1. ENGLISH CHILDREN’S LITERATURE 2014-2015 Instructor: Iris Chen

2. COURSE DESCRIPTION The purpose of the course aims to provide students with basic and general understanding of children's literature. From the perspectives of human development, children of different age levels need to read different literary works. Therefore, fantasies, folktales, fairy tales, children's story-books, picture books, and other related reading materials will be carefully chosen to motivate students' interests in learning and analyzing different genres of children's literature.

3. COURSE OBJECTIVES The objective of this course is to provide students with an opportunity to read thoughtfully a variety of stories, nursery phymes, and poems for children. Students can learn to sharpen their critical skills and eventually be able to evaluate them with their own independent thinking.

4. MAIN TEXTS Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes The Tales of Mother Goose White, E.B. (1988). Charlottes Web. 書林出版社 Burnett, Frances Hodgson. (1911). The Secret Garden.

5. SYLLABUS Week 1: Introduction; Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes Week 2: The Tales of Mother Goose: Reports Week 3: The Tales of Mother Goose: Script Writing Week 4: The Tales of Mother Goose: Reader’s Theatre Week 5: Ch.1-4, Charlotte’s Web Week 6: Ch.5-8, Charlotte’s Web Week 7: Ch.9-12, Charlotte’s Web Week 8: Ch.13-16, Charlotte’s Web Week 9: Midterm Exam

6. SYLLABUS Week 10: Ch.17-22, Charlotte’s Web Week 11: Ch.1-5, The Secret Garden Week 12: Ch.6-10, The Secret Garden Week 13: Ch.11-15, The Secret Garden Week 14: Ch.16-20, The Secret Garden Week 15: Ch.21-25, The Secret Garden Week 16: Ch.26-27, The Secret Garden Week 17: Presentation Week 18: Presentation; Final Exam

7. EVALUATION Activities & Assignments: 30% Presentation: 20% Midterm Exam: 25% Final Exam: 25%

8. YOUR PRESENTATION The book The author The story Characters Setting Major Themes Symbolism, imagery, allegory Plot analysis Values or issues

9. MOTHER GOOSE

10. The figure of Mother Goose is an imaginary author of a collection of fairy tales and nursery rhymes [1] often published as Mother Goose Rhymes.fairy talesnursery rhymes [1] Mother Goose is the name given to an archetypal country woman. 2] 2] Mother Goose is generally depicted in literature and book illustration as an elderly country woman in a tall hat and shawl, a costume identical to the peasant costume worn in Wales in the early 20th century, but is sometimes depicted as a goose (usually wearing a bonnet).peasant costume worn in Walesgoosebonnet

13. "OLD MOTHER GOOSE Mother Goose is herself the title character of one such rhyme: Old Mother Goose, When she wanted to wander, Would ride through the air On a very fine gander. Jack's mother came in, And caught the goose soon, And mounting its back, Flew up to the moon.

14. MOTHER GOOSE AS NURSERY RHYMES John Newbery was once believed to have published a compilation of English nursery rhymes entitled Mother Goose's Melody, or, Sonnets for the cradle some time in the 1760s, The name "Mother Goose" has been associated, in the English-speaking world, with children's poetry ever since.

15. Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes

16. MOTHER GOOSE NURSERY RHYMES Baa, Baa, Black Sheep Hickory Dickory Dock Humpty Dumpty/ Itsy Bitsy Spider Jack and Jill/ Lazy Mary London Bridge is Falling Down Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary/Muffin Man

17. MOTHER GOOSE NURSERY RHYMES Mulberry Bush One, Two, Buckle My Shoe Pop Goes the Weasel Ring Around the Rosy/ Star Light, Star Bright Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Rock-a-bye, baby/ EENIE, MEENIE, MINEY, MO HOT-CROSS BUNS/Peter Piper

19. THE TALES OF MOTHER GOOSE Author : Charles Perrault Translator : Charles Welsh Published : 1901 Publisher : D.C. Heath & Co., Boston; New York; Chicago

20. THE TALES OF MOTHER GOOSE First collected by Charles Perrault in 1696 The first edition of Perrault's famous collection of fairy tales. This collection included eight fairy tales, including "Little Red Riding Hood", "Puss in Boots", "Little Thumb" and "Cinderella."

