Children's and Young Adult Literature Commons^™

The Portrayal Of Characters With Physical Disabilities In Children’S Literature, Marilyn Newhouse

Graduate Research Papers

This research study used a content analysis technique to analyze 25 fiction books which featured a character having a physical disability. All books were published between 1980-1990 and were at a fourth through sixth grade reading level. A comparison was made to determine if the portrayal of physically disabled characters has changed from their portrayal in books written prior to 1980.

In the books chosen for this study the physically disabled characters were typically juvenile, Caucasian, and male. Orthopedic disorders were most frequently portrayed. The majority of the physically disabled characters were portrayed in important family and societal roles, and …

The Blue And The Gray In Young Adult Fiction: A Selected Annotated Bibliography, Kent Brewer

Graduate Research Papers

Even after more than 125 years since its conclusion, interest in the Civil War remains high. Historical fiction based on the Clvil War continues to appear frequently. Much historical fiction about the Civil War could be used to positive effect in high school history classes.

The Portrayal Of Single-Parent Families In Young Adult Fiction, Elaine M. Reicks

Graduate Research Papers

A content analysis was used to examine 19 young adult novels to determine whether single-parent families were realistically portrayed.

Books published between 1985-1989 were selected from "Booklist", "School Library Journal", and "Junior High Library Catalog." Hypotheses dealt with the status of single-parent units and the effect on the parent and the child in making the adjustment to the new family structure. Six of the hypotheses were accepted; seven were rejected. The researcher concluded that young adult fiction was realistically portraying the status of single-adoptive units, the single parent's financial stress and problems in household management, as well as the adolescent's …

The Image Of The Adolescent Girl In Recommended Romantic Fiction For Young Adults, 1979-1989, Judy Elaine Mcclure

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this content analysis was to investigate how realistically novelists portrayed the image of the teenage girl in fiction written for young adults. The researcher analyzed twenty-two books with copyrights from 1979 to 1989, novels identified in Booklist which had one additional review and were. still in print at the time of the study. A checklist adapted from Offer's Self-Image Questionnaire was used in analyzing the psychological self, social self, sexual self, familial self, and coping self.

With the use of the checklist the following hypotheses were accepted:

1. The majority of the romantic fiction of the 1980's …

An Annotated Bibliography Of Music And Musicians In Children’S Fiction, Betty Nason

Graduate Research Papers

An annotated bibliography of 92 children's fiction books dealing with music: or musicians was compiled. Each book was rated concerning negativity toward music:, sexism, the primary vehicle of music: production, and accuracy of musical facts. Titles were obtained from colleagues, selective and non-selective bibliographic: sources, and browsing and searching card catalogs of seven different libraries. Not included were opera librettos, short story collections, or illustrated songs. Each book was read and analyzed by the researcher. Twenty-three percent of the books showed at least some negativity; forty-eight percent had at lea.st one female main or musical supporting character, forty-six percent rated …

Realistic Depiction Of Symptoms And Consequences Of Parental Problem Drinking In Young Adult Novels, Teresa A. Bunday

Graduate Research Papers

This research was a content analysis study of young adult novels that contained a parent with a drinking problem. The researcher wanted to determine the level of real ism regarding the characterizations of the child of an alcoholic, the drinker, and the spouse of the drinker. The hypothese predicted that a majority of the books would include: 1. three or more consequence of drinking on the child, 2. four or more consequences or symptoms on the drinker, and 3. one or more consequences suffered by the spouse. A checklist that listed known consequences and symptoms of alcohol abuse was developed. …

Use Of Storytelling By Iowa Elementary Library Media Specialists, Frances E. Lachance

Graduate Research Papers

Seventy-five percent of 41 randomly selected Iowa public school library media specialists who answered a storytelling questionnaire in November, 1990, indicated that they used one or more storytelling activities with students in grades prekindergarten to six. Eleven of the 12 storytelling activities were used more with students in grades three or below than they were with students in grades four to six. Just 22% of the library media specialists indicated that they taught students to do storytelling, and this activity was done about equally with upper and lower elementary students.

Seventy-three percent of these library media specialists had participated in …

Influences In The Life Of Lynn Hall That Are Revealed In Her Books: A Content Analysis, Marlys A. Pearce

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to use content analysis to answer the question: Can the early experiences in the life of Lynn Hall be identified as influences that are revealed in her books? These influences were identified by Hall in her autobiographical sketches.

