Essays and Research Papers on Children's Literature

A 10 page paper which examines the bizarre life and career the elusive author of the popular series of children’s books about the misadventures of the three unfortunate Baudelaire siblings as well as discusses the real-life man behind the author, Daniel Handler. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

A 3 page paper which offers a book report on three separate books. The books are Albert Einstein (DK Biography) by Frieda Wishinsky, The Night the Bells Rang by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock and Jim Davis by John Masefield. No sources cited.

This 5 page paper gives a brief biography of Stan Berenstain (the man behind the Berenstain bears); a summary of one of the books; and argues that his life did impact his writing. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 3 page paper compares the original written work to the 1939 filmed version. Differences and similarities are highlighted. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 4 page book review is on "Arby Jenkins" by Sharon Hambrick. Written in the persona of a sixth grader, the writer gives an overall perspective on this juvenile novel that is written from a religious Christian perspective. Bibliography lists only the source.

A 6 page book review that discusses and analyzes The Ramsay Scallop by Frances Temple, a novel set in the year 1299 and written to appeal to young teens. In many ways, it is a well-written tale that has elements that are both instructive and entertaining to young readers. However, there are also problems with ...

A 5 page paper that provides an overview of Theodor Seuss Geisel's life along with some examples of his many works. One story that was never published is included. The writer reports the incidents that moved Geisel into writing children's books. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

A 3 page book review of Jack Gantos's memoir Hole in My Life. As reviewer Christine Heppermann points out, while most award-winning children's book authors "will admit to having paid their dues, those dues generally don't include serving time in federal prison" (345). Nevertheless, award-winning author Jack Gantos' tale of prison life for smuggling drugs ...

A 5 page paper examining the traditional gender roles presented in the classic fairy tales. Beginning from the observations of psychoanalyst Karen Horney and anthropologist Margaret Mead, the paper is mostly involved with the traditional view of the beautiful princess waiting for the rescue that will come in the person of the handsome prince. ...

This 3 page report discusses Enzensberger’s The Number Devil (1998) which is a “mathematically minded fantasy. In it, the adventures of 12-year-old Robert with the enigmatic “Number Devil” leads him to reach certain understandings about mathematical concepts that no teacher had ever demonstrated for him. Bibliography lists only one source.

This 3 page paper discusses Sherman Alexie’s book for young people, “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,” and what the illustrations tell about the text. Bibliography lists 1 source.

An 8 page paper that considers the popular Grimms' fairy tale using Swiss psychologist Carl Jung's theories the collective unconscious. Includes discussion of the composition of the psyche and various archetypes such as the self, the shadow, and the God-image. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

An 11 page paper that provides an overview of Jung's imperative to interpret fairy tales and then looks at two fairy tales to demonstrate Jung's considerations and the application of this notions. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

An insightful 3 page essay in which the writer examines what meaning Watty Piper's classic story "The Little Engine that Could" holds for a child and in retrospect, the story's psycho-motivational value for an adult as well. For the most part, the writer is concerned with similarities and dissimilarities between the ways that an adult ...

A 5 page paper looking at Beverly Cleary's young adult novel in terms of its therapeutic effect on adolescents going through the same experience. The paper argues that many students who have never experienced the kind of emotional abandonment described by Cleary do not 'get' the book, while it has an enormous benefit on students ...

An 8 page paper analyzing the fairy tale 'Sleeping Beauty' through four versions -- Basile's, Perrault's, Grimm's, and Disney's. (It also mentions two others, though not in depth). The paper argues that such analysis tells us not only about our changing civilizations, but about ourselves. Bibliography lists seven sources.

A 7 page paper showing how women are depicted in the Grimm's fairy tales. Writer shows a possible correlation between societal roles and roles women play in fairy tales, since they are read to children. Bibliography lists 16 outside sources.

A 9 page paper on these two young adult books. Both the books have many similarities and these similarities are illustrated throughout the paper. They both maintain a sense of the unbelievable much like science fiction as well as their similarities in terms of philosophies and ethics. It remains important through each separate novel that ...

5 pages in length. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken is an enchanting yet slightly frightful children's story that has held its appeal through generations of adoring readers. Craftily scenic and charmingly aesthetic in both its character appeal and atmospheric detail, the book offers young adults the chance to experience literary ...

A 5 page paper looking at these two children’s books by E.B. White and Katherine Paterson, respectively, in terms of their treatment of death. The paper provides a detailed synopsis of both works, and argues that reading books such as these helps children come to terms with the presence of death in their own lives. ...

A ten page analysis of the theme of absurdity in Lewis Carroll’s “Through the Looking Glass” and “Alice in Wonderland,” as compared to Franz Kafka’s “The Trial.” The paper notes that while both Kafka and Carroll present universes in which their protagonists are aliens, Carroll’s is run according to a rigorous (if alternative) logic, and ...

A six-page paper contrasting Lewis Carroll’s original novel with the screen adaptation made of it by screenwriters for Disney Studios. The paper concludes that the screenwriter skewed Carroll’s text with many modern dramatic techniques and structures, improving it in some areas but losing wonderful segments in others. No additional sources.

A five page paper analyzing this well-known fairy tale. The paper presents four different interpretations of the Cinderella story from a sociological or psychological perspective, concluding that regardless of which interpretation one chooses, the story provides a unique path into the psyche of the reader. Bibliography lists five sources.

A five page paper looking at the popular children’s series by Joanne Rowling. The paper argues that the reason these books are so popular is they contain moral values adults appreciate together with an understanding of what it’s like to be a child. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A seven page paper looking at the way this fictional heroine of the well-known children's series was created, and has developed through the years. Written by many writers under the single pseudonym Carolyn Keene, the series has been extremely influential in the adolescent lives of millions of young girls. Bibliography lists five sources.