What stood out to me from “For Grown-Ups Too The Surprising Depth and  Complexity of Children’s Literature” was the idea of interpretation and how we can each relate to a book differently as well as differently from what the author may have intended.  

2) I loved reading Robert Munsch as a child, in particular Moira’s Birthday was my favourite. The illustrations really brought the story to life. It was a fun story and enjoyable to read or listen to.    

2. I wouldn’t necessarily say I had a favourite book growing up. Reading through words wasn’t the way thoughts and concepts resonated with me and felt very much like a chore. For me it was the read aloud of Berenstain Bears books, or laughing at the pictures and stories told in Archie and Jughead comics, or the unorthodox story-telling of Dav Pilkey’s Captain Underpants. They weren’t traditional stories and people often dismissed these types of literature. The important thing, at least in retrospect is that it gets children reading and interested in reading who might not have been interested in more traditional books and stories.

Growing up, I was taught how to read and enjoy literature through hearing fables recited to me, practicing reading/singing poems, and learning how to write letters to other students. So, if the topic was The Seasons of the Year, the teacher would read fables about a particular season, we would read poems related to the season, as well as write letters to each other on how we enjoyed the different seasons. I don’t recall reading or enjoying any book in particular, but I do strongly recall having positive feelings related to reading and writing. Here is a picture of my first-grade reading book. Translated in English means “The most beautiful readings”.  The fables, poems/letters within this workbook engaged me deeply, helping me apply the morals of the fables/stories to my own life. We were encouraged to write about how we felt, how we would respond/react, and most importantly we discussed how the story related to our own life. I believe this book, which I have kept in my closet for 40 years, is strongly related to how it helped fostered social communication in the classroom and helped me learn about my classmates. 

My personal experiences with children’s literature started young. I have always been an avid reader and sought solace in a good book after a hard day. When school bullies got me down, I could delve into a world where Draco Malfoy does not come out on top and remind myself the “good guy” always wins in the end. While I love the thrill of a new book, I also appreciate the nostalgia of returning to an old, familiar tale. In 2019 when rereading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (one of the most reread books according to Goodreads (Court, 2018) I was brought back to my fourth-grade classroom, a portable outside the main school with a particularly rambunctious class who would spend a half hour a day with our heads on our desks listening to our teacher read from this series to us. This reread also made me rethink my sibling relationships, especially from childhood, and a growing appreciation for my siblings arose. This book even inspired my daughter’s name – Lucy.

Court, E. (July 27, 2018). What Rereading Childhood Books Teaches Adults About Themselves, The Atlantic

 

 

(2)   I can’t say that I have a favourite book. Reason being that, when I was young, lot of books were read to me, and I don’t have these books at my disposal considering where I grew up. Any time I had the opportunity to lay my hands on a book, I try to get the best out of it with little opportunity to reread. A few to mention are the ones tailored to Nigerian environment- “Eze Goes to School”, “Catch that Goat”, “Ajapa the Tortoise”. These are books tailored to Nigerians because of our experiences and culture. Eze Goes to School is a popular book in Nigeria. The book talks about how Eze struggles to get formal education due to his poor family background. He finally made it due to his intelligence. Rereading this book, connects me how formal education is important and why government should provide resources so that children don’t struggle to get to school due to their poor family background.

References:
Court, E. (2018). What rereading childhood books teaches adults about themselves. The Atlantic.

Lerer, S. (Winter 2014-15). For grown-ups, too: The surprising depth and complexity of children’s literature. American Educator, 37-41.

 

2) Reflecting on my favourite books as a child, I vividly remember the book The Sheep Follow by Monica Wellington. Although it may not be a well-known book among young readers, I enjoyed it because of its repetition and predictability. I remember my parents reading it to me, often at bedtime, and I could join them on the repetition parts and felt a sense of pride in myself for ‘reading’ the book. Eventually I was able to ‘read’ the whole book by myself and again felt the sense of pride that I could read it on my own. I believe the book meant so much to me because it was associated with a positive experience with my family. I always looked forward to reading with my parents and was happy when I could then join in with them. I think the sense of self-pride also contributed to the positive associations with the book. 

 

2) My favourite book growing up was The Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. I think this story meant so much to me because it was different from all the other stories I was accustomed to reading. I remember being gifted the first three books at Christmas time, shortly after my aunt perished in car accident.  The realization that life can be cruel and scary paired well with this unusually dark series. I have re-read the series many times, and tried my hardest to be kind to tv and cinematic adaptions. The series continues to be my favourite. 

With reference to the Court article, the idea of re-reading a book resonated with me, because I understand the comfort that it can bring - the same way rewatching a favourite film or tv show can. She mentions that the second or third time through, is a “mellow, more leisurely” experience and, while I don’t often re-read books, there is a reason that some classics I’ve come to fall in love with as an adult (see below) are still on my bookshelf.

2. As a child, I developed an early love of reading, and had an affinity towards books in series: Fear Street (R.L. Stine); The Baby-sittters Club (Ann M. Martin); Nancy Drew (Carolyn Keene); Goosebumps (R.L. Stine). I loved that the story (or themes from the story) continued on - one book was never enough for me! It wasn’t until I took a University course on Children's Literature during my undergrad that I read many of the “classic” childhood books (Alice in Wonderland, Secret Garden, Little Women, Chronicles of Narnia, etc.) and I was intrigued by how much I liked them, as an adult. It made me realise - as discussed in the Lerer article - that children’s books are not only for children. 

