DOCuMENT RESUME CS 207 375 ED 227 483 AUTHOR Huck, Charlotte S.,'Ed.;And Others Children's Literature. TITLE Coll. of Education. INSTITUTION Ohio State'Univ., Columbus. PUB DATE\ 82 , NOTE 105p. 149 AVAILABLE FROMOhio State University,"Theory into Practice," Arps Hall, Columbus, OH43210 ($4.50, discount given). \ Guides (For Teachers) (052) PUB TYPE Guides - Classroom Use -- CollectedWorks - ConferenceProceedings (021) Collected Works - Serial's(022) : JOURNAL CIT Theory into Practice;v21 n4 Aut 1982 MF01 Pllus Postage. PC NotAvailablp from EDRS. EDRS.PRICE *Authors; *Childhood DESCBIPTORS Adolescent Literature; Attitudes; *ChildrensLiterature; History; Instructional Improvement;Literacy; Literary Styles; Literature Appreciation; ReadingAttitudes; Reading Comprehension; *Reading Interests;*Theoriet Theory Development IDENTIFIERS *Reader Text Relationship; ABSTRACT The articles in thisspecial journal issuefocusing lfterature'were drawn from paperspresented at the on children's The Ohio State Conference on Children'sLitesature held in 1982 at University% The lirstsection contains articlesthat address the children's book?" Thequestion is question "What makes a good and scholar, approached from a historicalperspective by a librarian and from ap editor'spoint of view. The from a critic's standpoint, the subject section concludes withfour brief pokition papers on Of children's books, twoeditors, and a prepared by an author journal deal with librarian. Articles in thesecond section of the the child's, view ofA good book?"Contributori the question "What is the relation to this section present atheoretical petspective on between,reader and text, anatcount of ethnographicstudies of for a theory of children't books in theclassroom,t and suggestions would include not onlywhat is known about children's literature that learning to read. literature but what isknown about children and section discuss.therelationship between Articles in the third children and' literature and literacy andexplbre how an insight abbut literature can be used toform classroominstruction. The journal ' concludes with personal accountsby authors andillustrators. (FL) A c ***********************************************4t************4********** the best that can bemade * * Reproductions supplied by ZDRS are * * from the original document. ************************************************.*********************** U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC I 1.Thts document has been reproduced as received trom the person or organization miginating it Minor changes have urpn made to improve repZuction qualiur Pou.es o' view or opuuons'stated in this docu ment do not neceSsarily repreglt official NIE position or policy CHILDREN'S LITERATURE . Theory into Practice v21 n4 Autumn 1982 GuestEditors: Charlotte S. Huck Janet Hickman Frank Zidonis "PERMISSION tO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL INMICROFICHE ONLY HAS BEEN GRANTED BY Charles M. Galloway w, TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC).: 4 4 p. I TheoryInto Practice 238 This. Issue: Children's Literature 239 "Which One's the Mockingbird?" Children's Literature from the 1920s to the Present Sheila Egoff " 247 "Go, and Catch a Falling Star": What Is a Good Children's Book? a Eithel L. Heins 254 An Editor's View: Recognizing the Best Jean Karl 262 Definifiga Good Children's Book: A. Task Doomed .by Stephen Roxbu Something That Makes Childhoo41.ss Lonely by Charlotte Zolotow Believing Impossible Things by Pjadeleine L'Engle Discovering Godd (New) Books tfrough a Discussion Format by Ginny Moore Kruse 268The Literary Transaction: Evocati n and Response Louise M. Rosenblatt 278 "The Book Was Okay. I Love You" Social Aspects of Response to Literature Susan I. Hepler Janet Hickman 284 What Counts as Evidence in Theories of Children's Literature? Margaret MeV( 293Shared Book Experience: Teaching Reading Using Favorite Books Don Holdaway 301 Retellings of Literature and the Comprehension Process Yetta M. Goodman 308 Reading Begins at Home Dorothy Butler 315 "I Give You the End ot a Golden String" Charlotte S. Huck 322 Birthdays and Beginnings Arnold Lobel 325 The Aim of the Writer Who Writes for Children Katherine Paterson 332 Subject to Change without Notice Madeleine L'Engle dint Editors: Charlottn S. Huck, Joliet Hickman, and Frank Zidonis The papers which appear in this issue were given at the May 1982 Conference ANN of Professor COLLIDE oF on Children's Literature, held at The Ohio State University in honcit EDUcATION Charlotte S. Huck on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the College of mimeo STATE 1.ii41VERSITY Education. C. M. G. , 111 4. 