11/14/2025 7:29:52 AM	ENGL 12 Course Outline as of Fall 2026	Changed Course
CATALOG INFORMATION
Discipline and Nbr:  ENGL 12	Title:  CHILDREN'S LITERATURE
Full Title:  Children's Literature
Last Reviewed:9/8/2025

Units		Course Hours per Week			Nbr of Weeks	Course Hours Total
Maximum	3.00	Lecture Scheduled	3.00		17.5 max.	Lecture Scheduled	52.50
Minimum	3.00	Lab Scheduled	0		6 min.	Lab Scheduled	0
		Contact DHR	0			Contact DHR	0
		Contact Total	3.00			Contact Total	52.50
		Non-contact DHR	0			Non-contact DHR Total	0

Total Out of Class Hours:  105.00

Total Student Learning Hours: 157.50

Title 5 Category:  AA Degree Applicable
Grading:  Grade or P/NP
Repeatability:  00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP
Also Listed As: 
Formerly: 

Catalog Description:

In this course, students will study the history, development, and range of children's literature, important authors, and themes in children's literature. Students are invited to engage with literature from folklore and oral tradition to contemporary stories, illustrated books, poetry, and young adult novels that reflect a variety of cultural influences and points of view.

Prerequisites/Corequisites:

Recommended Preparation:
Eligibility for ENGL C1000 (formerly ENGL 1A), or eligibility for EMLS 10 (formerly ESL 10), or equivalent; or appropriate placement based on AB 705 mandates

Limits on Enrollment:

Schedule of Classes Information
Description:

In this course, students will study the history, development, and range of children's literature, important authors, and themes in children's literature. Students are invited to engage with literature from folklore and oral tradition to contemporary stories, illustrated books, poetry and young adult novels that reflect a variety of cultural influences and points of view.

(Grade or P/NP)
Prerequisites:
Recommended:Eligibility for ENGL C1000 (formerly ENGL 1A), or eligibility for EMLS 10 (formerly ESL 10), or equivalent; or appropriate placement based on AB 705 mandates
Limits on Enrollment:
Transfer Credit:CSU;UC.
Repeatability:00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP

ARTICULATION, MAJOR, and CERTIFICATION INFORMATION

Associate Degree:		Effective:	Fall 2025	Inactive:
Area:	E L3	Humanities Arts and Humanities
CSU GE:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
	C2	Humanities		Fall 2003
IGETC:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
	3B	Humanities		Fall 2004
CSU Transfer:	Transferable	Effective:	Fall 2003	Inactive:
UC Transfer:	Transferable	Effective:	Fall 2003	Inactive:
C-ID:
CID Descriptor: ENGL 180	Children’s Literature	SRJC Equivalent Course(s): ENGL12

Certificate/Major Applicable: Major Applicable Course

COURSE CONTENT

Student Learning Outcomes:
At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Critically read, analyze, interpret, and write about significant works of children's literature, engaging with voices from a wide range of cultural and historical traditions.

2. Analyze formal qualities of children's literature relative to texts' artistic, literary, and aesthetic contexts.

3. Situate texts within their respective historical, political, and cultural contexts.

4. Apply a range of critical approaches to children's literature, incorporating perspectives that highlight issues of power and identity in children's literary traditions across the world.

 

Objectives:

At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Analyze and critique assigned texts.

2. Recognize and interpret the variety of forms (e.g., novels, graphic novels, short stories, poetry, illustrated books, and film) children's literature takes.

3. Identify and interpret major themes in texts and their connections to their respective historical and cultural contexts.

4. Develop analytical arguments on assigned literature, informed by textual analysis and research, including literary criticism, theoretical frameworks (e.g., psychoanalytic, feminist, and Marxist theory), and socio-historical scholarship.

