Chapter 6
Lots of definitions for literary elements and literary devices to learn. These are useful in helping me identify specific language techniques that writers use to create clear, interesting, and memorable text for the readers.
Literary Elements:
1. antagonist--a character or a group of characters which stand in opposition to the protagonist or the main character.
2. character--a person or animal who takes part in the action of a story.
3. conflict--involves a struggle between two opposing forces usually a protagonist and an antagonist.
4. mood/tone--literary element that evokes certain feelings or vibes in readers through words and descriptions.
5. plot--events that make up a story or the main part of a story.
6. protagonist--the central character in a story or poetry.
7. setting--the time and place in which the events of a work of literature take place.
8. theme-- the truth about life revealed in a work of literature.
Literary devices:
1. allegory--figure of speech in which abstract ideas and principles are described in terms of characters, figures and events.
2. allusion--a brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing or idea of historical cultural, literary or political significance.
3. archetype--is a typical character, an action or situation that seems to represent such universal patterns of human nature.
4. deus ex machine--refers to the circumstances where an implausible concept or a divine character is introduced into a storyline for the purpose of resolving its conflict and procuring an interesting outcome.
5. hyperbole--involves an exaggeration of ideas for the sake of emphasis.
6. imagery--means to use figurative language to represent objects, actions and ideas in such a way that it appeals to our physical senses.
7. metaphor--is a figure of speech which makes an implicit, implied or hidden comparison between two things that are unrelated but share some common characteristics.
8. motif--is an object or idea that repeats itself throughout a literary work.
9. point of view--is the angle of considering things, which shows us the opinion, or feelings of the individuals involved in a situation. In literature, it's the mode of narration that an author employs to let the readers "hear" and "see" what takes place in an essay, story, poem, etc.
10. simile--is a figure of speech that makes comparison, showing similarities between two different things. Unlike a metaphor, a simile draws resemblance with the help of the words (like) or (as). It's a direct comparison.
11. symbolism--the use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities by giving them symbolic meanings that are different from their literal sense.
Chapter 7---AWARDS
Learning about the different awards for literature will be very useful when making book orders or needing to expose the students about them. I didn't realize how many there actually are. Having a list of these as I begin my career, will definitely be helpful.
1. Printz--- http://www.ala.org/yalsa/printz-award
Micael Printz award for a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature.
2. YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction-- http://www.ala.org/yalsa/nonfiction-award
Honors the best nonfiction book for YA ages 12-18 during the Nov. 1- Oct 31 publishing year.
3. Great Graphic Novels for Teens-- http://www.ala.org/yalsa/great-graphic-novels
Is a list prepared yearly by YALSA of recommended graphic novels and illustrated nonfiction for ages 12-18.
4. Best Fiction for Young Adults-- http://www.ala.org/yalsa/best-fiction-young-adults
List provided by YALSA's Best fiction for YA committee. The annual list helps provide librarians with a resource to use for collection development and reader's advisory purposes.
5. Margret A. Edwards Award-- http://www.ala.org/yalsa/edwards-award
Established in 1988; honors an author and their work for significant contribution to YA literature. It recognizes their work in helping adolescents become aware of themselves and addressing questions about their role and importance in relationships, society, and in the world.
6. Alex Award-- http://www.ala.org/yalsa/alex-award
Awarded to ten books written for adults that have special appeal to YA ages 12-18. They are selected from the previous year's publishing.
7. Odyssey Award-- http://www.ala.org/yalsa/odyssey-award
Annual award given to the producer of the best audiobook produced for children and/or YA in the U.S.
8. Morris Award-- http://www.ala.org/yalsa/morris-award
Award that honors a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens and celebrating impressive new voices in young adult literature.
9. Outstanding Books for the College Bound-- http://www.ala.org/yalsa/outstanding-books-college-bound
List is developed every five years. The books offer opportunities to discover new ideas and provide an introduction to the fascinating variety of subjects within an academic discipline. Readers will gain an understanding of our diverse world and build a foundation to deepen their response to that world.
10. Popular Paperbacks-- http://www.ala.org/yalsa/popular-paperbacks-young-adults
Books that encourage YA to read for pleasure; usually represent a variety of accessible themes and genres.
11. Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers-- http://www.ala.org/yalsa/quick-picks-reluctant-young-adult-readers
consist of titles aimed to encourage reading among teens who dislike to read for whatever reason. The list selects both fiction and nonfiction.
12. Reader's Choice-- http://www.ala.org/yalsa/readerschoice
This list seeks to engage a wide audience of librarians, educators, teens and YA literature enthusiasts in choosing the most popular teen titles in a given year, as organized by broad genres. Popular teen titles are updated on an ongoing basis. Nominations will be posted monthly, with a final vote taking place each November. Any individual provided he/she is not the author or an employee of the publisher, or a current member of the Reader's Choice List Committee many nominate a title via an online form, while only YALSA members are eligible to vote for the final ballot, which is sent in the November issue of YALSA E-News.
