What is " literature for children"?

Young children love fairy tales, even more if their parents tell one before going to bed since they imagine they become a beautiful princess or a brave prince for some minutes until they fall asleep. While parents are telling a famous one, they do not think if this kind of fairy tale is suitable or not for them.

Literature for children includes fiction, legends, myths, poems, fables, riddles, oral folktales, ballads and things of the sort. Most of them written for young readers are illustrated.

However, in the XVIII century childhood was not considered an important period in human life, so children had not access to many literature's books. They only read those books that their teachers selected to deliver the lessons. Thus, children were mostly in touch with books focused on history, politics, science or religion.

In the XIX, childhood was discovered and a new emotional attachment, philosophical interest and investment in children were developed. Besides, the print was invented so kids were able to begin reading those stories that they had listened to for years.

In the XXI century, many writers believe that children develop a higher intellectual capacity through reading since literature allows them to learn how to express their own ideas, feelings and fears in a tremendous way. The most typical phrase that catches children attention is "Once upon a time". Literature can be explored by studying the different styles, the characters and the themes involved in stories.

To begin with, styles are represented by inevitable happy endings in which good is rewarded and evil is punished or by sad stories which leave the reader an important lesson or moral. For example, happy endings such as the one showed in “Little Red Riding Hood” compensate sad, anxious and painful feelings of readers and create confidence and hope in them.

In the second place, characters have a very important influence in literature. Some characters become heroes or heroines for children. Kids want to take after them and believe they will overcome difficulties, challenges or obstacles by acting as heroes. The idea that they will triumph in life is latent when they think and behave as heroes. Following heroes’ steps may be one of the most important goal children tend to pursue. An example of this appears in “Sleeping Beauty” where the moral shows that nothing is impossible if you have a valuable training before you get into society.

Last but not least the theme also plays a primordial role in literature books. The theme depends on what the story is about and it transmits a meaningful message. An example of theme is clearly seen in “The Frog King” where parents are taught not to treat their children like “pets”. The message conveyed by this story is to encourage kids to deal with their problems when they come up and to become more mature and independent for the future.

To conclude, writers assure that literature is an amazing hobbie for children since books give them the opportunity to discover and experience others aspects of language through different genres and not only by focusing on grammar exercises. Most of the students enjoy reading, especially fairy tales, poems and legends. When they read they spend a wonderful time with their partners. After reading, children usually share what they have read in class with their parents. In this way they discuss the style, the theme and the characters of the story and thus, they try think and understand how the world works and connect fantasy or non- fiction with reality.