Velveteen Rabbit, Goodnight Mr Tom and Last Bus - Ideal Books for Class Readership - Literature review Example

A Report on Children’s Literature: a Study of ‘The Velveteen Rabbit’, ‘Goodnight Mr. Tom’ and ‘The Last Bus’ College Introduction Children’s literature is particularly targeted to a children audience. However, this has not always been the case because such literature appeals to an adult audience as well. Furthermore, before approval for class readership, children’s literature goes through a review by adults before their full recommendation. It is commonplace that adults read aloud stories to their children. It may therefore be argued that children’s literature is not exclusively a children’s domain, but adults as well. It is critical for adults to review children’s literature before administering them to their children. This is vital as far as the themes discussed are concerned. Some themes and illustrations may be scary to children, or well, beyond their imagination. This is evident as reflected in the following children’s literature. The Velveteen Rabbit This is a story about a stuffed toy rabbit who is a child’s favorite. However, with the onset of more sophisticated hi-tech toys, the Velveteen Rabbit is inherently replaced. He only gains significance the Boy cannot find his favorite toy. Consequently, the Boy’s mother gives him the rabbit, a rare chance for the rabbit to exit the closet. He was elated. This story features a theme of love and being real. This saw through the transformation of the Velveteen Rabbit into a real toy courtesy of the horse who, unlike the rabbit, was real. The horse saved him from the impending demise when the Boy contracted scarlet fever and the doctor instructed all the Boy’s toys be burnt as they possibly bore scarlet fever germs. Goodnight Mr. Tom This children’s story features a little boy, Willie, who suffered his mother’s physical and emotional abuse. Willie runs into a new guardian, the God-fearing Mr. Tom, who takes care of him like his own. Willie later own has to come to terms with the death of his own mother and baby sister. He lost his mother to suicide and his baby sister to malnourishment. His strict mother had locked him up, bruised and injured, with his sister in a cupboard for days. Tom gets track of him and takes him to hospital. Tom later adopted Willie. In his new neighborhood, Willie meets new friends like Zach. He again has to come to face with the tragedy of death when he loses his friend Zach. Zach was killed on his way home, London, to see his father who had been injured by a bomb. The Last Bus Written by Robert Swindells, this story revolves around two little boys, Andy and Chris. Andy spends his Saturdays pretty well, riding buses on a Day Rover ticket. This amuses Chris for a moment. He finds out that Andy loves lifting things from stores. Their journey home is not easy, after they miss their bus home. It is a nightmare for the boys but adventurous all the same. Swindells’ choice of characters reflects the real world. The issues discussed are contemporary. The book targets imaginative young readers; issues such as theft presented in the book teach children moral lessons. This natural story-teller believes the themes discussed are not too strong for children. Swindells believes the stories are true and that it is important to confront the truth. The Question of Bereavement in Children’s Literature These reads are an ideal selection for analysis because they all have some subjects in common. To some good extend they depict the themes of bereavement and separation. It is debatable whether such controversial themes should be subject in children’s literature. Such themes are important to discuss because it is necessary for children to understand and to get over it. This is an inevitable occurrence even as they transcend into adulthood. It teaches children good morals, to live good lives and to accept death as a reality. They however need slow explaining for the comprehension of children. Analysis of the texts All the three texts display themes both varied and similar yet link to a wider common theme. ‘Goodnight Mr. Tom’ presents an optimistic perspective of healing. It is indeed possible for people to heal following traumatic experiences no matter their magnitude. From the novel, Tom has to heal from the loss of his wife and son. This is not an instant occurrence but it takes time. His experience of loss and grief is valuable to Willie who also has to heal from the death of his mother and baby sister. The healing comes with a cost, this is why Tom allows Willie to wail, scream and lose himself in the whole process, as opposed to sedating him at the hospital. ‘The Velveteen Rabbit’ displays another positive view of transitioning from being unreal to being real. This similarly is a process that comes with a cost. The horse tells the rabbit that the process hurts as his hair has to be loved and eyes dropped out. He also has to get loose joints and end up very shabby. This sounded quite horrifying for the rabbit. Furthermore he had to be loved first by the people around him. He eventually conquered his way to a being a real rabbit. ‘The Last Bus’, a simple story, presents events of everyday life. The author was captivated by magic and magical explanations in his stories. This is where his themes were basically centered. Swindells upheld the view that children were very much comfortable with unreality but adults always tried to come up with explanations. In ‘The Velveteen Rabbit’ and ‘Goodnight Mr. Tom’, the authors talk of scarlet fever. Disease is something children might not understand, but it helps understand the real world, including disease causes and how to go about them. How might the books be used in the classroom? Children’s literature is not only an entertainment tool but also a classroom necessity. Discussing literature in class enables children to have an open attitude towards others and even themselves. It also enables children to be good listeners, build their language skills and above all, relate to themes and characters in literature to those in real life. What makes a book ideal for class readership? A good book not only tells a story, but also teaches kids a multitude of lessons. Classroom readerships ought to be authentic, captivating and credible while displaying the use of vivid imagery. Such books should also employ the use of language that kids can understand while at the same time helps children acquire new vocabulary and language skills. Good classroom readerships arouse emotions, both happy and sad and allow the children to relate with the events in the novel. The choice of characters should very well relate to today’s society. Another aspect would be the ability of the book to trigger the children’s imagination and innovative thinking. It is necessary to raise children’s curiosity as this triggers to find answers in the world they live, this way they can relate better to situations in life. ‘Goodnight Mr. Tom’ use in the classroom This novel is relevant for the classroom situation. The story depicts detailed descriptions of a young character brought up in a world too challenging for his age. This is ideal for the classroom situation because the children can relate to the characters in the play, particularly the choice of a young character, Willie, who some children might identify with. This novel also serves to trigger children’s imaginative minds; it draws its events from the post colonial era after the world war. This event in history is so remote to today’s children; this makes the novel a key element in briefing the children about the transitions in history and how far the