Assignment Part A:
Note: Books evaluated for this assignment must be intended for children (people under 18) and released by mainstream publishers (not self-published or web only).
While the focus with the illustrator study was on the art they created and how the pictures enhanced (or told) the story, the focus here is the words themselves. What point (or points) did the author want to make? What was the story being told?
Directions:
1. Choose one of these authors: Shel Silverstein, Mo Willems, Dr. Seuss, Maurice Sendak, Judy Blume, Eric Carle, Yangsook Choi, Beverly Cleary, Christopher Paul Curtis, Ann M. Martin, Roald Dahl, Louis Sachar, R.L. Stein, Arnold Lobel, Carolyn Keene, Gertrude Chandler Warner, Franklin W. Dixon, or Jacqueline Woodson. If you have another author you'd like to study, please message me. I am open to suggestions. Note that some of these writers are also illustrators--you may not use the same person you discussed in your illustrator study earlier this term!
2. Identify four of the author's books, including at least two that won awards.
3. For each book, write a 1-2 paragraph review evaluating the book. If you use any quotes from published editorial reviews from publishers' or booksellers' web sites, you must include those citations on the MLA Works Cited page at the end of the study and have MLA style in-text citations. Those citations need the reviewer's last name, not the author's! Those reviews may help you to discuss artistic media and literary styles.
4. Write a 2-3 page biography of the author, citing background, career highlights, and other books they wrote. If you want, you can submit your paper to Upswing for feedback before turning it in or go to the Writing Center on campus (this is a way to receive extra credit--but you must show me proof (like a screenshot) of your submission to Upswing or your time in the Writing Center.
5. Include all books discussed and references used on the MLA Works Cited page at the end of your document. See the two examples below. As noted previously, you can use online citation generators (but check the citations for accuracy) or create your own. Do not use the one in Microsoft Word!
6. Follow MLA style fully throughout. This means having the entire paper double-spaced in 12pt font, including the Works Cited page, formatting each entry with a hanging indent, alphabetizing all entries by the author's last name, and indenting the first line of every paragraph.
Book with a different author and illustrator:
Weatherford, Carole. Ill. by Eric Velasquez. I, Matthew Henson: Polar Explorer. Bloomsbury, 2008.
Assignment Part B:
Assignment: Illustrator Study (2-3 pages)
Note: Books evaluated for this assignment must be intended for children and released by mainstream publishers (not self-published or web only).
Picture Books
In picture books, the narrative unfolds not only through the text but also through the art. The pictures are crucial to the telling of the story. In fact, some picture books are wordless. Others are alphabet, counting, concept, and toy books. Graphic novels, longer stories with sequential art in comic book form, are usually for middle grades and teens rather than for the primary grades.
Directions:
1. Choose one of these illustrators: Shel Silverstein, Kadir Nelson, Jerry Pinkney, Gregory Christie, Chris Van Allsburg, Brian Selznick, Paul Zelinsky, Melissa Sweet, Ashley Bryan, C. Gregory Christie, Bryan Collier, Floyd Cooper, David Wiesner, Kevin Henkes, Chris Raschka, Christian Robinson, Jon Klassen, Mo Willems, Ed Young, or E. B. Lewis. If you have another illustrator you'd like to study, please message me!
2. Identify four of the illustrator's books, including at least two that won awards.
3. For each book, write a 1-2 paragraph review evaluating both the illustrations and the text. If you use any quotes from published editorial reviews from publishers', illustrators' or booksellers' web sites, you must include those citations on the MLA Works Cited page at the end of the study. Those reviews may help you to discuss artistic media and literary styles. Also write a brief biography of the illustrator, citing background, career highlights and other books he or she has illustrated.
4. Write a 2-3 page paper evaluating books by, and summarizing the career of, an award-winning illustrator. If you want, you can submit your paper to Upswing for feedback before turning it in or go to the Writing Center on campus (this is a way to receive extra credit--but you must show me proof (like a screenshot) of your submission to Upswing or your time in the Writing Center.
5. Include all books discussed and references used on the MLA Works Cited page at the end of your document. See the two examples below. As noted previously, you can use online citation generators (but check the citations for accuracy) or create your own. Do not use the one in Microsoft Word!
6. Follow MLA style fully throughout.
Book with a different author and illustrator:
Weatherford, Carole. Ill. by Eric Velasquez. I, Matthew Henson: Polar Explorer. Bloomsbury, 2008.
Book authored by the illustrator:
Ransome, James. When the Bell Rang. Simon & Schuster/Atheneum, 2019.
Assignment Part C:
Speculative Fiction Reading, Discussion, and Activity Guide
Note: Books evaluated for this assignment must be intended for children and released by mainstream publishers (not self-published or web only).
Choose a speculative fiction book. You may borrow a book from the public library or find a book online at Storyline Online, International Children's Digital Library or Just Books Read Aloud. It may be for any age group except adult readers. After choosing a title, check on the Database of Award-winning Children's Literature (dawcl.com) to ensure that it is the appropriate genre. Points will be deducted if the book you select is not speculative fiction!
After reading the book, complete the "Speculative Fiction" worksheet in the module. Be sure to complete all sections of the worksheet, including the MLA citation at the top of the page. To get needed bibliographic information, search the book titles on WorldCat.
Example: MLA bibliographic style
Book with an author or illustrator only:
Author's last name, Author's first name. Book title (italicized). Publisher, year of publication.