Exploring Dark Topics, Diversity, and Poetic Style in Children's Literature

Why Dark Topics Matter in Children's Literature

In her article, “How dark is too dark in children’s books?” Rebecca Westcott (2014) argues that:
Children live in families; they are surrounded by adults with all their adult problems. They wake up every morning in homes where there are everyday crises and challenges. They hear their friends talking and they watch the news on TV. Life happens and they are a part of that. Their books need to reflect what they hear, what they see. They need to recognise their situations in a book.
But like adults, children don't just want to read about themselves. Books that address challenging issues can offer opportunities to explore, to ask of yourself: "what would I do?" …books provide children with the chance to empathise. They can play out a role in a safe environment. They can learn about how other people think.
Several of our texts this semester address topics that some may consider “dark,” especially for children. Choose three texts that you think handled a “dark” topic; analyze at least one literary technique the authors and/or illustrators used to make this topic accessible and understandable for the book’s targeted age group. Don’t forget to use specific examples from your chosen texts as part of your analysis.
 
2. Diversity in Children's Literature
 
In their article “Why children’s books that teach diversity are more important than ever,” B.J. Epstein (2017)  argues that “When we see people like ourselves in the media, including in fiction, we get a glimpse of who we might become, and we feel validated. We can gain role models and inspiration through literature.”
 
A few of our texts this semester reflect the diverse world of which we are a part. Choose three texts from our course that you think demonstrated the importance of diverse narratives in children’s literature. What can these books help children understand about life? Why is this important?
 
3. Poetic Effects
 
Discuss the effect of poetic style in three poetic course texts, one of which must be Brown Girl Dreaming. What specific poetic devices are used in these texts, and what are the effects of these devices? What similarities and/or differences do you notice in the effects of these devices across the three different texts?
 
Don’t forget to use specific examples as part of your analysis.
 
4. The Effects of Style
 
Style in writing is not what is said, but how it is said. Comment on how style functions in three of our course texts, with reference to specific stylistic aspects of their language (see Module 9 for a helpful reminder on aspects of style).
How do aspects of style (e.g. sentence length & structure, sound devices, figurative language) contribute to or help to create the theme, mood, setting, or plot of the three texts?
 
To help answer this question, look for similarities and differences in style choices and the effects of those style choices across your three chosen texts. Your thesis should make a statement about how the three texts make use of style in relation to one another.