Scribner Seminar Program
Course Description
Children's Literature Revisited
Instructor(s): Catherine Golden, English
What do Little Women, Alice in Wonderland, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Where the Wild Things Are, and Harry Potter have in common? These titles and characters have hooked child readers through the ages, influencing our reading habits as adults. Far more than charming picture books for children, the genre of children's literature has a rich history that runs through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and ranges from fairy tales and bedtime stories to comic strips, fantasy, science fiction, and adventure tales. Participants in this seminar will follow Alice down the rabbit hole to enter the world of children's literature, exploring its history, cultural mores, and audience. We will revisit children's literature from the perspectives of history, education, aesthetics, gender and multiculturalism and learn to "read" texts and illustrations. In addition to literary and visual analysis, students will read to young children, give oral reports, and create an illustrated children's book.Course Offered