Child-sized history : fictions of the past in U.S. classrooms / Sara L. Schwebel.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Schwebel, Sara L.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Literature and history.

Historical fiction, American.

United States--History--Study and teaching.

United States.

History.

Historical fiction, American--Study and teaching.

Literature and history--Study and teaching--United States.

Children--Books and reading--United States.

Children.

Children--Books and reading.

Physical Description:

xi, 255 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Nashville : Vanderbilt University Press, [2011]

Summary:

Schwebel (English, U. of South Carolina) looks closely at historical fiction for middle-grade students that has entered school curricula, such as Sounder and the Little House series, and examines recent award-wining children's historical novels that are not yet widely taught. The author begins by examining how three developments brought historical novels into the classroom during the 1980s: the war on poverty, multiculturalism, and the rise of the authentic literature movement. Subsequent chapters look at common themes of children's historical fiction: whites as tamers of the American wilderness; war as the catalyst that solidified Anglo-American identity; and the eradication of slavery as the turning point which enabled the nation to embrace diversity. In addition to close readings of books, Schwebel offers author biographies, drawing on the personal papers of authors of children's historical fiction and stories by their family members. A final chapter traces the impact of research, teacher training, and standardized testing on the use of historical fiction in the classroom. The book includes a list of websites, plus sample contents for a teacher-created Island of Blue Dolphins archive. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780826517920

0826517927

9780826517937

0826517935

OCLC:

700735429