zhuān wéi shàonián '
ér tóng chuàng zuò de wén xué zuò pǐn。
ér tóng wén xué tè bié yào qiú tōng sú yì dǒng，
shēng dòng huó pō。
bù dàn yào qiú zuò pǐn de zhù tí míng què tū chū，
xíng xiàng jù tǐ xiān míng，
jié gòu dān chún，
yǔ yán qiǎn xiǎn jīng liàn，
qíng jié yòu qù，
xiǎng xiàng fēng fù，
hái yào shǐ qí nèi róng、
xíng shì jí biǎo xiàn shǒu fǎ dū jìn kě néng shì hé yú shàonián '
ér tóng de shēng lǐ xīn lǐ tè diǎn，
wèitā men suǒ xǐ wén lè jiàn。
àn bù tóng nián líng jiē duàn de dú zhě duì xiàng，
ér tóng wén xué yòu fēn wéi yīng '
ér wén xué、
yòu nián wén xué、
tóng nián wén xué shàonián wén xué，
tǐ cái yòu '
ér gē、
ér tóng shī、
tóng huà、
yù yán、
ér tóng gù shì、
ér tóng xiǎo shuō、
ér tóng sǎnwén、
ér tóng qǔyì、
ér tóng xì jù、
ér tóng yǐng shì hé '
ér tóng kē xué wén yì děng。
piān yú wén xué，
shì hé 9
zhì 99
suì yuè dú，
lǎoshào jūn kě pǐn wèi。
ér tóng wén xué shì gè bǐ jiào nián qīng de wén xué mén lèi， 17
shì jì mò、 18
shì jì chū shì qí méng fā qī，
cǐ qián zhù yào shì kǒu tóu chuàng zuò hé chéng rén wén xué zhōng wéi hái zǐ suǒ xǐ '
ài bìng néng bù fēn jiē shòu de zuò pǐn，
rú《
wǔ juàn shū》、《
yī qiān líng yī yè》
děng。 18
shì jì zhōng yè，
ér tóng wén xué yòu liǎo jìn yī bù fā zhǎn，
zuì yòu dài biǎo xìng de zuò pǐn shì ràng ·
yǎ kè ·
lú suō de '
ér tóng zhuànjì xìng xiǎo shuō《
ài mí '
ěr》。 19
shì jì dān mài '
ān tú shēng děng tóng huà wèn shì，
biāo zhì zhe shì jiè '
ér tóng wén xué jìn rù dì yī gè fán róng qī。 20
shì jì yīng、
sū、
měi、
fǎ、
yì、
ruì diǎn děng guó jiā dà liàng yōu xiù zuò pǐn de yǒng xiàn，
zé biāo zhì zhe shì jiè '
ér tóng wén xué jìn rù dì '
èr gè fán róng qī。
zhōng guó yóu yú jǐ qiān nián de fēng jiàn tǒng zhì，
ér tóng jí '
ér tóng jiào yù wèn tí cháng qī bù shòu zhòng shì，
gù '
ér tóng wén xué chū xiàn jiào chí。
yòu shǐ kě kǎo de zhuān wéi hái zǐ men chuàng zuò de '
ér tóng shī、
ér tóng xiǎo shuō、
ér tóng xì jù děng zhí dào wǎn qīng cái kāi shǐ lù xù wèn shì。
ér tóng wén xué chéng wéi yī gè dú lì de wén xué mén lèi zé shǐ yú 20
shì jì chū、
wǔ sì xīn wén huà yùn dòng zhī hòu。
zhōng guó xiàn dài '
ér tóng wén xué de diàn jī zhī zuò shì yè shèng táo chuàng zuò、
fā biǎo yú 20
nián dài chū de tóng huà《
dào cǎo rén》
hé shāo wǎn jǐ nián wèn shì de bīng xīn de shū xìn tǐ '
ér tóng sǎnwén《
jì xiǎo dú zhě》。 30
nián dài '
ér tóng wén xué de dài biǎo zuò jiā shì zhāng tiān yì，
tā de cháng piān tóng huà《
dà lín hé xiǎo lín》
shì zhōng guó '
ér tóng wén xué de jié zuò。 40
nián dài chuàng zuò chéng jiù tū chū de yòu chén bó chuī、
hè yí、
yán wén jǐng、
jīn jìn děng，
tā men de chuàng zuò huó dòng duō shǐ yú 20、 30
nián dài，
dài biǎo zuōfēn bié wéi《
ā lì sī xiǎo jiě》（
chén bó chuī）、《
yě xiǎo guǐ》（
hè yí）、《
sì jì de fēng》（
yán wén jǐng）、《
hóng guǐ liǎn ké》（
jīn jìn）。
zhōng huá rén mín gòng hé guó jiàn lì hòu de '
ér tóng wén xué chēng zhōng guó dāng dài '
ér tóng wén xué。 1949
～ 1966
nián wéi dì yī gè huáng jīn shí dài，
xīn lǎo zuò jiā jiā zuò dié chū，
rú zhāng tiān yì de xiǎo shuō《
luó wén yìng de gù shì》
hé tóng huà《
bǎo hú lú de mì mì》，
bīng xīn de xiǎo shuō《
xiǎo jú dēng》，
gǎo xiàng zhēn de xiǎo shuō《
xiǎo pàng hé xiǎo sōng》，
xú guāng yào de xiǎo shuō《
