ENGL 112A: You Go, Girl!—On Girls and Children's Lit: November 2019

Your culminating assignment this semester is in two parts. Part 1 is an annotated book list, while Part 2 is your book list visually translated into an infographic.

Part 1-

As we have discussed this semester, the canon of children’s literature often fails embrace a broad spectrum of today’s young readers, including girls. While this is beginning to change, an education in purely canonical literature can still exclude a significant portion of kids. Your final project will address this issue.

1. Choose one reading group you would like to target:

Picture Books: Ages 0-5—Designed for pre-readers with a heavy emphasize on developing identification skills (e.g. letters, numbers, colors, shapes)
Early Readers: Ages 5-7—Scaffolded for young readers at various levels of literacy (e.g. Level 1, 2)
Chapter Books: Ages 7-12—Designed for intermediate readers; heavy emphasis on storytelling through prose, though illustrations may be present
Middle Grade: Ages 12-14—Fairly new designation; primarily targeted toward 6th -8th grade readers

2. Design a reading list comprised of ten books (five canonical tittles AND five newer, more inclusive, titles) that can be thematically tied.* Ideally, the theme should pertain to girls, but you are free to choose whatever focus you like. Also, you may choose up to two books from our readings this semester.
3. Write a one-paragraph overview explaining the theme behind your reading list. For example, what is your goal and how do these books help you achieve it?

4. Organize your books in an MLA Style works cited page.
5. Briefly annotate each book’s citation. For each entry, include a very brief summary, as well as the function it serves in the overall theme of your reading list.

*In some cases, a book can be both canonical AND contemporary.

Example:

Savage, Landon. The New Chair. New York: Scholastic, 2015. Print.

Landon Savage’s middle grade book, The New Chair, is about Steven, an active ten-year-old soccer player. One day, while playing with his friends, Steven falls from a tree and breaks his back. The ensuing story deals with him coming to terms with the loss of the use of his legs. It is a heartwarming story about acceptance and perseverance. As one of my goals with my book list is to help kids become less afraid of those with disabilities, this book can help to demystify people in wheelchairs. Additionally, the vocabulary is a bit higher than my other choices, so I hope it will challenge my students.

Part 2-

For second part, you will translate your reading list into an infographic. This infographic will highlight five of your books as a sort of visual reference guide. Include ten titles (2-3 canonical titles, 2-3 new titles) in your design.

Infographics are most easily utilized in PowerPoint (or a comparable program). Additionally, if you are experienced in it, you may also utilize Photoshop. This assignment must be delivered via email.

A well-executed infographic will:

Have a title that illustrates the theme
Have a subheading that articulates the goal(s) of your reading list—important
Utilize a design that enhances your theme
Highlight no less than five relevant titles, both canonical and current

Here is a SAMPLE of the assignment, but feel free to explore different creative avenues.

Due:

Week 14: Wed 11.20 - BOOK LIST AND/OR INFOGRAPHIC (DRAFT 1; BRING 1-2 HARD COPIES OR AN ELECTRONIC VERSION)

Week 16: Wed 12.4 - BOOK LIST AND/OR INFOGRAPHIC (DRAFT 2; BRING 1-2 HARD COPIES OR AN ELECTRONIC VERSION)

Week 17: Thu 12.12 - FINAL BOOK PROJECT—EMAIL BY 6 PM

ENGL 112A: You Go, Girl!—On Girls and Children's Lit

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Week 14: Mon 11.18/Wed 11.20

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Final Book Project