Children’s Literature
Final Exam (35 points)
Textbook
Williams-Garcia, R. (2010). One crazy summer. New York: HarperCollins.
Grading Criteria:
You will be assessed by the following criteria:
Reading and Note Taking /5
Annotated Bibliography /10
Review
• Introduction/4
• Analysis/6
• Use of Sources/2
• Conclusions/3 Grammar/Writing Style/Citation Style /5
Total /35
Instructions:
Submission
• Review should be four pages in length not counting the annotated bibliography or the reading notes; Time New Roman 12-point font and double-spaced.
• Please use Canvas “Assignments” tool to submit your paper.
Question
PART ONE: THE REVIEW
Write a review of the novel chosen for you, using the following criteria (for more details on the review process, you will need to refer to Chapter 8 of FromCover to Cover by K.T. Horning.)
Reading and Note Taking(Adapted from Horning 2010)
Consulting with chapter 7 of Horning (2010), please pay attention to the following, and make sure to take notes on your expectations and realizations: Genre, Plot, Characterization, Point of View, Setting, Style, and Theme. Take notes on what catches your attention and/or what you feel does or doesn’t work, in your opinion.
Consulting Outside Sources
For the review portion of this exam, you will be expected to refer to a number of secondary sources. You must include quotes from at least 3 reviews from recognized sources (i.e. Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, Canadian Review of Materials, Horn Book, etc.), and you are expected to refer to Horning (2010) to support your critical review of the book (minimum of 2 quotes).
Citation Information
Your review must be accompanied by a bibliography in APA style, and should include
• The novel you are reviewing for the exam
• Your 3 review sources
• Salisbury & Styles (2012)
• Horning (2010)
• Any other secondary sources consulted
Writing the Review(adapted from Horning 2010)
Descriptive
• What is the book about?
• What themes are being explored?
• Provide some background information on the author.
Analytical
• What sort of critical reception has the book received?
• What literary tradition does the author draw on?
• Are characters fully realized or are they based on stereotypes?
• Is the setting a critical part of the story and is it fully constructed?
• What point of view is the story told from? Is this perspective effective?
• Is the plot clear or confusing?
Sociological
• Are the book’s themes controversial in any way?
• Do you think the subjects and themes affect reception and/or popular appeal?
• Is the book or any of its themes based on historical or current events and/or politics?
Conclusions
What did you learn about fiction novels through your reviewing of the various components of this text? What is significant about what you have found?
Grammar/Writing Style
Please make sure to proofread your exam before submitting. This is an upper division course, and as such, you are expected to have a solid grasp of writing, grammar, and the ability to adhere to a specific citation style. You are to use APA style throughout this exam. You will lose marks for grammatical errors, non-adherence to the APA style guide, and for unclear or sloppy writing.
PART TWO: THEMATIC ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Choose a theme from the novel that emerged during your review. Create an annotated bibliography that ties your theme to other types of texts:
• A fictional picture book
• An informational book
• A transitional text, graphic novel, or app (Choose ONE of these)
• At least ONE Academic Article or Scholarly Book Chapter
• Another novel (Middle Grade or Early Reader: NOT Young Adult)
Each annotation should include the following:
• APA citation. Author, Date, Title, Publication information.
• At least THREE sentences for each entry. ONE sentence briefly describing the text and TWOsentences discussing how the text connects to the novel that you reviewed for the final, and note why you chose this text in particular.
