Children's and Young Adult Literature Commons^™

A Content Analysis Of The Portrayal Of Suicide In Adolescent Literature, Roxanne Fox

Graduate Research Papers

The major purposes of this research were to analyze the portrayal of adolescent suicidal characters in books which adolescents are currently reading and to attempt to determine if this portrayal was realistic in the entire group of books. A panel of experts was used to obtain a sample of ten books. The portrayal of ten characters from the ten books were analyzed using an inventory of nine elements which were derived from a review of the literature currently discussing characteristics of adolescent suicide. The results of this analysis suggested that, for the most part, a realistic and generally balanced portrayal …

Storytelling: A Guide For The Novice Storyteller, Phyllis Gray

Graduate Research Papers

"Once upon a time, in a place long ago." Thus begins many of the stories that have delighted children and adults all over the world. These words are signals that let people know they are about to enter a world of enchantment. Having entered this strange and wonderful world, people are enthralled or horrified by the sights and sounds that they find there. No matter what the listeners' initial feelings, they are always willing to return to a place long ago with the help of a storyteller. In order to get a better understanding of storytelling events and to improve …

An Analysis Of Six Months Of Juvenile Book Reviewing By Four Major Reviewing Sources, Marilyn Weber

Graduate Research Papers

This study was based on Zena Sutherland's 1965 research of review coverage of juvenile books by School Library Journal, Booklist, Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, and Horn Book. Sutherland's research analyzed twelve months of reviewing by the selected sources for the purpose of determining the number of titles reviewed by all four of the reviewing sources, by three of the four reviewing sources, by two of the four reviewing sources, and by only one of the four reviewing sources. The representation of nonfiction and fiction titles was also analyzed by Sutherland. This research study adopted the same objectives …

Stereotypes Of The Native American In Fiction Books In Elementary School Libraries, Karma Anderson

Graduate Research Papers

This study proposed to investigate the kinds of Native American materials which were found in elementary school library media centers in Iowa Education Agency Seven (AEA 7). A questionnaire was prepared with seventeen recommended titles and fifteen presently criticized titles on which media specialists in AEA 7 were to indicate availability in their media centers. The hypothesis to be tested was: Given a list of books containing both reconnnended and presently criticized titles, 75 percent of school library specialists in AEA 7 will indicate that there are more recommended titles than presently criticized titles on Native Americans in their fiction …

Esmerelda Griselda And The Captive Rocks, Janis Lea Strohbehn

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this research project was to write a fantasy story for children and illustrate the story using origami figures, The book attempted to provide children aged six to eight years old with good literature which they could experience both visually and tactually. It also tried to provide an interesting, entertaining and learning experience, for children, through literature. Through the illustrations, children would be exposed to and become acquainted with the art of origami. This research project was accomplished through writing a story of literary worth, creating illustrations which assisted in relating the story, and designing a book format …

The Portrayal Of Death In Selected Fiction Books For Adolescents, Nancy Helmers

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to examine and evaluate the portrayal of death in selected fiction books for adolescents. The sample for the study consisted of eleven books selected by a committee of professionals in the field of adolescent literature. These are books that tend to be available to adolescents in libraries. A method of content analysis was applied'as the research design in which each book was analyzed on a basis of seven categories.

It was found that most of the books do handle the death theme realistically. In death vocabulary the most frequently used words were "die", "dead", …

The Analysis Of Library Books To Use With Gifted Readers Grades Four Through Six, Judith A. Mills

Graduate Research Papers

The major purpose of this research was to determine if a list of prototype questions, structured to elicit cognitive responses at the upper levels of the Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, would be sufficiently productive when applied to the episodes in twelve books that they may elicit higher level thinking from gifted readers at the fourth through sixth grade levels.

