Children's Literature Becoming an Equalizer

Before one ever starts attending school, their very first lesson is to become literate in the language they speak. From reading sentences to reading paragraphs to reading novels, we try to achieve literacy. However, some of the greatest public speakers and writers did not achieve it through the way most people did. This is shown in the literary works of Frederick Douglass, Malcolm X, and Sherman Alexie. Like these people, literacy isn’t achieved by simply going to school. It’s achieved through great perseverance and through great tenacity.

In Dana Gioia’s article titled “Why Literature Matters”, he explains about the decline of reading literature for young Americans. Although “income rose to unforeseen levels, college attendance ballooned, and access of information increased enormously” he states, “the interest young Americans showed in the arts… diminished”. In his article, Gioia uses surveys, articles, studies, and statistics to persuade his audience that the decline of reading in America can have a negative effect on society.

Children’s literature has existed for as long as there have been stories to be told to children. Stories, books, songs, poems are all made for children. Children’s literature does not have a definite definition of what it is; basically, it is anything a child reads (Lerer, 2008). Children begin to learn what reading and writing are used for before even knowing how the system works. Children recognise the function of written language by seeing examples of written language that are being used around them. Many children know the difference between reading and talking, they are aware that written language is used to do things in this world (Emitt, Zbaracki, Komesaroff and Pollock, 2015). Quintilian, John Locke, Saint Augustine and Doctor Seuss speculated on the ways children learn the Australian language and learn about their lives from literature (Lerer, 2008). In fact, Lerer states that “the history of children’s literature is inseparable from the history of childhood, for the child was made through texts and tales he/she studied, heard and told back,” (2008, p.1). Children’s literature nurtures an understanding of narrative structures and visual images played in storytelling, this helps develop

Willis, in this statement, was thereby addressing the hopes and beliefs of Americans of the early 19th century, who did hold the conviction that an American child of this new generation was destined for a uniquely promising   future, and that this required a new juvenile literature designed expressly for that child. Fiction there might be, but not light fiction; no, it was to be instructive and improving, to aid the parent in the moral development of the child. For the parent, not the school or even the church, was to be the major force in developing the child’s highest potential, and of the two parents, the mother was thought to be supremely qualified to inculcate, to influence, to teach by example.

From and early age, I can remember my grandparents reading books to me and my brother; books such as Dr. Seuss and Peter Pan were some of my favorites, growing up in my family proper English was always important.

Using the findings of “Reading at Risk,” Gioia argues that “literary readers are markedly more civically engaged than nonreaders, scoring two to four times more likely to perform charity work, visit a museum or attend a sporting event.” Nevertheless, the reason being might be “the kind of civic and historical knowledge that comes with literary reading.” Not only does this argument point out the negative effects of non-readers, but shows the positive side if more young adults took on reading rather than anything else. More readers are more likely to do something that can be a benefit to society while non-readers don’t benefit at all. With an increasing number of non-readers, there will most likely be a lack of political, historical, and economic reforms that have a necessity for creativity, historical and civic

Throughout all of time, literature has played an important role in people’s lives. Books are more than just stories to laugh at, cry with, or fall asleep to, but books can teach. Books can teach a person a simple task such as baking cookies or an extremely complex one such as solving for the derivative of a trigonometric path and its parabolic motion. Whatever the subject, whomever the reader, books can teach people many lessons. One of the most important lessons that a book can teach a reader is a lesson about himself, about the difficulties of life, and about living a good life. As time has passed, so has literature itself. Older books focused on historical events, fictional poetry, and important figures; however, books now have evolved to

As of late, the literacy rates in America have declined. In fact, over the past ten years “book reading [in] young women slipped from 63 percent to 59 percent, while young men plummeted from 55 percent to 43 percent” (why johnny won’t read pg. 575) Boys have a lower tendency to read than girls due to the fact that school forces them to read things that they are not interested in. Although in “I Know Why the Caged Bird Cannot Read pg. 176,” Prose points out that

In an age where the printed novel has been somewhat on the decline, and the necessity of readable fiction has almost faded into obscurity. I believe that literature still harbours a crucial part within our society; from the very foundations of most theatrical adaptations, to preserving the culture and encapsulating the feelings of generations past. In this case literature cements itself as one of the most decisive elements of our civilisation, and combining it with history makes it become a testament to who we are as people, as well as the conservation of both our progression and degradation. I have always enjoyed reading literature, from reading J.R.R Tolkien’s classic ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy within my childhood, to perhaps more sophisticated,

With reading being the cornerstone of society it is expected that children begin learning about literature in their most formative years. With children reading younger and younger it should come as no surprise that something as loved and personal as reading should be turned into a competition among children (more personal). This unfortunate truth has followed me through the majority of my academic career turning literature into a job and annoyance. Much like many schools, my primary education required the logging of reading to ensure the students were spending some of their time enriching themselves rather than wasting it, according to the faculty. Being the competitive natured children we were, seeing who could read the most soon became the

In the article “I Know Why the Caged Bird Cannot Read” (1999), Francine Prose asserts that high school English teachers are teaching classic novels so insultingly that their students actually end up loathing reading altogether. Prose supports her assertion by asking what it even means to be educated, informing the reader that the same boring novels are still being taught in classrooms twenty years later, and explaining how teaching methods have plummeted to the point where every teacher has their students relate experiences back to themselves. The author’s purpose is to question whether English classes are even needed anymore in order to not only understand but to enjoy classic literature. The author writes in a contemptuous tone towards parents

Focusing his purpose on informing the audience of the missed opportunities children face when beginning language, W.H. Auden expresses his opinions by providing information as well as examples of what children experience when entering the world of language. He argues that children are able to grasp more than people realize and the fact that authors undermine children’s mental capacity “is utter nonsense”. Using an informational and persuasive style of writing, Auden achieves his purpose by displaying a sense of pathos, stating that children deserve more than books that contain “a very limited vocabulary… in the most simplest and obvious forms”; by introducing a scenario that is prevalent in the U.S. today - children’s abilities are undermined

Donna Jo Napoli's discussion about writing children's literature reflects social equity that really impacts on me. She has a compassionate heart when she cares the unprotected children. Even though someone reproached that she wrote about such terrible things for children, controlling the way in which children encounter the bad things is not a good idea. Not all children are lucky to be encircled and sheltered in a good family. There are many unhappy lives exist in society. Children have pure and holy thoughts, so it will be dangerous if they are only educated and sheltered by the good things. It makes them do not defend themselves when bad things happen. Literature is one of the most effectively communicate ways with children. Besides the books

Some people do not realize that they affect the education of their children by banning certain books. The banning of books is banning the author's right to free speech which can hinder the education of Americans. In schools teachers have to worry about what readings they present to their students because they could have any parent coming after them for exposing their children to “heinous” or “bad” things when all it truly is, is literature used to broaden

Multicultural literature is a way of increasing cultural awareness. Through multicultural books many young readers are able to make a connection with their own culture