The Children's Literature Dictionary: Definitions, Resources, and Learning Activities

You've built a vibrant collection of children s literature, now put those resources to work and put young readers on the path to a lifelong love of reading. A core reference for school and public libraries and a terrific resource for educators, parents, students, and book reviewers of YA and youth titles, this dictionary provides child-friendly definitions of 325 terms and gives vivid examples for each from contemporary and classic literature. Definitions also include suggested activities to aid student learning.Whether you are a librarian helping a student find a definition of archetype, a teacher looking for classroom activities that will help you teach parallel stories, or a student who needs a traightforward example of an acrostic or a haiku, the answers, ideas, and inspiration are here.

In this volume, both new and experienced librarians will find creative ideas for introducing, describing, and promoting various types of literature to young people. From "Abridgement" to "Concrete Poetry" to "Woodcut" and "Wordless Book," the 325 entries cite examples from quality children's literature to illustrate each term. Following the definitions are suggestions for related activities, such as making popcorn in Tomie dePaola's The Popcorn Book. The entry for "Conflict" includes discussion of types of conflict and examples of books in which it appears, such as Elizabeth Spear's The Witch of Blackbird Pond and Marion Dane Bauer's On My Honor. The literature cited includes classics as well as more popular and current titles such as the "Harry Potter" books. "Alphabet Book" defines the genre, presents a variety of forms that are used, offers suggestions on evaluation of titles, and gives an activity for children to compare and contrast. Librarians who need additional information about the medium used by artists will find good explanations for terms such as gouache, casein paint, charcoal, scratchboard, collage, and hatching. Appendixes include a list of titles cited and a listing of entries by subject (e.g., awards, illustration, poetry). There are many see and see-also references, as well as Web sites. While a useful tool for professionals, this outstanding resource also has much to offer teachers and students.

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Written for teachers, librarians, and book reviewers who work with books for young people through age 14, this title provides comprehensive yet succinct definitions of 325 terms relevant to children's literature. Terms were selected for inclusion because they are frequently encountered in review journals, programming guides, and literature handbooks. Entries are arranged alphabetically and incorporate a wide scope of topics including artistic mediums and styles, genres, awards, literature terminology, and physical book features. See and see also references are utilized. Entries for frequently taught terms include recommended learning activities. Books that provide clearer understanding of a term are listed in the definition, and the authors cite many newly published titles. The dictionary provides a bibliography of cited materials as well as several indexes (subject, author, and a title index that links cited titles with the corresponding terms). Page numbers would have made these indexes more useful. A well-written and highly useful resource for any school or public library. Shauna Yusko
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