Literature, Identity and Choice

Carl Leggo, a professor on faculty at UBC, is a writer and teacher educator.  He writes marvelous autobiographical poetry and speaks his poetry in presentation as if it were a song with cadences, inflection, dynamics and articulation as one might expect of an instrument.  After hearing Carl speak at a recent conference, I asked him [...]

Literary Theories and Pleasure??

I have been attempting to read a chapter on literary analysis as it pertains to children’s literature.  YAWN!  I know for certain I never would have made it as a scholar in literature.  I find the Freudian interpretations ludicrous whether looking at Bettelheim’s more conventional interpretation or Lacan’s more linguistic interpretation.  I just don’t look [...]

Censorship? Part Two

Through Indian Eyes is a book which attempts to stem the tide of racism against North American aboriginal peoples.  It contains books, poetry and book reviews on children’s literature.  As I read it, I am caught between my wish to build a collection which is supportive and positive about North American aboriginal peoples and my [...]

The Lottery – Beth Goobie

The Lottery is a gripping story of Sal Hansen, the current  ‘dud of the year’ in her  high school.  The leading group in her school the Celts is  front for the Shadow Council.  The Shadow Council terrorize members of the school community to maintain its status as the most influential group in the school community.  [...]

Children’s literature as a genre

What’s a genre?  A category of literature distinct from other types by its distinctive characteristics.   Is children’s literature a genre?  Nodelman and Reimer look for the characteristics that might be considered common to most children’s literature to answer this question.  They find the following traits:
1)    a basic pattern – home/away/home  A character is unhappy with [...]

Censorship?

After a delightful conversation with MaryLynn Gagne, one of the immensely helpful and knowledgeable librarians from the Education branch of the University of Saskatchewan library, and Debbie Pushor, my advisor and partner in this exploration of literature and issues, I took the opportunity to explore some challenged literature for children and young adults. Three books, [...]

Excellent small steps

Good news on the homefront.  Through the combined efforts of our administration and teacher librarians, there is now a link on every schools home page to an e-library page.  Not only that the teacher librarians are going to be a part of developing a new look for the e-library page.  Very cool.  I am so [...]

White Jade Tiger – Julie Lawson

Jasmine Steele is a headstrong teenager living north of Victoria, B.C. with her mother and father when her life is changed completely by the death of her mother.  As she deals with her grief, she is swept up in the mystery of the white jade tiger.  A compelling dream and some magical clothing send her [...]

Forget-Me-Not – Barbara Haworth-Attard

Roberta Harrison is navigating the shoals of teenage life in 1945. Her family has been touched by WWII in a variety of ways. Roberta is confused by the mixed feelings she has about German and Japanese people – her hatred for the evils of Hitler’s regime but her sympathy for a German POW, [...]

Men of Stone – Gayle Friesen

Ben is the youngest child in a family of women.  His father has died leaving the whole in the family living simultaneous but unconnected lives.  That is until Great-aunt Frieda comes to visit.  The story of Ben in Men of Stone weaves together some history of the Russian Mennonites who emigrated to Canada and a [...]