In Lerer’s (2014) article, he discusses the notion “that children’s literature consists of books written for children and that it consists of those read, regardless of original authorial intention, by children'' (38). This statement really resonated with me because I think that there is sometimes a belief that children’s books should be left in our childhood. I think that books read in childhood or intended for children can still serve a purpose in adulthood. Similar to Court’s experience of reading Anne of Green Gables, as a child I was in love with the landscape of the novel and the relationship between Anne and Gilbert. When I re-read the book as an adult, I appreciated Anne’s adoptive parents, and sympathized with Marilla Cuthbert so much more than I did as a child. I am a big believer that children’s books can continue to teach us valuable lessons in our adulthood. 

2) I have so many favourite books from my childhood. One that stands out to me is The Wonderful Pigs of Jillian Jiggs by Phoebe Gillman. I have many memories of my mom reading this book to me and my sisters at bedtime. I remember enjoying the story because it rhymed and had a sort of sing-song feel to it. I also very much connected with Jillian because my mom would always complain about my messy room growing up 😀. 

 

2) My favourite children's book is The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch illustrated by Michael Marchenko. Court states that ‘rereaders will not only rediscover the story, but they may also rediscover themselves.’ I was provided with a new copy of this book when I became pregnant as a single mother. I was told I had always been a fan of the book and it was easy to see why. I wondered why more depictions of emancipated women weren’t prevalent in more children’s literature. The work of Court provided some reasoning when they also point out the attachment to commerce stating that ‘categories of a children's book is codified not just by writers and readers, but by book sellers, librarians, and publishing houses. It seems reasonable to assume that most of the literature provided to me at a young were idealized depictions of the world. 

2) While there are many books that could be a favourite, The Babysitters Club by Ann Martin was a favourite series of mine and worth mentioning. I remember bothering my mom to head to the library when I was finished with one of the books, so I could quickly read the next. Thinking back, I think these books meant so much because I was able to connect with many of the characters; looked up to the characters; and I enjoyed the adventures that took place. 

I would like to note that I thoroughly enjoyed reading many of our classmates favourite books. Many popular ones that I also enjoyed as a child such as Jillian Jiggs, The Rainbow Fish, and The Paperbag Princess.

I look forward to learning from and with all of you throughout this course.

The notion put forth in ‘For Grown-Ups Too’; that there is no single ‘Golden Age’ of children’s literature rang true for me. I would agree with Lerer (2014-15) that it is more of a system that is driven and determined by those who write, market, and read books. I think this is why classics like Alice in Wonderland or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory can evoke the same enjoyment and wonder that current writings such as Harry Potter or picture books like Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus do. It truly is all about the connection the reader has to the story and what they take away from it. 

2) I’ve never been able to pinpoint a favourite book. There are too many amazing stories within so many genres. I spent a lot of my time growing up reading, and as an adult I have to monitor when I start a new book as it has a way of taking over my daily priorities (I can’t start a new book during report card writing time!) I love the escape and relaxation of it. Looking at some of these posts I find myself getting excited remembering how great they are. I loved those Christopher Pike books too! Currently my 10 year old is reading the original Nancy Drew mysteries and has discovered the Nancy Drew Case Files. They are so much fun to revisit with her. Currently my favourite genre is historical fiction and I am really enjoying the work of Kate Quinn and her dive into World War 2 heroines. 

These readings made me think about what even constitutes as a children’s book? Both readings referenced C.S Lewis’ “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe” which I found fascinating. For one thing I had just read it with my Grade 5 students before the winter break. For another, what makes this book necessarily a children’s book? I think I enjoyed it just as much as my students! This is something I plan on investigating!

2) As a child, I remember one of my favourite books was “Freckle Juice” by Judy Blume. I believe this book meant so much to me because I truly resonated with the story. I had freckles as a child and was very insecure because I didn’t look like all of my peers. The main point of the story was that the main character wanted freckles. I could not believe someone wanted what I had! It made me appreciate my uniqueness. I think what made this book extra special was the fact that my favourite teacher read it to us. We did many fun projects associated with it, such as making our own potions or “freckle juice” to give us something we wanted. It is interesting how even after all of these years there are some stories that stick out more than others and I believe it relates to what Lerer (2014) refers to as the the transformation that happens when we read stories.

Something that surprised me- there is no golden age in children’s literature, and over time it only takes one book to captivate, motivate and shape a child’s life. (Court, 2018)

Something that resonated for me- the ways in which adults forget to spark their inner child, becoming simple and unimaginative. (Court, 2018) learning to read is possibly one of the most special and important aspects of growing into your comfort zone, just as Leu (2016) mentions of his one teacher impacting his life, by patiently being able to teach him how to read. Growing up, my second-grade teacher, Mrs. Glover would patiently sit with me and explain how the sounds connected differently for different words like the word ‘the’. She would plain that a period meant the end of that thought in the paragraph, I remember mistakenly thinking you had to take a brief pause before continuing to the next. Lerer (2014) explains that books can guide young minds and shape identities, when they touch you in a special way. Children’s literature has been shaped over the course of hundreds of years, and text which have been aimed at sculpting the young mind and creating an understanding through text to complexities of life and growing up. 

Something that I disagree with- Not all books are true to its meanings and aimed at providing children with a developed understanding of things that can be questioned and challenged at a young age. 

Q2.

Growing up I remember being obsessed with the library and taking home interesting books to read. Before I started school, I remember my parents always reading poems, and telling folk stories to me and my two siblings before bed. When I started JK I remember having access to large amounts of books, while being able to take one during free play and going on the “magic carpet,” to look at the pictures and become immersed in the possibilities of what the book was trying to say. My favorite books at the time were the Franklin the turtle books, Amelia Badelia books, and Robert Munsch. (I read these to my children as well) I couldn’t say which book is my favorite, but I could be in my room reading books, until my mom would come in and summon me back downstairs. I think for me, the books helped with things I was also going through, and I remember thinking like ‘If Franklin could be brave and go to the dentist, so could I.’ I still read many books, and I enjoy being swept into a different world and being able to disconnect from the comings and goings of life.