Traditional Literature

This is one of my favorite genres.  These are books that I mostly read when I was growing up.  The books include myths, legends, folklore and tales.  The best part of this is that it is literature that has been passed down from generations to generations.  However, these classic stories can include violence, stereotypes, and sexism.  But in turn, these classic stories teach us lessons that relate to real life.  These stories would be a positive for students to learn in the classroom because it can teach them about people from different countries and cultures.  One of the most popular stories in the traditional literature is Cinderella.  It has been retold in 700 different versions.   A way to use this in the classroom would be to have the students compare these versions and also see how they are different.

Here are some examples of traditional literature-

PICTURE BOOK

Rylant, Cynthia. Cinderella. Disney Enterprises Inc. 2007.

 This class book is about a girl who is made to act like a slave for her stepmother and two stepsisters.  One day, there is a ball but Cinderella can’t go because her stepmother wants her to stay home and clean the house.  However, Cinderella has a fairy godmother who shows up and gets Cinderella ready to go to the ball.  At the ball, Cinderella loses a glass slipper and the prince goes all around the town to see who it belongs to.  At the end, he finds out it belongs to Cinderella, and they live happily ever after. 

SHORT CHAPTER BOOK

BLume, Judy. Freckle Juice. Four Winds Press. 1971

This book is about a kid, Andrew who desperately wants Freckles.  He asks some of the students where they got their freckles from and one student in particular gives Andrew “freckle juice” to help him. 

 CHAPTER BOOKS FOR ADOLESCENTS

Dahl, Roald. Matilda. Puffin Books. 1988

 This book is about a little girl who is very intelligent.  Her family does not pay attention to her.  She starts school and her teacher realizes how smart she is.  She also discovers a power that she has and uses it to her advantage.