21. ABOUT CHARLES PERRAULT Born in 1628, a French writer who lived in the second half of 17 th century. one of the first writers in European literature who turned his eyes to folklore. He collected a number of stories and published them in 1697 under the title "Tales of mother Goose".

22. THE TALES OF MOTHER GOOSE Cinderella, or the Little Glass Slipper The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood Little Thumb The Master Cat, or Puss in Boots Riquet of the Tuft Blue Beard The Fairy Little Red Riding-hood

23. CHARLOTTE'S WEB BY E. B. WHITE (1952)

25. CHARLOTTE’S WEB A children's novel by American author E. B. White, illustrated by Garth Williams Considered a classic of children's literature, enjoyable to adults as well as children. Publishers Weekly listed the book as the best- selling children's paperback of all time as of 2000. Has sold more than 45 million copies and been translated into 23 languages.

26. A live-action film version was released in 2006. Julia Roberts as Charlotte the Spider Oprah Winfrey as Gussy the Goose Dakota Fanning as Fern

27. THE AUTHOR Elwyn Brooks “E.B.” White (1899-1985) Born in Mount Vernon, New York. The author of such beloved classics as Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little, and The Trumpet of the Swan He won countless awards, including the 1971 National Medal for Literature and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award In 1963, President John F. Kennedy named Mr. White as one of thirty-one Americans to receive the Presidential Medal for Freedom.

28. AWARDS Newbery Honor Book Winner (1953) Lewis Carroll Shelf Award Winner Massachusetts Children's Book Award Winner (1984) the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award (1970) ALA Notable Children’s Book Winner Horn Book Fanfare Winner ALA Notable Children’s Book Winner

29. INSPIRATION During his lifetime, many young readers asked Mr. White if his stories were true. In a letter written to be sent to his fans, he answered, "No, they are imaginary tales... But real life is only one kind of life—there is also the life of the imagination.“

30. HISTORICAL CONTEXT Born in Mount Vernon, New York, Mr. White attended public schools there. He graduated from Cornell University in 1921, worked in New York for a year, then traveled about. In 1938, Mr. White moved to the country. On his farm in Maine he kept animals, and some of these creatures got into his stories and books. He began Stuart Little in the hope of amusing a six-year-old niece of his, but before he finished it, she had grown up.

31. CHARLOTTE’S WEB --THE STORY The novel tells the story of a pig named Wilbur and his friendship with a barn spider named Charlotte. When Wilbur is in danger of being slaughtered by the farmer, Charlotte writes messages praising Wilbur (such as "Some Pig") in her web in order to persuade the farmer to let him live.

32. CHARACTERS -NON-HUMAN Wilbur Sensitive and vulnerable Born a runt and saved from an untimely death by Fern Loves life, even that of Zuckerman’s barn. He sometimes feels lonely or fearful. His life is saved twice by two devoted friends— Fern & Charlotte

34. CHARACTERS -NON-HUMAN Charlotte or Charlotte A. Cavatica A spider who befriends Wilbur A gifted writer Affectionate, loyal, skillful, beautiful Cool and collected, practical, disciplined, orderly and unsentimental. She can't bear Wilbur crying, saying that she can't stand 'hysterics'. Clever and loyal to her friends the first to comfort Wilbur by assuring him she will save him when he finds out that he is to be killed at Christmastime.

36. CHARACTERS -NON-HUMAN Templeton A gluttonous rat who helps Charlotte and Wilbur only when offered food. He serves as a somewhat caustic, self-serving comic relief to the plot. Uncle Wilbur’s rival at the fair, a large pig whom Charlotte doesn’t consider to be particularly refined. Other animals living in Zuckerman’s barn with whom Wilbur converses are a disdainful lamb, a goose who is constantly sitting on her eggs, and an old sheep.

