LSSL 5385 Textbook Reflections Chapter 7

Chapter 7 Literary Elements

Literary elements and devices are used to evaluate critical thinking and comprehension of literature. Literary devices or literary techniques can also be defined as specific structures that writers often use to add meaning or create more compelling stories for the reader. I like to think of the writing is the cake and the literary devices and elements is the icing on the cake.  Literary elements and devices are techniques that can give the reader a greater understanding and meaning of the writer’s intent.

         The antagonist the person or force that works against the hero of the story. This is the villain, evil character, or group of characters.  The character is the person or animals in the book. Conflict is A problem or struggle between two opposing forces in a story. There are four basic conflicts. Person against person is a problem between characters. Person against self is a problem within a character’s own mind. Person against society is a problem between a character and society, school, the law, or some tradition. Last is person against nature is a problem between a character and some element of nature for example a blizzard, tornado, or a hurricane. Mood and tone is the feeling the piece of literature is intended to give the reader. It can be happiness, somber, or love. The plot is the action that makes up the story, following a plan called the plot line. The protagonist is the main character in a story, often a good or heroic type. The setting is when and where the story take place.

Theme is not the main idea, topic, or summary. Theme is a message stated or suggested by author. It also must be a complete sentence. It must be a truism that takes place outside the novel in the real world. A novel can have more than one theme, it must be demonstrated from the text. You should be able to go into the novel and find evidence.  When having discussions with students about themes of books you should ask the following questions.  What message is the author trying to convey to readers? Is this message universal; does it apply outside of this story to the world at large?

A literary device is a technique a writer uses to produce a special effect in their writing.  An allegory is a metaphor in which a character, place or event is used to deliver a broader message about real-world issues and occurrences.  An allusion is A reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art to enrich the reading experience by adding meaning. An archetype is the images, patterns, and symbols that rise out of the collective unconscious and appear in dreams, mythology, and fairy tales.

The literacy device deus ex machina refers to the circumstance where an implausible concept or a divine character is introduced into a storyline. The character is introduced to sometimes provide comedic relief or to move the plot line along.  This is also commonly referred to divine intervention. A hyperbole the use of obvious and deliberate exaggeration. Hyperbolic statements are often extravagant and not meant to be taken literally. Imagery consists of descriptive language that can function as a way for the reader to better imagine the world of the piece of literature and add symbolism to the work. Imagery uses five senses of taste, touch, sight, smell, and sound. 

When reflecting on this chapter and how it correlates with young adult literature I was able to connect to chapter 6. Many of these literary elements and devices are very abstract in thinking. If your students have not developed the intellectual capacity to think abstractly they will have difficulty with many of these things. As an educator you must scaffold their learning when teaching or discussing them. You also want to select books that can help move the students through these difficult abstract literary elements and devices.

LSSL 5385 Textbook Reflections Chapter 6

Chapter 6 How do adolescents develop?

This chapter focuses of the development of adolescents and how it relates with young adult literature. The chapter cover various developmental aspects. First the physical aspect. Puberty, the constant question is am I normal? Am I developing at a rate that is consistent with everyone else. Children at this age are constantly asking questions about their bodies physical appearance. We should be picking books as educators that reassure them that they are normal, answer the questions that they have about the changes going on in their bodies, encourage self-acceptance, self-esteem, and body positive affirmations.

Next is intellectual development. Jean Piaget theory of development is that children develop and move through different stages of development from birth to adulthood. Children move through the concrete stage of development to abstract development and thinking around age 12-14.  As an educator it is very important to think about the type of questions that we will be asking our students about what they are reading. If our students are having difficulty with abstract thinking than we must scaffold their learning through questions. We need to think where these students are in terms of their intellectual development.

