Through the Eyes of a Child

Description

Following the completion of her doctorate at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Donna E. Norton joined the College of Education faculty at Texas A&M University where she now holds the rank of professor emerita. She taught courses in children’s literature, language arts, and reading. Dr. Norton is the recipient of the Texas A&M Faculty Distinguished Achievement Award in Teaching. This award is given “in recognition and appreciation of the ability, personality, and methods which have resulted in distinguished achievements in the teaching and the inspiration of students.” She is also the recipient of the Virginia Hamilton Essay Award, presented by the Virginia Hamilton Conference Advisory Board at Kent state University. This annual award recognizes an article that “makes a significant contribution to the professional literature concerning multicultural literature experiences for youth.”

Prior to her college teaching experience, Dr. Norton was an elementary teacher in River Falls, Wisconsin and in Madison, Wisconsin. She was a Language Arts/Reading Consultant for federally funded kindergarten through adult basic education programs. In this capacity she developed, provided in-service instruction, and evaluated kindergarten programs, summer reading and library programs, remedial reading programs, learning disability programs for middle school children, elementary and secondary literature programs for the gifted, and diagnostic and intervention programs for reading-disabled adults. Dr. Norton’s continuing concern for literature results in frequent consultations with educators from various disciplines, librarians, and school administrators and teachers.

No text better prepares you for evaluating, choosing, and sharing quality children’s literature than Through the Eyes of a Child: An Introduction to Children’s Literature. This streamlined eighth edition continues to provide a visually stunning, theoretically sound, comprehensive overview of children’s literature. Sharpened focus on contemporary issues in the field, deepened coverage of biography and informational books, and newly integrated technology give this new edition added relevance in the changing field. In addition to the text’s contemporary and valuable information on literature for younger readers, some of the brightest stars of children’s literature lend their talents to the new edition, providing insight into the craft and addressing the changing needs of middle grades readers.

Voices from the Field

The hottest topic in children’s literature, adolescent literature can be a complex issue. The eighth edition tackles it head on, turning to the pros to find out how to evaluate literature written for readers in grades 4 through 8, and learning how to compel this group of readers at risk of losing interest in reading.

• New! Jack Gantos discusses the teacher’s role in keeping 4^th through 8^th graders interested in reading.
• New! Nancy Farmer tells us how she works to engage readers in the middle grades.
• New! Naomi Shihab Nye talks about the truth in poetry that engages young adolescent readers.
• New! Joseph Bruchac tells us how we can mentor middle graders into becoming lifelong readers.

Through the Eyes of an Author, Through the Eyes of a Child

This two part feature begins with exclusive interviews with some of the creative geniuses that makes children’s literature fascinating, then goes on to share a child’s response to their work.

• New! Mo Willems tells us how he generates ideas, then 5-year-old Ruby shares her feelings about Willems’s Leonardo the Terrible Monster.
• New! Susan Guevarra tells us what inspires her art and 9-year-old Hayden responds to her artwork in Chato and the Party Animals.
• New! Robert Burleigh talks about the poetry of writing children’s books, and 4-year-old Eva tells us her favorite things about his new picture book Clang! Clang! Beep! Beep! Listen to the City.
• New! Joan Bauer talks about inspiration and inspiring others, and 13-year-old Julia responds to Hope Was Here.

Chapter by Chapter Changes

Chapter 1

• New activity on research and literacy
• New examples of Erikson’s Stages of development through literature for early childhood education
• New feature Developing the Literature Program
• 155 new books covered in charts and in text
• 10 new research references

Chapter 2

• New activity on research and literacy
• New articles/information on censorship and challenged books
• New feature History of the Library
• New History of the Library timeline
• New issue: What does it mean to read in the digital age? Will digital versus print be the educational issue of the future?
• 21 new research references

Chapter 3

• New activity on research and literacy
• 28 new books discussed
• New issue: Do recent award winning books appeal to readers?
• New feature: A Book by its Cover — using the 2008 Newbery Award winner Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz
• 11 new research references

Chapter 4

• New activity on research and literacy
• New feature A Book by Its Cover using 2009 Caldecott Award winner The House in the  Night by Susan Marie Swanson
• 10 new research references
• 51 new books discussed

