Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Newbery Medal'

The purpose of this study was to conduct a critical content analysis of the African American characters found in Newbery Medal award winning books recognized between the years of 1991 and 2011. The John Newbery Medal is a highly regarded award in the United States for children's literature and esteemed worldwide. Children's and adolescents' books receive this coveted award for the quality of their writing. Though these books are recognized for their quality writing, there is no guideline in the award criteria that evaluated the race and identity of the characters. Hence, there are two overarching research questions that guided this study. The first question asked: To what extent are the African American characters in each award winning book represented? Foci in answering this question were the frequency of African American characters and the development of their ethnic identities. The second question asked: How are the African American characters' intergroup attitudes and interactions represented? Foci in answering this question examined the frequency of intergroup interactions and the characters' attitudes within the context of each book. The theoretical framework that undergirded this study is critical literacy, which encourages adults and youth to examine issues of diversity and social justice through their reading. Eighteen books met the criteria for the study, which provided 98 African American characters for investigation through content analysis. The qualitative methodology used frequency counts, anecdotal notes and questionnaires to analyze the characters. Findings revealed two key themes: the characterization of ethnic identity as a reflection of society and African American characters as models of agency. Further themes became evident in this study as well: the evolution of cultural authenticity, strong African American female characters, importance of the African American family and the acknowledgement of African American involvement in history. These findings are significant because they provided evidence of the potential of these Newbery award winning books to be the catalyst for critical classroom conversations on identity and agency. Findings also provided increasingly strong examples of ethnic role models within these notable titles.

Commonly practiced in school settings, bibliotherapy promotes healing and problem solving. In schools, bibliotherapy should be utilized to educate and empower students and to enhance the classroom experience. In order to achieve this purpose, teachers need a variety of books to specifically target students' unique needs. Award-winning books, such as those receiving the prestigious Newbery Medal, are important resources for teachers. This study examined the portrayal of characters with disabilities in 249 Newbery Medal and Honor books published between 1922 and 1974. From this sample, 20 books featured a combined total of 21 characters with a disability, as defined by the 13 disability categories (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, IDEA). The majority of characters were portrayed with orthopedic impairment (43%; n = 9). Other disabilities represented in this sample of books included visual impairment (19%; n = 4); emotional disturbance (14%; n = 3); mental retardation (9%; n = 2); speech or language impairment (5%; n = 1); multiple disabilities (5%; n = 1); and other health impairment (5%; n = 1). Overall, according to the language and customs of the time period that reflected the settings of the books, characters with disabilities were sensitively portrayed. However, when judged by today's standards, these portrayals were considered insensitive.

Newbery books are a reliable representation of quality children's literature. They have not previously been formally evaluated by the family structures represented in the books. This content analysis considered 87 contemporary realistic fiction Newbery winner and Honor books since the 1930s that portray families in English-speaking, western settings. The family structures portrayed in these books were compared with the family structure categories of the decade in which each book is set. Percentage comparisons revealed that the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s do not represent the actual family structures of their time period. After the Age of New Realism began in the mid 60s, the family structures in the books more closely matched the family structures of their decade, but several discrepancies remained.

The extent to which Jewish and Christian lifestyle actions were portrayed in 62 children's books of accepted literary worth was studied. The researcher read the Newbery award book and one Newbery honor book for each year in search of actions that Jewish and Christians active in their faiths deemed important. The sample consisted of the Newbery award book and one Newbery honor book for each year from 1960 to 1990. A content analysis of 13 action categories found that the five most common actions were (1) compassionate/ charitable deeds, (2) telling others about God, (3) prayer, (4) worship attendance and (5) reading the Bible. No significant change in the frequency of the 13 actions was found over time. However, the researcher found that Jewish and Christian lifestyles were portrayed only nominally in the Newbery books. The sample distribution shows that 65 percent of the sampled books contained fewer than the mean of 4.9 actions per 100 pages. Only six books contained strong Jewish or Christian characters - that is, main characters whose faith in God was portrayed as playing an important role in everyday life. Jewish characters of any kind (prominent or obscure) were found in only three books. Of the eight books that contained more than 10 actions per 100 pages, only one was about people in a contemporary setting: The Great Gillv Hopkins (1979). Actions were recorded regardless of which character committed them. In four books, characters' actions seemed inconsistent with the rest of the character's portrayed lifestyle. Some books contained a large number of actions contrary to Judeo-Christian lifestyles, with portrayals of hate and cruelty far outweighing portrayals of Jewish or Christian lifestyle actions. The most extreme of these wereThe Tombs of Atuan (1972) and The Witches of Worm (1973). Other studies have asserted that multicultural literature should be preferred because children need positive exposure to all cultures. This study concludes that portrayal of the cultures of committed Jews and Christians has not been common of the Newbery books since at least 1960.<br>Department of Journalism

