Click on any of the term papers to read a brief synopsis of the research paper. The essay synopsis includes the number of pages and sources cited in the paper.
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Poems for Children by Shel Silverstein and Robert Louis Stevenson
A 3 page essay that contrasts and compares children's poems by these two poets. Being able to recreate the magic and joy of childhood and to do it from the child's perspective is a rare gift that few poets have exhibited. Two poets who manage to accomplish this feat are Shel Silverstein and nineteenth century author Robert Louis Stevenson. Examination of a representative poem demonstrates not only the technical virtuosity of each poet, but also the fact that each man managed to capture a child's narrative voice without talking down to their young readers, but rather showing empathy and understanding of a child's world. Bibliography lists 4 sources.
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Children's Literary Classic The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
A 3 page paper which examines if this classic literary work, first published in 1922, still appeals to contemporary children. No additional sources are used.
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Children's Literature and Authentic Voices
This 3 page paper discusses whether or not authors who write about their own culture do so with more authenticity than someone who does not share their ethnic background. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
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Little Girls and the Effects of Children's Literature
A 5 page paper which examines the significance of children’s literature on young girls, considers whether or not it matters if the work is written by a male or female author, and specifically considers examples from L. Frank Baum’s “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” and Frances Hodgson Burnett’s “The Secret Garden.” Bibliography lists 3 sources.
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Optimism in Literature for Children During the Second World War
7 pages in length. The sole objective of children's literature during World War II was to put forth a sense of strength, hope and reassurance; despite the horrors of the Depression and World War II, children's literature written between the 1930s and 1950s witnessed an unfailing optimism. Bibliography lists 10 sources.
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Child and Adult Voices in Literature for Children
A nine page paper which looks at the significance of the adult and child voice in three works of children's literature: Alice in Wonderland, Little Women and The Secret Garden. Bibliography lists 5 sources.
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Children and Young Adult Literature with an Annotated Bibliography
This 11 page paper provides an annotated bibliography on a variety of books in many genres. Classic works are discussed as well as contemporary realistic literature, poetry and fantasy. Annotated bibliography lists 30 sources.
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ECE and Children's Literature
This 5 page report discusses the title topic and briefly addresses the many areas in which a teacher’s use of children’s literature can make a significant impact in a young student’s learning processes. Aside from issues related to language acquisition and development, expansion of critical thinking skills, proficiency in reading and writing, there is one very simple and very fundamental reason for using children’s literature in early childhood education. Children love stories! Bibliography lists 4 sources.
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Impact of Nathaniel Hawthorne's Writings on Children
5 pages in length. Nathaniel Hawthorne understood the inner workings of his fellow man, rising to the challenge on many occasions to point out flaws, vulnerabilities and shortcomings inherent to being human. While this approach comprised a significant portion of his writings, there was still enough room for the celebrated author to infuse a bit of literary cheer into the hearts of children through two publications: Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys and Tanglewood Tales. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
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Children's Literature: Borders between Worlds
This 6 page paper discusses the way the characters in "Wind in the Willows" and "Peter Pan" move between the real world and the fantasy world of their stories. Bibliography lists 2 sources.
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Native Experience: Literature and Film
A 4 page paper which examines, comparing and contrasting, native experiences as seen through fiction and film. Bibliography lists 6 sources.
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Submissive Characters In Children's Literature: Influence Upon Self-Perception In Female Children
6 pages in length. Children's literature is replete with visual imagery of worlds that exist beyond reality's realm; to equip a child with a story that takes her outside her established precepts is to fortify that young mind with additional learning tools for life. However, not every lesson learned within the pages of children's literature is of a positive nature, inasmuch as some messages drive home antiquated gender identity roles that impose significantly distorted perceptions upon naïve and vulnerable readers. When cast as submissive characters by virtue of their gender, children are taught that such famous "people" as Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty represent how women are expected to be in the real world; without benefit of truly understanding the fantasy component of children's literature, they take with them these skewed perceptions and unknowingly incorporate them into their own psychological development. Bibliography lists 5 sources.
