Ch 2 Summary

This chapter is mainly about how literature came about. It goes into detail how children's literature was developed. When children's books did come about it was mainly how children should behave and present themselves. For the most part children were not to touch the books.

Milestones in The History of Children's Literature
The oral tradition was long before books came around. People told there story's around campfires to tell about there experiences, developing mythologies, storytellers, folktales, which were Incorporated into the complex mythologies and philosophical tenets. These tails then became widely influential in the Roman Empire.
Early Printed Books came around in the mid-1400's. This books were very costly and prized possessions of nobles and priests. These books were teach children literature but children were rarley trusted with these books.
In the 1740s Newbery's books for children were developed and the idea of children's books began. Many family's centered there attention to the children and they should not have to grow up so fast. It was then children got to be children.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau came with an idea of letting children should learn naturally with very little assent's from adults.
The Fairy Tales of Andersen and the Brothers Grimm was the development of folktales. They are the fairytale story still read today.
Early Illustrators of Children's Books is unsure of who did the first one but there are many who geared it to children. Johann Amos Comenius is created for writing the first non alphabet picture book.
In the Victorian Influence it talks of Plight of Children. The focused mainly on life of poor children.

Standard for Evaluating Young Adult Literature
I like the chart for Evaluation Criteria. It focuses on young adults being able to put themselves in the story and relating to it so they could resolve the problem if it happened to them in real life.

The History of Censorship
Censorship has been in existence since 411 B.C. in some form. In the late 1960s and early 1970s it gears mainly to censoring racism, sexism and other forms of discrimination. In the 1980s it was material alleged to be anti-American, anti-family.

Children and The Family in Children's Literature
Literature has changed drastically for children from the centuries past. Before the middle ages children not learning anything and not valued. During the Middle Ages children shared the burden of there parents and worked threw poverty. Not till recently did children and story's become close family interaction.

Personal Connection
I think literature connects with people no matter what. To me it is good to know the history of literature so you can get a better understanding of what it was and what it has become. The knowledge literature can give you is great and to think not so long ago it was not valued at all.

Applies to the classroom
The History of literature applies to the classroom on many different levels. Its gives us as teachers the power to enrich younger generations and how learning today was very different for them and everyone else. It gives us great insight that may be useful in teaching styles and bring it to a different level.