xiǎo bīng zhāng gā》，
yán wén jǐng de tóng huà《
táng xiǎo xī zài “ xià cì kāi chuán gǎng ”》，
hè yí de tóng huà《
xiǎo gōng jī lì xiǎn jì》，
chén bó chuī de tóng huà《
yī zhǐ xiǎng fēi de māo》，
jīn jìn de tóng huà《
hú lí dǎ liè rén de gù shì》，
hóng xùn tāo de tóng huà《
shén bǐ mǎ liáng》，
sūn yòu jūn de tóng huà《
xiǎo bù tóu qí yù jì》，
gé cuì lín de tóng huà《
yě pú táo》，
ruǎn zhāng jìng de tóng huà《
jīn sè de hǎi luó》，
kē yán de '
ér tóng shī《
xiǎo bīng de gù shì》
děng。
wén huà dà gé mìng 10
nián zhōng，
ér tóng wén xué yuán dì bèi shòu cuī cán，
chéng xiàn yī piàn diāo líng jǐng xiàng。 1976
nián 10
yuè zhī hòu，
zhōng guó '
ér tóng wén xué jìn rù yòu yī gè huáng jīn shí dài，
chēng zhōng guó xīn shí qī '
ér tóng wén xué。
zhì 1992
nián de 16
nián zhōng，
chuàng zuò de shù liàng hé zhì liàng yuǎn yuǎn chāo guò liǎo zhōng huá rén mín gòng hé guó jiàn lì hòu de 17
nián，
gè gè nián líng jiē duàn dú zhě de gè zhǒng tǐ cái '
ér tóng wén xué jiā zuò dà liàng yǒng xiàn，
bǐ jiào tū chū de yòu zhèng yuān jié、
sūn yòu jūn、
zhōu ruì děng de tóng huà，
cáo wén xuān、
zhāng zhī lù、
shěn shí xī děng de '
ér tóng xiǎo shuō，
jīn bō、
shèng yě děng de '
ér tóng shī，
guō fēng、
wú rán děng de '
ér tóng sǎnwén，
zhèng wén guāng、
yè yǒng liè děng de '
ér tóng kē xué wén yì zuò pǐn děng。
gōng shàonián '
ér tóng yuè dú de wén xué zuò pǐn de zǒng chēng。
bāo kuò tóng huà、
yù yán、
shī gē、
xì jù、
xiǎo shuō、
kē xué huàn xiǎng gù shì、
lì shǐ gù shì děng duō zhǒng xíng shì。
nèi róng hé xíng shì jūn shì hé bù tóng nián líng de shàonián '
ér tóng de tè diǎn。
yào qiú jiē jìn '
ér tóng xīn lǐ，
chōng mǎn zhì huì hé huàn xiǎng，
fù yú sī xiǎng xìng、
zhī shí xìng、
gù shì xìng hé qù wèi xìng，
yòu yì yú xiàng shàonián '
ér tóng jìn xíng sī xiǎng jiào yù hé zhī shí jiào yù。
ér tóng wén xué cháng yǐ shàonián '
ér tóng wéi miáo xiě duì xiàng，
dàn yě kě yǐ xiě chéng rén。
ér tóng wén xué de xiě zuò yòu wǔ fāng miàn de yào qiú“ 1、
jiào yù xìng。
ér tóng wén xué yǔ chéng rén wén xué yòu hěn dà de bù tóng，
jí tā duì jiào yù xìng tè bié qiáng diào。
ér tóng de kě sù xìng hěn dà，
gǔ rén céng yòng sù sī lái zuò pì yù，
shuō tā：“
rǎn yú cāng zé cāng，
rǎn yú huáng zé huáng”。
yóu yú '
ér tóng de nián líng tè zhēng，
shǐ qí yì shòu zhōu wéi huán jìng de yǐng xiǎng，
suǒ yǐ '
ér tóng wén xué tè bié zhù yì jiào yù xìng。 2、
xíng xiàng xìng。
chōu xiàng de shuō jiào shì '
ér tóng bù róng yì yě bù lè yì jiē shòu de。
duì '
ér tóng jìn xíng jiào yù yào jiè zhù gè zhǒng gè yàng de shēng dòng xíng xiàng；
ér tóng nián líng yuè xiǎo，
yuè yǐ lài yú xíng xiàng huà de shǒu duàn。
ér tóng xiǎo shuō yào qiú hé xì jù yī yàng fù yú dòng zuò xìng，
gèng duō de yǐ dòng zuò lái biǎo xiàn rén wù de xìng gé hé xīn lǐ huó dòng。
ér tóng shī xū yào gèng duō de“
bǐ”、“
xīng”，
yǐ jiā qiáng xíng xiàng xìng。
ér tóng wén xué zuò pǐn de yǔ yán yào yòu shēng yòu sè，
wěi wěi dòng tīng。
ér tóng wén xué yìng diào dòng yī qiē yì shù shǒu duàn，
chuàng zào chū qiān zī bǎi tài de yì shù xíng xiàng lái。 3、
qù wèi xìng。
ér tóng zhī shí、
shēng huó jīng yàn bù fēng fù，
lǐ jiě lì bó ruò，
duì nà xiē fù zá de zhěng lǐ bù yì lǐ jiě，
