EN235

Literature for Children and Young Adults

TR 1-2:30 p.m. (Hybrid Traditional)

Instructor: Laura Struve

“We read to know that we are not alone”—C.S. Lewis

Lewis reminds us why children read, but that is only one of the questions we will be asking in this class. What is children’s literature? What is its purpose, how does it function? What does children’s literature tell us about children? About adult expectations for children? What do these books tell us about our culture? This course offers a survey of classical and contemporary children’s literature. We will explore a variety of children’s literature in various genres, including folk and fairy tales, poetry, picture books, realistic fiction, historical fiction, and classic and contemporary novels. Some of the authors we will read include Dr. Seuss, Jacqueline Woodson, Shel Silverstein, and Judy Blume.

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