SOLUS is Queen’s Student On-Line University System. You’ll have access to a SOLUS account once you become a Queen’s student. You’ll use SOLUS to register for courses, add and drop courses, update your contact information, view financial and academic information, and pay your tuition.
Children's Literature
ENGL 237/3.0
A critical study of literature written for children or appropriated by adults for the nursery. The emphasis will be on distinguishing the characteristics and cultural significance of a variety of works from the medieval to the modern period.
Please note: This course is typically offered in the summer term
Description
This course takes as its focus the history and critical analysis of children's literature in Britain from the Middle Ages to the twenty-first century, with an emphasis on nineteenth-century works for children.
The first half of the course concentrates on poems, short stories, and excerpts of other prose works included in the anthology From Instruction to Delight and is designed to survey the development of a literature shaped specifically for children from its beginnings to the Golden Age of the nursery at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
The second half of the course will sample various genres in children's literature of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, such as animal stories, fantasy, historical fiction, trauma literature, and picture books. Our historical and geographic lens will expand to include works published in the United States and Canada. Central to our study will be an examination of the construction of childhood across the centuries; an extended consideration of the intersections and relationships between literature, politics, philosophy, commerce, religion, economics, and art; and an investigation of the dynamics between literature written for adult audiences and books read by children.
A foundational principle of our course is that children’s literature performs important socio-cultural work and that the best examples of works read by young readers invite well informed, thoughtful, sophisticated, and engaged close analysis. As we progress through our course we will interrogate hackneyed clichés and popular assumptions such as that the primary function of books read by children (past or present) is to stimulate the imagination of the child; that children's literature is simplistic, conservative, or moral; that children are naturally sweet, innocent little angels; and that childhood is a period of sweetness and light safely removed from adult concerns.
Terms
Fall 2021
Course Dates:
Sep. 7 - Dec. 3,2021
Exam Dates:
Dec. 8 - Dec. 22, 2021
Evaluation
15% - Discussion Forum (x3)
15% - Short Close Reading Essay
30% - Analytical, Argumentative, Comparative Essay
40% - Proctored Final Exam
**Evaluation Subject to Change**
PROCTORED EXAMS
- Students who have on-campus courses (or course sections) will write their final exams in-person and on-campus. These final exams will be administered through the central Exams Office
- Students who have courses (or course sections) that are remote or online, but who have other on-campus courses (or course sections) in their timetable, will write all of their final exams in-person and on-campus. These final exams will be administered through the central Exams Office
- Students who have only remote or online courses (or course sections) in their timetable, and who require remote proctoring, will have their exams proctored using Examity.
LOCATION AND TIMING OF FINAL EXAMINATIONS
Once the exam schedule has been finalized the exam date will be posted on your SOLUS account. The exam dates for each Term are listed on the Faculty of Arts and Science webpage under "Important Dates." Student exam schedules for the Fall Term are posted via SOLUS immediately prior to the Thanksgiving holiday; for the Winter Term they are posted on the Friday before Reading Week, and for the Summer Term they are individually noted on the Arts and Science Online syllabi. Students should delay finalizing any travel plans until after the examination schedule has been posted. Exams will not be moved or deferred to accommodate employment, travel/holiday plans or flight reservations.
Instructor
Dr. Heather Evans (heather.evans@queensu.ca)
Textbooks and Materials
Please refer to the Campus Bookstore website at http://www.campusbookstore.com/Textbooks/Search-Engine to obtain the most up-to-date list of required materials for this course before purchasing them.
Demers, Patricia, ed. From Instruction to Delight: An Anthology of Children's Literature to 1850. 4th ed. Oxford UP, 2015.
Note: The first half of the course focuses on material in this textbook, so it is imperative that students acquire a copy of the anthology by the beginning of the course to avoid falling behind on readings and assignments.
Earlier editions of this anthology are not recommended.
An e-book version of the anthology is also available for purchase and rent through both VitalSource (in Canadian dollars) and RedShelf (in US dollars). Both VitalSource and RedShelf offer 180-day rentals.
- Burnett, Frances Hodgson. The Secret Garden. Illustrated by Tasha Tudor, HarperCollins Canada, 2010. ISBN 9780064401883.
- Campbell, Nicola I. Shi-shi-etko. Illustrated by Kim LaFave, Groundwood Books, 2005. ISBN 9780888996596.
- Curtis, Christopher Paul. Bud, Not Buddy, Random House, 2002. ISBN 9780440413288.
- Dahl, Roald. Danny, the Champion of the World. Illustrated by Quentin Blake, Puffin, 2007. ISBN 9780142410332.
- Grahame, Kenneth. The Wind in the Willows. Illustrated by Ernest Shepard, Aladdin, 1989. ISBN 9780689713101.
- Klassen, Jon. The Rock from the Sky, Candlewick Press, 2021. ISBN 9781536214625.
- Kogawa, Joy. Naomi’s Road. Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2005. ISBN 9781550051155.
- Lowry, Lois. Number the Stars. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2001. ISBN 9780547577098.
- Pearce, Philippa. Tom’s Midnight Garden. Oxford UP, 2015. ISBN 9780192734501.
- Potter, Beatrix. The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Warne, 2012. ISBN 9780723247708.
- Snicket, Lemony. A Series of Unfortunate Events #1: The Bad Beginning. Illustrated by Brett Helquist, HarperCollins Canada, 1999. ISBN 9780064407663.
- Vander Zee, Ruth. Erika’s Story. Illustrated by Roberto Innocenti, Creative Paperbacks, 2013. ISBN 9780898128918.
Editions of the required novels, novellas, and picture books other than those listed above, including ebooks, are acceptable, but you may have trouble following the course notes, which may affect your performance on assessments. Additionally, some of the works have been selected to feature specific illustrators; by relying on different editions, you may miss out on this aspect of the material. ISBN numbers may vary.
Time Commitment
To complete the readings, assignments, and course activities, students can expect to spend, on average, about 10 - 12 hours per week (120 hours per term) on the course.
Course Resources
About SOLUS
About OnQ
onQ is Queen's online learning platform. You'll log into onQ to access your course. All materials related to your course—notes, readings, videos, recordings, discussion forums, assignments, quizzes, groupwork, tutorials, and help—will be on the onQ site.
About Credit Units
Queen’s courses are weighted in credit units. A typical one-term course is worth 3.0 units, and a typical two-term course is worth 6.0 units. You combine these units to create your degree. A general (three-year) BA or BSc requires a total of 90 credit units.
Computer Requirements
To take an online course, you’ll need a high speed internet connection as well as a microphone and speakers to be able to watch videos, hear sounds, and participate in interactive online activities. A webcam is recommended but not necessary.
System Requirements:
Computer Specifications
- Windows 8.1 or newer
- OSX 10.13 (High Sierra) or newer
- Dual Core 2 GHz processor
- 4 GB RAM
- Soundcard
- USB Headset
- Webcam
Supported Browsers
- Chrome (preferred - latest version)
- Firefox (latest version)
- Safari is not recommended as it causes several known issues in onQ
- Edge is not recommended as it causes several known issues in onQ
Internet Connection
- Wired high speed access: Cable or better
- Wifi is not recommended
Java
- Latest version
Media Player
- Flash (latest version)
Adobe Reader
- Latest Version
Dates/Deadlines
The deadlines for new applications to Queen’s Arts and Science Online courses are in our Upcoming Application Dates section.
Grading Scheme
The information below is intended for undergraduate students in the Faculty of Arts and Science. Academic Regulations in other Faculties may differ.
| Letter Grade | Grade Point |
| A+ | 4.30 |
| A | 4.00 |
| A- | 3.70 |
| B+ | 3.30 |
| B | 3.00 |
| B- | 2.70 |
| C+ | 2.30 |
| C | 2.00 |
| C- | 1.70 |
| D+ | 1.30 |
| D | 1.00 |
| D- | 0.70 |
| F | 0.00 |
GPA Calculators
Have your SOLUS grade report handy and then follow the link to the Arts and Science GPA calculators.
How does this affect my academics?
See the GPA and Academic Standing page.
Follow the link above for an explanation of how the GPA system affects such things as the Dean’s Honour List, requirements to graduate, and academic progression.
Frequently Asked Questions on the Grading Scheme
Please follow this link to the FAQ's
Tuition Fees
Tuition fees vary depending when you start, your year, faculty, and program. Fees for Summer Term 2018 first-year Distance Career Arts & Science Domestic students are as follows: for a 3.0-unit course, $685.90; for a 6.0-unit course, $1371.80 See also Tuition and Fees.
Campus Bookstore
All textbooks can be purchased at Queen’s Campus Bookstore.
Non-Queen’s Students
All Queen’s Arts and Science Online courses are open to students at other universities. Before applying as a visiting student, request a Letter of Permission from your home university that states that you have permission to take the course and apply it to your degree. See also Apply.
Academic Integrity
Please see Queen’s policy statement on academic integrity for information on how to complete an online course honestly.
Delivery Mode:
Online
Prerequisites:
Level 2 and above
Testimonials:
"This was my best course this term by far. It was hugely evident that Prof. Evans put a ton of work into our notes and correspondences. Very refreshing to see an instructor who actually cares that we learn something in the course and is willing to give so much wonderful feedback. TAs who marked my papers always left helpful comments as well. Overall just excellent!"
- Course evaluation, ENGL 237: Children's Literature (2014)
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