Preparing for Session 4

Reading:

• Next week we'll focus on the "insider-outsider" debate in class: who should write "diverse literature"? What are the rationales for seeking out works written by authors who draw on personal experience and/or identify with the cultural or social groups they represent? What are the rationales for taking a stance that "outsiders" can also write quality pieces of literature? In what ways is the "insider-outsider" distinction tricky or a problem?
• Your readings for this week are drawn from a on-going, written, and scholarly debate in the world of children's literature. Read the four articles for this session in the order that they are presented in the syllabus. You may find it helpful to keep a list of different arguments and counter-arguments.
• We'll spend time in class clarifying different viewpoints and complicating our understandings of the dilemmas involved in this debate!
  

Blogging:

• This is one of the few weeks for which there is an assigned post (or comment, if you wish to respond to someone else's idea). Write a focused and concise post on an aspect of the insider-outsider debate.
  
• Optional: Add a section on your blog for links to professional resources on diverse literature.
• Optional: If you haven't done so, set up a Google Reader (or other similar account) to subscribe to posts from this blog and your fellow classmates' blogs.