At the end of the course the student knows the cultural context in which children's literature has historycally found itself; knows how to analyse children's books, distinguishing between commercial, strictly educational, and literary products; knows how to make connections between a literary, a filmic, a visual text directed to children or having children as their focus; knows the main theories concerning the study of children's literature; knows how to conceive educational and didactic project to promote the pleasure of reading.

The course teaches what children's books are about. It stimulates to read deeper and in between the lines in order to discover and decipher the metaphores, the topoi, the archetypes, the symbols implicit in all literature and in particular in children's literature. It shows how many important, philosophical and anthropological themes are to be found in children's books. It reveals how children's books are, at their best, always a subversive literature, deeply critical of the grown-ups world, usually characterized by too rigid or too limited schemes, behaviours and perspectives. The course uses childrens' literature to help future teachers to discover the inner, and often otherwise unexpressed, world of childhood, with its peculiar visions, desires, dreams, needs and ways to be in the world.

Students are evaluated:

- the complexity and completeness of the knowledge gained about the basic foundations of the discipline (theoretical and interpretative references, national and international literary and narrative views ...)

- relevance, clarity and originality of the planned route

- the ability of critical analysis, reflection, methodological rigor and personal re-elaboration

Learning will be assessed by oral examinations with individual interviews. Interview is designed to test the knowledge of the contents, the linguistic fluency , the ability to organize information that every student is able to master at the end of the course about the topics discussed during the lessons and shown in the texts.

Student at the end of the course:

knows the cultural context in which children's literature has historycally found itself; knows how to analyse children's books, distinguishing between commercial, strictly educational, and literary products; knows how to make connections between a literary, a filmic, a visual text directed to children or having children as their focus; knows the main theories concerning the study of children's literature; knows how to conceive educational and didactic project to promote the pleasure of reading.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Teaching

During the course, beside the lectures, many books, or pages of books, will be read, shown, projected onto a screen and analysed together, as well as illustrations and films having children as protagonists, in order to try and grasp (with the help of the best literary and artistic metaphores and images) the inner world of childhood.

Course books

The course wants to propose the awarness of the wide range educational power of the book for children.
Exploring cultural backgrounds and ideas of the main authors and publishers, its aim is to approch the contemporary production looking for themes, artistic issues, pedagogical proposals in it.

To substain the exam the candidate must prepare a critical part and he must read at least two books for children and see at least four Miyazaki's films.
To agree on a special program you must contact the professor.

Text:

E. Beseghi, G. Grilli (a cura di), La letteratura invisibile. Infanzia e libri per bambini, Roma, Carocci, 2011 (190 pp.)

M. T. Trisciuzzi, Hayao Miyazaki. Sguardi oltre la nebbia, Roma, Carocci, 2013 (160 pp.)

The required text contains many references to novels, stories, films, picture books and other products of the imagination. In this broad framework, the student must choose between three proposals novels, picture books, fairy tales, movies or multimedia.

Assessment

Oral Exam

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Course books

Same as for Attending-Students

Assessment

Oral Exam

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.