Trends in Children's Literature (LE@D)

A self-paced, web-delivered course offered by LE@D - University of North Texas. You will need an account with WebJunction to register for this course. The WebJunction account is free; the LE@D course costs $40. LE@D's course description follows:

Description:

The best way to get kids to read is by surrounding them with books that are relevant to their interests and that entice them to read. More than 7,000 new juvenile books are published annually. While many older titles remain relevant and popular, teachers, librarians, and reading specialists frequently find it difficult to keep up with new titles and trends in children's literature.

In addition to providing a brief review of the basics of children's literature, this course will examine contemporary books and trends for students in kindergarten through fifth grade. Primary emphasis will be placed on books published since 2000 and strategies for keeping current on new titles published each year.

Objectives

After completing this course, you will be able to:

• explore issues and trends related to contemporary children's literature
• select popular reading materials for children from several genres
• be familiar with contemporary authors who currently write for children
• develop strategies for keeping up with current children's literature
• identify major awards in children's literature
• understand methods for sharing information about new children's books with teachers and other school staff