Introducing Young Children to Poetry
“Owl, what is poetry?” “Oh, poetry! Poetry is bright stars in the branches, moonlight on the grass, and silent wings to take me wherever I go. Goodnight, dear Daniel,” she whispers, and flies off into the night.
Category: Children’s Literature
A Magical Enclosure
The Secret Garden transmits pivotal psychological concepts, influenced by the fairy-tale style. The story’s theme emphasizes the power of positive thinking and unity, contributing to the genre of children’s literature. Burnett utilizes the garden as a symbolic form of magical thinking to give Mary and Colin a rebirth, examining Bettelheim’s concept in the fairy tale’s existential predicament, further exploring how the children’s emotional hardships lead to the empowerment of one another. Read More
Applegate Challenges Humanity
The One and Only Ivan is a work of fiction, but the inspiration for this imagined tale lies in a true story. Ivan spent 27 years of his life alone in a cage. When I started to write about the grim facts of Ivan’s solitary existence, a new tale slowly began to take shape. At least on the page, where anything is possible, I wanted to give Ivan (even while captive behind the walls of his tiny cage) a voice of his own and a story to tell. I wanted to give him someone to protect, and the chance to be the mighty silverback he was always meant to be. ~Katherine Applegate