The World of Children's Books
Undergraduate
TAS-HEN205 2025Course information for 2025 intake View information for 2024 course intake
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Enrol by
- 13 July 2025
- Entry requirements
- Prior study needed
- Duration
- 14 weeks
- Price from
- $2,001
- Upfront cost
- $0
- Loan available
- HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP available
The World of Children's Books
About this subject
Upon completion of this subject, the student should be able to:
- Summarise the main trends, themes, concepts, and texts and contexts in the history of children’s and young adult’s literature.
- Evaluate the role of children’s and young adult literature in education, children’s development, and culture generally.
- Demonstrate an ability to draft an effective piece of writing for a young audience.
- Develop and communicate ideas through collaboration, discussion with peers, and formal academic writing.
- Module 1: Reading, Writing, Publishing
- The history of children's literature
- Plot and structure
- The craft of writing for children
- Audience
- Publishing children's books
- Voice and point of view
- Module 2: Children and Adults
- Reading in the 21st Century
- Character
- Curating children's literature
- Setting
- Parents in children's literature
- Module 3: Key Issues in Children's Literature
- The nonhuman
- Reading and writing picture books
- Ecocriticism
- Reading and writing poetry for children
- Gender
- Reading and writing middle-grade fiction
- Race and cultural identity
- Reading and writing young adult fiction
Are you an aspiring teacher, librarian, writer or publishing professional? Or are you just fascinated by writing for young people? This subject explores the diverse and challenging world of writing for children and young adults. Through a variety of genres—such as picture books, graphic and prose novels, and short stories—you will investigate how books for young people deal with the big themes of growing up and living in a changing and challenging world. This subject examines: different perspectives on the values and challenges of books for young people;· the distinctive logics and practices of creative writing for young people; and, current themes and debates in the study of children’s literature. Through weekly writing exercises and extended research and analytical projects, you will learn what it takes to publish, write, and critique works for young audiences.
- Weekly Writing Activities (20%)
- Presentation and Creative Response (20%)
- Research Essay (50%)
- Tutorial/Online Participation (10%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
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Entry requirements
Others
Conditional requisite: 25 points at Introductory level in any discipline in any faculty
Additional requirements
- Other requirements - Teaching Arrangement: Weekly online lecture (1 hour) & online activities
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
Equivalent full time study load (EFTSL) is one way to calculate your study load. One (1.0) EFTSL is equivalent to a full-time study load for one year.
Find out more information on Commonwealth Loans to understand what this means to your eligibility for financial support.
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