Eighty questions were developed through the use of a mini-course entitled, "Higher Cognitive Questioning" secured from Cooperative Network Inservice Resources (CNIR), and two Gifted and Talented Workshops presented to the Marshalltown Schools by Educational Consulting Associates (ECA). Questions were further categorized …

Threshing Day At Hilltop Farm, Evelyn June Wishman

Graduate Research Papers

The proposal and manuscript for Threshing Days at Hilltop Farm were the result of the creative process. The manuscript was written for children ages 9-11 to enlighten their concept of Iowa farm life in the early 1940's. It was based upon the childhood experiences of the author and her sister and derived from interviews with farm people of the 1940's. The setting was the then average size farm of 160 acres. The theme centered on the activities of a typical threshing day before the impact of mechanization made drastic changes in rural life. The net result of the author's creative …

An Annotated Bibliography On Divorce In Children's Books, Lilith J. Dorr

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to investigate books about divorce which can be used with elementary children. Results of this investigation were compiled in an annotated bibliography of fiction books to be used by students, teachers, guidance counselors, and media specialists in elementary schools. A comprehensive chart of readability, child of divorce, and divorce related problems was compiled and some interesting comparisons and conclusions were made. The number of books located was not as many as expected. The majority of books were located in Fry readability level three. The many feelings and emotions experienced by children of divorce, as …

Objective Measuring Techniques Applied To Illustrations In Children’S Picture Storybooks, Diane Brown Harrington

Graduate Research Papers

This research study was designed to determine if found and developed objective measuring techniques, using children's preferences and interests, were effective when applied to the illustrations of picture storybooks.

Using only fourteen books written and illustrated by Stan and Jan Berenstain, the five methods used to gather data for this study were: 1) applying the Picture Potency Formula to obtain the language stimulation value of each book; 2) Using a kindergarten child to determine if the essence of the story can be told by a child from lookin0 at the illustrations; 3) recording the number of times the main character(s) …

A Study Of Historical Fiction And The Works Of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Kathleen L. Mclaughlin

Graduate Research Papers

This study was undertaken for the specific purpose of developing criteria for good historical fiction, applying the resulting criteria statements to each of the books that make up the "Little House" series, and determining the frequency of criteria appearance in each book separately and as a series. The purpose of this study was to develop and apply a criteria list to each of the books in the "Little House" series point by point.

A valid list of criteria has been established and used in evaluating the "Little House series. Eleven separate criterion which describe the five important elements of good …

The Development Of An Annotated Bibliography Of Historical Fiction For Use In An American History Course, Patricia Thayer

Graduate Research Papers

Juvenile literature is an effective and appealing tool to supplement classroom instruction. More specifically, historical fiction can provide supplemental readings to enhance and enrich an American Studies Course.

The purpose of this study was to determine if an annotated bibliography of historical fiction relating to the Civil War era could be developed. The novels to be included were to be of an interest level including grade eight and a reading level range of grades four through eleven. Major social/cultural, political/legal, and economic issues of the Civil War era were attributed to each title in the bibliography.

The researcher had predicted …

Fantasy Genre Books For Middle School Students: A Selected Annotated Bibliography, Loretta K. Talley

Graduate Research Papers

This survey of children's literature was undertaken to determine if a collection of 150 books meeting a fantasy genre definition could be developed as a basis for a mini-course for Edison Middle School students in Waterloo, Iowa. For this study, fantasy genre literature was defined as the literature of fantastic tales and chimerical tales, having been created by an author and having a world of wonders. Living toys, strange children, witches, supernatural animal figures, mythical worlds, combat between good and evil, journeys through time and space, and the "door" were identified as fantasy genre motifs.

