Course outline (winter 2013/2014)

Week 1    -      Intro to the Course and Course Policies

(23/9)

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Week 2    -      What is/was children’s literature? The changing concept                                    of childhood.

(30/9)             Readings:  Hunt, P.  p.12-24

Task: Prepare your own definition of children's literature.

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Week 3  -         Birth of the Genre.

(7/10)              Readings: Grenby, M. p. 39-55

                       Primers and Readers p. 75-86

                       Excerpt from A Little Pretty Pocket-Book by John                                                 Newbery p. 129-34

                      Task: Submit your definition of children's literature by email by                             Saturday night.

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Week 4  -           Judeo-Christian Stories.

(14/10)              Readings from: The Norton Anthology of Children's Literature

                         p. 503-527 : Religion : Judeo-Christian Stories (do not read                                   Fantasy and Allegory)

                          James Janeway - A Token for Children (1671-1672)

                          John Bunyan     - The Pilgrim's Progress (1678)

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Week 5    -           Alphabets. A shift from religious to secular.

(21/10)                NACL:   John Amos Comenius : Orbis Pictus (1659)
                           The Childes Guide (1667)
                            “A was an Archer” (A Little Book for Children, ca. 1705)
                                The Picture Alphabet (ca. 1830)
                                The Instructive Alphabet (1814)
                                The Child’s New Play-Thing (1742)

                             Task: Think about the difference between learning to be good                               and learning to be literate with respect to the topics and                                       excerpts we have already dealt with in the seminars.

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Week 6     -           Chapbooks as proto-children's literature.

(28/10)                  NACL:   Tom Thumb (1790-1810)
                                Jack the Giant Killer (ca. 1845-1850)
                                The History of Goody Two-Shoes (ca. 1800)
                                Children in the Wood (ca. 1800)

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Week 7     -            Animal Fables.

(4/11)                    Samuel Croxall (d.1752)

                              William Godwin (1756-1836)

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Week 8   -             Fairy Tales I.

(11/11)                  Origins: Fairy Tales and Folk Tales by Jack Zipes p. 26-39.

                            Task: Think about fairy tale adaptations and give examples of                             opera, film, ballet, novel or more modern adaptations. Are                                 these always successful? How do fairy tales reflect the                                        historical period of their origin? Why don't Cinderella’s                                         stepsisters cut off  their heels and toes anymore?

                            1^st seminar paper deadline

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Week 9    -              Fairy Tales II. Little Red Riding Hood.

(18/11)                   Read: The Classic Fairy Tales ed. by Maria Tatar, p.3-24

                              Task: Do you agree with the statements in the                                                   Introduction?

                               What should an ideal version of this fairy tale look like? Is                                    there anything like "the best" version of a fairy tale? Which                                of the versions is in your opinion most loved by children? How                                would you interpret this fairy tale? (Are some characters or                                    events in it symbolic? What do they symbolize?) Why has the                                fairy tale been so popular over the centuries?

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Week 10    -            Legends.

(25/11)                   Robert Browning (1812-1889) - The Pied Piper of Hamelin

                              History of Robin Hood (ca. 1860)

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Week 11  -              No class

(2/12)

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Week 12   -              2^nd seminar paper deadline. Review of all classes.

(9/12)

Week 13  -              Credits

(16/12)

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