37. CHARACTERS-HUMAN Fern Arable, daughter of John Arable and Mrs. Arable Loving and innocent Has a big heart and a motherly nature. A courageous eight-year-old girl, a moralist who saves Wilbur's life by arguing with her father that a small piglet has just as much right to live a large piglet.

38. CHARACTERS-HUMAN Avery Arable the brother of Fern. He appears briefly throughout the novel. Homer Zuckerman Fern’s uncle who keeps Wilbur in his barn. He has a wife, Edith, and an assistant named Lurvy who helps out around the barn. Henry Fussy a boy Fern’s age of whom Fern becomes very fond.

39. SETTING American farmland, sometime before the 1950s The Zuckerman farm, rural American life --simple people, the biggest piece of technology is Mrs. Zuckerman's freezer. In the decades before (and including) the 1950s, advertising was taking off. Companies were learning that it wasn't just enough to announce a new product—they had to convince people it was special. Radiant, even. Or "terrific.“ The new powers of advertising--People start agreeing Wilbur must be special just because it's written in print.

40. NARRATOR (POINT OF VIEW) Third Person (Omniscient)

41. WRITING STYLE Detailed, Sensory

42. MAJOR THEMES The natural world Words and Language / Communication Life, Death and Time passing/ Mortality Friendship The individual

43. THE NATURAL WORLD The novel is set on two farms: the Arable’s and the Zuckerman’s. Although the animals talk in this novel, White makes sure that they are presented as realistic creatures. On several occasions the story demonstrates nature’s survival instinct. Nature echoes the changes that take place in the novel: Wilbur is born in the spring, a time of renewal and Charlotte dies in the autumn. On Wilbur’s loneliest day in the barn, nature also reflects how he is feeling: it is “rainy and dark”.

44. WORDS AND LANGUAGE / COMMUNICATION Charlotte’s words and her creativity have some much more power than her physical body. Charlotte’s words will not only form our story but they will save Wilbur. The words that appear in Charlotte’s web baffle the adults that read them.

45. LIFE AND DEATH / MORTALITY Time is an unstoppable force on the farm and the humans and animals must adhere to its demands – the changing seasons dictate what activities are carried out. Charlotte’s egg sac is the symbol of renewal after her death Nature replenishes itself each year and each generation.

46. FRIENDSHIP Friendship is the foundation of this novel. Without Fern’s love for Wilbur he would have been killed as a runt and without Charlotte’s love he would be served up on the Christmas dinner table. Although Charlotte perishes in the end, her life is given meaning by helping Wilbur and the effort she goes to in order to save him makes her feel happy that her life has had purpose.

47. THE INDIVIDUAL Each character follows his or her own path. Although some of the characters in the novel only play small parts, we always get a sense of their particular personality. Wilbur tries to spin a web and can’t -- implying that Charlotte and Wilbur are different in their individual genetic makeups as well as their different personalities. Each creature will lead its own life and will one day die and will not be able to take anyone with him on that journey. --Charlotte is alone when she dies at the Fair

48. SYMBOLISM, IMAGERY, ALLEGORY Spider Webs Fences and Freedom Rope Swing Food

49. SPIDER WEB Looks Can Be Deceiving A spider web looks thin and dainty. In fact, a spider's web is stronger than it looks. Although it is made of thin, delicate strands, the web is not easily broken. Spider webs are both strong and breakable like Charlotte herself.

50. FENCES AND FREEDOM Wilbur is always getting kept in a cardboard box, or put in his pigpen, or locked up in a crate. Wilbur also does lots of dancing when he's in his pigpen, so he doesn't really need to be outside to get his groove on. He's happy to be stuck inside them. Do the fences represent traps? Or is life pretty good inside the gate?