Thirty fiction books were selected by a stratified random sampling technique from a list of titles arranged by publication date, then in alphabetical order by title. After each book was read, the influences and comments were recorded on a checklist and tabulated to test the seven hypotheses. The findings revealed the majority of the main characters …

The Portrayal Of Child Abuse In Children’S Literature, Stephanie P. Marsland

Graduate Research Papers

This research study was conducted to determine how child abuse was portrayed in fiction literature for children in Kindergarten through 6th grade. Sixteen novels published in or after 1978 were analyzed. All of the titles were located through the use of selective bibliographies and were positively reviewed in Booklist or School Library Journal. The novels focused on the victims of child abuse who were at least one of the main characters and who spent at least part of the book in the abusive environment.

Psychological, physical, and sexual abuse and neglect were all evident in the children's novels, with psychological …

An Annotated Bibliography Of South African Literature In English By Black Authors From 1976-1986, Khosi Moloi

Graduate Research Papers

This research project provides an annotated list of books suitable for primary and secondary schools. Selection for the list was determined by the following criteria: a) books written by the black South African authors living in the country or in exile, b) material includes novels and collection of short stories, c) all material is written in English and, d) copyright date of 1976-1986. The annotated bibliography consists of sixteen titles. Enties are arranged alphabetically by the names of the authors. Information given for each entry includes, author, title, city, publisher, page numbers, ISBN, series, and annotation, which ranges from 150-350 …

Mother Goose: Survives And Thrives In The ‘80s, Anita Van Lancker

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to show that Mother Goose endures. The researcher expected that by looking at the more recent versions, one could see how these versions differed from the original in language and illustration. Content analysis was conducted to determine the extent of change in the language and illustrations of six selected Mother Goose nursery rhymes from thirteen copyrighted original collections from 1968-1988. Rhymes were compared with original rhymes as represented in The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes to determine the degree of change in both the language and the illustrations. A data gathering instrument was used …

An Analysis Of The Changing Characterizations In The Nancy Drew Series, 1930-1987, Nancy A. Gray

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to discern from an examination of the original Nancy Drew series and the "Nancy Drew Fi !es" how the characters have changed from the beginning of the series in 1930 to 1987. This study concentrated on three groups of characters; Nancy Drew and her three friends

The Selection, Retelling And Illustration Of A Fairy Tale, Linda Rathe

Graduate Research Papers

Fairy tales continue to be a very popular form of children's literature. The contributions that fairy tales make to children's developmental needs have been investigated by various experts, who have analyzed the stories in terms of the theories of Freud, Jung, Piaget, Kohlberg, and various social scientists. In view of the consensus that it is best if children have access to both a large number and a large variety of folk and fairy tales, a fair tale from a translation of the Grimms' collection was selected, retold, and illustrated. This was done in a manner responsive to the following developmental …

Growing Up Too Fast, Cynthia Rapp Hartman

Graduate Research Papers

A content analysis technique was used to examine 16 children's books to determine whether the growth and development of the 24 main characters fit the growth and development of real-life children of the same chronological age.

Books published since 1982 with main characters who were eight, nine, ten, and eleven years of age were selected from Booklist and Best Books for Children. ·Descriptions and actions of the main characters were examined in the categories of general behavior, self-concept, social relations, and school orientation. Four hypotheses relating to these four categories were rejected and the researcher concluded that as depleted in …

The Portrayal Of Employed Mothers In Children's Fiction, Karen Carstensen Appleton

Graduate Research Papers

In American society today, mothers are joining the employment forces for economic purposes, and because they feel a need to fulfill their personal potentials or gain self-actualization. The portrayals of employed mothers in children's fiction should reflect the trends of society, as well as provide appropriate role models for children. The purpose of this study was to determine how employed mothers are portrayed in children's fiction. The researcher analyzed eighteen books of children's fiction by means of a checklist in order to determine if the majority of employed mothers are 1) working for economic purposes rather than for purposes of …

Amanda’S Mirror, Judy Stark

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this research project was to explore the problem-solving and positive self-concept techniques used in drama and dance programs. After studying the specific techniques of role play, pantomimes, and body control, the book Amanda's Mirror was written. The specific problem was can a children's book be written using problem-solving and positive self-concept techniques used in drama and dance programs.

The Portrayal Of The European Immigrant In The Historical Fiction For Children And Young Adults, Gayle T. Wood

Graduate Research Papers

This research study used a content analysis technique to assess the portrayal of the European who emigrated to the United States from Europe between the years of 1832 and 1932. Portrayals were found in 15 works of historical fiction written for children or young adults and published after 1950 in the United States.