The initial collection of 883 …

The Literary Characteristics Of Books Popular With Fourth And Fifth Graders At Hudson Elementary School, Marilyn H. Lilja

Graduate Research Papers

The report of a study conducted in the fall of the 1978-79 school year by the elementary media specialist at Hudson, Iowa Elementary School to determine what literary characteristics were found in books which were currently popular with the Hudson fourth and fifth grade students. The literature reviewed discussed the criteria of literary quality developed by other authors. A set of ten criteria with which to judge literary quality was developed by the researcher. A survey was taken to determine the fifteen most popular books among these students. The books were then read by the researcher and evaluated in terms …

A Content Analysis Of The Portrayal Of The Emotionally Disturbed In Books Popular With Adolescents, Judith A. Heusinkveld

Graduate Research Papers

The major purposes of this research were to analyze the portrayal of emotionally disturbed characters in books which adolescents are reading and to attempt to determine if this portrayal was realistic and balanced in terms of the entire group of books. A panel of experts was used to obtain a sample of ten books. The portrayals of twelve characters from these ten books were analyzed using an inventory of twelve elements which were derived from traditional stereotypes of the emotionally disturbed. The results of this analysis suggested that, for the most part, a realistic and generally balanced portrayal of emotionally …

Biographical Profiles Of The Caldecott Illustrators, Patricia Bernard

Graduate Research Papers

This research study is a biographical profile of the Caldecott illustrators up to 1979. The purpose of this study was to see if commonalities existed in the backgrounds of those illustrators chosen to receive the Caldecott award.

Animal Stereotypes In Children’S Picture Books, Jeanna L. Massman

Graduate Research Papers

This research was a content analysis concerned with the stereotyping of animals in children's literature. Five hypotheses were formulated on the topic. These hypotheses examined the relationship between type of characterization (animal as animal, animal as animal but talking, animal as human being) and stereotyping. The relationship between role of character (major or minor) and stereotyping and the degree of stereotyping and realism, in general, prevalent in children's picture books. The animals picked for analysis were bears, foxes, mice and rabbits. The total population of books was taken from five sources and a stratified random sample was drawn. A total …

The Development And Use Of Self-Concept Enhancement Criteria In The Analysis Of Black Biographies, Marsha Gerber

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of the study was to develop a list of criteria and a checklist from which to evaluate black biographies for self concept enhancement. The author hypothesized that such a checklist could be developed and used in evaluating black biographies. The checklist criteria were developed and used to evaluate forty black biographies, fifty percent of the biographies about blacks currently on the shelves of the McKinstry Junior High School media center. In using the checklist the author judged twenty percent of the books at borderline level for self-concept enhancement and seventeen percent unacceptable. The checklist seems to be a …

Content Analysis And Categorization Of Violence In Young Adult Novels, Janice Burriss Reelitz

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this paper was to develop a means of identifying and categorizing violence in young adult novels. The professional literature reviewed helped to determine a working definition of violence and also provided insights for the researcher on how violence is categorized in the various medias by educators and socialogists. The identification and categorization of violence was applied to ten selected novels to form the basis for this research. The researcher selected five experts in the field of young adult literature who were interviewed and asked to submit ten or more titles of novels that they knew young adults …

Structure And Characterization In Popular Adolescent Fiction, Marcia Fox

Graduate Research Papers

For this study the author identified two criteria to be examined in junior novels. These criteria originally came from Stephen Dunning's five categories which he suggested as representative criteria against which the literary quality of the junior novel could be measured. The two categories chosen were structure and characterization in the novel. Each aspect of these two categories was defined and then applied to twenty-one junior novels that were fiction. The twenty-one novels examined were chosen from G. Robert Carlsen's list of popular books depicting adolescent concerns in the 1977 and 1978 English Journal. Each book was then measured numerically …

An Annotated Bibliography Of Materials About The Physically Handicapped For Non-Handicapped Elementary School Children, Karen Dole

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to determine the quality of existing materials about the handicapped which can be used with elementary school children, and to compile an annotated bibliography of quality materials for use by teachers and media specialists.