Havighurst in another theorist who has stages of development. The stage that the chapter focused on was the stages of becoming a young adult. Learning to get along with peers, as you go through adolescents you began to make peers with people who had the same interest that you had such as music, sports, or clothes. Easy relationship with the opposite sex, they become more aware between a boy and girl. You start to make friends without becoming boyfriend and girlfriend. Working for pay, children start to want to babysit, mowing lawns, what will you pay me for doing chores. Money equals independence for adolescents.

Changing relationships with parents, there is a shift and they start to pull away. They began to question if they believe in the same thing that their parents do. There is almost a 180 difference than our parents. Usually we tend to shift back to out parents. Kids began to develop morals, values, and beliefs on their own. Finding a vocation, its starting to shift at what I am good at and what do I want to be when I grow up. Adapting to their physical bodies growth spurts, changing of feet and hands and becoming aware of those changes.

Developing appropriate sex roles this is defined by society. This is what boys do and girls do. If you don’t fit into those roles that is when name calling, and bullying can began. There is a shift of more openness, but society still sets the norm and standards. We will decide how we will operate them or will we deify them.

Next the chapter discussed moral Kohlberg’s theory. Preconventional level of morality is during childhood where we make decisions based on reward or punishment. Conventional, is when you follow the rules of society and religion. Post-Conventional is where we recognize the laws but humanity comes before those laws.  This came in play during civil right area because the laws were wrong. We as librarians are looking for books that meet kids where they are but we are looking also for books that move them incrementally though these difficult stages of development more concrete through abstract.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs explains the types of needs that we have. We must meet the needs that are closest to the bottom in order to move to the next level and reach the top of the pyramid. You must meet student physiological needs of students so that they will be able learn. Students need not to be hungry, tired, feel safe, loved and belonging, high self-esteem, then finally self-actualization. If students didn’t like a book. We need to be able to respect their opinion and ask them why and have a conversation about that. We want to find books that help them meet these needs as well.

Lastly, the chapter discussed developing as readers. Unconscious delight is where we are just becoming engrossed in a book and everything else fades away. These are serial books. It can also be books by a certain author or genre. Reading autobiographically is when we want to read books about people like us. Books that reflect our reality. Our collections in our classroom or library need to reflect diversity. Reading for vicarious experiences, these are the windows of the world that open us to new and different experiences. This includes fiction, and fantasy.

Reading for philosophical speculation are tied back in to Kohlberg and Havighurst. Think about the book the Giver and the questions we have about what is going on in that society. Reading for aesthetic experiences is reading for the sheer beauty of the experience. Reading or crying over the experiences of characters. These are all stages of developing as a life long reader. We need to help students choose books that can move them through all the stages of reader development.

My reflection of this chapter is the importance of young adult literature and its vitality for students becoming life long readers. I made many connections to the previous chapters such as why we share literature with children, divisions of young adult literature, and what is young adult literature. As librarian it is vital that is component of the library be filled with books that keep in mind the development of adolescents. This made me think deeply of the types of books I want to add to my collection that student would need to read.  I particularly made a self to text connection with the part that discuses the development of a reader. I myself has been a reader at all those levels. I believe that had made me an avid life long reader who enjoys and loves reading. That is my goal as a librarian to create life-long readers.

       

LSSL 5385 Textbook Reflection Chapter 5

Chapter 5 What is Young Adult Literature

This chapter was a detailed list of the components of young adult literature. I would like to highlight the top three things that stood out to me as a future school librarian.  First, it uses a point of view which presents an adolescent’s interpretation of the events. I believe that this is the key to what makes YA literature so diverse and unique because it’s written in so many different viewpoints and interpretations. Second, It mirrors concerns over contemporary issues. This is a very important aspect in my opinion the most crucial in developing life long reader in children. Adolescence and puberty is probably the most difficult time for children. Especially in the world of advance technology and social media. Students can find a character in a book that they can identify with and make connections. These books can open difficult dialogues for many of our students with peers, teachers, and parents. Last, it has a main character who reaps the consequences of decisions and actions. These books are so complex and simple in their journey’s throughout the books. Students can learn a deeper purpose and meaning of books. Books offer great enjoyment but it’s the lessons that they teach and the experience that the invoke in the reader.

