Genres

• Fiction including contemporary realistic; realistic adventure; fantastic; science fiction; suspense; graphic novel; historical fiction; sports

• Nonfiction including poetry; science and mathematics; social issues; arts; history; sports folklore; biography

Success in terms of

• Theme

• Setting

• Characterization

• Point-of-view

• Plot

• Literary devices

• Illustrations

• Resolution

• Also consider  

  • Comparison with similar other works  

  • Literature as pleasure reading

  • Easy popularity versus work of substance

  • Purpose of writing and general level of achievement  

  • Intended audience  

Literature of merit provokes readers to respond: puzzlement, outrage, excitement, entertainment, critical evaluation of values, laughter, and tears.  Readers of valuable literature experience authentic emotions. Literature does not act in loco parentis but rather helps readers learn to think critically about complex ideas.  These challenges are worth risking peaceful praise.

Theme: Central idea of work; a comment on the human condition

• Values

• Quest for truth
• Ties other elements together
• Avoids heavy didactic voice
• Deals fairly with issues of importance

Setting: Time, place, social environment

• Supportive to narrative
• Contributes to theme
• Sufficiently described to create necessary illusion
• Consistent with reality constructed in plot
• Fantastic fiction ignores laws of real world in believable way
• Relates to characters, plot

Characterization

• Challenges faced  

• How resolved

• Full development

• Appropriately complex

• Defines conflicting points of view

• Consequences of behavior are logical

• Values held are evidenced by actions

Point-of-View: Position from which story is told

• General tone of respect for human values
• Contributes to understanding of diversity
• Narrator is trustworthy and believable

Plot

• Gives order to the events

• Storyline is clear

• Conflict is believable  

• Episodes move toward resolution

• Reasonable cause and effect

• Deals with situations of interest to young readers

Literary Devices

• Effective use of such elements as flashback, illusion, figure of speech, word play, repetition of words or phrases

• Irony: difference between reality and appearance

• Clarity

• Exaggeration

• Symbolism

Illustrations

• Type/medium

• Purpose (fiction/nonfiction)

• Speaks to children

• Successful placement of text with illustrations

• Aesthetic aspects such as use of detail, color, line, shape, harmony

• Overall effect

  Resolution

• Appropriate to author's purpose  

• Nonfiction may require additional considerations in terms of

  • Content  

  • Organization

  • Accuracy Tone

  • Format

TBA, adhoc Committee, Spring 1999, Linda R. Rivera, member