Children's Literature Reflections
Students were asked to complete reflections several times during the eight week unit: once immediately following the genre study (after they had read children's stories extensively), once following the completion of their original book, once after sharing their story with students from the Fifield, and again several weeks later. Following are several students' reflections:

Bleidys

When Mrs. Cummings told us that we were going to be reading children's books I didn't want to. It's nothing personal but I think that children's books are not for freshman. We already went through that. Why do we have to read it again? But as time went on I have started to like this (a little). After all, it's not that boring.
My thoughts have changed a lot. I didn't like to read. But now I do. And I didn't like to write either. I still don't like to write but it's better than before.
I used to think that children's books are for children only. But they aren't. I also used to think that children read books for entertainment only but as I read some I realized this wasn't true. The Giving Tree had a lesson to not take things for granted. Lola Lee Lou had a lesson to appreciate what you have and don't hate on other people. The Hungry Caterpillar had the lesson of not eating too much because you'll get cramps, and The Runaway Bunny, which had a lesson about not running away from home because that's not the right way to solve little problems or big ones either. And a lot more books that we read had lessons. Now I think that children's books (literature) is very important. Why? Because it's another way of teaching children and giving them lessons. Lessons that they will need when they grow up.


Corvette

At the beginning of the unit and reading of children's stories I didn't think the stories had morals. To me as a child, they were for fun. Now that I'm older and have re-read some of my old childhood stories, I'm able to see that these stories teach children to be safe and the way to treat people, and they are also for fun. In Horton Hears a Who! there is a moral to treat people the way you would like to be treated. When I was younger I didn't see the true meaning of "a person's a person, no matter how small."
Some stories tell a moral through the whole story, like Oh the Places You'll Go!. The story is really for adults because we would understand the meanings more. For example, "You have brains in your head and feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own and you know what you know. And you are the guy who'll decide where to go." To a child this means, "You can go where you want. No one will tell you where to go." To an adult it means, "You're smart and you don't need help to make your own decisions about your life." Either way the story can be for adults or children. Most of the time children only see the literal meaning and older people see the figurative meaning. I've learned children's stories-or any kind of story-will always be in my life.


Corvette

When my teacher explained to the class we would be writing children's stories I was psyched! Writing the story in the book was hard but drawing the pictures-I couldn't wait. Drawing made me feel young again. That is the part I enjoyed most.
The part that helped my story was my moral, "never take things from strangers." I think it will keep children from being harmed or taken from their families.
I don't think I've changed as a writer because I will write like I did before the children's story only a lot better. I took my time and tried to think with a child's mind. I believe I was born to be a writer.
I would change the end of my story because I don't think that children will find it interesting.

Corvette

Writing my own children's story makes me feel like a real author of my own books. I think the message I put in my book about never taking candy or anything from a stranger is what I am most proud of. My story relates to real stories because mine has a message or moral to it just like a regular children's story. If my book was presented with an award, it would be for the message.

Anthony

My thoughts changed over the past six weeks. When I first heard that we were going to be reading children's books, I was like, "I'm not going to like that," just like when we had to write a story a while ago on the computer. Children's literature is not just for little kids. It could be for adults and young adults. Like in The Butter Battle Book I like when they had funny names for weapons and the two different people (Yooks and Zooks) had a beef. The other book, Oh the Places You'll Go!, is not just for little kids because grown ups could read it and gain knowledge from it.
I didn't want to read children's literature because I only thought it was for little kids but now I think it is for everybody because it could teach you something. I think that it is for little kids because some of the language is not what people my age would want to read. The pictures are made to draw children into the story. The topics are easy for little kids to understand and I would want a topic that you have to keep thinking about.


Anthony

The part of the writing process I enjoyed the most was making up the story because you could make up anything you want.
The part I found the most difficult was drawing the pictures because I don't know how to draw well.
I have changed as a writer because I wrote more than I did before. I did things I don't normally do. I think of myself as a writer differently because I made a children's book.
If I did this again I would draw better pictures and make a way different story line.
Miguel

I kinda enjoyed this project but the part I enjoyed the most was drawing the pictures. I like it because it helped people understand and gave people an image of what I was thinking of while I was creating my story.
There were a lot of difficult parts but the most difficult part that I faced was creating a story. For the fact that I had to make a story that wasn't violent but amusing to a child. I think my pictures helped my book be better because children's books aren't good unless they have good pictures.
I do think I changed because I now know I can write a book without any kind of violence. I'd still rather write a book with street life.
If I was to do this story over, I would make my story a little shorter so I can write a better ending than I did.


Eddie

It feels good that I authored my own book. If there are people that don't feel good or proud of their book they should. People should because it took a lot of work to do and finish a book. It feels so good that I would like to do another book.

David

My children's book was Rainbow the Bear. Our assignment was to design and create a story, a children's story, with book cover, color illustrations, and text. Then we showed it to elementary school children. Of my book, I am most proud of creating something that the little ones love and creating a story about a bear going on a journey to find out why he has a rainbow colored tummy. I would revise my story by making better illustrations because on the first page there's a colorful bear. It's supposed to be the mama bear laying down in labor. I didn't mean to make her colorful. I would revise the part of the story where the wolves come in when they said, "well well, look what he have here." I should just make them say, "Hey boys, you'll make a wonderful meal." Yeah, that would sound better.


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