Instructor: Patricia Montiel Overall, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Office Hours: Tues. Wed. 11:00-12:00 Noon
Class Hours: 6:30-9:00 P.M.
Office Phone: 626-8984
E-mail: overall@u.arizona.edu

Course Description
The purpose of this course is to survey a wide variety of children and young adult's literature including multicultural and mulitethnic literature in order to develop an understanding and an appreciation of children and young adult's literature and the pleasure that is derived from it. Students will become familiar with various genres of children and young adult literature and the characteristics of each. Students will develop an understanding of ways in which children's literature is used to develop literacy. Students will recognize notable authors and illustrators, and will develop an ability to critically analyze children and young adult literature from diverse perspectives. Students will develop criteria for selecting children and young adult's literature for public and school libraries. Students will become familiar with web sites for children and young adult's literature. Students will participate in group discussions in class and online. Individual and group work, weekly discussions and quizes and a final paper will be required.

Course Objectives
The course is designed to provide opportunities for students to:
1. Read a wide variety of children's books including traditional and multicultural literature.
2. Read professional literature concerning children and young adult materials.
3.Become familiar with a major authors/illustrators/poets and awards of children's literature.
4.Select and evaluate children's literature for school and public library use.
5.Develop an understanding of how to develop literacy through literature.

Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course students will:
1. Demonstrate the abilility to select appropriate children's literature for various age groups and population.
2. Be able to critically evaluate collections for school and public libraries.
3. Recognize notable authors, illustrators, poets.
4. Help young readers develop an appreciation for authors, illustrators, poets.
5. Recognize a variety of awards presented for notable children and young adult literature.

Method of Evaluation
Instructor's evaluation will be based on the professionalism of your work; the timeliness of the completion of your assignments; the quality of your writing; accuracy of information presented; your attendance and active participation; preparedness for class; quizzes and a final paper will determine your final grade. Written self-reflections and self-evaluation will provide information about your how well you have met the goals set for the class.

Attendance and Participation (10%)
Your attendance is required for every class. You are expected to arrive and leave on time and participate fully in all activities. This is essential since the class meets only once a week. It is also essential that articles and the text are read prior to class in order to maximize the quality of small group discussions. Students who are not present when role is taken will be considered absent. The instructor must be notified in advance of late assignments and absences. A lower grade may result from failure notify instructor.

Students will share the responsibilities of classroom management. Sign-up sheets for assignments will be available during the first days of class.

Text and Required Readings
Children's Literature: An Invitation to the World by D. Mitchell
Censorship and Selection by H. Reichman (recommended)
Best Books for Young Adults, 2nd Edition by B. B. Carter, S. Estes, and L. Waddle (recommended)
Connecting Boys with Books by M. Sullivan (recommended)
Books, Babies, and Libraries: Serving Infants, Toddlers, Their Parents and Caregivers by E. Greene (recommended)
Books in Bloom: Creative Patterns and Props That Bring Stories to Life by K. K. Faurot (recommended)

E-reserve articles. Password will be provided by the instructor.
You are required to read 100 or more books across a variety of genres. Further details are described under reading record.

Course Outline and Schedule
The course outline and schedule inform you about topics that will be covered during each class. The schedule also indicates when assignments are due throughout the course. The course outline also provides you with readings that should be completed by the day they appear on the syllabus.Your participation in group discussions depends on you reading the assignments prior to class. This is an important component of the class and should be taken very seriously. You will also be required to participate in an online discussion about one chapter from the text by Mitchell.. This assignment is described in detail in the assignments section of the syllabus. Changes may be made in the syllabus with advance notice in Polis, which should be read DAILY. Homework assignments will be posted daily on Polis for your convenience. Five short quizzes and a final article will contribute to your grade. Questions about the syllabus after the first day of class should addressed to the instructor via e-mail or during office hours.

Assignments (10% each)
Students will complete the following assignments:
*Reading Log
*Author/Illustrator/Poet Study
*Folklore/Tale
*Journal Notes/Responses
*Reading Responses
*Chapter Discussion
*Web Presentation
*Journal Article
*Quizzes

Assignment "due dates" are indicated on the Schedule. Assignments must be typed double spaced with 1" margins in no smaller than 12 pt. New Times Roman. Sign-up sheets will be available on the first few days of class for you to indicate the dates for class presentations.

Grading Scale
Excellent = A
Good = B
Fair = C