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Imaginative Style Developed by J.R.R. Tolkien
6 pages in length. Ever since man began telling tales, incredible accounts of freakish, monster-like animals have captivated and horrified entire communities. The basis for these extraordinary fabrications was the inability of early writers to distinguish between truth and fantasy. As the stories were passed down through generations, they
eventually became accepted as the legends we know today. The younger years of one of mythological literature's most beloved writers – J.R.R. Tolkien – served to greatly impact this imaginative style; however, the author did not fully grasp his unique talent until the 1930s when he worked and reworked The Hobbit and ultimately came up with new ideas of
mythological literature in the essay "On Fairy Stories." By this time Tolkien had come to realize that fantasy stories were plainly not primarily concerned with possibility, but with desirability. Bibliography lists 6 sources.
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Avi's Don't You Know There is a War On?
A 3 page review of the book by Avi recounting the experiences and impressions of a fifth grade protagonist (Howie Crispers) during a critical week in March 1943. World War II is raging in Europe and America has pitched herself full fervor into the war effort. From a fifth Grader’s perspective, however, the war has many personal implications as well. Not only must he juggle his failing math grades, a principal whom he believes to be a Nazi spy, and the emotional turmoil surrounding the death of his best friend’s father and the eventual loss of that friend when he moves away, Howie Crispers must learn to deal with his obsession with one of his teachers. The author of this paper unveils this fictional story upon the historical basis of how World War II affected our country on the home front. No additional sources are listed.
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Submissive Characters In Children's Literature: Influence Upon Self-Perception In Female Children
6 pages in length. Children's literature is replete with visual imagery of worlds that exist beyond reality's realm; to equip a child with a story that takes her outside her established precepts is to fortify that young mind with additional learning tools for life. However, not every lesson learned within the pages of children's literature is of a positive nature, inasmuch as some messages drive home antiquated gender identity roles that impose significantly distorted perceptions upon naïve and vulnerable readers. When cast as submissive characters by virtue of their gender, children are taught that such famous "people" as Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty represent how women are expected to be in the real world; without benefit of truly understanding the fantasy component of children's literature, they take with them these skewed perceptions and unknowingly incorporate them into their own psychological development. Bibliography lists 5 sources.
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Alice in Wonderland and Harry Potter
A 7 page essay that discusses Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling are children's books that share many points in common, as they both present fantastical worlds and fairy tale narratives that are drastically different from reality. The Harry Potter series, in general, has been the source of controversy because the premise entails presenting Harry as a young wizard capable of doing feats of magic, which some fundamentalist Christian organizations have found objectionable. Alice has also generated controversy in that scholarly tomes have been formulated by critics regarding the meaning of Carroll's use of symbol and allegory. Examination of these two books shows that, of the two, Harry is the more conventional in its approach, as it upholds and maintains middle-class values and ethics. No additional sources cited.
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Gold and Bettelheim: Fairy Tales
This 4 page paper is a reaction to articles by Kari Gold and Bruno Bettelheim, in which the authors discuss fairy tales. The paper argues that Gold's approach is more accessible than Bettelheim's, who tends to go deeper into psychological examination of the stories than is supported by the text. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
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An Extra Chapter for “Johnny Tremaine”
This 3 page paper discusses what a writer might do to create an additional chapter for the children’s book “Johnny Tremaine.”
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Johnny Tremain
A 3 page essay that addresses aspects of this novel. Esther Forbes' classic coming-of-age novel set in the Revolutionary era has as its protagonist a talented, intelligent, but somewhat arrogant fourteen-year-old boy, Johnny Tremain. The writer describes Johnny's maturation process, the novel's themes and other aspects. No additional sources cited.
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Carl Jung's Possible Influence on Grimm's Fairy Tales
An 8 page paper that considers the popular Grimms' fairy tale using Swiss psychologist Carl Jung's theories the collective unconscious. Includes discussion of the composition of the psyche and various archetypes such as the self, the shadow, and the God-image. Bibliography lists 5 sources.
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Animals in the Fairy Tales of The Brothers Grimm
This 6 page essay examines the role of animals in many popular Grimm Fairy Tales. The stories examined are Cinderella, The Frog King and Little Red Riding Hood. The paper examines both the use of animals in these stories, as well as the likely symbolism that their appearance could convey. Bibliography lists 4 sources.
