Week 8 - 2 Flashcards
is a term used to describe stories that take place in the present time and portray attitudes and mores of the present culture. Unlike realistic books of several decades ago that depicted only happy families and were never controversial, today’s contemporary realism often focuses on current societal issues, such as alcoholism, racism, poverty, and homelessness. Contemporary books still tell of the happy, funny times in children’s lives, but they also include the harsh, unpleasant times that are, sadly, a part of many children’s lives.
Contemporary Realism
Stories about the nuclear family—children and their relationships with parents and siblings—are a natural subject of books for children. Childhood for most children is spent in close contact with family members. Family stories for younger children often portray a happy child with loving parents. In these stories, everyday activities from brushing teeth to cooking dinner are shown. Easy chapter books appealing to newly independent readers can be found within this type. These stories often show the child at play and sometimes explore sibling relationships as well. The Quigleys in a Spin by Simon Mason and The Pepins and Their Problems by Polly Horvath are good examples of this type of book.
Families
In addition to adapting to one’s family situation, children must also learn to cope with their peers. Many realistic stories show children struggling for acceptance by peers in a group situation. School settings are common in these stories. Examples include Just Grace by Charise M. Harper and Fame and Glory in Freedom, Georgia by Barbara O’Connor. Bullying by peers can be damaging to the self-esteem of those targeted. Angry outbursts by those being humiliated is not infrequent and, at times, can be frightening. Literature can provide an opportunity to address these issues by developing an awareness and understanding of the harm caused and by encouraging more compassion toward those who are targeted for some real or perceived difference. In Wendelin Van Draanen’s Secret Identity, Nolan, a fifth-grade outsider, becomes fed up with the school bully and finds an ingenious way to expose the bully’s misdeeds.
Peers
Many children must deal with difficult challenges in their lives. Some children have disabilities; others have a family member or a friend with a disability. These disabilities may be physical, such as scoliosis; emotional, such as bipolar disorder; mental, such as mental retardation or learning disabilities; behavioral, such as hyperactivity; or a combination of these. Yet children do not like to appear different or strange to others. Authors of children’s books are becoming increasingly sensitive to the need for positive portrayals of individuals with special challenges. Well-written, honest stories of such individuals in children’s books can help other children gain an understanding of disabilities and empathize with people who have disabilities. As inclusion of special education students into regular classrooms becomes a more common practice, this trend in children’s literature can be an important educational resource.
Physical, Emotional, Mental, and Behavioral Challenges
Part of growing up involves the discovery of one’s membership in a community, a group extending beyond the family. In some children’s books we find school settings in which students, teachers, administrators, and, at times, parents comprise the community. Helen Frost’s novel told through 22 poetic forms, Spinning through the Universe: A Novel in Poems from Room 214, shows students, the teacher, and the custodian writing their thoughts about the school and other topics. In other books the community setting is the neighborhood
Communities
stories remain an ever-popular genre with children, dog and horse stories being the most popular. In realistic animal stories the animal protagonist behaves like an animal and is not personified. Usually, a child is also a protagonist in these stories. Examples are Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo and Diamond Willow by Helen Frost.
Animals
often present a story in which a child protagonist struggles to become accepted as a member of a team and does eventually succeed through determination and hard work. The Boy Who Saved Baseball by John H. Ritter is a good example of a sports story. Although traditionally written with boys as the main characters, some sports stories are now available that feature girls as protagonists, such as Dawn FitzGerald’s Soccer Chick Rules.
Sports
popular with boys and girls, range from simple “whodunits” to complex character stories. The element of suspense is a strong part of the appeal of these stories. Mysteries have won more state children’s choice awards than any other type of story, a fact that suggests that mysteries are truly favorites of many children.
Mysteries
Characters in many realistic fiction novels face moments of crisis, situations of great difficulty, or events in which a decision may change someone’s life. These situations are often similar to those that children will face in their lives. Through these stories children can understand the difficult decisions the character is faced with and can discuss the consequences that may result from the choice made. Teachers often select these books for class study with intermediate- and middle-grade students. Using a book in which a character is faced with a difficult moral choice can stimulate lively discussions.
Moral Choices
are popular with preteens and teens, especially girls. Some stories depict boy–girl friendships, as in Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen, The Possibilities of Sainthood by Donna Freitas, Undercover by Beth Kephart, Runaround by Helen Hemphill, and Deep Down Popular by Phoebe Stone. Since the 1990s, more stories of characters dealing with pregnancy and teenage parenting have appeared; some realistic examples are Virginia Euwer Wolff’s Make Lemonade, Sylvia Olsen’s The Girl with a Baby, and Angela Johnson’s The First Part Last.
Romance and Sexuality
From birth to age 10, most children’s lives revolve around family, friends, and classmates, but during the preteen and teen years a shift toward self-discovery and independence occurs. Rapid growth and change are seen in the physical, emotional, moral, and intellectual domains of life
Coming of age
Facing physical danger, an external force, also contributes to the maturing process. Stories of survival and adventure are ones in which the young protagonist must rely on will and ingenuity to survive a life-threatening situation. Although most survival stories are set in isolated places, a growing number are being set in cities where gangs, drug wars, and abandonment are life threatening. Adventure stories may be set in any environment where the protagonist has freedom of action. Wilderness by Roddy Doyle and The Maze by Will Hobbs are examples of this type of book.
Adventure and Survival
