My first
opinion:
I really
like fairy tales and musicals. I’ve seen the TV show and the musical of this
story. So I already knew that I would like the story in the book. I think it is
a great book for kids, because it improves their sense of imagination. I will
explain in my theory why imagination is important.
In class:
In class we
talked about what we really liked and didn’t like, what patterns we saw and
which questions we had. What I really liked about the story is the fact that
Dorothy travels to a more colourful world than she came from. And the other
thing I liked was the fact that they (Dorothy, the scarecrow, the tin man and
the lion) just had to believe in themselves to get what they all were looking
for (the brains, the heart and the courage). What they all didn’t know was that
it had always been there already.
What I
didn’t like in the story was that the wizard of Oz seemed to be a fake. If I had
read this as a kid, I really think that would have been a big bummer.
The pattern
I see in this story is that Dorothy, the scarecrow, the lion and the tin man
are all searching for something they already posses.
Besides that we talked about why we write stories, when the first children books were written and what these stories were about. We write stories because we talk about the world as it is, but also about the world as we would like it to be or as a warning. The first children's books were written around 1800 and it was a watered down adult version of the bible. We also compared the books we had to read (Peter Pan, Alice, secret garden and the Wizard) with each other. We came to the conclusion that these books could be compared with Disney films where parents are absent most of the time and in all of the books the characters grow up.
Besides that we talked about why we write stories, when the first children books were written and what these stories were about. We write stories because we talk about the world as it is, but also about the world as we would like it to be or as a warning. The first children's books were written around 1800 and it was a watered down adult version of the bible. We also compared the books we had to read (Peter Pan, Alice, secret garden and the Wizard) with each other. We came to the conclusion that these books could be compared with Disney films where parents are absent most of the time and in all of the books the characters grow up.
Theory:
In the
reader Maass’ theory says; “ The story has at least one unforgettable character.
Most likely that character grows, or matures and emerges from the story as a
changed person”. In the Wizard of Oz Dorothy is the one who’s growing up. In
the story she learns to just believe in her own abilities and help others to
find theirs. She does that by searching for the Wizard of Oz and overcoming
obstacles during her journey. Maass also
says that what happens to the characters is unusual, dramatic or meaningful.
This is also true for Dorothy because it isn’t very usual, that a tornado will
take you to Oz and besides that all the other things that happen to her in Oz. The
setting is described in so many details, that it makes you feel as if you are
there at that moment. This is what Maass calls a “captivating setting”.(reader: Youth Literature, P. 21, 22 and 23)
The
importance of this book is the fact that it helps children to improve their
sense of imagination. This is important because it will expand a child’s mind.
There are five benefits of encouraging a child’s imagination. These are;
developing social skills, build self confidence, boost intellectual growth,
practice language skills and work out fears. As children play pretend, they learn more about how people interact. Imagining themselves as a hero will develop their confidence about their abilities and potentials. Using imagination is the beginning of abstract thought. It can help children to work out their fears and worries. When children role-play about the big bad monster under their bed they gain a sense of control over him and he doesn't seem quite so big or so bad. (Digest, 2013)
The writer
of the Wizard of Oz, Frank Baum, says that he had written the story just to
please children. Some say there’s a deeper meaning behind this story. They say
it has something to do with the economics and politics. The story seems to be a
popular tool for teaching university and high school students about the
depression of the late 19th century. A man called Henry Littlefield
believed that the characters could represent the personalities and themes of
the late 1800, with Dorothy embodying the everyman American spirit (Jahangir, 2009) .
I think it’s
quite interesting to know that these stories are interpreted differently. That
there are people who see a deeper meaning in a story which the writer didn’t
intend to give. People actually see the story differently to feel supported in their own theories of life.
Age:
I think, and we talked about this in class, the age belonging to this book is 8 years old. It is not a very difficult book to read and there aren't happening very shocking things. So I think for an English speaking child, 8 years will be fine. When I look at Dutch speaking children, I think they have to be 11 or 12 years old to be capable of reading this book, because that's for most children, the first time they have English at school.
Sources:
Digest, R. (2013, September 17). Parenting. September 17, 2013, van www.rd.com:
http://www.rd.com/advice/parenting/encourage-your-childs-imagination/
Jahangir, R. (2009, March 17). BBC News Magazine. September 15, 2013, van BBC News Magazine:
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7933175.stm
I liked reading your blog Jamie! It's very well-arranged and leaves nothing out. What I really liked about the books, we talked about this in class as well, is that all the books have the growing-up theme coming back. In your book it's Dorothy, in the book I read it was Mary and to some extent the other kids. There are a lot of resemblances between these two books, and the other books in this week's list for that matter.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenAnyway, just wanted to say that you seem to capture the meaning and patterns in the book quite well!
Good read, definitely enjoyed it. You go into nearly everything except the age suitability which could be expanded a bit. Other than that it seems like a solid first blog!
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