ABSTRACT
L iterature for children and young adults is often thought of as the corner-stone of language arts programs. In part, this is because children’s books are the first literature that young children encounter, typically by hearing stories and books read aloud by parents and caregivers. The classic fairy tales (e.g., Cinderella) and folk tales (e.g., Johnny Appleseed), along with more modern picture books (e.g., Owl Moon), are also the first books that young children learn to read aloud. Finally, quality children’s books (e.g., Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?) serve as literary models when children first attempt their own writing (Anderson, 2010).
