History of Children's Literature
by La Trobe University
This course material is only available in the iTunes U app on iPhone or iPad.
Course Description
In this subject, students investigate the development of literature for children from the traditional literatures of myth and legend, folk and fairy tales, through early publishing, to the emergence of genres of adventure, fantasy and realism in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Discuss these lectures on Facebook in David Beagley's Teaching Area.
| Name | Description | Time | Price | ||
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| 1 | The Wonderful Wizard of Oz | An Apple Books Classic edition. You’ve seen the iconic 1939 movie, but do you know about the talking field mice, the Winkies, and the Witch of the North that appear in the original book? L. Frank Baum’s beloved classic - the first title in the Oz series - is more complex and intricate than the movie, but just as colorful and fun. The story features a large cast of enchanting characters and a thrilling heroic quest. Upon the book’s release in 1900, Baum wrote, “It aspires to be a modernized fairy tale, in which the wonderment and joy are retained and the heart-aches and nightmares are left out.” Mission accomplished. Readers of all ages immediately fell in love with the story, demanding sequels, and Baum obliged, penning more than a dozen installments before his death in 1919. | -- | Free | View in iTunes |
| 2 | Through the Looking-Glass | Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There (1871) is a novel by Lewis Carroll (Charles Lutwidge Dodgson), the sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865). Set some six months later than the earlier book, Alice again enters a fantastical world, this time by climbing through a mirror into the world that she can see beyond it. Though not quite as popular as Wonderland, Through the Looking-Glass includes such celebrated verses as "Jabberwocky" and "The Walrus and the Carpenter", and the episode involving Tweedledum and Tweedledee. | -- | Free | View in iTunes |
| 3 | Peter and Wendy | Story of two kids Peter and Wendy how they grow from childhood to adulthood. | -- | Free | View in iTunes |
| 4 | Treasure Island | An Apple Books Classic edition. When Billy Bones first walks into Jim Hawkins’ family-run inn, the prevailing sentiments are fear…and curiosity about what’s in his oversized chest. After a band of rogue pirates comes looking for him, Billy dies, leaving Jim and his mother in possession of his belongings, which contain a map leading to the treasure of the dreaded Captain Flint. Robert Louis Stevenson’s swashbuckling adventure story plays out on the high seas-and it’s packed to the gills with heart-pounding suspense, double crosses, mutiny, mayhem, and even murder. First published as a magazine serial in the 1880s, Treasure Island set the standard for action-adventure thrillers. Hop in and prepare for a wild ride, complete with peg-legged pirates and their trusted parrots, casks of rum, tropical islands, and X marks the spot! | -- | Free | View in iTunes |
| 5 | A Little Princess | This book about Sara Crewe, a pupil at Miss Minchin's London school is left in poverty when her father dies but is later rescued by a mysterious benefactor. | -- | Free | View in iTunes |
| 6 | What Katy Did | Katy Carr is untidy, tall and gangling and lives with her brothers and sisters planning for the day when she will be beautiful and beloved, and amiable as an angel. An accidental fall from a swing seems to threaten her hopes for the future, but Katy struggles to overcome her difficulties with pluck, vitality and good humor. | -- | Free | View in iTunes |
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7 |
Conclusions | Concluding the history of children's literature. | 43:15 | Free | View in iTunes |
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8 |
Why Fantasties Endure | Looking at Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, and the Wizard of Oz. Why are tales of fantasy the most popular and enduring? | 53:08 | Free | View in iTunes |
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9 |
Peter Pan | Peter Pan, created by the Scottish author J.M. Barrie, is one of the most popular and treasured literary creations of the early 20th century. What makes it so timeless, and how has the story been interpreted over the last hundred years? | 54:46 | Free | View in iTunes |
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10 |
Boys and Exicting Adventures | Adventure stories aimed at boys tend to be a lot more exciting and heroic then those for girls. Why is this the case, and what themes are typical in these? | 48:39 | Free | View in iTunes |
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11 |
Girls and Domestic Adventures | Adventure stories aimed towards girls are often restricted by domestic elements. Is that their only appeal? | 53:54 | Free | View in iTunes |
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12 |
Tales of Adventure | The characteristics of an adventure tale, and the golden age of children's literature. | 49:22 | Free | View in iTunes |
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13 |
Poetry for Children by Adults | A history of poetry written by adults for children. | 51:57 | Free | View in iTunes |
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14 |
Poetry for Children by Children | What are the characteristics of poetry written by children? | 49:37 | Free | View in iTunes |
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15 |
How Literature Reflects Changing Childhood | How medieval literature reflected the changes in the philosophy of childhood. | 51:48 | Free | View in iTunes |
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16 |
Chapbooks for Children | The affecting and instructing history of chapbooks for children, as developed particularly by Mr John Newbery, printer and bookseller. | 53:59 | Free | View in iTunes |
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17 |
King Arthur, Robin Hood, and Chivalry | The origins and retellings of Arthurian legends and Robin Hood. | 51:06 | Free | View in iTunes |
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18 |
Beowulf and the Epic Hero | How heroes work in epic tales, old english tales and literature, the legend of Beowulf, and how these devices are used in the tales of Tolkien. | 49:13 | Free | View in iTunes |
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19 |
"The Beginning of the Armadillos" | -- | 14:38 | Free | View in iTunes |
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20 |
Disneyfication | The formulaic structure of Disney story-telling, and how they change classic fairy tales. | 53:33 | Free | View in iTunes |
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21 |
Types of Tales and Types of Telling | The ways of reading into fairy tales, the types of telling, and why they have endured through the ages. | 47:53 | Free | View in iTunes |
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22 |
Little Red Cap [Little Red Riding Hood] | -- | 7:44 | Free | View in iTunes |
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23 |
Folk and Fairytales | Folk tales and fairy tales were not originally created for children. How are they defined and how have they changed? How are the stories evolving back into tales for adults? | 49:51 | Free | View in iTunes |
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24 |
Little Red Riding Hood | What is the origin of Little Red Riding Hood, and how has the story been interpreted through the years? | 46:24 | Free | View in iTunes |
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25 |
Myths and Legends: Pantheons | What are myths about? Why are these stories labelled as myth while others aren't? How do myths portray life and death? | 56:40 | Free | View in iTunes |
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26 |
Myths and Legends: Creation, Creators and Creatures | Myths and legends - are creatures created by a creator? How the origin of myths play through in themes of children's literature. | 51:59 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 27 | Introduction to History of Children's Literature | David Beagley introduces the History of Children's Literature. | 0:46 | Free | View in iTunes |
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28 |
Interpretation: Considering the Literature | How do books work? How are they interpreted and translated? What signs and symbols do we read from their representation? | 51:54 | Free | View in iTunes |
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29 |
Introduction: Once Upon a Time... | History of Children's Literature will take you back to the roots of story telling and examine the beginnings of children's literature. | 46:17 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 29 Items |
Customer Reviews
Very good!
Fascinating lectures, I just wish they were in order.
Entertaining and educational
These are a fascinating series of lectures which covers not only children's literature, but the larger body of world literature past and present. Well done!
Interesting
Very well formed, insightful lectures.