Topics and Scope

I. Historical Concepts of the Child and Childhood

II. Development of Literature for Children

     A. Early Forms

          1. Fables, myths, and epics

          2. Folktales and fairy tales

          3. Religious tracts

    B.  Contemporary Forms

         1. Fantasy romance and imagination

         2. Modern fantasy

         3. Historical fiction

         4. Adventure tales

         5. Animal fantasy

         6. School stories

         7. Responding to war/trauma

    C. Material History of Children's Literature

         1. Oral storytelling

          2. Digital storytelling

         3. Illustrated books

         4. Children's theatre and film

         5. Censorship of children's literature

         6. Commercialization of children's literature

III. Social Issues in Children's Literature

IV. Literary Analysis and Research

V.  Schools of Literary Criticism

VI. Writing Literary Analysis Essays

Assignments:

1. Weekly reading assignments

2. Participation in class discussions

3. Individual or group presentations or projects

4. Low-stakes writing assignments, such as:

    a. reading response journals

    b. summaries

    c. personal response papers

5. Short critical response papers (500 - 1,000 words each)

6. Library research assignments, such as:  

     a. an annotated bibliography

    b. research sessions with a librarian, etc.

7. Essays including library research with Modern Language Association (MLA) documentation (1,000 - 2,500 words each)

8. Essay exams, objective exams, and/or quizzes

9. Additional assignments as determined by instructor may include: Field trips (ungraded)

Methods of Evaluation/Basis of Grade.

Writing: Assessment tools that demonstrate writing skill and/or require students to select, organize and explain ideas in writing.		Writing 50 - 65%
Low-stakes writing assignments; short critical response papers; library research assignment(s); essays
Problem solving: Assessment tools, other than exams, that demonstrate competence in computational or non-computational problem solving skills.		Problem Solving 5 - 15%
Library research assignment(s)
Skill Demonstrations: All skill-based and physical demonstrations used for assessment purposes including skill performance exams.		Skill Demonstrations 0 - 0%
None
Exams: All forms of formal testing, other than skill performance exams.		Exams 10 - 20%
Exams and/or quizzes
Other: Includes any assessment tools that do not logically fit into the above categories.		Other Category 10 - 20%
Attendance; participation in class discussion; individual or group presentation or projects

Representative Textbooks and Materials:

Uncle Remus and Brer Rabbit: Norton Critical Edition. Harris, Joel Chandler. 2014. (classic).

A Critical Handbook of Children's Literature. 9th ed. Lukens, Rebecca and Smith, Jacquelin and Coffel, Cynthia. Pearson. 2013. (classic).

La Llorona: The Crying Woman. Anaya, Rudolfo. University of New Mexico Press. 2011. (classic).

The Chronicles of Narnia. Lewis, C.S. Harper Collins. 2010. (classic).

The Bridge to Terabithia. Paterson, Katherine. Harper Trophy. 2008. (classic).

Asian Children's Favorite Stories: A Treasure of Folktales from China, Japan, Korea, India, The Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Tuttle Publishing. 2006. (classic).

The Planet of Junior Brown. Hamilton, Virginia. Aladdin. 2006. (classic).

The Norton Anthology of Children's Literature. Ed. Zipes, Jack. W. W. Norton & Company. 2005. (classic).

The Tales of Peter Rabbit. Potter, Beatrix. Frederick Warne & Co. 2002. (classic).

The Water Babies. Kingsley, Charles. Wordsworth Editions. 1999. (classic).

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Rowling, J.K. Scholastic. 1999. (classic).

Little Women. Alcott, Louisa May. Bantam Classics. 1983. (classic).

Green Eggs and Ham. Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel). Random House. 1960. (classic).

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Alexie, Sherman. Little, Brown, & Co. 2007. (classic).

Rosa. Giovanni, Nikki. Henry Holt. 2005. (classic).

American Born Chinese. Yang, Gene Luen. First Second. 2006. (classic).

My Heart Is on the Ground: The Diary of Nannie Little Rose, a Sioux Girl. Rinaldi, Ann. Scholastic Press. 1999. (classic).

Oxford Companion to Children's Literature. Hahn, Daniel. Oxford University Press. 2015. (classic).

Children's Literature: A Tradition. Purvis, Theresa, M. and Sarah E. Gibbons. https://pb.openlcc.net/childrensliteratureatradition/ Children's Literature: A Tradition Copyright © by purvist. All Rights Reserved.

Instructor prepared materials

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