world has come today. Character Analysis Through the young boy, Willie Beech, the author presents a young timid boy who had to swallow more than he could chew. Willie was sent from Deptford to Weirwold in rural Sussex. He is in custody of a widow, Tom Oakley. Willie suffered in the hands of an abusive mother, Mrs. Beech. Through Willie, children can learn to be responsible. We see him taking care of his baby sister after being locked up in a cupboard by their mother. He is overwhelmed by guilt having not been able to get any milk for the young baby who died of emaciation. The roles played by the boy may be frightening to young children. Willie does not understand some things that happen in front of his face. He does not understand death, the reason why he even fails to realize the baby was already dead in his arms. He knew his mother was religious, and that a woman was not allowed to have relations with a stranger, a man. It baffles him more when he realizes that a baby is not made by a woman alone, yet he now has a baby sister. This he learns from his friend Zach who explains to him how babies come about. Children may not also understand suicide. Willie does not understand this; it leaves many questions in children’s mind, thus becoming a rich subject of discussion in the classroom while at the same time preparing children for reality because such happenings are rampant in today’s world. Willie also teaches children about friendship. In his new neighborhood, he makes friends like Zach. They share a thing in common; Zach was also evacuated to Weirwold. Zach is generous, outgoing and full of life. It teaches Willie how nice it feels to have good friends and somewhere to call home. Through Willie, the author teaches children the importance of family. Tom develops Willie’s talent of drawing. He also teaches him to read and write. These are things Willie was never privileged to have in his previous home. Tom is presented as a caring parent-figure that most children would wish to identify with. He understands the experiences Willie is going through, probably because he had also had his fair share of suffering and loss. Tom’s warm heart and courtesy makes the novel an easy captivating read for children. The cruelty displayed in Mrs. Beech’s character is also important in helping children understand that not everyone in this world will treat you kindly. At the same time, the novel justifies cruelty. We cannot entirely blame Mrs. Beech for her cruelty; the author tells us that she was overly self-righteous and mad. This justification helps young readers not to make negative judgments particularly on every cruel adult. It serves to reiterate that there is a reason behind cruelty. In any case, Mrs. Beech wanted Willie to live a righteous life that is why he thinks his son’s new neighborhood and friends-particularly Zach who was a Jew-was bad influence on Willie. Themes ‘Goodnight Mr. Tom’ is a hub of tragedy confronting a nine-year old. The author explores the theme of healing and the price it costs for one to heal. This is relevant to children who may as well be victims of uncomely circumstances. The author presents healing as a process. It takes time to heal, and at the same we may need the help of others to heal. We see Willie slowly healing from the tragedies that confronted him. With the help and counsel of Mr. Tom, the boy is able to overcome the loss of his mother and sister. Healing is a process, the reason why we see Willie battling with the loss sometimes having to lose himself, wail and scream. Tom also underwent a healing process after the loss of his beloved wife and son. It cost him time to heal from it. He lives alone away from people; Willie becomes his companion who very much reminded him of his son. The fiction of history in the book and the World War II aftermath is vital in bringing back history to the classroom. It helps children have a wider world enquiry and to connect with the past society where there was war. People had to be evacuated for a certain period of time before they went back to their homelands. It also forms the basis for debates within the classroom and for essay topics. Language and Style The novel’s language and style, despite being the author’s first book, is pretty simple and challenging for children to understand. Complex words may feature occasionally, but this helps children develop their linguistic skills as far as the context is concerned. The use of dialogue makes the book more interactive and conversational, something children can relate to. The narrative style used by the author also makes it an easy read. Furthermore, this story can be dramatized which widens even more children’s creativity and approaches to tasks that involve writing. Evaluation Children’s literature has greatly developed over time. In the 1800s printing took over the narrative which was the only way children could access literature. Currently, there is massive use of books, e-books as well and audio books. There is also a wide use of picture books which cover a wide range of themes and topics. Some are fiction based, others mystery books and biographies or history. Animal stories are also popular among many children. Criteria for stating that a book is good for children Children’s books should have good illustrations. They should have pictures and bold texts. Books that are attractive physically appeal to children. It is also important to consider language used in the book. The language should be tailored to suit children of particular ages and their level of interest. Children’s books should be a blend of illustration and texts in a balanced way. The texts should represent varied themes and have an appropriate mood and tone. The themes should be credible and focus majorly on people as opposed to social issues that may be so out of place for young children. The illustrations should be in sync with the texts. The books should be sufficiently long, averaging between 25-34 pages. They could even be as little as 16 pages for much younger children. Good children’s books should have characters that children can relate to, and not only relate to them but also relate to them in a positive way. They should also sustain the child’s curiosity from start to finish, that means that the plot should develop constantly in an interesting way and teach children moral lessons. Rhetoric and Reality There exists a dichotomy between rhetoric and reality. Rhetoric is a simple way of deciphering reality. Children may not understand reality; therefore rhetoric becomes a simple way of explaining reality to them. They need to see in the use of language, fictional characters and pictorials. Although rhetoric has no effect on reality, it helps children choose what appears real to them and as they grow up, they are able to relate with the truths they established. In ‘The Velveteen Rabbit’ for instance, we see a transition of the velveteen rabbit from unreality to reality. Although fictional, this transition is symbolic and teaches a great deal to children who in essence believe in rhetoric. As the horse explained to the rabbit, the transformation came with a cost, the cost of being loved by those around you. It also involves pain, hair being loved off and shabbiness. This in a symbolic way teaches that reality comes with a cost. You need to be loved to become real. This depicts a clear dichotomy between rhetoric and unreality. Bibliography Bianco, M. W., & Nicholson, W. (1991). The Velveteen Rabbit, Or, How Toys Become Real. New York, Doubleday. Magorian, M. (1994). Goodnight, Mr. Tom. New York, Harpercollins. Swindells, R. E., & Edwards, M. (1997). Last Bus. London, Puffin. Read More