Typical critical patterns for studying children’s literature, defined in this study as a written text intended for a reader up to the age of 14, make it difficult to chart generic change across a large corpus of texts. Traditionally, criticism of children’s literature focuses on cherry picked archetypes, exemplars, and the standout extraordinary. This study employs interdisciplinary methods and data sources from library science, education, and literary studies to create a method for analyzing a sample corpus of children’s literature more holistically vis-à-vis distant, macroscopic reading techniques. In this dissertation, I macroscopically read the corpus of Newbery Medal-winning texts in order to identify patterns of change in the genre of prized 20th century American children’s literature, seeking to animate this corpus of texts in different ways than is possible through microscopic analysis alone. The resulting analysis foregrounds the shared conventions of the text set, including descriptive elements, including bibliographic information, author information, publisher information, illustrative content, and length; structural elements, point of view, literary form, and select measures of text complexity; and thematic elements, including book summaries and subject analyses from a range of library, publisher, and social media databases. In addition, I consider various metrics for assessing popularity of the corpus as a whole and the ways in which popularity changes as time passes. Ultimately, in this dissertation I distantly read the corpus in conversation with existing critical understandings of the Newbery Medal, which previous critics generated using microscopic, close reading techniques, in order to investigate what changes with the introduction of distant methods. Distantly reading this corpus in conversation with existing critical understandings of the Newbery reveal that a more holistic approach to analysis paints a broader, more complete picture of the genre of prized children’s literature than microscopic, close reading alone does. Further, distant reading underscores the critical importance of explicit attention to methodology. The results that distant reading uncovers are inextricably intertwined with the methodological decisions made.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior<br>This work examined the effectiveness of Cu pre-exposition on biochemical and behavioral changes induced by Hg exposure in young rats treated subcutaneously with saline or CuCl2.2H2O (Cu 2.6 mg/kg/day) from 3 to 7 days old and with saline or HgCl2 (Hg 3.7 mg/kg/day) from 8 to 12 days old. Tissue samples from animals killed 24 h or 21 days after the end of mercury exposure (13 or 33 days old) were used to analyze of blood, liver, kidney and cerebrum δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (δ-ALA-D) activity; cerebrum and cerebellum acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity; biochemical parameters indicative of hepatic and renal toxicity; and to determination of hepatic and renal metallothionein and metal levels (Hg, Cu, Zn, Fe e Mg) in all tissues studied. The animals also were submitted to behavioral tasks: negative geotaxis task (3, 5. 7, 9, 11 and 13 days old), tail immersion (13, 20 and 27 days old), rotarod tests (25 and 30 days old) and beaker test (17 to 20 days old). Mercury exposure reduced body and cerebrum and increased kidney weight; inhibited the hepatic and renal δ-ALA-D, cerebellum AChE and serum LDH activity; and increased serum urea and creatinine and hepatic MT levels at 13 days. The Hg effect persisted on body and renal weight, renal δ-ALA-D activity and urea levels checked after 33 days. Still, Hg exposure caused accumulation of this metal in all tissues analyzed; increased hepatic Zn and Fe levels; and decreased renal Fe and increased Cu levels at 13 days. The effect persisted on hepatic Hg levels; and renal Hg and Fe levels. In addition, a decrease in the liver weight and renal Mg levels; and increase in the cerebrum and cerebellum Zn levels were observed only at 33 days. In behavioral tasks, rats