duì chéng rén de shēng huó jīng yàn hé mǒu xiē sī xiǎng gǎn qíng yě nán yǐ tǐ huì。
tā men duì yú zì jǐ méi yòu xīng qù de nèi róng jiù bù xǐ huān kàn，
shèn zhì bù kàn。
yōu xiù de '
ér tóng wén xué zuò pǐn，
jiù shì zài qīng sōng yú kuài dì shuō xiào zhōng，
zài yòu qù de gù shì qíng jié zhōng，
qián yí mò huà dì gěi hái zǐ men jiǎng shù yī gè shēn kè de dào lǐ huò zuò yī xiē yòu yì de qǐ shì。 4、
gù shì xìng。
ér tóng wén xué de gù shì qíng jié，
yào qiú jié gòu dān chún，
qíng jié jǐn còu、
shēng dòng。
qiáng diào gù shì xìng，
bìng bù shì dān chún zhuī qiú qíng jié lí qí，
bù cóng shēng huó chū fā，
bù xiě rén，
zhǐ xiě shì。
ér tóng wén xué zhù yào shì xiě rén，
kè huà rén wù de xìng gé、
xīn lǐ、
sī xiǎng。
tā de zhù rén gōng bù yī dìng dōushì rén，
yě kě yǐ shǐ qí tā dòng wù、
zhí wù，
shèn zhì wú shēng wù。
zhè xiē zài zuò pǐn zhōng dōushì rén gé huà liǎo de。
bù lùn xiě rén hái shì xiě qí tā dōng xī，
tā men de sī xiǎng、
xìng gé dōuyào zhuózhòng jiè zhù gù shì qíng jié biǎo xiàn chū lái，
bù yí duō yòng jìng zhǐ de rǒng cháng de huán jìng miáo xiě hé xīn lǐ miáo xiě。 5、
zhī shí xìng。
ér tóng wén xué zuò pǐn zhōng yìng qiǎo miào dì chuān chā yī xiē zhī shí xìng de dōng xī，
yǐ zēng jiā zuò pǐn de yì shù mèi lì，
mǎn zú shàonián '
ér tóng de hàoqí xīn hé qiú zhī yù。
ér tóng wén xué yìng wéi '
ér tóng suǒ xǐ '
ài，
duì '
ér tóng yòu yì。
jì yào zuò dào shì hé '
ér tóng de qíng qù yì wéi '
ér tóng suǒ jiē shòu，
yòu yào yòu zhù yú '
ér tóng de chéngzhǎng。
cóng '
ér tóng wén xué de yán jiū de jiǎo dù kàn，
tíng liú zài“
jiào yù”
de jiǎo dù lái tán lùn '
ér tóng wén xué xiǎn rán shì hěn bù gòu de。
rú guǒ bù zhuā zhù“
shěn měi”
de jiǎo dù，
rú guǒ bù shēn rù“
yì shù”
de táng '
ào，
nà me '
ér tóng wén xué yǔ yī bān de sī xiǎng jiào yù、
zhī shí jiào yù děng yòu yòu shénme qū bié ní
xiàn dài yì yì shàng de '
ér tóng wén xué zhèng shì xiàn dài shè huì wéi mǎn zú '
ér tóng de dú tè jīng shén xū yào hé chéngzhǎng xū yào '
ér zhuān wéi '
ér tóng chuàng zuò hé tí gōng de tè shū wén xué pǐn zhǒng
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve and is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes exclude young-adult fiction, comic books, or other genres. Books specifically for children existed by the 17th century. Scholarship on children's literature includes professional organizations, dedicated publications and university courses.
Defining children's literature
There is some debate on what constitutes children's literature.
Books written by children
A much-overlooked type of children's literature is work written by children and young teens, such as The Young Visiters by Daisy Ashford (aged nine) or the juvenilia of Jane Austen, written to amuse brothers and sisters. Anne Frank wrote a novel and many short stories in addition to her diary. Barbara Newhall Follett wrote four books, beginning with a novel called The House Without Windows at the age of nine; when the manuscript was destroyed in a fire, she rewrote it from memory. Dorothy Straight's How the World Began and S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders are more recent examples.
Books written for children