LSSL 5385 Texbook Reflections Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Genres and Formats

There are only two genres fiction and nonfiction. Everything else falls into sub genres. Classroom library especially in the primary grade will group books together by different categorizes to help young readers find what they are looking for. This may not be the best way to organize for middle and high school. It can be confusing with the trend of libraries gentrifying.
There are two genres fiction and nonfiction. Anything else is a sub genre, category. A format is the way the book is written a style of writing such as poetry, drama, chapter books, short essays, picture books, and graphic novels.  Categories include chick lit, guy reads, and sports fiction.

 Reflecting on the chapter made me think of a few questions As a new librarian should I consider gentrifying my library or stay with the dewy decimal system? Is there any current research that promotes gentrifying the library? I would like to create a flow map that teachers and students can use as a resource guide when visiting the library. I would also like to teach a lesson to older grades about the different categories that might interest them and make those books available to them in one location of the library as a monthly highlight.

LSSL 5385 Texbook Reflection Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Anatomy of a book

This chapter discussed in length the parts of the book that you may not be familiar with.  Most people know the basics the front cover, back cover and the spine.  First are the endpapers, these are the two sheets of paper at the beginning and end of the book. There purpose is to enhance the visual appeal of the book to the reader. Next is the case wrap, if a hard book has a removable jacket this is what is underneath that. Many new books use laminated paper as case wrap. The book block is the main text or body of the book. The gutter of the book is the black space that separates the printing area from the binding. The headband is a small strip of textile used at the top and bottom of the case bound book main purpose is for decoration. It is important to know the anatomy of a book as a professional librarian. It will be our responsibility to pick books the library for our students. We need to be able to examine books to see if they will work well for the ages of the students that we are servicing.

 

 

LSSL 5385 Texbook Reflections Chapter 2

Chapter 2:  Divisions of Young People’s Literature

There are four division of young people’s literature. The first division is children’s literature this is for children 0-8 years old. This type of literature is made up of wordless picture books, picture books, easy readers, illustrated chapter books, early chapter books and easy novels. The second division is Middle Grade/Tween for ages 8-12. This division includes graphic novels. This division can be confused with middle school grades which is 6^th-8^th grade which is age level 11-13. Middle grade books include more mature topics such as romance, LGBQ there is a major difference between the two. The third division is Young Adult which is ages 13-18 targeted towards high school. When suggesting look carefully at the topic and the language of the book. The last division is New Adult which is ages 18-30. These books are mostly about first college experiences and first relationships outside of high school.

I am delighted that this chapter really broke down the difference between middle grade and middle school level books. I personally love young adult literature because I was an advance reader and there are so many wonderful books for this age range. It was also good to learn how to help kids pick out books. We know that kids want to read up. They want to read books where the characters are older than them. It is very important to understand the difference between a 6^th grade appropriate book and an 8^th grade appropriate book.

LSSL 5385 Textbook Reflection Chapter 1

Chapter 1 Why do we share literature with children? 

Sharing literature with children in my opinion is the key component of teaching and learning. When we share literature with children we are supporting imagination, accommodating all different styles of learning, and building background knowledge. When sharing literature, we expose children to art, photographs, vocabulary, social skills, and topics in society.

Reading is fun it allows children to use their imaginations to experience other worlds and places.
When you become a lifetime reader you develop a love for reading. It helps develop language and acquisition of language for ESL/ELL students. Sharing literature with children develops empathy and establishes culture. After reading this chapter I would like to know how much of an impact does sharing literature effect children in the preadolescence years. I would like to read more information targeting the age range of 10-14. I would like to share more information about sharing literature with children through a blog, a class website, and social media. I believe social media is how we will keep books in the hands of children. I would use all platforms of social media such as Twitter, Facebook, Snap Chat, and Instagram.