Event Title

Trending Novels for Children

Presenter Information

Teagan Schmidt, Minnesota State University Mankato

Location

CSU 203

Start Date

16-4-2013 9:00 AM

End Date

16-4-2013 10:00 AM

Student's Major

English

Student's College

Arts and Humanities

Mentor's Name

John Banschbach

Mentor's Department

English

Mentor's College

Arts and Humanities

Description

According to a recent article by Melissa Wilson and Kathy Short, middle-reader novels are seeing a new trend. Instead of the more classic plot of the "home/away/home" pattern, the new trend in children's literature is the children are not being supported by adults (who are behaving more like children) or the child is abandoned, and the child must seek to find or create their own home. This is called the "postmodern metaplot." This trend was seen in a variety of children's novels described by Wilson and Short, novels which received commendation awarded from adults. My study will compare books given awards by children, (specifically the Maud Hart Lovelace award) to see if the books commended follow this "Postmodern" trend or if they follow the more classical structure, and what we can accordingly learn about children's tastes in books.