exposed to Hg presented impartment in motor function and muscular strength verified in the negative geotaxis task and beaker test. The Cu effectiveness as preventive treatment was immediate on parameters such as cerebellum AChE activity, serum creatinine levels, Hg content and homeostasis of hepatic Fe levels. The prevention of altered parameters as body, Kidney and liver weight, renal δ-ALA-D activity, serum urea levels and homeostasis of renal Fe and Mg levels were verified at 33 days. Behavioral changes were completely prevented by Cu pre-exposure. Moreover, Cu pre-exposure caused an important redistribution of Hg decreasing hepatic and sanguine Hg levels and increasing renal levels of 13-day-old rats. This effect occurred in parallel with an increase in MT levels in liver and kidney, suggesting that hepatic MT can bind to Hg and transporting this metal to the kidney in order to be excreted. The results of the present study suggest that Cu can be considered as potential preventive therapeutic agent against Hg toxicity, even when were evaluated later.<br>Este trabalho investigou o efeito preventivo do cobre contra as alterações bioquímicas e comportamentais induzidas pelo mercúrio em ratos tratados subcutaneamente com salina ou CuCl2.2H2O (Cu 2,6 mg/kg/dia) do 3o ao 7o e com salina ou HgCl2 (Hg 3,7 mg/kg/dia) do 8o ao 12o dia de idade. Amostras teciduais de animais mortos 24 h ou 21 dias após o término da exposição ao mercúrio (13 ou 33 dias de idade) foram utilizadas para a análise da atividade das enzimas δ-aminolevulinato desidratase (δ-ALA-D) de sangue, fígado, rim e cérebro; acetilcolinesterase (AChE) de cérebro e cerebelo; parâmetros bioquímicos indicativos de toxicidade hepática e renal; e para a quantificação dos níveis de metalotioneínas (MT) hepática e renal e de metais (Hg, Cu, Zn, Fe e Mg) nos diferentes tecidos. Os animais foram submetidos às tarefas comportamentais: geotactismo negativo (3, 5, 7, 9, 11 e 13 dias de idade), imersão da cauda (13, 20 e 27 dias de idade), teste do béquer (17 aos 20 dias de idade) e locomoção forçada em cilindro giratório (25 e 30 dias de idade). A exposição ao mercúrio reduziu o peso corporal e cerebral e aumentou o peso renal; inibiu a atividade das enzimas δ-ALA-D hepática e renal, AChE de cerebelo e LDH sérica; e aumentou os níveis de uréia e creatinina sérica e MT hepática aos 13 dias. O efeito do mercúrio persistiu sobre o peso corporal e renal, a atividade da δ-ALA-D renal e níveis de uréia verificados aos 33 dias. Ainda, a exposição ao mercúrio causou um acúmulo deste metal em todos os tecidos analisados; aumentou os níveis de Zn e Fe hepático; e diminuiu os níveis de Fe e aumentou os níveis de Cu renal aos 13 dias. O efeito persistiu sobre os níveis de Hg hepático e sobre os níveis de Hg e Fe renal. Além disso, um decréscimo no peso de fígado e nos níveis de Mg renal e um aumento nos níveis de Zn em cérebro e cerebelo foram observados somente aos 33 dias. Em relação às tarefas comportamentais, ratos expostos ao Hg apresentaram prejuízo na função motora e força muscular verificados nos testes do geotactismo negativo e teste do béquer. A eficiência do cobre como tratamento preventivo foi imediata em parâmetros como atividade da AChE de cerebelo, níveis de creatinina sérica, conteúdo de Hg e homeostase dos níveis de Fe hepático. A prevenção das alterações sobre o peso corporal, renal e hepático, atividade da -ALA-D renal, níveis de ureia sérica e homeostase dos níveis renais de Fe e Mg foram observados aos 33 dias. Alterações comportamentais foram totalmente prevenidas. Além disso, a pré-exposição ao cobre causou uma redistribuição do mercúrio, decrescendo os níveis de Hg hepático e sanguíneos e aumentando os níveis renais aos 13 dias. Este efeito ocorreu em paralelo a um aumento dos níveis de MT hepática e renal, sugerindo que a MT hepática pode ligar-se ao Hg e transportar o metal tóxico para o rim a fim de ser excretado. Os resultados do presente estudo sugerem que o cobre pode ser considerado um potencial agente terapêutico em casos de intoxicação por mercúrio, mesmo quando avaliado tardiamente.