Chapter 5

• new activity on research and literacy
• new chart Children’s Choices for Beginning Readers
• new feature A Book by Its Cover using 2008’s Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek by Deborah Hopkinson and John Hendrix
• 10 new research references
• 68 new books discusses

C

No text better prepares you for evaluating, choosing, and sharing quality children’s literature than Through the Eyes of a Child: An Introduction to Children’s Literature. This streamlined eighth edition continues to provide a visually stunning, theoretically sound, comprehensive overview of children’s literature. Sharpened focus on contemporary issues in the field, deepened coverage of biography and informational books, and newly integrated technology give this new edition added relevance in the changing marketplace. In addition, some of the brightest stars of children’s literature lend their talents to the new edition, providing insight into the craft and addressing the changing needs of middle grades readers.

Evaluating and Sharing

This text will prepare you to appreciate, evaluate, and share children’s literature by examining the most important elements of the literature and by addressing the needs and interests of its readers.

• A full chapter, Chapter 3, is devoted to evaluating and choosing literature for children.
• Evaluation Criteria boxes in every genre chapter outline exactly what you need to look for in quality literature.
• Teaching With pages ending every genre chapter share classroom-tested suggestions for using literature in your teaching.

Voices from the Field

The hottest topic in children’s literature, adolescent literature can be a complex issue. The eighth edition tackles it head on, turning to the pros to find out how to evaluate literature written for readers in grades 4 through 8, and learning how to compel this group of readers at risk of losing interest in reading.

• New! Jack Gantos discusses the teacher’s role in keeping 4^th through 8^th graders interested in reading.
• New! Nancy Farmer tells us how she works to engage readers in the middle grades.
• New! Naomi Shihab Nye talks about the truth in poetry that engages young adolescent readers.
• New! Joseph Bruchac tells us how we can mentor middle graders into becoming lifelong readers.

Through the Eyes of an Author, Through the Eyes of a Child

This two part feature begins with exclusive interviews with some of the creative geniuses that makes children’s literature fascinating, then goes on to share a child’s response to their work.

• New! Mo Willems tells us how he generates ideas, then 5-year-old Ruby shares her feelings about Willems’s Leonardo the Terrible Monster.
• New! Susan Guevarra tells us what inspires her art and 9-year-old Hayden responds to her artwork in Chato and the Party Animals.
• New! Robert Burleigh talks about the poetry of writing children’s books, and 4-year-old Eva tells us her favorite things about his new picture book Clang! Clang! Beep! Beep! Listen to the City.
• New! Joan Bauer talks about inspiration and inspiring others, and 13-year-old Julia responds to Hope Was Here.

MyEducationKit

Integrated into every chapter, this robust online resource offers rich, authentic, interactive opportunities to apply and practice what you learn in the text.

• Assignments and Activities use video and the Database of Children’s Literature to provide you with opportunities to hone your skills for evaluating and sharing quality literature
• Study Plan helps you assess mastery of chapter content through multiple choice quizzes that explain why responses to particular items are correct or incorrect.
• Conversations provide you with podcasts and interviews with acclaimed authors and illustrators sharing secrets of their trade.

• To receive access to MyEducationKit with this book, please purchase ISBN 0137074018.

1. The Child Responds to Literature
2. The History of Children’s Literature
3. Evaluating ane Selecting Literature for Children
4. Artists and Their Illustrations
5. Picture Books
6. Traditional Literature
7. Modern Fantasy
8. Poetry
9. Contemporary Realistic Fiction
10. Historical Fiction
11. Biographies
12. Informational Books

No text better prepares you for evaluating, choosing, and sharing quality children’s literature than Through the Eyes of a Child: An Introduction to Children’s Literature. This streamlined eighth edition continues to provide a visually stunning, theoretically sound, comprehensive overview of children’s literature. Sharpened focus on contemporary issues in the field, deepened coverage of biography and informational books, and newly integrated technology give this new edition added relevance in the changing field. In addition to the text’s contemporary and valuable information on literature for younger readers, some of the brightest stars of children’s literature lend their talents to the new edition, providing insight into the craft and addressing the changing needs of middle grades readers.

Additional information