As some of you may know, Heath Ledger died today. He was 28 years old, and he left family, friends, an ex-wife (I think) and a daughter behind. His daughter is two years old, and she will never know her father.
This blog is for my Children's literature class. And while I was reading these stories about Heath Ledger, the teacher in me feels for his daughter. I mean she is two and her father could have committed suicide (police really do not know the cause of death yet). How do you convey that to a child? At what point do the children have to stop believing in the fairy tales and start with reality? Are there any books that really dive into reality or is reading just a way for these kids to escape the reality that is right outside their door?
I think Children's literature provides both an escape and some insight into the world outside. I think all literature does that. But right now in the world we live in, I think it is very important for kids to have an escape from this world--a place where they can come alive and let their imaginations soar.
As I'm learning daily in my Children's literature class, the things we read as children have deeper meanings that might not have been so obvious to us when we were little. But they teach us things that we need to know.
So how do we know what's a good mix for the children in the classroom (or in your life)? Is it always best to teach them about life as they read it or as they are experiencing life? I guess one extreme or the other is never beneficial, and a medium is always the better options. I guess I will learn as I go.
I guess the important thing to remember is that children's literature is first and foremost about the children and benefiting their life. Hopefully, the more kids read now, the more they will read in the future. And the more they read in the future, the more the real world will be revealed to them.
OUTSIDE READING LIST:
Book 1: You Are Mine
Author: Max Lucado
Picture Book? Yes
Posting date and/or number: February 2, 2008
Book 2: Horton Hatches the Egg
Author: Dr. Seuss
Picture Book? Yes
Posting date and/or number: February 12, 2008
Book 3: Animorphs: The Invasion
Author: K. A. Applegate
Picture Book? No
Posting date and/or number: February 23, 2008
Book 4: How Jackrabbit Got His Very Long Ears
Author: Heather Irbinskas
Picture Book? Yes
Posting date and/or number: March 2, 2008
Book 5: The New Kid on the Block
Author: Jack Prelutsky
Picture Book? No
Posting date and/or number: March 4, 2008
Book 6: Charlie the Caterpillar
Author: Dom De Luise
Picture Book? Yes
Posting date and/or number: March 25, 2008
Book 7: Holes
Author: Louis Sarchar
Picture Book? No
Posting date and/or number: April 6, 2008
Book 8: Charlotte's Web
Author: E.B. White
Picture Book? No
Posting date and/or number: April 12, 2008
Book 9: The Giving Tree
Author: Shel Silverstein
Picture Book? Yes
Posting date and/or number: April 18, 2008
Book 10: Welcome to Dead House (Goosebumps Series)
Author: R. L. Stine
Picture Book? No
Posting date and/or number: April 26, 2008
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