Children’s literature
As a child, I was into books. I preferred the books which always started with once upon a time and ended with happily ever after. I also loved the fantasy world of Cinderella and Alice in the wonder land. All the fables which I read had a message or moral values which the elders expected us to be. The curriculum was not literary, the term which I learned through my subject literature across the curriculum; had stories for religious class which contained stories that focused more on character formation than critical literacy and deep literacy (Holliday, p. 148). When I analyse the difference of thirty-two years of children’s literature and the literacies students need to acquire to be successful in the 21st century learners remind me the significance of the job of a teacher librarian in this digital world.
Children’s books are written for children by adults and impacted by what cultures believe about children and therefore evolve with the times so that books address topics which authors believe are crucial to them in the present world (Barone, 2010). There is tremendous change in children’s literature due to the impact of technological and digital advances of the society which results huge changes in printing area. The availability of digital tools and access to information have altered the themes and views in children’s literature.
While exploring the modules Pennac’s (2006) Reader’s Bill of Rights was an eye opening for me as a future librarian. Even as a mother I was promoting the books which I think brings academic success rather than my kid’s choices or considering as less valuable in their learning. Teacher librarian has a crucial role in the collection of physical and digital sources to represent the diverse needs of school and promote literary learning.
References
Barone, D. M. (2010). Children’s literature in the classroom: Engaging lifelong readers. Guilford Publications.
Sutton, R. (2009). Daniel Pennac: The Rights of the Reader. (Book review) [Review of Daniel Pennac: The Rights of the Reader. (Book review)]. The Horn Book Magazine, 85(3), 331–. The Horn Book, Inc.