LIT 302 Adolescent Literature

This course is a study of literature for children and adolescents and is designed to introduce students to both classic and contemporary materials related to children's literature. The course will emphasize the development of knowledge of literature and how to effectively integrate that knowledge into the curriculum. Students will learn how to evaluate and select appropriate literature for children through consideration of age, values, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds. Students will engage in close reading: they will be asked to analyze literature inductively, using clues from the surface level of literature (literary devices) to create larger truths they see in the literature. Student analysis of literature will be expressed through essays, presentations, and other activities.