Literature for Children and Young Adults

Learning Objective

This course aims to introduce students to literature for children and young adults,
paying due attention to artworks in related media.

Content

This course explores children's and young adult literature in a chronological sequence
from the early nineteenth century to the present day. We will consider genres
peculiarly associated with young readers such as fairy tales and fables, as well as
genres of a more crossover nature such as literary nonsense and postmodern young
adult fiction. Special emphasis is laid on the visual aspects of the texts covered,
especially in genres such as picture books, manga, and graphic novels, with an eye on
the nature of recent and ongoing theoretical strides in this field.

Course Outline

Week Topic Texts/ Works

1 Introduction Introduction to course outline, aims, and the
categories of ‘children's and young adult
literature’
2 Moral Education Made Edward Baldwin (William Godwin), Fables
Fun Ancient and Modern, Adapted for the Use of
Children (1805)
3 Fairy Lore and Fantasy George MacDonald, The Complete Fairy Tales
(Penguin, 2009)
4 Picture Books and Animal Beatrix Potter, The Tale of Peter Rabbit (1902)
Fables
5 Literary Nonsense, the Edward Gorey, Amphigorey (1972)
Grotesque and the Gothic
6 Sci-fi in Manga Keiko Takemiya, Toward the Terra (1977-80)
7 Graphic Novels and Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, The Watchmen
Counter-culture (1986-87)
8 Recess
9 Picture Books and the Peter Sís, The Tree of Life: Charles Darwin
History of Science (2003)
10 Singaporean Cultural David Seow & L.K. Tay-Audouard, Monkey: the
Heritage in Picture Books Classic Chinese Adventure Tale (2005)
11 Postmodern Young Adult Lynne Rae Perkins, Criss Cross (2005)
Fiction
12 Graphic Novels and the Bryan Talbot, Grandville (2009)
Spy Story
13 Conclusion Review of course content
14 Final exam
Learning Outcome

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to analyse and appreciate
themes and issues articulated in children's and young adult literature with rigour and
sophistication. They will also display sensitivity to the visual codes operating within
these texts. Simultaneously, they will learn to think beyond conceptual binaries of
childhood and adulthood, through their exposure to generically innovative works that
stretch the boundaries of what is considered “appropriate” reading for the young.
They will learn to apprehend that the moral standards governing these reading codes
are often culturally relative rather than absolute.

Student Assessment

Mid-term essay – 50%

DEADLINE: Week 7

Closed book examination – 50%

Texts

Edward Baldwin (William Godwin), Fables Ancient and Modern, Adapted for the
Use of Children (1805)

George MacDonald, The Complete Fairy Tales (Penguin, 2009)

Beatrix Potter, The Tale of Peter Rabbit (1902)

Edward Gorey, Amphigorey (1972)

Keiko Takemiya, Toward the Terra (1977-80)

Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, The Watchmen (1986-87)

Peter Sís, The Tree of Life: Charles Darwin (2003)

David Seow & L.K. Tay-Audouard, Monkey: the Classic Chinese Adventure Tale
(2005)
Lynne Rae Perkins, Criss Cross (2005)
Bryan Talbot, Grandville (2009)