Literature for Children and Young Adults Blog Assignment   from Dr. Sylvia Vardell's Syllabus

In LS5603: Literature for Children and Young Adults, Literacy Matters cohort students read and evaluated a variety of current books published for children and young adults. They selected works by various prominent authors in each of the major types and genres of literature for young people. Then they read and evaluated each book based on literary elements, appeal to children, and relevant educational uses. They consult professional review sources, note awards won, and suggest related activities appropriate for children. These reviews were posted on original blogs created by each student. Their blogs are public and accessible by the world at large. Even the authors of some of the books students have reviewed have contacted the students to comment on their reviews.

From the course syllabus: You will be reading several titles of children's and young adult literature this semester, including featured authors, focus titles, etc. assigned for each module. For each book, you will prepare a brief response in the form of a written book review which will be posted on your own blog. You’ll create a blog that houses your reviews for this class, but also offers a “service” for the reading community at large. For each book review you will include the five following components:

a. Bibliographic data (Be sure to cite the author, title, illustrator (if there is one), publisher, publication date, and ISBN number for each book.)

b. Brief plot summary (maximum one paragraph)

c. Critical analysis with specific literary considerations pertinent to each genre (this is the “heart” of your review)

d. Awards won (if any) and review excerpt(s) (from Horn Book, School Library Journal, Booklist, etc.)

e. Connections (related books, enrichment activities, children’s responses, etc.)

*These should be coherent, polished, well-organized sentences and paragraphs. Quality of writing IS a factor in this assignment.

You can use a free blog site service of your choosing. Ideally, this will become a tool you can use in the future in your work with children, families, and books. However, for the purposes of this course, do not worry about graphics or other bells and whistles, just get your content posted. There is a special discussion forum set up for posting the URL or address of your blog site once it is set up. If you have a pre-established blog site, you may simply add to it for this course. Just be sure the links and labels for THIS course are all very clear and specific to THIS course.

As you prepare your reviews for your blog, you’ll find guidance in evaluating the literary quality of your books and writing your “critical analysis” by looking in each chapter of the textbook where criteria and examples are provided. In the Assignments area of our Blackboard course site there are also sample book reviews and “worksheets” for evaluating books in each genre that may be helpful as you hone your skills in seriously evaluating the quality of children’s books.”

This assignment addresses the following course goals, objectives and outcomes:

1. To become widely acquainted with the vast amount of literature available to children and young adults.

2. To be able to evaluate critically the books children and young adults read by using specific criteria for each genre.

3. To be cognizant of the joys and values literature can bring to children and young adults.

4. To become familiar with the lives and works of major authors and illustrators who create books for children and young adults.

5. To generate various learning activities designed to bring children and young adults together with books.

6. To be able to match children and young adults with appropriate reading and guide their choices, and utilizing knowledge of child development and reading levels/interests in our multi-ethnic society today.

7. To become familiar with and able to evaluate basic print (and online) reference sources available to children and young adults.

8. To be acquainted with and to realize the importance of expressed child-reading interests in the creation of lifetime readers.

9. To enjoy literature for children and young adults.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate a knowledge of children’s literature, periodicals, audiovisual materials, electronic media, and other materials that contribute to a diverse, current, and relevant children’s and young adult collection
2. Implement criteria for evaluating and analyzing the content and artistic merit of materials for children and young adults in all genres and formats using appropriate critical language and analytical frameworks
3. Identify, select and synthesize critical commentary from reputable reference sources guiding selection and literary criticism to support the discussion and analysis of literature for young people
4. Plan varied learning activities, motivational strategies, and/or library programs to guide the development of young readers based on appropriate reading materials and the needs and interests of children and young adults
5. Contribute substantively to the scholarly discussion of current issues in the field of literature for children and young adults with a focus on objectively analyzing personal response and offering professional contextual critique
6. Contribute to the field of children’s literature at large by contributing to an appropriate service learning project relevant for promoting reading and literary appreciation in children and young adults in the real world (in the form of a book review blog)

Instructor:

Sylvia M. Vardell, Ph.D.

Professor, Texas Woman's University

School of Library & Information Studies

Reference

Licht, Mike. (n.d.) Rosie the Blogger. Photo Pin, ‪www.photopin.com (accessed December 13, 2013).