13. Teen Top Ten-- http://www.ala.org/yalsa/teenstopten
This is a teen choice list, where teens nominate and choose their favorite books of the previous year. Nominators are members of teen book groups in 15 schools and public libraries around the country. Nominations are posted on the Thursday of National Library week and teens across the country vote on their favorite titles each year.
14. Amazing Audiobooks-- http://www.ala.org/yalsa/amazing-audiobooks
Yearly, YALSA's Amazing Audiobooks committee selects and annotates an annual list of notable audio recordings significant to young adults from those released in the past two years.
15. YA Choices-- http://literacyworldwide.org/get-resources/reading-lists/young-adults-choices-reading-list
List is developed annually of new books that will encourage adolescents to read. The books are selected by the readers themselves, so they are bound to be popular with middle and secondary school students.
16. Lone Star Reading List-- http://txla.org/groups/lone-star
this list is developed by public and school librarians from the Young Adult Round Table. Geared to encourage students in grades 6-8 to explore a variety of current books. List is intended for recreational reading.
17. TAYSHAS Reading List-- http://txla.org/groups/tayshas
This list takes its name from the Caddo Indian word meaning "friends or allies." It's geared to motivate young adults to become life-long readers and to participate in the community of readers in Texas.
18. Maverick Reading List-- http://txla.org/groups/Maverick
This is recommended by public and school librarians from the YA round table.
19. Edgar Award for Mystery-- http://www.theedgars.com/
Named after Edgar Allen Poe and presented every year by the Mystery Writers, based in NY city. They honor the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction, television, and theater published or produced in the previous year.
20. NCTE Award for Excellence in Pottery for Children-- http://www.ncte.org/awards/pottery
Established in 1977 to honor a living American poet for his or her aggregate work for children ages 3-13.
21. Orbis Pictus-- http://www.ncte.org/awards/orbispictus
Established in 1989 for promoting and recognizing excellence in writing of nonfiction for children. The name Orbis Pictus commemorates the work of Johannes Amos Comenius.
22. Batchelder Award-- http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/batchelderaward
Award is given to the most outstanding children's book originally published in a language other than English in a country other than U.S. and then translated into English for publication in the U.S.
23. Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction-- http://www.scottodell.com/pages/scotto%27dellawardforhistoricalfiction.aspx
Established in 1982. This $5000 award goes to the author for a meritorious book published in the previous year for children or YA. Scott wanted to encourage new authors to focus on historical fiction.
24. Pura Belpre Award-- http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/belpremedal
Named after Pura Belpre, the first Latina librarian at the NY public library. Established 1996. It's presented annually to a latino/latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino culture experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth.
25. Schneider Family Award-- http://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/schneider-family-book-awards
This award honors an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic impression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences.
26. Sibert Award-- http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/sibertmedal
The Robert F. Silbert Infomational Book Medal is awarded to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished informational book published in the U.S. in English during the preceding year.
27. Stonewall Award--- http://www.ala.org/glbtrt/award
The first and most enduring award for GLBT books is this award. It's sponsored by the American Library Association's Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Round Table.
Chapter 8
Poetry is not a genre and is not seen as enjoyable. According to the research by Ann Terry in 1974, children prefer narrative poetry and dislike free verse and haikus. Poems with rhyme and rhythm were also preferred due to their sound devices and the play with language. Children enjoy poetry that is funny, has animals and offers familiar experiences. Good poems allow children to interact, similar to that of a reader's theater. Poems that repeat are also more enjoyable to children. There is a certain criteria that can be followed when analyzing poems. Lively poems with rhythm and meter that emphasize sound are also good for children. It is important for children to interact with the poem in order for it to be meaningful. We should not bring down a poem to the "suppose level" of the child.
This chapter helped me understand what to look for in children's poetry. Since poetry is a neglected types of literature, we need to present it in a manner that is meaningful and enjoyable to kids. Having a criteria to follow is a great way to look for poetry that is worth sharing with students.
Chapter 9
Historical fiction refers to a story that is set in the past. To a child, historical might mean something that recently happened to them. Charlotte Huck developed a criteria that could be used to evaluate historical fiction for children. It is important that it be a good story that blends the history realistically. It also needs to include accurate facts. It should also include values reflective of the time that it is referring to. The social environment must also be consistent with the time period. Lastly, the readers need to be able to relate to the theme of the story.
This chapter really helps me understand how children view and define history. Having this understanding will assist me when cataloging historical fiction books. Children can learn history better when it's engaging. Many times kids are turned off by nonfiction books because the writing is boring and dry. Helping children find the right historical fiction books will help them develop a love for history.
Chapter 10
Realistic fiction for children is set in contemporary or modern times. It could be defined as a story where real kids with real problems solve them in a realistic manner in a real world setting. The characters are engaging and believable and the setting is true to life. Problems faced by the characters are honestly portrayed and the resolution makes sense. The theme or themes grow naturally out of the actions of the characters and the author does not preach or lecture to the reader.
Wow, this chapter gives great insight on how realistic fiction can help children better understand themselves and others. In order for readers to make a connection, the characters need to be accepted as real people and the events as real as possible and for them to take place in real places. Realistic fiction must be credible.
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