This course introduces the student to children’s literature, its history and development, and its rich variety of forms and techniques. The required reading is not exhaustive but acquaints the student with some of the more important and representative forms, authors, and works of children’s literature.
Note: Since this is a senior course, we expect students to have good reading and writing skills as well as the basic critical tools and knowledge of literary forms and techniques that are acquired in an introductory university English literature course like Athabasca University’s English 211 and 212. Students who do not have the recommended credits in an introductory English literature course may experience significant difficulty with the essay assignments and examinations.
Outline
Lesson 1: Historical Background
Lesson 2: The Folktale
Lesson 3: From Folktale to Literary Tale
Lesson 4: The Evolution of Fantasy
Lesson 5: High Fantasy
Lesson 6: Alternatives to High Fantasy
Lesson 7: The Realistic Novel
Lesson 8: Period and Historical Fiction
Lesson 9: The Cultural Context
Lesson 10: Nonfiction
Lesson 11: Nursery Rhyme, Poetry and Nonsense Verse
Lesson 12: The Picture Book and Illustration
Lesson 13: Who Classifies the Classics?
Lesson 14: Looking Back and Looking Ahead
Evaluation
To obtain credit for English 305, you must submit three essays of varying lengths and write two examinations, each of three hours duration. To receive credit for the course, you must obtain a minimum grade of D (50 percent) on each exam and a course composite (or final) grade of at least D (50 percent)
The weighting of the course assignments is as follows
Activity
Weight
Essay 1
10%
Essay 2
15%
Essay 3
25%
Midterm Online Exam
25%
Final Online Exam
25%
Total
100%
The midterm and final examinations for this course must be requested in advance and written under the supervision of an AU-approved exam invigilator. Invigilators include either ProctorU or an approved in-person invigilation centre that can accommodate online exams. Students are responsible for payment of any invigilation fees. Information on exam request deadlines, invigilators, and other exam-related questions, can be found at the Exams and grades section of the Calendar.
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.
Materials
Abrams, M. H., and Geoffrey Galt Harpham. A Glossary of Literary Terms. 11th ed., Cengage Learning, 2013. (eText)
Babbitt, Natalie. Tuck Everlasting (Print)
Bourgeois, Paulette. Franklin in the Dark (eBook)
David, Alfred, and Mary Elizabeth Meek, eds. The Twelve Dancing Princesses and Other Fairy Tales (Print)
George, Jean Craighead. Julie of the Wolves (Print)
Hautzig, Esther. The Endless Steppe (Print)
Jacobs, Joseph, ed. English Fairy Tales (Print)
Kipling, Rudyard. Just So Stories (Print)
Kogawa, Joy. Naomi’s Road (Print)
Lee, Dennis. Alligator Pie (Print)
Le Guin, Ursula. The Tombs of Atuan (Print)
Lewis, C. S. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Print)
MacDonald, George. The Princess and the Goblin (eBook)
Milne, A. A. Winnie-the-Pooh (Print)
Montgomery, L. M. Anne of Green Gables (Print)
Munsch, Robert N. The Paper Bag Princess (Print)
Opie, Iona, and Peter Opie, eds. The Puffin Book of Nursery Rhymes (PDF)
Paterson, Katherine. The Great Gilly Hopkins (Print)
Paulsen, Gary. Hatchet (Print)
Potter, Beatrix. The Tale of Peter Rabbit (Print)
Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Print)
Russell, David L. Literature for Children (Print)
Richler, Mordecai. Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang (Print)
Sendak, Maurice. Where the Wild Things Are (Print)
Sutcliff, Rosemary. The Eagle of the Ninth (Print)
The course materials include a Course Information, a Study Guide, and online readings.
Challenge for credit
Overview
The challenge for credit process allows you to demonstrate that you have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university-level course.
Full information about challenge for credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.
Evaluation
To receive credit for the ENGL 305 challenge registration, you must achieve a grade of at least D (50 percent) on each part of the examination.
Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized study counterparts.