Maslow was concerned with the development of identity and humanness. He believed that human needs form a hierarchy, from basic physiological demands to the need for self-actualization. Lower level needs must be reasonably well satisfied before the individual will attend higher levels. For example, a hungry child will probably not develop much intellectual curiosity.

The Hierarchy of Needs

1) Physiological,
2) Safety,
3) Belongingness and love,
4) Esteem, and
5) Self-actualization, as well as cognitive (need to know) and aesthetic needs (need for beauty).

These needs can be found as themes in literature.

Physiological and Safety: physical security begins in mother's and father's arms, includes eating and sleeping and expands to what individuals need for comfort and well-being. Material possessions and physical setting can include symbols of security. Stories that tell of people with enough food and clothing. Tales of brightly burning fires, feasts, rich clothes, glittering jewels, and splendid palaces. The lack of security is one of peoples most pressing needs, very often it is central to the plot, motive for acting, or the theme of the story. Robinhood, Cinderella, Sounder,

Need to be loved: all human beings want to love and to be loved. In literature this need may also be met by animal substitutes or material possessions. Devotion to people, animals, grandparents, parents, children, or material possessions.

I'll Get There, It Better Be Worth the Trip, John Donovans (1969), Davy's devotes his attention to his dog, Fred, after his grandmother's death.
Rainy Day Together; Ellen Parson (1971),
The Hundred Penny Box, Sharon Bell Mathis (1975),
Onion John; Joseph Krumgold,
Summer of the Swans, Betsy Byars (1970),
The Incredible Journey, Sheila Burnfords (1961),
Little Women, Louisa May Alcott,
Travelers by night, Vivien Alcoc, steal an aging elephant to save from slaughterhouse
Like Jake and me, Mavis Juke, theme of love and understanding between a boy and stepfather
Ramona, Beverly Cleary, Traces of father
Where the Red Fern Grows, One dies because can not live without the other's love
The Giving Tree
Corderoy
Alexander and the Very Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day
The Velveteen Rabbit

Need to belong: to be part of a group, For young children this starts as an egocentric desire or part of self-love. Children say with pride MY mama, papa, brother. Stories about family, neighborhood, community, school, Beverly Cleary for the middle grades. When a child wishes they could know the characters, help them or be with them they are widening their sense of belonging and strengthening the acceptance of minority groups.

John Tunis sports stories for the preadolescent and teenager makes young readers face fully the extra difficulties that beset youngsters of minority groups in winning a place on the team or community
The Soul Brothers and Sister, Kristin Hunte, a group of black adolescents face prejudice toward and within themselves
Little Navajo Bluebird, not winning acceptance but in rejecting whites and all their ways and only accepts tribal group

Need to achieve competence: begins with the infants exploration of talking, crawling, walking, and continues to the athlete, mathematician, artist, musician, or scientist. Need to interact effectively with the environment is a very strong motivating force. The important factor of book heroes is the unique feats they performed on their own. Found in the study by Mary J. Collier and Eugene L. Gaier "The hero in the preferred childhood stories of college men",

Hansel and Gretal
Tom Sawyer
White Mountains Trilogy,
A Wrinkle in Time, Meg
Carry on Mr. Bowditch, Jean Latham
Most biographies
Call it Courage, Armstrong Sperry
How to Survive Third Grade, Laurie Lawlor
Swiss Family Robinson,
Mine for keeps, Jean Little a cerebral palsy child comes home from five years in a residential school feelings of fear and self-pity, adjusts when helping another child
Blood brothers, Charles Drew a black ghetto child, who despite discrimination persist in his pursuit of a medical career and becomes a pioneer in blood research
Ramona books
Wizard of Oz,
Bridge to Terabithia,
Island of the blue dolphins, Scott O'Dell
Sign of the beaver,
Courage of Sara Noble,
Little Engine that Could

Need to know: child's constant curiosity and why questions. Need to investigate, to know for sure, a hunger for knowledge.

All non fiction books:
Miss Nelson is missing,
Curious George,

Need for beauty and order: music, dance, drama, story, painting, sculpture. The child seeks aesthetic satisfaction and the development of ones tastes by enjoying one piece of literature after another.

Shirley Glubok's books about art in various cultures: The Art of Ancient Egypt, The Art of the North American Indian, The Art of Ancient Mexico
Looking at Art, Alice Elizabeth Chase: discusses ways artist look at people, landscapes, or spatial relationships
All I See, Cynthia Rylant: story of a painter who encourages a child

Beauty in Literature
A Wrinkle in Time,
Charlottes Web,
Tuck Everlasting,
Legends
Owl Moon,

Robert Sweetland's Notes ©