Childrens Literature: Contemporary Trends In Children's Literature

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Children’s Literature (C269) Task 1 Nora Douglas Student ID 000373362 8/21/2015 A1. Contemporary Trends We live in an ever shifting society. As thus, children’s literature continues to change and evolve. Historically women have suffered from gender inequality. Until 1920 women were not allowed to vote. They did not have much of a voice in our society. In children’s literature of the past women were not given much importance and were not portrayed as heroines in society. Until recently it was next to impossible to find quality books that featured empowered women. Today we have a different story. We have seen a trend in the proliferation of women’s rights and gains. Girls are encouraged to aspire to great things and are not pigeonholed into a few career and life choices. This trend is evident in children’s literature. An example of this can be found in the book Who Says Women Can’t be Doctors? by Tanya Stone. It is the story of Elizabeth Blackwell and her struggle to become the first female doctor in …show more content…

Identification of Awards The Caldecott Medal was first awarded in 1938. It is named after Randolph Caldecott. He was an innovative and influential 19th Century English Illustrator. This medal is awarded every year to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book by the Association for Library Service to Children. Exemplary picture books such as Caldecott Medal winners are visually appealing and convey effective integration of the text and illustrations. The quality illustrations expand on the story and do not merely duplicate the rich language in the story. The NCTE Orbis Pictus Award is named after the Book Orbis Pictus-The World in Pictures. This book was written in 1657 and is widely considered to be the first book written with children in mind. The award which was first given in 1990 promotes and recognizes excellence in the genre of non-fiction for children. The award’s criteria include accuracy, organization, design and

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