Collaborative Explorations of Character Experience

Don K. Philpot

doi:10.5771/9781475860016

Summary

Many middle grade novels published in the past 50 years focus on the personal experiences of a prominent fictional world individual age 10-14. This singular focus on one adolescent character, which is sustained for the full length of the novel, is most common in contemporary realistic or period novels. To explore the personal experiences of a prominent fictional young person with middle grade students, teachers will select novels whose exclusive focus is the lived experiences of one fictional world individual age 10-14 and guide students’ efforts to develop full and enlightened understandings about these individuals. Collaborative Explorations of Character Experience: Reading Actively in Middle Grade Language Arts draws on the personal experiences of eight fictional young people in an effort to answer three key questions: What can middle grade students learn about a prominent adolescent character in a middle grade novel by focusing on the personal experiences of that individual? In what ways do middle grade students benefit from reading assigned novels with a sustained focus on character experience and the personal experiences of a fictional young person? How can middle grade language arts teachers help their students to read assigned novels with a sustained focus on character experience?

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Bibliographic data

Copyright year: 2022
ISBN-Print: 978-1-4758-5999-7
ISBN-Online: 978-1-4758-6001-6
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham
Language: English
Pages: 154
Product type: Book Titles

1. Dedication No access
2. Contents No access
3. Acknowledgments No access
4. 1. Three Vignettes No access
  2. Chapter 31 Scoring Guide No access
  3. Middle Grade Novel Studies and Character Experience No access
  4. Key Questions, Book Organization, and Showcased Fictional World No access
  5. Showcased Novels, Fictional Worlds, and Personal Experiences No access
  6. Novel Selection and Intended Readers No access
1. Introduction No access
2. Information about Source Novel No access
3. Delphine’s Lived Experiences No access
4. An Exhilarating Ride No access
5. Selective Questions Focusing on Delphine’s Lived Experiences No access
6. Looking Back, Looking Ahead No access
1. Introduction No access
2. Information about Source Novel No access
3. Character Experience in Middle Grade Novels No access
4. Jess’s Lived Experiences in Bridge to Terabithia: Examples No access
5. Questions Focusing on a Character’s Lived Experiences No access
6. Annotated Examples: Questions-Answers Focusing on Jess’s Lived Experiences No access
7. Looking Back, Looking Ahead No access
1. Introduction No access
2. Information about Source Novel No access
3. Gilly and Her Social World No access
4. Gilly’s Lived Experiences No access
5. Questions Focusing on Gilly’s Lived Experiences No access
6. Looking Back, Looking Ahead No access
1. Introduction No access
2. Information about Source Novel No access
3. Brian and His Social World No access
4. Brian’s Lived Experiences No access
5. Questions Focusing on Brian’s Lived Experiences No access
6. Looking Back, Looking Ahead No access
1. Introduction No access
2. Information about Source Novel No access
3. Lolly and His Social World No access
4. Lolly’s Lived Experiences No access
5. Questions Focusing on Lolly’s Lived Experiences No access
6. Looking Back and Ahead No access
1. Introduction No access
2. Information about Source Novel No access
3. Frannie and Her Social World No access
4. Frannie’s Lived Experiences No access
5. Questions Focusing on Frannie’s Lived Experiences No access
6. Looking Back, Looking Ahead No access
1. Introduction No access
2. Information about Source Novel No access
3. Doug and His Social World No access
4. Doug’s Lived Experiences No access
5. Questions Focusing on Doug’s Lived Experiences No access
6. Looking Back, Looking Ahead No access
1. Introduction No access
2. Information about Source Novel No access
3. Katie and Her Social World No access
4. Katie’s Recalled Experiences No access
5. Questions Focusing on Katie’s Recalled Life Experiences No access
6. Looking Back, Looking Ahead No access
1. Introduction No access
2. The Benefits of a Reading Focus on Character Experience No access
3. Implementational Options No access
4. Conclusion No access
1. Themes Explored in the Novel No access
2. Personal Information About Delphine No access
3. Delphine’s Social World No access
4. Questions Focusing on Delphine’s Lived Experiences No access
1. Personal Information about Jess Aarons No access
2. Jess’s Social World No access
3. Three Distinctive Movements No access
4. Learning about the Death of a Friend No access
5. Questions Focusing on Jess’s Lived Experiences No access
1. Six Distinctive Movements, Expanded No access
1. Children’s Novels No access
2. Scholarly Works No access
Index No access Pages 149 - 152
About the Author No access Pages 153 - 154