Creativity and Children's Literature: New Ways to Encourage Divergent Thinking

262 Pages·2014·6.722 MB·English

by  Marianne Saccardi

Creativity and Children’s Literature
The role of books whether for children or grown-ups [is] to expand our horizons, to tell us more
than we had henceforth ever imagined, to give us a sense of life’s exhilarating possibilities, to
influence our moral outlook and to help determine what kind of people we strive to be.
Selma G. Lanes
( Horn Book , Sept./Oct./ 1996
Vol. LXXII, No. 5, 558)
Creativity and
Children’s Literature
New Ways to Encourage Divergent Thinking
Marianne Saccardi
Copyright 2014 by Marianne Saccardi
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a
review, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Saccardi, Marianne.
Creativity and children’s literature : new ways to encourage divergent
thinking / Marianne C. Saccardi.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-61069-355-4 (paperback) — ISBN 978-1-61069-356-1 (ebook)
1. Children’s literature—Study and teaching (Elementary)—United States.
2. Creative thinking—Study and teaching (Elementary)—United States. I. Title.
LB1575.5.U5S33 2014
370.15'7—dc23 2014009411
ISBN: 978-1-61069-355-4
EISBN: 978-1-61069-356-1
18 17 16 15 14 1 2 3 4 5
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This book is printed on acid-free paper
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To our granddaughter, Stella, and to children everywhere.
Know that the future is in your hands and that your
divergent thinking will create a better world for all of us.
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Contents
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xi
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xiii
A Definition of Divergent Thinking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xiv
Characteristics of the Divergent Thinker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xvi
Problems Solved in Unexpected Ways by Divergent Thinkers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvii
A Classroom Environment That Promotes Divergent Thinking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xix
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xix
1 Poetry: “Words . . . That Rub Together with Small Explosions” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Poetry “Mak[es] Familiar Objects Be as if They Were Not
Familiar” (Percy Bysshe Shelley) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
A Unit on Birds (Or Any Other Member of the Animal Kingdom) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Dare to Dream . . . Change the World (Title of a Poetry Book
Edited by Jill Corcoran): Poems That Tell a Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Poems That Stretch Thinking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Poems That Stretch Imagination: Making the Impossible Possible . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Experimenting with Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Poetry and Art Link to Help Students See Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Poetry Books Featuring Animals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
2 Finding the Extraordinary in the Ordinary World of Fiction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Picture Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Risk-Taking, Divergent-Thinking Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
viii Contents
Picture Book Creators Help Readers Reimagine Their World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
A. Extraordinarily Creative Storytelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
B. Innovative Formats. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
Illustrations as Metaphor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
Novels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
A. Realistic Contemporary Fiction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
B. Historical Fiction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80
3 Folklore, Fantasy—The Tale Is a Lie; What
It Tells Is the Truth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87
Nursery Rhymes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88
Folktales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90
Trickster Tales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91
Creative Problem Solving and Life Lessons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92
Fables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94
Tall Tales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95
Pourquoi Tales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99
Fairy Tales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100
A. Picture Book Retellings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101
B. Original Fairy Tales Written by Contemporary
Authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104
C. Cinderella around the World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105
D. Fractured Tales in Picture Book Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106
E. Fractured Fairy Tale Novels or Novels Based
Directly on Fairy Tales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
a) Novels for Younger Readers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
b) Novels for Older Readers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
More Divergent Thinking and Creative Activities
Inspired by Folk and Fairy Tales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
Further Thoughts to Ponder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
Fairy Tales—Root of Contemporary Fantasy Novels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121
Modern Fantasy and Science Fiction Novels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122
High Fantasy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127
Contents ix
Note. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134
Selective Bibliography of Mother Goose Rhymes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141
Selective Bibliography of Cinderella Stories from
around the World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .142
A Selective Bibliography of Fantasy and Science Fiction Novels
That Weave Threads of Myths and Legends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .142
4 Nonfiction: Igniting Curiosity, Inquiry, and Divergent Thinking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145
Nonfiction Writers Demonstrate Curiosity
about and Passion for Their Subject . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .146
Everything’s Just Fine . . . or Is It? (Taken from Jacket
Flap, Wooldridge, 2011) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149
Courageous Innovators Transform Obstacles into Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150
Suggested Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .158
Invention Born of the Observation and Investigation of Nature
(Adapted from Marcus Tullius Cicero) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163
Dare Mighty Things (From the Title of Rappaport’s Biography
of Theodore Roosevelt) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .168
Powerful Collaboration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .175
Examining Nonfiction Authors’ Angles or Points of View
(Marc Aronson) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177
Drawing on Nonfiction in Units of Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .178
A. Frogs and Toads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .178
B. Insects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179
Moving Forward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181
Additional Titles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .188
5 Divergent Thinking in the Classroom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .191
Students Take on the Issue of Poor Air Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .191
Divergent Thinkers Present Their Innovative Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .197
Some Concluding Thoughts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .201
Future Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .203
Parent Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .204
The Final Word. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .204