ENGL 112A
Dr. Sigler

Final Project: A Critical Bibliography of Childrenís Literature

For your final project in Engl 112A, you should read five childrenís novels (or collections of short stories) or ten picture books on a common theme or topic. Choose books that were specifically written for children, ages approximately 5-12 or grades K-6 (don't drift up into young adult literature or down into pre-school books).
Some books will undoubtedly fall into a gray area, so I'd like you to submit a bibliography (MLA style, including all bibliographic information and the number of pages in each book) to me as soon as possible (no later than April 5) of the books you're looking at, with a brief (one paragraph) description of their common topic or theme.  Also, since the point is to help you become familiar with new writers and kinds of books, you should not simply write critiques of books you've previously read, though you may include a critique of one (and only one) book from our class reading list.  You may choose more than one book by the same author, as long as they address the same theme/topic.

For your critical bibliography, you will write a brief (approximately 1 1/2-2 page) description and critique of each book you read. You might develop for yourself a list of questions that you could apply to each book as you read it (see suggestions below). If you want to write one critique and turn it in early, I'll be happy to give you feedback. These critiques should be analytical and evaluative in nature, not merely plot summaries.  The due date for the final project is May 10. 2001.  Feel free to see me at any point if you have questions.

As part of this project (though they will be graded and weighted separately), you should be prepared to submit one of your critiques to the professor electronically (via e-mail) for inclusion in our class Web project, the Childrenís Lit Web, and to present this book to the class in a five-minute (maximum!) book talk.  (The book you choose to present, of course, should not be from our class reading list.)  Electronic Web submissions must be mailed to the professorís e-mail address no later than Thursday, May 10.  Book talks will begin on April 24 (April 26 for section 4) and will continue through the end of the semester.  A sign-up sheet will be available in class and Professor Siglerís office in mid March, and dates will be first-come-first-serve.  When choosing your date, please remember that this represents a commitment on your part for the completion of one of your class assignments.  Our schedule will be tight and, it is unlikely that book talks can be rescheduled.

Due Dates

• April 5: List of 5-10 books on a single topic/theme for your Critical Bibliography must be turned in.  Include all publishing information (MLA bibliography style), as well as the number of pages for each book.
• April 24/26: Book talks begin.
• May 10: Critique of one book from Critical Bibliography (the subject of your book talk) must be submitted via e-mail.
• May 10: Critical Bibliography due, in class.
• Remember that all writing not completed in class must be typed or word-processed, should be error free, and must conform to MLA style (5th ed.).  Please consult the class greensheet for additional writing guidelines.

Guidelines for the Critical Bibliography

• Be sure to begin with the basics: the bookís title, author, publication information (publisher, date), the number of pages in the book, and the age/grade level.

• Include a very brief synopsis of the plot, and some kind of rating systemóstars, points, happy faces, anything that will encapsulate your opinion of the book.

• Include relevant background on the author. Consider questions such as: Who is this writer? What is his/her personal and professional background? What else has she or he written? What kind of response has his/her work generated from critics and the public? Has this book generated any controversy, and if so, about what? What have reviewers said about the book? Be sure to cite and quote all information taken from other sources (book, article, Web, conversation, e-mail, etc.) using MLA style.

• Describe the text's structure, form, and/or style. Consider questions such as these: How would you describe the writing style? Did you like or dislike it, and why? How would you describe the voice or tone of this work? If the work is poetry or drama, what might be the best way to understand its structure?

• Consider questions about characterization: Which characters were meaningful in a positive or a negative way? Would you say that these characters were realistic? Which characters did you identify with, and why? How did characters relate to one another in the text? Which characters seem to be in tension with other characters?

• Consider questions about theme: What is the central meaning(s)/issue(s) that this book addresses?  How is it developed in the text?  What symbols does the author use to represent the theme(s)?

• Consider questions about the text's social, political, thematic, philosophical, or ethical/moral Meaning: What is the bookís attitude toward [X]. [X = freedom, or women/men, or working-class/upper-class life, or human responsibility toward others, or moral values, or urban/rural life, or modernity, or sexuality, or free will, or any other concepts or problems that you think the book is addressing].

Book Talk Guidelines

Book talks are one of the most effective strategies for enhancing studentsí (and colleaguesí) interest in literature.  Through book talks, teachers can introduce students to genres, authors, and topics they may never seek on their own.  One teacher reported that she had three copies of Tuck Everlasting in her classroom library, but her students never picked it up.  After a book talk that focussed on the subject of a magical spring and the promise of immortality, the book was never again on the shelf!  In a sense, a book talk is an advertisement, a short vignette designed to arouse interest in a specific book.  That is, a good book talk should attempt to "sell" your book to your audience by making them interested in reading it. In your book talk you should:

• Introduce your book.  Show it to your audience.  Be sure to give the title, the author and the age/grade level to which you feel it would appeal.  Write the title, author and reading level on the board for greater impact.

• Provide some background information about the author.  Be sure to tell the audience what source(s) you used for this information.

• Briefly summarize the book (but donít spend too long on this) and tell the audience the bookís major theme(s).  Youíll need to decide if you want to give away the ending.

• Read a brief excerpt from the book.  The passage you select should be a significant moment that describes a main character in some vivid way, represents an important point in the plot, strikingly reflects the authorís style, or foreshadows something exciting.  In other words, choose a passage that excites the imagination!

• Tell your audience why they should read this book and consider it for use it in the classroom.

• Use visual/aural aid(s) to accompany your "pitch"; these might include advertising posters, copies of a lesson plan or teaching ideas, a book jacket of your own design, advertising fliers, bookmarks, music, costumes or props.

• Talk for no more than five minutes.