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Lois W. Johnson/Trouble at Wild River
A 3 page book review of a juvenile novel. Trouble at Wild River by Lois W. Johnson is a thrilling, suspense novel geared toward pre-teen readers. The suspenseful narrative propels the novel, as the young people, Kate and Anders, endeavor to discover who has been changing the ownership markings on the logs that farmers will be sending down river. However, the novel has a broader appeal than that of a simply mystery, as it addresses how Kate is adapting to her new family. Her mother has recently married Anders’s father. Also there are familial issues with her mother’s brother Ben. As this suggests, the volatile emotions of a pre-teen girl are addressed within the framework offered by the mystery. No additional sources cited.
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Douglas Bond's Mr. Pipes Comes to America
This 3 page paper discusses the book Mr. Pipes Comes to America by Douglas Bond. Bibliography lists 3 sources
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Harry Potter's Life Lessons
A paper which looks at the life lessons one can find in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, with regard to Harry's personal development and his interaction with the other characters. Bibliography lists 3 sources
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Sharon Liddell's Children's Book, Being Big
A 3 page critique of the children’s book “Being Big”
by Sharen Liddell. No additional sources cited.
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The Lion Aslan in C.S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
A 4 page paper which analyzes the character of Aslan the lion from C.S. Lewis’ “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.” Bibliography lists 3 sources.
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Christian Symbolism in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
A 3 page paper which summarizes C.S. Lewis’ “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” and then examines the Christian symbolism within the story. No additional sources cited.
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A Review of Call it Courage by Armstrong Sperry
A 3 page book report on "Call it Courage" by Armstrong Sperry. No additional sources cited.
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The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper
An insightful 3 page essay in which the writer examines what meaning Watty Piper's classic story "The Little Engine that Could" holds for a child and in retrospect, the story's psycho-motivational value for an adult as well. For the most part, the writer is concerned with similarities and dissimilarities between the ways that an adult perceives the story vs. how a child does the same. No Bibliography.
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Joan Aiken's Children's Story The Wolves of Willoughby Chase
5 pages in length. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken is an enchanting yet slightly frightful children's story that has held its appeal through generations of adoring readers. Craftily scenic and charmingly aesthetic in both its character appeal and atmospheric detail, the book offers young adults the chance to experience literary excellence at its best. What is particularly inviting about Aiken's work is that it readily keeps up the suspense without compromising either the plot or theme, which the writer addresses in this overview of the book. No additional sources cited.
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Death in Katherine Paterson's Bridge to Terebithia and E.B. White's Charlotte's Web
A 5 page paper looking at these two children’s books by E.B. White and Katherine Paterson, respectively, in terms of their treatment of death. The paper provides a detailed synopsis of both works, and argues that reading books such as these helps children come to terms with the presence of death in their own lives. No additional sources.
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Jean Craighead George's Julie of the Wolves
This 5 page paper contemplates this fictitious work by Jean Craighead George. The protagonist is discussed in terms of motivation and inner development. Much of the discussion concerns coming of age in different cultures. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
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J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Verisimilitude
A 5 page analysis of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis and The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien and their use of verisimilitude in these children's novels. The writer argues that despite the fantastical aspects of these stories, the settings come across as real and the characters as true because of the degree of detail that each authors includes, as well as the way that the plots adhere to reality within the framework of each novel. No additional sources cited.
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Original Adventure Story 'Sun Solders'
(5 pp) This original adventure story has been
created for children ages 5-8. It is written in a
conversational tone, as one might present as part
of a storytelling group. "Every day is new for all
of us," hummed the Small One, darting from one side
to another." I try new things every day. I tried
a double somersault today—didn't work; so I will
try it again tomorrow. Sometime you have to try
something more than once before you get it right."
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Alicia My Story by Alicia Appleman-Jurman
(5 pp) When the Holocaust began, Alicia Jurman was
a young Jewish girl growing up in the southeastern
Polish city of Buczacz. In that city, about a third
of the population was Jewish. Even though there was
anti-Semitism in Poland, as there was anti-Semitism
nearly everywhere in Europe, Alicia with her parents
and four brothers led relatively peaceful lives.
This all changed with Germany's invasion of Poland..
the infamous blitzkrieg of September 1, 1939 -
Alicia was only 9 years old at the time. Alicia tells
her amazing and powerful tale of holocaust
survival from the eyes of a young girl with the
wisdom of an adult. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
Click on any of the term papers to read a brief synopsis of the research paper. The essay synopsis includes the number of pages and sources cited in the paper.