Stereotyped Portrayal Of The Elderly In Picture Books, Deborah J. Jackson

Graduate Research Papers

Studies have found that minorities have been portrayed in a stereotyped image in children's picture books. Since the elderly have been considered a minority group, this study examined the portrayal of the elderly in picture books to determine if a stereotyped image is present. Content analysis was performed on thirty-three books. A worksheet was devised which contained the four main categories main character, function or role, physical appearance, and personality descriptors. Sub-categories for each main category were also provided on the worksheet. Frequency of occurrence for each category or sub-category was then recorded on the worksheet. After the analysis was …

Characterization Of Asian Americans In Children’S Literature, June S. Talbott

Graduate Research Papers

This study was designed to determine how Asian Americans have been characterized in children's fiction. The questions investigated were: (1) what are the identifiable physical, social and personality stereotypes attributed to Asian Americans, (2) how have characterizations of Asian Americans changed between the periods 1945-1965 and 1966-1976, and (3) how have Asian American authors and illustrators characterized Asian Americans as compared with non-Asian American authors and illustrators. The time periods were chosen to test the impact of the Civil Rights Movement and the growing consciousness of the importance of ethnicity.

A total of 34 books and 219 characters were analyzed. …

The Development Of Criteria For Evaluating Junior Premarital Pregnancy Novels, Connie Jo Barto

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to develop criteria that could be used by classroom teachers and media specialists to judge the quality of junior premarital pregnancy novels. A secondary purpose was to demonstrate by means of model critiques how the criteria could be applied. The professional literature reflected five categories of conern relating to junior premarital pregnancy novels: adolescent sexuality, didacticism, sexism, pat solutions, and stereotyped adults. The researcher selected a panel of six experts to comment on the categories of concern and to identify the ten most widely read titles in the genre. The panel included practicing media …

A Study In Moral Development In Children's Literature, Judith A. Casey

Graduate Research Papers

This study was undertaken for the purpose of analyzing children's picture books to determine if specific moral conflict episodes could be identified, according to Lawrence Kohlberg's cognitive theory of moral development. The identification of conflict dilemmas was made by examining selected books for young readers to identify and isolate problems encountered by one or more characters. If conflict story incidents could be identified and described, it seemed probable that teachers could use them as a primary source for stimulating discussions about moral problem solving behaviors. Thus, a second purpose was to determine if a process of questioning could be used …

Characterization In The Beany Malone Series, Cean Elizabeth Mcclenathan

Graduate Research Papers

This study showed that Lenora Mattingly Weber did not change the personalities of her characters over the twenty-six years. The characters had the same basic character traits in all of the fourteen novels in the Beany Malone series. Mrs. Weber included more minority characters in her later novels. The characters were stereotyped by their sexual roles throughout the fourteen novels.

Boys Will Be Boys Or How They Are Portrayed In Children’S Books, Nancy Volmer

Graduate Research Papers

For this research the author was concerned with the portrayal of males in literature; more specifically, the characterization of boys in children's books. The researcher wanted to find out if boys are represented realistically and if the characteristics of boys in fiction have changed over time. The books selected were fiction and the reading level ranged from fourth to sixth grade. The main character of each book was a male figure of approximately ten years of age. There were two time periods from which the books were selected. One grouping was from 1959-1963 and the other from 1970-1974. Other books …

Portrayals Of Blacks By Authors And Illustrators Of Children's Literature And How Their Literature Affects Children's Attitudes, Diane Amdahl

Graduate Research Papers

Children associate with each other every day. They work, play, and have fun together in school church, organizations, recreation, etc. For many children much of this association is limited to others of their own race. How, then, do they learn to accept others of different races? How do they learn to work, play, and have fun with these children? Integration has forced the association of white children with black children, but this does not always bring acceptance, and acceptance is the beginning of a total relationship.

It is the intent of this paper to show how children's literature can promote …

An Annotated Bibliography Of Books For Use In Young Adult Death Education Programs, Mary Frances Loretta Berger

Graduate Research Papers

No abstract provided.

The Readability Level Of The Newberry Award Books And The National Book Awards For Children, 1969-1975, Marilyn R. Wood

Graduate Research Papers

So many conflicting opinions have been advanced about the popularity of the Newbery books with children, the grade level they are best suited for, and the value of encouraging children to read these books. The National Book Awards for Children have caused less controversy, perhaps because they have not been around as long. Yet, the same criticisms and comments could be made about these books also.