Children’s Book

Purpose: The purpose of this activity is to give you the opportunity to examine the
kinds of books read to children or read by children and young adolescents and to
consider the implicit and explicit messages they absorb from this literature about the
values their society holds. You should understand the role of context in the growth and
development of children and adolescents and their socialization by family, community,
society, and culture.
Task: You should make an in-depth analysis of five of the children’s books from
the list below. You should analyze three of the books listed for younger children
and two of the books listed for older children. These books are on reserve at King
Library under ChAD 168.
Objectives: Your analysis of these books should include identifying the ways in which
the books implicitly or explicitly communicate society’s values and views regarding the
following concepts. You will need to select four of these values and concepts.
1. Altruism, empathy, or kindness.
2. Personal responsibility for the consequences of one’s actions
3. Display of aggression
4. Resolution of interpersonal conflict (i.e., conflict between people)
5. Maturity demands (autonomy/decision-making) made of children/adolescents
6. Competition versus cooperation
7. Gender socialization/gender roles
8. Culture, cultural roles, or cultural conflict
9. Adult roles and responsibilities towards children/adolescents
10.Stereotypes and prejudice
11.Fear and anxiety
12.Friendship and Loyalty
Book List
These books are on reserve at the SJSU King Library under ChAD 168.
Age Author Title
Young Bunting, Eve One Green Apple
Young Choi, Yangsook The Name Jar
Young Coleman, Evelyn White Socks Only
Young Crimes, Carolyn Don’t Need Friends
Young Henkes, Kevin Wemberly Worried
Young Lovell, Patty Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon
Young Ludwig My Secret Bully
Young McKee, David Elmer and the Stranger
Young Polacco, Patricia The Junkyard Wonders
Young Raina, Queen of Jordan The Sandwich Swap
Young Ross, Tony I Want to Win (A Little Princess Story)
Young Scotto, Thomas Jerome by Heart
Young Woodson, Jacqueline Each Kindness
Young Williams, Vera A Chair for My Mother
Older Applegate, Katherine Wishtree
Older Erskine, Kathryn Mockingbird
Older Kadohata, Cynthnia Kira – Kira
Older Kormon, Gordon Restart
Older O’Brien, Annemarie Lara’s Gift
Older Schmidt, Gary D. The Wednesday Wars
Older Williams- Garcia, Rita One Crazy Summer
Older Woodson, Jacqueline Harbor Me
Technical Aspects of the Paper:
The paper should be double-spaced typed, with one-inch margins and times/times new
roman 12-point font. The paper should be 6 pages in length (excluding the title and
reference page). Spend about half a page on question (a), about 3-4 pages on question
(b) and 1 – 2 pages on question (c). The paper must be organized by the values and
concepts, not by book.
Content of the Paper:
(a) Introduction: Identify the five books you analyzed and the four values/concepts you
selected from the list. Describe why/how you selected the books and why/how you
selected the values.
The 5 books can be used in any order:
Value 1: Book 1 & 2, Value 2: Book 3 & 4, Value 3: Book 1 & 3, Value 4: Book 1 & Book
5.
Common question: Can you use one book for every value? Yes, one book can be used
for every value if you wanted.
Value 1: Book 1 & Book 2, Value 2: Book 1 & Book 3, Value 3: Book 1 & Book 4, Value
4: Book 1 & Book 5
(b) Main Discussion: This section of the paper should be organized by the four
values/concepts not by the books. Compare and contrast how these values/concepts
were dealt with in two or more of the five books you analyzed for each of the four
themes. Do not expect to find evidence of all the themes in each of the books. You
should indicate specific episodes, passages, illustrations, or themes from the books that
reflect how these values/concepts you have selected are treated in the story. Direct
quotes are not necessary (avoid them). Briefly discuss similarities and differences among
the examples you analyzed for each theme. Make sure you address each book at least
once in your examples of the values.
(c) Conclusion: Respond to the following sets of questions:
1) Summarize what you think children are being taught about the world they live in
through these books (e.g., families, communities, society);
2) How do you think a child from a different cultural background would respond to each
of the 5 books (are the concepts, values universal)? How do you think a child from a
disadvantaged background (low income, maltreatment, developmental disability) would
respond to these books (are these concepts, values applicable to everyone’s lives)? Make
sure you address each book individually in your response to this question.
3) Which of these 5 books would you want to read to children in your care and why?
Which ones would you choose not to read to children in your care and why? Make sure
you address all 5 books individually in your response to this question.
4) What book not on this list would you read to a young child in your care – briefly
describe the book (title, author, plot – and say why you would select this book; make
sure you list which of the values listed above it illustrates)?; and
5) Finally, describe how you think that all of these books can affect the values that
children and adolescents have.
For Section B and Section C: questions c2 and c3, be sure to cite and discuss all 5 books
at least once in your response to that question or section