Why is childrens' literature distinctive to children?
449130
I really had the answer but I can't be more accurate, more concise OR more thorough than answerer #1.\n\nVocabulary, relevance to their lives and scope of interest.
104799
No ... By the time the child is old enough to read, more important, old enough to understand what they are reading, they should know the difference between reality and story.\n\nPS.  My daughter has been read every single Harry Potter book out probably @ least 2-3 times each.  She is not interested in witchcraft.
1084191
I would suggest something with simple harmonic structure and interesting rhythms, as this most appeals to children. How about jazz songs, or folk songs (or folk-influenced songs)? Nonsense songs like Armstrong Gibbs' settings of Walter de-la-mare's poems or Britten's settings of W.H.Auden's poetry - I especially recommend the latter - great music including mentions of llamas and picking one's nose!
822883
Children, ages five to seven years old, have the ability to use language in different contexts or situations.
516670
It is.  It can be read in 2 ways, as either a Christian allegory, or as a children's fantasy novel.  I loved the stories as a kid, and I loved the allegory aspect of them as I got older.  \n\nC.S. Lewis wrote many other books, such as "Mere Christianity" and "The Screwtape Letters", which are different examinations of the Christian faith.\n\nC.S. Lewis was an atheist for a number of years, but conversations with JRR Tolkein played a role in turning him back to his Christian roots.  He was definitely in his Christian phase at the time he wrote the Narnia series.
710932
Aside from the personal growth and enjoyment derived from said pursuit, reading is empowering and opens many doors.  In our recent past, slaves were rarely provided opportunity to learn to read. This was to maintain a level of oppression. In some countries today, women and children are similarly stifled.\n\nReading opens our minds, and provides educational opportunities otherwise unattainable... which can broaden and change our lives.
945318
I'm of English descent, and "Dick Whittington and his Cat" was  an important story to me.  And all the Kipling "Just So Stories for Little Children" and his two "Jungle Books."  Also L. Frank Baum's Oz books (the ones actually written by Baum himself).
1104855
Why not? \nFor the Philippines it is as important as our literature is for us. And who knows, one might learn something entirely new from it.
1015399
Literature works on different levels.  Apart form the literal meaning, there can be meanings by analogy.  For example, a story may have parallels in your life that have special meaning to you.  Most literature can say something about the general - although it is literally about the specific.  (A love story about Janet and John could contain truths about love in general, for example).\n\nLiterary works - Shakespeare's Macbeth for example - are praised for their insights into human life in general rather than what they tell us about the historical character of Macbeth in particular.  (That would be history, not literature, and judged according to how it actually concurs with the facts.)\n\nLiterature is different from other types of written discourse in that it is judged only on its internal logic and not on its relevance or consistency with the outside world.  Literature is generally regarded as a poetic construct.
481527
The reason why children are called "impressionable" is because at that age, their genes are still learning how to react to the world. They accept almost everything as good, no matter how bad it is. Then they learn behavior as they get older, so when they get to be adults they have set beliefs and patterns thay they find difficult to let go, especially if these beliefs are rooted in strong emotion. Most of the time, our genes try to get us to avoid things that they interpret as "unacceptable", and our genes have absurdly high standards. That's why we tend to get so hostile to other people even over such little things, such as disagreeing whether or not a movie was good, or whether another person is handsome.
438808
In the nonfiction category, you can write textbooks on literature, science, mathematics, history, art, music, etc.\n\nYou can also write nonfiction chapter books, including biographies, how-to books, niche categories like plants and animals of a particular state or science experiments you can eat, books that include materials - like starting a rock collection, and all the above categories.\n\nIn fiction, there are picture books for very young children, beginning reader books for early elementary, chapter books, and Young Adult category books.\n\nFiction includes, poetry, literature, novels, historical fiction, science fiction, series - like the Boxcar Children or Goosebumps, fantasy - like Harry Potter, and even age-appropriate stories dealing with romance, anorexia, gangs and other issues kids have to deal with.\n\nYou cannot lose by checking out the Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators - see link below - they have even more information on genres, as well as publishers, literary agents and local chapters where members meet and help each other promote their work.
550829
To learn how children act.\nTo safeguard children from possible danger.\nIt's fun.
665880
Young children look for rhyming poetry with a steady rhythm and basic language.  It helps if there are pictures to illustrate the ideas in the poems.  Try Shel Silverstein.
923125
Good literature can teach you about yourself or other people. It can also help you to see things in a different way.
536053
No.\n\nIt's reading for pleasure.\n\nI have yet to meet a child who read a Harry Potter book and then jumped off a building believe he's got powers.  Children know is for fun.  When we guard our children from EVERYTHING, we are raising them to think they're in this idea world - when they're not.  They have the right to enjoyment!
504772
Since it is a story that has been told, adapted, and read by millions of people for hundreds of years, I would say that makes it "timeless."  It contains universal themes that are relevant to every generation and even across cultures.  Themes like family grudges, young people in love, love/relationships that are doomed from the start.
819966
Violent?  Hardly.  There's no killing, beatings, malicious acts towards other people, etc...so I'm missing where you're seeing "violence."  Is it adventurous?  Definitely.  For a four year old, though...I could see how some of those adventurous moments might be a little too tense.  You could always just read the book to her.