碩士<br>國立臺東大學<br>兒童文學研究所<br>98<br>The literary works of Newbery Medal award、which also cover racial issues、are quite influential to Children’s Literature worldwide. This study、referring to the literature below: Roll of Thunder、Hear My Cry、Dragonwings、Dragon’s Gate、Hattie Big Sky、Penny from Heaven and Kira-Kira、is to explore how Children’s Literature represents the racial issue that has been controversial for a long time、and speeches for the vulnerable races through the form of the novel. This study intends to cite postcolonial theory to probe the ethnic minority writers and their diaspora plus identity of the texts. While thoroughly studying these texts、most novels were found they are related to the historical matters and writers use American Dream as the theme of text. The writers、the immigratory descents、aim to recall the history and memories with their texts、and get closed to the homeland by writing. And、in the ending chapter of the individual novel it has the same result: Returning to 「Family」. The plots should match the model "Home–Away–Home". This model displays that the family is the final belonging to the bicultural ethnic minority writers. Family is the one that offers the supportive power. The works among them has two common characters: Family and Love. Family is considered a starting point. Love is the mainstream surrounding every plot. Following by the globalization、new immigrants are worldwide and the issue of diaspora and identity exists among the races. Overall、leaving is to find a better life、to start a glorious new life.

碩士<br>國立臺東大學<br>兒童文學研究所<br>92<br>In history, the Chinese were almost negatively delineated and stereotyped in Western literature. According to Edward W. Said, the binary polarization is that the West is superior to the East in Western texts. Western writers are controlled by social ideology, represent consistent the Orient, and form the approbation to the culture of themselves through the Orient. As a researcher, I doubt whether there is similar phenomenon in Children’s literature or not? Did writers carry out latent Orientalism in the name of multicultural education? Since twenty century, realism was risen in America. Many writers of children’s literature have written novels about other culture in order to introduce multiculture. Take China for example, there are six ones about China in all Newbery Medal prize novels : Shen of the Sea, Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze, The House of Sixty Fathers, Dragonwings, Homesick: My Own Story,and Dragon’s Gate. The thesis adopts Edward W. Said’s theory “Orientalism” to discuss the image of China expressed in these novels. According to authors’ point of view, these texts show not only the common characteristic of human nature, but also the features of the Other. Moreover, I proceed from readers to study the interaction of characters, authors, and readers and reveal multi-faceted significance. In texts, because of the difference of characters, there are the clear contrast between the Western and the Chinese. Thus readers will have projection and get the identification of themselves. Due to the difference of author’s experience, it shows the diversity of texts. Readers have distinct response to the implied gaps of the text as a result of the readers’ background. Through the content of texts, I conclude the rules that writers form the similarities and differences, and ideology hidden among these novels.

博士<br>國立臺中教育大學<br>語文教育學系碩博士班<br>101<br>In the fictitious world of novels we can see certain truths of life. In this paper I take the feminist perspective supplemented with those of sociology and adolescent psychology to make a detailed textual analysis of the Chinese translations of several novels which have won the Newbery Medal. It was found that these novels do in fact provide a realistic depiction of female adolescence. In chapter 1 I explain the motivation and aim of the study, and the technical terms commonly used. I then present a review of the related literature, the methodology, and the scope and limitations of the study. In Chapter 2 I examine the difficulties typically faced by adolescent females due to family background, low self-esteem, and cultural constraints. In Chapter 3 I discuss the loss of personal autonomy which sets in motion the maturation process. In Chapter 4 I examine how adolescent women attain self-transcendence through transformations in self-image, self-awareness, and abilities. In Chapter 5 I discuss how adolescent women seek integration through subjective awareness, insight into life, emotional maturity, and overcoming alienation. In Chapter 6 I conclude by pointing out that in the process of growing up young women need to use both behavioral and psychological adaptation strategies to cope with the various types of challenges they meet in adolescence. Even though some of the characters don’t actually find a way out of their predicament, they are still able to come to terms with it on a psychological level. Finally, I emphasize that it is necessary for young women to give due consideration to both internal and external factors if they are to successfully complete the journey through adolescence.