Swindells’ choice of characters reflects the real world. The issues discussed are contemporary. The book targets imaginative young readers; issues such as theft presented in the book teach children moral lessons. This natural story-teller believes the themes discussed are not too strong for children. Swindells believes the stories are true and that it is important to confront the truth. The Question of Bereavement in Children’s Literature These reads are an ideal selection for analysis because they all have some subjects in common.

To some good extend they depict the themes of bereavement and separation. It is debatable whether such controversial themes should be subject in children’s literature. Such themes are important to discuss because it is necessary for children to understand and to get over it. This is an inevitable occurrence even as they transcend into adulthood. It teaches children good morals, to live good lives and to accept death as a reality. They however need slow explaining for the comprehension of children.

Analysis of the texts All the three texts display themes both varied and similar yet link to a wider common theme. ‘Goodnight Mr. Tom’ presents an optimistic perspective of healing. It is indeed possible for people to heal following traumatic experiences no matter their magnitude. From the novel, Tom has to heal from the loss of his wife and son. This is not an instant occurrence but it takes time. His experience of loss and grief is valuable to Willie who also has to heal from the death of his mother and baby sister.

The healing comes with a cost, this is why Tom allows Willie to wail, scream and lose himself in the whole process, as opposed to sedating him at the hospital. ‘The Velveteen Rabbit’ displays another positive view of transitioning from being unreal to being real. This similarly is a process that comes with a cost. The horse tells the rabbit that the process hurts as his hair has to be loved and eyes dropped out. He also has to get loose joints and end up very shabby. This sounded quite horrifying for the rabbit.

Furthermore he had to be loved first by the people around him. He eventually conquered his way to a being a real rabbit. ‘The Last Bus’, a simple story, presents events of everyday life. The author was captivated by magic and magical explanations in his stories. This is where his themes were basically centered. Swindells upheld the view that children were very much comfortable with unreality but adults always tried to come up with explanations. In ‘The Velveteen Rabbit’ and ‘Goodnight Mr.

Tom’, the authors talk of scarlet fever. Disease is something children might not understand, but it helps understand the real world, including disease causes and how to go about them. How might the books be used in the classroom? Children’s literature is not only an entertainment tool but also a classroom necessity. Discussing literature in class enables children to have an open attitude towards others and even themselves. It also enables children to be good listeners, build their language skills and above all, relate to themes and characters in literature to those in real life.

What makes a book ideal for class readership? A good book not only tells a story, but also teaches kids a multitude of lessons. Classroom readerships ought to be authentic, captivating and credible while displaying the use of vivid imagery. Such books should also employ the use of language that kids can understand while at the same time helps children acquire new vocabulary and language skills. Good classroom readerships arouse emotions, both happy and sad and allow the children to relate with the events in the novel.

The choice of characters should very well relate to today’s society. Another aspect would be the ability of the book to trigger the children’s imagination and innovative thinking. It is necessary to raise children’s curiosity as this triggers to find answers in the world they live, this way they can relate better to situations in life.

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