What is Children's Literature?

What are its characteristics?

Which of these would you agree it must be or is?

1. Simple and straightforward. Not simplistic or choppy or flat without flow and intrigue.

2. Depends on action to maintain interest. Can there be action without action? Thoughts, other character's actions, external events included in the narration and comment other writing techniques.

3. Has characters that are children. Includes childhood events, actions, happenings. Couldn't maybe happen if there weren't children.

4. Expresses a child’s point of view.

5. Is optimistic. There is always hope, foreshadowing and other elements pick up spirits periodically.

6. Tends toward fantasy and accepts fanciful ideas without major concern of reality. Wishful thinking is common.

7. There is a tone of joy and innocence associated with children, agricultural life, closeness to nature and unquestionably reliable friends.

8. Can have it both ways. Your cake and eat it too. Dangerous world yet nieve innocence children can roam through it. Dangers of the world out there and the comforts of home. Grow up and remain young. Complex yet simple.

9. Is didactic or has some redeaming social qualities that teach children a lesson. A universal theme of home is boring, but it is a better place to be than the dangerous world outside.

10. Includes repetition. Often emphasizes what is important, repetition is a common element of folk tales and oral tradition, as well as for literary purposes by repeating words, phrases, situations, and patterns.

11. Contrasts extremes. The good and the bad. The ideal and the practical, ideal family and the orphan, home and wilderness or deep dark forest with all kinds of evil. Group and family responsibility and concern for yourself.