3 it ,, l This Issue Ever since the5PDartrnouth Seminar in 1966, which thor, two editors, arid a librarianserved to begin a brought together teachers of English from all over North lively and sometimes heated exchange of ideas about America and England, representing all levels of teaching what constitutes a 'good" book. from the primary school through the university, I have ;'What is the child's view of a good book?" was a wished to have a similar conference with 'those Who question, that narrowed the focus of the discussion. A share a scholarly interest in children's literature but theoretical perspective on the relation between reader ,twPo represent different professional perapectives and and text and an account of ethnographic -studies of seldom have ari opportunity to exchange ideas. The children and books in the classroom were presented in celebration of the Co Ilede of Education's 75th anniver- this section. The paper that followed proposed some sary year providici the impetus and the means for suggestions for a theory of children's literature that fulfilling that wish. would include not onlf what is known about literature the Conference on Children's Literature at The but what is known about children and learning to read. Ohio State University took plate ill May 1982: It was The next day's tebics, "What is the relationshiO divided into two parts: The- Symposium of Scholars between literature and literacy?" and "How can insight who met for 21/2 pays, immediately followed by the about children and literature inform classroom prac- FeetivaRff Children's Literature, which began Friday tice?" extended this concern with the learner. The evening and met all day Saturday. Some 250 persons .research and rich personal experiences offered in these talks were coniplemented by a display of children's attended the symposium, including authors, critics, ed- work and a round table discussion of teachers and itors, librarians, teachers, and university professors and researchers. Speakers and participants came from librarians who talked about the way they made litera- ture central to the language curriculum in their own England, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and schools. throughout the United States. Three papers from the festival proceedings com- Over 750 persons fined every seat in Weigel Hall plete this issue. Two are accounts of book creators at for the festival to hear award-winning authors and an work, and the last affirms the value of literatunkin a illustrator of children's books. Participants also had rapidly changing world. their Choice of attending two or three smaller sessions, While all papers give the-content of the talks, it is many of them led by practicing teachers who spoke on hard to capture the enthusiasm of the grbup, the real_ the way they share literature in their classrooms. meeting of minds, and the reshaping of viewpoints as The papers in this issue of TIP were given at the new pereRectives were encountered and explored. In conference, and they are presentepere, with minor the end, thb most important question under scrutiny at exceptions, in the same sequence in which they were the conference was the one individual participants were heard. Four basic questions formed the structure of asking themselves: HoW can I Out these ideas to work the symposium. The first and most perplexing question, in my own situation? It is my hope that readers of this "What makes a good children's book?" was discussed issue will come to share both,the enthusiasm and the from the historical perspective of a librarian and scholar, concerns of those who attended this conference. then from a critic's standpoint and an editor's view. The brief position statements followingfrom an au- Charlotte S.'Huck A 0;4' 4 Sheila Egoff "Which One's the Mockingbird?" ChilOren's Literature from the 1920s to- the Present You will remember Randall Jarrell's (1964) little In demonstrating that children's literature could bat-poet. After listening to and observing the mock- be literature, the Victorians also flashed signals ingbird, hIe began to wonder whit was real and about judging it.Style was obviously important; what was mimicry. Was a mockingbird sounding language pi :'. to its best purpose, used at its utmost like a thrush as real as a thrush? "Which one's power. But even more importantly% the Victorian the mockingbird? which one's the worldr he asked. classics show the greatest and most enduring qual- This article is, in a way, an echo of -the bat-poet's ity of literature, its link with life.It is this quality question in terms of children's literature, although that makes us respond to all great literature from not, I'm sorry to say, with his poetic expression. the Iliad and the Odyssey to the fine books of our In Considering the changes in writing and approach own time. The Victorians were interested in the over the last