Perhaps the most common definition of children's literature is those books intentionally written for children. Nancy Anderson, associate professor in the College of Education at the University of South Florida in Tampa,[1] defines children's literature as all books written for children, "excluding works such as comic books, joke books, cartoon books, and nonfiction works that are not intended to be read from front to back, such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other reference material".[2] Some of this work is also very popular among adults. J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series was originally written and marketed for children, but it was so popular among children and adults that The New York Times created a separate bestseller list. Often no consensus is reached whether a given work is best categorized as adult or children's literature, and many books are marketed for both adults and children.
Books chosen for children
The most restrictive definition of children's literature are those books various authorities determine are "appropriate" for children, such as teachers, reviewers, scholars, parents, publishers, librarians, retailers, and the various book-award committees.
Parents wishing to protect their children from the unhappier aspects of life often find the traditional fairy tales, nursery rhymes and other voyages of discovery problematic, because often the first thing a story does is remove the adult influence, leaving the central character to learn to cope on his or her own: prominent examples of this include Snow White, Hansel and Gretel, Bambi and A Series of Unfortunate Events. Many regard this as necessary to the story; after all, in most cases the whole point of the story is the characters' transition into adulthood.
Books chosen by children
Huckleberry Finn
The broadest definition of children's literature applies to books that are actually selected and read by children. Children choose many books, such as comics, which some would not consider to be literature at all in the traditional sense; they also choose literary classics and recognized great works by modern writers, and often enjoy stories which speak on multiple levels. In the opinion of novelist Orson Scott Card, "one can make a good case for the idea that children are often the guardians of the truly great literature of the world, for in their love of story and unconcern for stylistic fads and literary tricks, children unerringly gravitate toward truth and power." [3] Someone who enjoyed Alice's Adventures in Wonderland as a child may come back to the text as an adult and see the darker themes that were lost on them as younger readers.
In addition, many classic books that were originally intended for adults are now commonly thought of as works for children. Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was originally intended for an adult audience.[4] Today it is widely read as a part of children's school curriculum in the United States.
Types of children's literature
Children's literature can be divided in many ways.
