1. EDU 31ACL – Australian Children’s Literature Australian Family Stories Family stories – issues for consideration © La Trobe University, David Beagley, 2006

2. Considering Family Stories  What elements of family stories do they have? e.g. IN families, ABOUT families, or FOR families  Are they ‘typical’ of traditional family stories?  Are they ‘typical’ of traditional family structures?  Do they assume ‘typical’ family stories or structures?

3. Considering Family Stories  How do they meet or challenge aspects of your criteria for family stories?  e.g. characters, settings, plot development, themes, voice, style  e.g. structure, relationships, responsibilities  How do they meet or challenge aspects of your criteria for families?  2 aspects : Group + Responsibility

4. Sociological issues  Representations of Family, and commentary on possibilities  Who is included in / excluded by the text ?  Representation of characters from a diversity of backgrounds:  gender  cultural / ethnic  socioeconomic  Family structure

5. Sociological issues  Identity – who am I, in relation to others?  Differentiation – what makes me different, how do I belong?

6. How are the families represented in each book?  The Bamboo Flute – child’s view of family trying to cope, realising and rescuing what matters  Tiff and the Trout - child’s view of family structure dissolving, making choices  No gun for Asmir – family under external stress, the bonds that tie  Hitler’s daughter – the child of the parent, the sins of the father  Dougy - Aboriginal culture of family vs European concept of family; friends or relatives; family or society?  NIPS XI – social and cultural families, similarities and differences

7. How are the families represented in each book?  Do these texts assume an essential nature of family?  Or do they question the social construct?

8. Readership Texts for older/younger readers What are some of the textual features of texts for older readers?  More mature story structures and features e.g. flashback, echoing/multiple storylines, allusions, context, variant voices, sophisticated perspectives  Wider range of themes analytical, judgemental, referential, “grey areas” – abstraction required of reader  Different character ranges and reactions often more driven by identifiable personality than narrative necessity

9. Readership Texts for older/younger readers Expectation of Readership  variety of life experiences (cultural awareness/ difference)  awareness of equity issues  knowledge of other media  developing critical literacy skills  language

10. Criteria for assessing Australian Family Stories 1. Does the book claim to offer an account of a typical or unique Australian family?  Is this claim convincing?  To what extent are stereotypes of class, culture, gender and sibling roles presented or resisted?  Will these help or hinder reader identification with characters?

11. Criteria for assessing Australian Family Stories 2. Are the events and characters depicted likely to appeal to children?  Will this book reward young readers by offering worthwhile insights into ordinary experience related to family life?  Does the book tend to offer overt or over- simplistic moral lessons about family responsibilities, duties, rights and desirable roles?

12. Criteria for assessing Australian Family Stories 3. Is there a plot resolution and is it convincing in terms of ordinary experience? How does the author deal with the challenging problem of resolving or 'rounding off' reality in the final chapters? 4. Does the book offer anything new to this sub- genre in terms of theme, plot or characterisation?  Is the book likely to become dated in its version of the contemporary family and issues confronting children within it?