Descriptive occurrences in each book were examined for the realistic portrayal of the immigrant experience in six general areas: (1) the Americanization process, (2) the educational experience of the immigrant, (3) employment opportunities, (4) family relations, (5) conditions encountered during the emigration process, and (6) reasons for …

Mother-Daughter Relationships In Young Adult Literature, Kelly K. Fischbach

Graduate Research Papers

The annotated bibliography contains a list of young adult fiction books in which the characters and themes are based on a mother-daughter relationship. The researcher searched for types of mother-daughter relationships and a comprehensive listing of books available on the subject. The mother-daughter relationships covered are mother-biological daughter, mother-adopted or foster daughter, mother- stepdaughter and mother-abandoned daughter. The twenty-two books included in this study were published from 1975 through 1985 and were available in public or school libraries.

The Image Of The Senior Adult In Recommended Realistic Fiction For Young Adults, 1979-1986, Judith Younker Siler

Graduate Research Papers

This study, patterned after Carolyn Baggett's 1980 doctoral research at the University of Mississippi, was designed to determine if recommended realistic fiction published for young adults in the years 1979-1986 was significantly different (p = .05) than that published in the years 1960-1969 and 1970-1978, The "Chi-square Test with Probe" was used to test the frequencies of 40 characteristics. The categories contained three image statements which were used to record characterizations of older persons in the literature. One statement was a negative stereotype, one was a positive stereotype, and the third was realistic based on gerontological studies. Sixteen books to …

Leisure Book Reading Of Keokuk Middle School Students, 1985-1986, Barbara Miller

Graduate Research Papers

The problem for this study was a three-fold one. The study dealt with what Keokuk Middle School students chose to read, where middle school students got these materials and why middle school students chose to read what they read.

Gifted And Talented Main Characters In Children's Fiction, Jeanette M. Buckingham

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to compare findings about the personal characteristics of gifted and talented children, their families, and their friendships in research studies with the content in children's fiction books with gifted and talented main characters. The research included how realistically the gifted and talented main characters, their families, and their friendships are portrayed in books for children and young adults.

The Iowa Children's Choice Award, Carolyn Jeanette Byall

Graduate Research Papers

The major purpose of this historical research was to compile a written record of the growth and development of the Iowa Children's Choice Award (ICCA). This purpose was accomplished through interviews and examination of the ICCA materials in the archives of the Iowa Educational Media Association (IEMA).

The Portrayal Of Child Abuse In Young Adult Literature, Kristy Lyn Berschman

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this content analysis was to determine how c·haracters who are victims of child abuse and characters who -:are child abusers are portrayed in young adult novels. The research also included determining how realistic the Jitu~tions involving child abuse are described in the novels.

The Criminal Side In The Curriculum: A Bibliography Of Crime Fiction For Use In Secondary World History And United States History Courses, Matthew A. Kollasch

Graduate Research Papers

History can be one of the most exciting courses that high school students study. Yet often it is rendered lifeless by the sole use of the textbook. It is assumed that if the students are allowed to read history related crime fiction in conjunction with their history courses they will find the subject to be more interesting because the human drama of history is better personified in fiction than in the textbook. In addition to the concern for the students' interest in history it is assumed that when given the opportunity teachers will work with media specialists on instructional development …

A Content Analysis Of Books Depicting Adopted Teenagers In Adolescent Novels Published Between 1965-1981, Myrna Griffith

Graduate Research Papers

Since .adolescents can find answers to their questions by reading fiction, fiction that portrays teenagers like themselves, adolescent books on the subject of adoption may serve as a source of current information on adoption and society's attitudes of searching. This researcher proposed that an annotated bibliography be developed in this study. The technique of content analysis was used and young adult fiction titles were selected which might enable the young adult readers to determine if they can find answers to some of their questions about their birth parents and whether to search for them.

A Study Of Moral Reasoning In Young Adult Literature, Millie Jensen

Graduate Research Papers

A moral dimension is often intrinsic to YA literature because it is concerned with the problems of youth. This study examines the moral reasoning of teenage protagonists by applying the theory of Lawrence Kohlberg to the analysis of a sample of twelve books drawn from YASD's "Best of the Best Books--1970-1982" list. The sample was structured to provide comparison between type of book (realistic fiction and fantasy/ science fiction), sex of author, and sex and age of protagonist. Analysis was made by assigning a numerical score corresponding to Kohlberg's six developmental stages to six incidents from each book and statistically …

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 …