Children's literature is great...

Literature and the Child

Eight Edition

By: Lee Galda, Lawrence Sipe, Lauren Liang, Bernice Cullinan

Books whether picture book, poetry, novel or non-fiction are alive and thriving in classrooms, book stores and libraries.  Those who engage in books from a young age and become avid readers have an academic advantage that continues to support their success, regardless of intelligence or circumstances.  Reading contributes to language growth and development.  Reading encourages the learning of new vocabulary words.  The storehouse of words can then be used when speaking, writing, listening and reading.  Readers can draw on the experiences they have read about giving them an advantage over those who do not read.  The more people read the better they get and the better they read, the more they learn.  The more they learn, the more curious they come and the more curious they become, the more they read.  Literature enables young people to explore and become motivated and engaged readers.  Readers can travel back and forth in time and visit familiar places, meet new friends and discover new ideas. Their knowledge increases as well as their values and their imagination grows.  Literature prompts readers to understand themselves better.  When they explore their own feelings, they understand why others react as they do.  Literature provides insights into the realities and dreams of young people and of the authors and illustrators who depict those dreams and realities.  Literature keeps peoples dreams alive.  It reflects life throughout the course of time and across national boundaries.  It presents a vision of what is possible.  The power of books opens new worlds, causes readers to think in new ways and molds our children into contributing members of society.  The audiences of young readers are from birth through middle school.  Literature has designations.

N = Nursery  (birth to age five)

P = Primary (age five to eight)

I = Intermediate (ages eight to twelve)

A = Advanced (ages twelve to eighteen)

A basic distinction in literature for children is between fiction and nonfiction.  Fiction is something that is made up.  Nonfiction is based on facts and theories and is real and verifiable.  Narratives tell a story that occurs over time.  A narrative is developed throughout a plot. Actions or events lead to the solution of a problem which progresses to a climax and sometimes ends in a resolution.  Texts that are non-narrative or expository do not ell a story or inform. 

Authors and illustrators work to create memorable stories by using literary elements such as setting, characterization, plot and theme.  The setting is the time and place in which story events happen.   Characterization refers to the means by which an author establishes credibility of character.  Plot refers to the sequence of story events.  Theme is a central idea that keeps the story together. 

Authors have their own style of writing.  This may include vocabulary or their structure whether it is a poem of piece of nonfiction.  The style needs to reflect the time, place and characters through dialogue that sounds natural and descriptions that are vivid and fresh. 

Various works of literature are written in and further categorized by genre.  Genres include:

•  Poetry and verse – Expression of thoughts often containing rhythm

•  Folklore – Stories, myths, legends, nursery rhymes

•  Fantasy – Stories set in places that do not exist

•  Science Fiction – Based on scientific principles

•   Contemporary Realistic Fiction – Stories that could happen in he real world.

•  Historical Fiction – Stories reconstructing life in the past using fictional characters and events

•  Biography/Memoir – Account of a person’s life

•  Nonfiction - Informational books that explain, describe or inform about a subject using real facts

Special formatted books also have an impact what today’s children have the opportunity to read.  Picture books contain a unique combination of text and art.  With picturebooks, words tell us tings not in the picture, and the picture tells us things not in the words. 


Cullinan, B. (1989). Literature and the child (2nd ed.). San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.