Children's literature by genres
A literary genre is a category of literary composition. Genres may be determined by technique, tone, content, or length. Nancy Anderson, associate professor in the College of Education at the University of South Florida in Tampa,[1] has delineated six major categories of children's literature, with some significant subgenres:[5]
1. Picture books, including board books, concept books (teaching an alphabet or counting), pattern books, and wordless books
2. Traditional literature: there are ten characteristics of traditional literature: (1) unknown authorship, (2) conventional introductions and conclusions, (3) vague settings, (4) stereotyped characters, (5) anthropomorphism, (6) cause and effect, (7) happy ending for the hero, (8) magic accepted as normal, (9) brief stories with simple and direct plots, and (10) repetition of action and verbal patterns.[6] The bulk of traditional Literature consists of folktales, which conveys the legends, customs, superstitions, and beliefs of people in past times. This large genre can be further broken down into subgenres: myths, fables, ballads, folk music, legends, and fairy tales.[7]
3. Fiction, including the sub-genres of fantasy and realistic fiction (both contemporary and historical). This genre would also include the school story, a genre unique to children's literature in which the boarding school is a common setting.
4. Non-fiction
5. Biography, including autobiography
6. Poetry and verse.
Children's literature by age category
Children's literature is an age category opposite adult literature, but it is sub-divided further due to the divergent interests of children age 0–18.
* Picture books appropriate for pre-readers ages 0–5. Caldecott Medal winners often (but not always) fall within this category.
* Early Reader Books appropriate for children age 5–7. These books are often designed to help a child build his or her reading skills.
* Chapter book appropriate for children ages 7–11.
o Short chapter books, appropriate for children ages 7–9.
o Longer chapter books, appropriate for children ages 9–12. Newbery Medal winners often (but not always) fall within this category.
* Young-adult fiction appropriate for children age 13–18.
The criteria for these divisions are just as vague and problematic as the criteria for defining children's books as a whole. One obvious distinction is that books for younger children tend to contain illustrations, but picture books which feature art as an integral part of the overall work also crosses genres and age levels. Tibet: Through the Red Box by Peter Sis is a one example of a picture book aimed at an adult audience.
Series
Book series are not unique to children's literature. Series are also very popular in science fiction and crime fiction. Sometimes the success of a book for children prompts the author to continue the story in a sequel or to launch a series, such as L. Frank Baum's Wizard of Oz. Sometimes works are originally conceived as series, such as the Harry Potter books. Enid Blyton and R. L. Stine have specialized in open-ended series. Sometimes a series will outlive its author. When Baum died, his publisher hired Ruth Plumly Thompson to write more Oz books. The Nancy Drew series and others were written by several authors using the same pen name.
Illustrations
Children's books are often illustrated, sometimes lavishly, in a way that is rarely used for adult literature except in the illustrated novel genre popular especially in Japan, Korea and France. Generally, the artwork plays a greater role in books intended for the youngest readers (especially pre-literate children). Children's picture books can be a cognitively accessible source of high quality art for young children.
Many authors work with a preferred artist who illustrates their words; others create books together, and some illustrators write their own books. Even after children attain sufficient levels of literacy to enjoy the story without illustrations, they continue to appreciate the occasional drawings found in chapter books.
History
Because of the difficulty in defining children's literature, it is also difficult to trace its history to a precise starting point.
15th Century
Some stories popular among children were written in the 15th Century. Thomas Malory's Morte d'Arthur (1486) and the tales of Robin Hood (c. 1450) were not written with children in mind, but children have been fascinated by these stories for centuries.
17th Century
In 1658 Jan Ámos Komenský published the illustrated informational book Orbis Pictus in Bohemia. It is considered to be the first picture book published specifically for children. Also during this time, Charles Perrault (1628–1703) laid the foundations of the fairy tale in France. His stories include Little Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, Puss in Boots, and Cinderella.