碩士<br>國立臺中教育大學<br>語文教育學系碩博士班<br>105<br>The purpose of this study is to Analysis of life education of the Newbery Medal Winners 2000 – 2016. For this purpose, the researcher adopts content analysis method and analyzes eight young adult novels of Newbery Medal Winners 2000 – 2016 according to four categories proposed by Professor Sun Xiao-Cheng to get quantitative data of the issues and elements of life education. Further, the researcher analyzes writing styles, in terms of themes, backgrounds, characters and plots, of these eight novels through qualitative analysis. The Findings are as follows: 1. The Newbery Medal Winners from 2000 to 2016, the category of "the development of life" accounts for the highest proportion of 30%. 2. Among the sub-categories of life education of The Newbery Medal Winners From 2000 to 2016, the percentage of "interpersonal interaction" is the largest, accounting for 15%, while "Humanistic Care" is the least, only 4%. 3. The writing styles of The Newbery Medal Winners from 2000 to 2016 are: Backgrounds: "Time" is widely distributed, "space" covers "family" and "school". Characters: The age of characters ranges from 6 and 11 years while the sex ratio of children is 38% for males, 63% for females. Family styles: 13% for "healthy families" and 25% for both "single-parent families" and “adoptive families ". " alternate Parents "accounts for 13% and" others "accounts for 25%. Based on the results of the study, the researcher discusses and makes suggestions and recommendations for readers, publishers, educators and future researchers. Key words：Newbery Medal、Young adult novels、Life education

碩士<br>國立屏東師範學院<br>國民教育研究所<br>91<br>Due to the changes of the time and social structure in Taiwan, the confusion of moral sense, and influence of adult behaviors, the value of life, attitude of handling matters and reaction patterns of teenagers in Taiwan have been changing dramatically in recent years. In the major concerns of the growth of teenagers, every concern seems to be associated with the development of gender consciousness. The study is to discuss the theme “growth,” which has always been mentioned in the juvenile’s novel. It provides teenagers with a channel of imagination, transference, and release. It helps teenagers to explore and understand the world of the adults as well as curing their depression and clearing doubts along the growing period. Under this premise, the study focuses on the literary works that have won John Newbery Medal award. The John Newbery Medal is famous both in Taiwan and the international community. The gender consciousness, the relation between the meaning of gender consciousness and the background of its time, and the educating meaning of gender consciousness to the main characters of the literary works and young readers are all studied. Finally, based on the apocalyptic influence of the gender-consciousness connotation on the educators, the proposals of the application of juvenile novels on education and writing of such novel are raised. The research paper includes seven chapters: the first chapter is the introduction that explains the study motivation, aim, method and step, range and limitation. The second chapter talks about the juvenile’s novels and the growth of teenagers. There are two sections that include the meaning and theme of juvenile’s novels, influence of reading on teenagers. The third chapter is the outside research of The John Newbery Medal. There are two sections that include the introduction of the John Newbery Medal and the developmen of the gender consciousness in the American Women’s Liberation Movement. The fourth chapter talks about the analysis of literary works of The John Newbery Medal. There are three sections that analyze the elements of stories, main characters and feminine sense. The fifth chapter is the analysis of gender-consciousness connotation of The John Newbery Medal. There are four sections that analyze the writers’ introspection to the traditional concepts, the breakthrough of educational method, the exploration of heterosexual relationships and the awakening of self-consciousness, i.e. the presentation of intension. The sixth chapter studies the enlightening meaning of literatures of The John Newbery Medal. There are three sections including the educating meaning to teenagers, the meaning to readers and the function as a reminder to educators. The seventh chapter is the conclusion. Based on the findings, the researcher proposed that there are certain meanings and idea in juvenile’s novels about the sex education to teenagers. From the perspectives of education and promotion, suggestions are given to educators, authors, future researchers and publishers.

碩士<br>國立臺東大學<br>兒童文學研究所<br>95<br>American Newbery Medal Prize novels are associated with many inward relationships in a family. Most of these are concerning two-way relationships between Father and Son, Mother and Daughter, Mother and son, and the relationship between Father and Daughter is seldom seen. Although the proportion of heroines in novels is increasing, the percentage of texts describing the relationship between Father and Daughter is still low. In addition to the oppressive problems in men onto women and adults onto children, there may exist double oppressive problems and complex emotions in the relationship between Father and Daughter in juvenile novels, including including dependence and compliance, conflict and ambivalence, forgiveness and compromise, etc. The dissertation is proposed to study this topic. Ten texts concerning the Father-Daughter relationship, written by American female writers, are selected in this study. The purposes of this research are: (1) to search Father image, Daughter image and Father-Daughter relationship and hidden deep implication existing in the juvenile novels, (2) to discuss the writing policies based on the theme of “Daughter” so as to find the possible ways for children literature with the theme of “Daughter” in the future. The “textual analysis” is employed in this dissertation to study the relationship between Father and Daughter in Newbery Medal Prize novels. Three key types of Father -Daughter relationships are depicted: Strong Father vs. Strong Daughter (SFSD), Weak Father vs. Strong Daughter (WFSD), Weak Father vs. Weak Daughter (WFWD). Discussion will be conducted and emphasized on the Father Image onto Daughter, Interactions between Father and Daughter, and ego reconstruction of Daughter after the destruction of authority of Father. Finally, three parts of the ego growth of the female will be investigated: positioning of ego infra-structure, search process of ego infra-structure, and prospective welfare of ego development.

