6 Summary

In this course, you’ve begun exploring how the three disciplines of linguistics, literature and childhood studies interact within the exciting and fast-developing interdisciplinary area of children’s literature. Some of these ideas were introduced and examined through examples from significant works of children’s literature (Philippa Pearce’s Tom’s Midnight Garden and Catherine Storr’s Marianne Dreams).

You’ve spent time reflecting on your experiences of engaging with books intended for children, and considered the issue of reading children’s literature as an adult reader, taking into account how this may be different to encountering particular works as a child. You’ve looked at two significant academic readings, and explored the potentially competing purposes of reading to educate and reading for fun (‘instruction or delight?’). You’ve also started to consider some important issues in the field, such as the perceived purpose of children’s literature, theories and ideological considerations, and ethnic diversity.

After studying this course, you should now be able to:

• discuss some of the different theories, approaches and debates in the interdisciplinary field of children’s literature

• reflect on your own and others’ memories of children's literature

• consider how the academic disciplines of literature and childhood intersect, bringing different perspectives to the field

• describe how texts for children and young people convey and challenge ideas around diversity through an exploration of ethnic diversity.

This OpenLearn course is an adapted extract from the Open University course L301 Language, literature and childhood.