The Role of Stories for Children

Learning Objectives:

Upon successful completion of the course students will

- become acquainted with contemporary children’s literature and main themes which have been changed according to traditional and brand new discourses.

- analyze texts and images which have recently been used in several books and movies produced for children from various age intervals.

- create new discourses through writing exercises in order to develop child-adult relations by means of fiction (both texts and images).

- develop new strategies to empower children and young people in face of possible difficulties deriving from customary, and to resist prejudices in the perception of alterity/otherness.

General Characteristics of Children’s Literature

As an introduction, the general characteristics of children’s literature will be compared to traditional forms and contents of literature. The question(s) of “Can / Should there be any age limitation for literature?” we will try to reply.

Against Adult Authority: Mathilda

The novel is required to be read before the class and underline the sentences/passages which take attention. Therefore, we will discuss that modern classic novel together by means of the concepts of adult-child relations, children’s agency and empowerment.

King Matt the First

That novel by Janusz Korczak called King Matt the First will be read and discussed during the classes, analyzing the characters in the novel, compared to other works by Korczak. The main purpose of the text-analysis is to consider how to tell children about ‘serious’ concepts, like authority, democracy, reform, war etc.

The Terrible Thing that Happened to Barnaby Brocket

That novel by John Boyne is about several topics, such as, “being extraordinary”, leaving people behind, maintaining one’s peculiar ways that all these concepts would become themes for the course’s discussion within the frame of conflicts between self and other, preferring resilience or submission.

Basic Concepts in Children’s Books and Movies

In this final lecture, a general discussion about children’s books and movies which we have read and watched together will be mentioned again by focusing on their common themes in order to reveal basic concepts in cultural products for children. Then participants will share which author/theme they have selected to prepare their papers about.

Required Readings:

- Roald Dahl, Mathilda

- Janusz Korczak, King Matt the First

- John Boyne, The Terrible Thing that Happened to Barnaby Brocket