Request full copy

Through the Eyes of a Child: An Introduction to Children's Literature, 8th edition

Published by Pearson (March 9, 2010) © 2011

  • Donna E. Norton
  • Saundra Norton
$202.66

  • Hardcover, paperback or looseleaf edition
  • Affordable rental option for select titles

  • Evaluation Criteria boxes in every genre chapter outline exactly what you need to look for in quality literature to help you find appropriate literature to share with students.
  • Teaching With pages ending every genre chapter share classroom-tested suggestions for using literature in your teaching.
  • New! Voices from the Field sections in genre chapters allow the biggest names in the writing of literature for middle graders to explain the value of adolescent literature and help you keep middle grade readers engaged in literature. New! A Book By its Cover feature draws attention to the detail in the cover art of children's literature, helping teachers guide readers in predicting story by analyzing covers.
  • Through the Eyes of an Author, Through the Eyes of a Child features begin with exclusive interviews with some of the creative geniuses that makes children’s literature fascinating, then goes on to share a child’s response to their work.
  • Issues boxes throughout the text draw your attention to the most contemporary ideas that concern the field of children’s literature, becoming ideal discussion starters for college classrooms.
  • Multicultural Literature sections in every genre chapter integrate the important information on multicultural literature within the overall context of children’s literature to ensure that future teachers and librarians understand the value of the literature in every genre.
  • In-Depth Analysis features take you deep into an exemplary title, using a single book to explore the topics being covered in the chapter to help you discover the elements that compose quality literature.

    • Voices from the Field

    The hottest topic in children’s literature, adolescent literature can be a complex issue. The eighth edition tackles it head on, turning to the pros to find out how to evaluate literature written for readers in grades 4 through 8, and learning how to compel this group of readers at risk of losing interest in reading.

    • New! Jack Gantos discusses the teacher’s role in keeping 4th through 8th graders interested in reading.
    • New! Nancy Farmer tells us how she works to engage readers in the middle grades.
    • New! Naomi Shihab Nye talks about the truth in poetry that engages young adolescent readers.
    • New! Joseph Bruchac tells us how we can mentor middle graders into becoming lifelong readers.

    Through the Eyes of an Author, Through the Eyes of a Child

    This two part feature begins with exclusive interviews with some of the creative geniuses that makes children’s literature fascinating, then goes on to share a child’s response to their work.

    • New! Mo Willems tells us how he generates ideas, then 5-year-old Ruby shares her feelings about Willems’s Leonardo the Terrible Monster.
    • New! Susan Guevarra tells us what inspires her art and 9-year-old Hayden responds to her artwork in Chato and the Party Animals.
    • New! Robert Burleigh talks about the poetry of writing children’s books, and 4-year-old Eva tells us her favorite things about his new picture book Clang! Clang! Beep! Beep! Listen to the City.
    • New! Joan Bauer talks about inspiration and inspiring others, and 13-year-old Julia responds to Hope Was Here.

    Chapter by Chapter Changes

    Chapter 1

    • New activity on research and literacy
    • New examples of Erikson’s Stages of development through literature for early childhood education
    • New feature Developing the Literature Program
    • 155 new books covered in charts and in text
    • 10 new research references

    Chapter 2

    • New activity on research and literacy
    • New articles/information on censorship and challenged books
    • New feature History of the Library
    • New History of the Library timeline
    • New issue: What does it mean to read in the digital age? Will digital versus print be the educational issue of the future?
    • 21 new research references

    Chapter 3

    • New activity on research and literacy
    • 28 new books discussed
    • New issue: Do recent award winning books appeal to readers?
    • New feature: A Book by its Cover — using the 2008 Newbery Award winner Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz
    • 11 new research references

    Chapter 4

    • New activity on research and literacy
    • New feature A Book by Its Cover using 2009 Caldecott Award winner The House in the  Night by Susan Marie Swanson
    • 10 new research references
    • 51 new books discussed

    Chapter 5

    • new activity on research and literacy
    • new chart Children’s Choices for Beginning Readers
    • new feature A Book by Its Cover using 2008’s Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek by Deborah Hopkinson and John Hendrix
    • 10 new research references
    • 68 new books discusses

    C

    1. The Child Responds to Literature
    2. The History of Children's Literature
    3. Evaluating ane Selecting Literature for Children
    4. Artists and Their Illustrations
    5. Picture Books
    6. Traditional Literature
    7. Modern Fantasy
    8. Poetry
    9. Contemporary Realistic Fiction
    10. Historical Fiction
    11. Biographies
    12. Informational Books

    Following the completion of her doctorate at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Donna E. Norton joined the College of Education faculty at Texas A&M University where she now holds the rank of professor emerita. She taught courses in children’s literature, language arts, and reading. Dr. Norton is the recipient of the Texas A&M Faculty Distinguished Achievement Award in Teaching. This award is given “in recognition and appreciation of the ability, personality, and methods which have resulted in distinguished achievements in the teaching and the inspiration of students.” She is also the recipient of the Virginia Hamilton Essay Award, presented by the Virginia Hamilton Conference Advisory Board at Kent state University. This annual award recognizes an article that “makes a significant contribution to the professional literature concerning multicultural literature experiences for youth.”

    Prior to her college teaching experience, Dr. Norton was an elementary teacher in River Falls, Wisconsin and in Madison, Wisconsin. She was a Language Arts/Reading Consultant for federally funded kindergarten through adult basic education programs. In this capacity she developed, provided in-service instruction, and evaluated kindergarten programs, summer reading and library programs, remedial reading programs, learning disability programs for middle school children, elementary and secondary literature programs for the gifted, and diagnostic and intervention programs for reading-disabled adults. Dr. Norton’s continuing concern for literature results in frequent consultations with educators from various disciplines, librarians, and school administrators and teachers.

    Need help? Get in touch

    Video
    Play
    Privacy and cookies
    By watching, you agree Pearson can share your viewership data for marketing and analytics for one year, revocable by deleting your cookies.

    Video transcript (PDF | 16KB) 

    Pearson eTextbook: What’s on the inside just might surprise you

    They say you can’t judge a book by its cover. It’s the same with your students. Meet each one right where they are with an engaging, interactive, personalized learning experience that goes beyond the textbook to fit any schedule, any budget, and any lifestyle. 

    Digital Learning NOW

    Extend your professional development and meet your students where they are with free weekly Digital Learning NOW webinars. Attend live, watch on-demand, or listen at your leisure to expand your teaching strategies. Earn digital professional development badges for attending a live session.

    Explore webinars