18th Century
In 1744, John Newbery published A Little Pretty Pocket-Book in England. He sold it with a ball for boys or a pincushion for girls. It is considered a landmark for the beginning of pleasure reading marketed specifically to children. Previous to Newbery, literature marketed for children was intended to instruct the young, though there was a rich oral tradition of storytelling for children and adults. By the publication of William Blake's Songs of Innocence in 1789, books written specifically for the use of children outside of school had become, according to F.J. Harvey Darton, "a clear but subordinate branch of English literature." [8] Popular examples of this growing branch included Thomas Day's The History of Sandford and Merton (1783-9) - which embodies many of the educational and philosophical tenets espoused by Jean-Jacques Rousseau - and Maria and Richard Lovell Edgeworth's Practical Education: The History of Harry and Lucy (1780), which urged children to teach themselves.[9]
19th Century
Wilhelm (left) and Jakob Grimm (right) from an 1855 painting by Elisabeth Jerichau-Baumann
In the early 19th century, the Brothers Grimm; Jakob and Wilhem were responsible for the writing down and preserving of oral traditions In Germany such as Snow White, Rapunzel, and Hansel and Gretel (1812).
Between 1835 and 1848, Hans Christian Andersen (1805–1875) of Denmark published his beloved fairy tales: The Little Mermaid (1836), The Emperor's New Clothes (1837), The Ugly Duckling (1844), The Snow Queen (1845) and others. During Andersen's lifetime he was feted by royalty and acclaimed for having brought joy to children across Europe. His fairy tales have been translated into over 150 languages and continue to be published in millions of copies all over the world and inspired many other works.[10] The emperor's new clothes and the ugly duckling are phrases which have both passed into the English language as well-known expressions.
In 1865, Lewis Carroll (1832–1898) published Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in England. The tale plays with logic in ways that have given the story lasting popularity to adults as well as children. It is considered to be one of the most characteristic examples of the genre of literary nonsense, and its narrative course and structure has been enormously influential, mainly in the fantasy genre.
In 1880, Johanna Spyri (1827–1901) published Heidi (1880) in Switzerland. The subtitle declared that it is a book "for children and those who love children". Joel Chandler Harris (1845–1908) wrote folk stories featuring animal characters speaking African-American dialect.
In 1883, Carlo Collodi wrote his puppet story, The Adventures of Pinocchio as a first Italian fantasy novel for the children of Italy.
In 1883, Robert Louis Stevenson wrote the classic pirate adventure novel Treasure Island. Traditionally considered a coming-of-age story, it is an adventure tale known for its atmosphere, character and action, and also a wry commentary on the ambiguity of morality—as seen in Long John Silver. It is one of the most frequently dramatised of all novels, and its influence on popular perception of pirates is vast.
In 1894, Rudyard Kipling published The Jungle Book, a collection of stories about a boy who lives in the jungle with animals, that has been made into a series of animated and live-action film adaptations.
20th Century
In 1900, L. Frank Baum (1856–1919) published The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in the United States. It been constantly in print since, in many versions. It was the subject of a stage play in 1902 and a film in 1939. It is one of the best-known stories in American culture and is translated into 40 languages. Its success led Baum to write thirteen sequels, and for other authors to continue the series for decades.
In 1902, Beatrix Potter published The Tale of Peter Rabbit, that follows Peter Rabbit, a mischievous and disobedient young rabbit, as he ventures into the garden of Mr. McGregor. The book has generated considerable merchandise over the decades since its release with toys, dishes, foods, clothing, videos and other products made available. Potter was one of the first to be responsible for such merchandise when she patented a Peter Rabbit doll in 1903.
In 1908, Kenneth Grahame wrote The Wind in the Willows from his retired position as secretary of the Bank of England. He moved to the country, where he spent his time in the River Thames doing much as the animal characters in his book do; namely, as one of the most famous phrases from the book says, "simply messing about in boats" for his son.
Peter and Wendy
In 1911, J.M Barrie (1860–1937) published Peter and Wendy where Peter Pan, one of the most famous characters in children's literature, magically refuses to grow up and spends his never-ending childhood in the small island called Neverland.
A. A. Milne (1882–1956) wrote children's poems and a series of stories about the bear Winnie the Pooh and his friends in the woods (later made into Disney cartoons).
In 1933, Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867–1957) published the first installment of the Little House on the Prairie series in the United States based on her childhood in a Western-pioneering family. The books have remained continuously in print since their initial publication and are considered classics of American children's literature. Several of them were named Newbery Honor books. They remain widely read. The books were also adapted into a long running, popular American television series, Little House on the Prairie.