碩士<br>國立臺東大學<br>兒童文學研究所<br>97<br>Family is the first social institute that children get in touch with. Children have followed their parents’ parenting and also relied on the parents for almost everything in their daily life since their childhood. There have been a lot of academic studies focusing on a mother’s status for years but just a few studies about a father’s love to his children and the impact of Father’s parenting. Therefore, my studies probe into a father’s role including his identity in his family and his impact on children’s personality development. Sixteen books of the Newbery Medal were chosen for the studies. There are five chapters in this thesis. The first chapter is Preface. In the second chapter, I defined what a father’s proper identity is by analyzing parental responsibilities and a father’s role. In the third chapter, I built a fathers’ sex role by analyzing his physical features, mental features, professions and housework. In the fourth chapter, according to the parenting styles identified by Maccoby and Martin, I studied a father’s parenting attitude and analyzed his emotional reaction and requirements for his children’s education. The fifth chapter is the conclusion. A father plays a role which is important but not replaceable in parenting. By interacting with children, a father can re-evaluate his own identity and find how he has created himself with all the experience he has. It is the process of enlightening, introspecting and adjusting. It is also a restart of growth.

碩士<br>國立臺東大學<br>兒童文學研究所<br>102<br>One of the important themes of Children’s literature is to help children grow up. And the realistic fictions can help young people understand the significance of growth as “real” in the real world. The research takes five Newbery Medal winning works, “The Summer of the Swans”, “Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush”, “Joey Pigza Loses Control”, “Al Capone Does My Shirts”, “Rules”, as the keys to enter the world of exceptional children in order to discuss and analyze ADHD, mental retardation, and autistic children. The study is divided into five chapters. The first chapter, Introduction, discusses the readers can enhance their understanding of disability groups by reading those kinds of juvenile fictions. The second chapter discusses the texts in the images of exceptional children. Analyze those kids’ characterization to understand their characteristics. The third chapter discusses the relationship between exceptional children and their parents. Because of the birth of children with special needs, brings the impacts and influences on their parents, and causes psychological stress and parental adjustment problems. The fourth chapter discusses the special relationship between exceptional children and siblings. Both the exceptional children and their non-physically challenged siblings approach the growth progress by getting through the enlightenment trilogy—conflict, escape and identity. The fifth chapter is the conclusion that we can expect the understanding, tolerance and fair treatment of exceptional children. There is only love can overcome obstacles. “Always with you, I’m not alone.” If we can have better understanding of exceptional children, we shall be able to get across the barriers and obstacles between both sides, and get along with each other which are the main purpose of this study.

碩士<br>國立臺東大學<br>兒童文學研究所<br>100<br>Initiation and growth is always the topical subjects of young adult novels. With skillful narration of traits and living conditions of those physically or mentally challenged people, such novels manifest the limitless possibility of self-breakthrough on the basis of their specific characteristics. Fictitious stories and characters provide not only unlimited imagination but also a key image of the children with disability, leading the public from myths of such children’s external traits to the facts on their real life conditions. Therefore, the accuracy and authenticity of the novel can not be emphasized anymore. Mainly applying the method of content analysis, the thesis was supplemented with special education, psychology, and the author’s experience, to analyze the Newbery medal award-winning young adult novels featuring the physically or mentally challenged children in the following aspects – the contrast between images of disabled children in the novel and in reality, the analysis of possible conflicts, encountered by disabled children and non-disabled siblings, mainly between self and his ego, between self and another person, as well as between self and the society, along with the life journey from challenging difficulties, active inspiration to the final triumph over those obstacles. These novels, with the characters gaining initiation and growth, reality and fiction complementing each other and the potential obstacles happening to the disable posterior to the happy ending, focuses on the analyzing-worthy life meaning. It is hopeful that readers may learn to accept themselves and then be able to overcome all difficulties through the understanding and acceptance of the physically or mentally challenged people.

