An acquaintance with and an
understanding of literary characters is one of the first ways a
young
child has of making sense of what it is to be human. We all come
to know
more clearly who and what we are while reaching out,
imaginatively, for
what we might become. As the child dwells in and wonders at the
lives
li ved in story, she comes to know both herself and the world and
begins to
see that world as something over which she, as a character in
life, might
exercise some control. The events of story are a means of
exploration of
the world, helping her to confirm, to illuminate, and to extend
her own
life experiences, in ways that give her power over them. Story
gives
public form to private meanings and thus helps those who receive
its
messages to reach out to other human beings in the world, knowing
that
they share some of the same concerns and feelings. Informational
narratives are also important forms of children's literature and
ways for
young people to understand and appreciate their world and those
who share
it with them. We all need to learn about life both literally and
literarily, efferently and aesthetically. .......By Kay Vandergrift
http://comminfo.rutgers.edu/professional-development/childlit/ChildrenLit/index.html