In 1950, C. S. Lewis (1898–1963) published the first of installment of his Chronicles of Narnia series in the UK. The Chronicles of Narnia has sold over 120 million copies in 41 languages, and has been adapted several times, complete or in part, for radio, television, stage, and cinema. In addition to numerous traditional Christian themes, the series borrows characters and ideas from Greek and Roman mythology, as well as from traditional British and Irish fairy tales.
Dr. Seuss (1904–1991) captivated generations of children with his many books of colorful illustrated characters concocting imaginative fantasies in rhymes.
Roald Dahl (1916–1990) rose to prominence in the 1940s, and his children's fantasy novels are renowned for their unexpected endings, and often unsentimental, very dark humour. Many of his works, such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, were inspired from experiences from his boyhood.
In 1997, J. K. Rowling (born 1965) published the first installment of her Harry Potter series in the UK. Her books have sold more than 400 million copies worldwide; they are translated into more than 63 languages and she has become one of the wealthiest women in the world – a publishing phenomenon.
21st Century
In 2001, Eoin Colfer (born 1965) published the first installment of his Artemis Fowl series in Ireland. In 2008, titles from the series spent six weeks at number one and helped the Penguin Group post record profits in a tough economy.[11]
Scholarship
In recent years, scholarship in children's literature has gained in respectability. There are an increasing number of literary criticism analyses in the field of children's literature criticism. Additionally, there are a number of scholarly associations in the field, including the Children's Literature Association, the International Research Society for Children's Literature, the Library Association Youth Libraries Group, the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators the Irish Society for the Study of Children's Literature, IBBY Canada and Centre for International Research in Childhood: Literature, Culture, Media (CIRCL), National Centre for Research in Children's Literature,and Children’s Culture Research Institute,at ZJNU, China
Multidisciplinary scholarship has examined gender and culture within children's literatures.
Courses on children's literature are often required in initial and advanced (early childhood/elementary) teacher training in the United States.
Awards
Some noted awards for children's literature are:
* Australia: the Children's Book Council of Australia runs a number of annual CBCA book awards
* Canada: the Governor General's Literary Award for Children's Literature and Illustration (English and French). A number of the provinces' school boards and library associations also run popular "children's choice" awards where candidate books are read and championed by individual schools and classrooms. These include the Blue Spruce (grades K-2) Silver Birch Express (grades 3–4), Silver Birch (grades 5–6) Red Maple (grades 7–8) and White Pine (High School) in Ontario. Programs in other provinces include The Red Cedar and Stellar Awards in B.C., the Willow Awards in Saskatchewan, and the Manitoba Young Readers Choice Awards. IBBY Canada offers a number of annual awards.
* The Philippines: The Carlos Palanca Memorial Award for Literature for Short Story for Children in English and Filipino Language (Maikling Kathang Pambata) since 1989 and Children's Poetry in English and Filipino Language since 2009. The Pilar Perez Medallion for Young Adult Literature (2001 and 2002). The major awards are given by the Philippine Board on Books for Young People. They include the PBBY-Salanga Writer's Prize for excellence in writing and the PBBY-Alcala Illustrator's Prize for excellence in illustration. The Ceres Alabado Award for Outstanding Contribution in Children's Literature; the Gintong Aklat Award (Golden Book Award); The Gawad Komisyon para sa Kuwentong Pambata (Commission Award for Children's Literature in Filipino) and the National Book Award (given by the Manila Critics' Circle) for Outstanding Production in Children's Books and Young Adult Literature.
* United States: the major awards are given by the American Library Association Association for Library Service to Children. They include the Newbery Medal for writing, Michael L. Printz Award for writing for teens, Caldecott Medal for illustration, Golden Kite Award in various categories from the SCBWI, Sibert Medal for informational, Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for beginning readers, Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal for impact over time, Batchelder Award for works in translation, Coretta Scott King Award for work by an African-American writer, and the Belpre Medal for work by a Latino writer. Other notable awards are the National Book Award for Young People's Literature and the Orbis Pictus Award for excellence in the writing of nonfiction for children.
* United Kingdom and Commonwealth: the Carnegie Medal for writing and the Kate Greenaway Medal for illustration; the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize; and the Guardian Award.
* Internationally: the Hans Christian Andersen Award, the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award and the Ilustrarte Bienale for children's book illustration (Barreiro, Portugal).
* Online: the Cybils Awards, or Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards, are the first major series of book awards given by children's and young adult book bloggers.