碩士<br>國立臺北教育大學<br>兒童英語教育學系碩士班<br>95<br>Abstract This thesis is dealing with the concerns about adolescent’s identity status and identity style of the protagonists in the young adult literature. Three young adult literary works are chosen in this research: they are Holes by Louis Sachar, which is 1999 Newbery Medal Winner, A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park, which is 2002 Newbery Medal Winner, and Crispin: a Cross of Lead by Avi, which is 2003 Newbery Medal Winner. In the chapter two Erikson’s psycholsocial development theory will be introduced so as to have a general idea about the development of identity. James Marcia identity status paradigm as well as Michael Berzonsky’s study about identity style will be introduced and later be applied in discussing the identity status and identity style of the protagonists in the three chosen works. At the beginning of the story, Stanley, the protagonist of Holes, and Crispin, the protagonist of Crispin: a Cross of Lead, are each of diffusion status and foreclosure status, but at the end of the story they both become achieved status. And also at the beginning of the story, Stanley and Crispin are each of avoidant orientation style and normative style, but later both become informational style. Tree-ear, who is the protagonist of A Single Shard, is different from the protagonists of the other two works. From the beginning of the story, he has been an adolescent of achieved status and informational style. The changing process of the identity status and identity style as well as the factors that caused the changing will be mentioned in the reseach. By conducting this research, it is hoped that the identity status and identity style of the protagonists in young adult literary works of recent years will gain more understanding.

博士<br>輔仁大學<br>比較文學研究所<br>97<br>The Development of A New American Self-Consciousness as Reflected in Newbery Medal Award Books from 1922 to 2000 Huang Yu Lan Adviser: Patricia Haseltine Graduate Institute of Comparative literature Abstract This thesis, with a focus on Newbery Medal Award Books from 1922 to 2000, aims to have an overview of the characters, plots, themes, settings, etc. in all the Medal Award Books from 1922 to 2000. From a historical perspective of different times, it is also a purpose to study the changes of American self-consciousness as reflected in Newbery Medal Award Books from 1922 to 2000. Besides, in each different time, in order to have a better understanding of Newbery Medal Award Books, the writer will have one or two books specific discussed. Through all of the researches, firstly, the writer hopes to enrich personal studies on children’s literature in future. Meanwhile, it will be a great reward for a researcher to share the study with people who are interested in it. Keywords: Newbery, Children’s Literature, American, Self-consciousness

碩士<br>國立彰化師範大學<br>英語學系<br>106<br>Abstract Since using literature in language classroom has many advantages, it gradually becomes a trend in English teaching in junior or senior high school. Choosing suitable reading material is an important issue for English teachers. For high school students, the topic of growing up is relevant to them. The Catcher in the Rye which presents the theme is an appropriate reading material for senior high students. However, classics are hard to understand for students who read less recently. Through parallel reading, students could understand themes of classics easily. In light of it, three Newbery Medal stories: Bridge to Terabithia, The Summer of the Swans, and Kira-Kira, which express the same theme of Catcher are presented. Since the limited page of a thesis, two themes of growing-up topic: innocence and coping with conflict, are discussed in The Catcher in the Rye and three Newbery Medal books. These three protagonists in Newbery Medal stories all present their innocence and their innocence helps them to overcome the darkness of the world. As they cope with internal conflicts in their mind, they suffer but become mature in the end. In The Catcher in the Rye, the protagonist, Holden Caulfield, presents his innocence in virginity, lacking of guile, and opposing obscenity. Holden’s internal conflict is showed by his contradicted intention. Part of him wants to act like an adult and interact with others in adult way, but part of him rejects the adult world and retreats to innocence when he sees negative aspects of the adult world. However, Phoebe, Holden’s younger sister, helps him to see his internal conflict and her love makes him change his mind of the adult world. Compared to these three Newbery Medal stories, the theme of innocence in The Catcher in the Rye seems to be more negative. However, these four works all present the protagonists’ change after they try to cope with their internal conflicts. The thesis helps readers to study these two themes in these books in depth. The thesis could offer teachers in senior high schools who would like to use literary works in English classrooms some proper teaching materials. Key Words: growing up, innocence, coping with internal conflict, parallel reading