for Children and Adolescents: Learning to Listen in New Ways, MyLabSchool Edition

Allyn&Bacon

Best remembered as an influential illustrator and teacher, Howard Pyle (1853–1911) produced magnificent artwork and engrossing books and magazine stories about King Arthur, Robin Hood, swashbuckling pirates, and the American Revolution. He also completed public murals and trained many famous artists and illustrators at the turn of the twentieth century, including N. C. Wyeth and Jessie Willcox Smith. This engaging portrait of the influential American artist, teacher, author, and muralist is the first fully documented treatment of Pyle's life and career.
Drawing on numerous archival sources including Pyle's own letters to provide new perspectives on his life, Jill P. May and Robert E. May reveal Pyle to be a passionate believer that art should be understood and appreciated by the general public. His genteel values and artistic tastes shaped not only his own creative output but his influential work as a teacher, first at the Drexel Institute of Art, Science and Industry in Philadelphia and later at his own school in Delaware's Brandywine River Valley. May and May also show him to be far more supportive of women artists than is generally believed, explaining how he deployed club memberships and relationships with publishers and politicians to advance the prospects of his students. Duly measuring his influence on later artists, May and May detail his quest to lead a distinctively American school of art freed from European models.
Amply illustrated with evocative photographs and color reproductions of his own and his students' work, this exceptional volume presents Howard Pyle's creative career and legacy for American popular culture as it has never been seen before.

Howard Pyle: Imagining an American School of Art

Arts & Photography

May, Robert E.

History & Criticism

University of Illinois Press

Recounts the life of the Newberry Award-winning author, and discusses each of his works in detail, including the frequently neglected non-fantastic stories

Lloyd Alexander (Twayne's United States Authors Series)

Biographies & Memoirs

Twayne Pub

Films and Filmstrips for Language Arts: An Annotated Bibliography

Reference

Catalogs & Directories

Natl Council of Teachers

Review\n"Floyd Fithian was an effective and inspirational leader who cared deeply about the environment and his constituents. This book, which reflects upon his achievements, is a timely reminder of what it means to be a true and dedicated public servant. It was an extreme honor to have worked for Congressman Fithian, and I hope his story will inspire others to consider public service." —Judge Steven Meyer, Superior Court 2, Tippecanoe County, Indiana\n"Do I focus on the challenges in my home district or on those of the nation? Floyd Fithian, a superb politician, resolved that challenge as well as any member of Congress I knew and achieved significant achievements in both areas." —Lee H. Hamilton, former member of the United States House of Representatives\n"Extending from the upper Midwest to the country as a whole, Spearheading Environmental Change is truly ambitious in scope, charting the trajectory of environmental thinking and policy during the second half of the twentieth century. While hewing to some elements of conventional biography grounded in extensive archival research, this volume offers much more: an expansive account of how the ideals of conservation took shape nationally as well as how they were put into practice—but above all how leading figures such as Floyd Fithian sought to resolve the seemingly intractable controversies that often arose in the process and that ultimately 'hold substance for all progressives fighting for transformations in public policy.' In the end, this beautifully crafted book tells a complex story—and a compelling one." —Christian Knoeller, Professor Emeritus of English at Purdue University and author of Reimagining Environmental History: Ecological Memory in the Wake of Landscape Change\n"The book?s greatest contribution is its exposure of how environmental policy is a deeply flawed process, with different competing and even contradictory interests struggling for domination." —H-Net\nSpearheading Environmental Change: The Legacy of Indiana Congressman Floyd J. Fithian describes the life of a four-term United States congressman, focusing on his role in the emerging environmental movement in late twentieth-century America. Spearheading Environmental Change highlights Fithian’s legislative efforts regarding three water-related issues that profoundly concerned Hoosier and midwestern voters: creating a national park on the Indiana shoreline of Lake Michigan; canceling dam construction near Purdue University; and mitigating flooding in the Kankakee River Basin. The book also covers Fithian’s positions on ecologically sensitive issues such as pesticides, noise pollution, fossil fuels, and nuclear power.\nLargely remembered for his participation in the Democratic reform wave that took over Congress in 1975 post-Watergate (the so-called Class of ’74) and as an advocate for Hoosier farmers, Fithian has been overlooked for his role as a force to be reckoned with on the House floor when it came to the nation’s environmental challenges. Fithian was a highly ethical, pragmatic reformer bent on preserving his country’s natural resources. Spearheading Environmental Change gives Fithian the credit he deserves as an environmental warrior on the national stage.

Spearheading Environmental Change: The Legacy of Indiana Congressman Floyd J. Fithian

Historical

Purdue University Press

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