ENG 428A/628A: Children’s Literature
Number of Credits 3
Instructor Dr. Lara Hansen
Catalog Description
History, genres, traditions, and illustrations of children’s books in England and America from
1697 to the present. (Formerly ENG 430/630; implemented Fall 2005.)
Prereq(s): ENG 303 or junior standing.
Required Textbooks/Materials
The following texts are required material in this course:
Carrie Hintz and Eric Tribunella, Reading Children’s Literature, A Critical Introduction
Bedford, Classics of Children’s Literature, 6th ed.
Dictionary and Thesaurus, online or offline
Other items I may post to WebCampus.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon conclusion of the course, students will be able to
• write a lucid and coherent textual analysis that relies on and integrates textual
evidence;
• analyze a literary work in its cultural and historical contexts;
• articulate the premises and assumptions of different critical approaches and apply
them to children's literature using literary-critical vocabulary; and
• identify and discuss the role of ideology in children’s texts.
Course Description
This is a survey course designed to acquaint students with samples of primary literature and
critical discourse in the field of Children’s Literature. Students will be asked to engage critical
reading and analytic skills when reading, discussing, and writing about the literatures we’ll
encounter.
You will be graded on your ability to meet the course objectives. Your final portfolio will be a
compilation of your progress in the course and will include the final revision of two of your
writing projects and all corresponding early drafts and reflection assignments. Please do not
hesitate to contact me if you are unsure of your progress in the course.
Late work will be a problem for you, but will also impact the work others do in this course.
There will be assignments involving in-class work and participation that will be impossible to
make up. In general, late work will not be accepted—the exception being extreme cases
with documentation. The conditions of acceptance and grading consequences in these cases
will be strictly at the instructor’s discretion and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Grade Breakdown
The percentage distribution for the course is:
Class Participation (attendance, workshops, and online submissions)
Short Papers
Writing Projects (two essays, worth 20% each)
Total
20%
40%
40%
100%