51. ROPE SWING Kids all around the county dream about this swing. When kids are on the rope swing, they don't have a care in the world. Plus, getting on the rope swing is probably going to make your parents a bit angry. The rope swing represents freedom, and rebellion, and courage.

52. FOOD The book is full of food imagery. In some ways, foods help us tell the characters apart. Each character has his or her own signature meal. In fact, food is one way each character can show his or her individuality.

53. FOOD Wilbur's slop: leftovers from the Zuckerman kitchen thrown together with some milk. Sounds pretty nasty to us, but Wilbur loves it. Templeton's fair food: he gains a big fat belly when he gorges on food at the county fair. Charlotte's flies: she's got a snazzy method for catching herself meals whenever she needs them. Aunt Edith's pies: they sound great, as long as you don't get a slice that Avery's frog jumped in. Bacon and ham: all over the book we see people eating bacon or talking about turning Wilbur into bacon. That sure is a scary thought for Wilbur!

54. FOOD Food imagery reminds us that the animals must rely on one another. Charlotte say about Wilbur's food: his "smelly pen and stale food attracted the flies that she needed“(9.24) The old sheep reminds Templeton precisely where his food comes from: "Wilbur's leftover food is your chief source of supply, Templeton. You know that. Wilbur's food is your food; therefore Wilbur's destiny and your destiny are closely linked. If Wilbur is killed and his trough stands empty day after day, you'll grow so thin we can look right through your stomach and see objects on the other side." (12.41)

55. PLOT ANALYSIS Exposition A Sweet Life on the Farm Wilbur is the runt of the litter, but Fern thinks he's still an awesome pig so she saves his life. The Zuckermans think Wilbur is pretty swell too, so they buy the little guy and take care of him. For this pig, life is looking good.

56. PLOT ANALYSIS Rising Action Don't Bring Home the Bacon! Things are chugging along smoothly until Wilbur learns that Mr. Zuckerman will probably turn him into bacon and ham. How is Wilbur going to escape this dire fate? And who is going to help him do it? It's Charlotte and her web.

57. PLOT ANALYSIS Climax And the Winner is…Wilbur! After all of Charlotte's hard work and Wilbur's eyelash-batting, he wins a special prize at the county fair. His life is saved! The whole novel has been building to this one big victory.

58. P LOT A NALYSIS Falling Action Getting Sick and Heading Home Charlotte has been feeling ill for a while, and now it's really starting to weigh on her. So at the fairgrounds she makes her last "masterpiece": an egg sac full of soon-to-be spiders. She knows she'll never see them hatch, so Wilbur takes over to make sure the eggs are safe. Charlotte's impending death lets us know that things are starting to wrap up in this tale.

59. PLOT ANALYSIS Denouement (Resolution) Lots of BFFs Forever Charlotte dies, but her children and grandchildren provide perpetual friends for Wilbur. So now he gets to live instead of being turned into bacon, and he gets lots of new chums every year. Once again, life is looking good for this little pig.

60. WHAT’S UP WITH THE TITLE? Charlotte's Web refers to Charlotte's web. In the novel Charlotte weaves lots of webs and they have a huge impact on the storyline. In fact, Charlotte's webs have a way of saving lives, since they convince the Zuckermans to let Wilbur live. So these webs are game-changers.

61. WHAT’S UP WITH THE ENDING? Is the ending meant to be happy or sad? Charlotte's Web starts with a birth (Wilbur, the spring pig). And it ends with a death (Charlotte's)… but also lots of births (spider babies!). This ending has us thinking about the circle of life. ("Mortality" theme) But even with all the new spider babies, no one could ever replace Charlotte. She's a one-of-a- kind gal. And that's what the last paragraph reminds us.

62. WHAT’S UP WITH THE ENDING? Charlotte's Web teaches us about life and death, trust and friendship and also proves that we can all make a difference in the lives of others if we try.