|
Metro State |
|
Annotated Bibliography Fall 2005 |
|
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY PROJECT Your project is to read widely, then choose 25 of the best unabridged children’s books from the following age/reading levels and list each one as an entry in an annotated bibliography. 4-8 years grades K-2 16 books (at least 4 Caldecott Award winners) 9-10 years grades 3-4 3 books (at least one Newbery Award book) 11-12 years grades 5-6 3 books (at least one Newbery Award book) 13-14 years grades 7-8 3 books (at least one Newbery Award book)
Please choose 25 different authors, reflecting a knowledgeable spectrum of quality books—both traditional and contemporary—for young readers. You may substitute one film for a book in each category if you like. Do not include stories assigned in class; the exception would be if we have read only an excerpt from a longer work (in that case, you may include the longer text if you would like to read it). The goal is to find and review new books, though you may include one of your existing favorites in each category. (This project is designed to be an enjoyable process of discovery, contributing to your expertise! You will definitely cheat yourself if you just grab the first 25 books you see, skim them, and write a little blurb. The goal is to read and read and read and read and then select the 25 best options and write a thoughtful response!) You will then write an annotated bibliography and give a presentation. You do not have to buy these books—you can check them out of your local library or borrow them from a friend. If you are having trouble finding texts, you might go to a public library with a children's section and wander around the different categories. They will often have handouts or displays with recommendations available. Ask the librarians for suggestions. Or go to the children's section in a bookstore and do the same. And do ask your friends and family for suggestions. If you have a text that you can't place in terms of age group, you can try looking it up in a library catalog or an online bookstore. Often, the age group is noted. (You may occasionally disagree with the intended age group suggested by the publisher and decide to put it in a different category in your annotated bib. That's fine as long as you can make a specific argument about it in your evaluative comments, and as long as you do not do more than one in each category.)
Annotated Bibliography An annotated bibliography is a works cited list in MLA format with your comments added (there is a link on the course web page to MLA guidelines online if you need them). Please be sure to format according to MLA guidelines and to proofread carefully. Use single spacing, as this is a rather long project. Divide your bibliography into the four required sections with headings (i.e., grades K-2, grades 3-4, etc.) and alphabetize your entries by author’s last name within each one. Include the following for each entry: · An identification of genre—as specific as possible (e.g., Domestic Realism instead of Fiction) and award status if appropriate. · A 1-sentence summary of the story in your own words (not from the book cover or a review). · A scholarly commentary (2-3 sentences) with specific evaluation of the text, considering the audience for whom this text is intended. Do not state the obvious or simplistic (e.g., “This is a good topic for kids this age” or “Children can relate to the characters, who are also children” or “It’s a really fun book to read”). Think of our class lectures, readings, and discussions and see if you can identify something important about the text that reflects material we discussed in a critical way. For example: important or innovative use of traditional themes, conventions, motifs; illustration style or technique; genre characteristics, etc. Sample Entries/Format Grades 7-8 James, Andrew. Three Days to Goodbye. Illus. Tandy Wells. New York: Viking, 1988. Mystery. Newbery Award winner. Henry Smythe travels from Chicago to London to attend a cousin’s wedding and ends up solving a puzzling mystery involving a pair of old galoshes, a stash of diamonds, and a missing cat. The text addresses important themes for this age group; for example,… Klein, M. R. Ink and the Magical World of Boja. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2003. Fantasy. Ink and Boja have a conflicted relationship… Marquez, Sandra. Firestorms. The Collected Novels of Sandra Marquez. Ed. Kevin Farley. Boston: Children’s Press, 2005. 14-44. Realistic Fiction. Gabriella is a storm hunter who encounters a variety of challenges…
Presentation Choose your top recommendation for each category, copy and paste them into a mini-annotated-bibliography handout, and present them to the class in a five-minute discussion. Make 36 copies of your handout to share (this will help your colleagues compile a wonderful suggestion library for teaching or future reading). You can use half-sheets if you want to save paper (two mini-bibs per page), but you must keep the MLA formatting (including the header with your name). I will recycle all leftovers. Bring the actual texts to show us. In your presentation: · Identify 1-2 specific scholarly characteristics that make each text excellent (DO NOT give us a plot summary). · Make a connection to issues, conventions, motifs, themes, etc., that we’ve discussed throughout the semester for each text. Note: films are not eligible for the presentation part of your project.
return to the Introduction to Children’s Literature syllabus |
