This paper intends to examine how parents think and reflect on gender issues when they borrow books for their children at the library. The theory applied is Yvonne Hirdman’s theory of a gender system. A questionnaire was made available at the Children's department of Uppsala City Library in February, 2010. The material was compiled and analyzed with the intention to try to detect trends, patterns and themes, rather than statistics and hard data. Parents in the study perceive themselves as gender-conscious. They are thinking about gender issues when they choose books for their children at the library. Parents’ main focus seems to be how children are portrayed in books and many are critical of what they consider to be stereotypes and simplistic interpretations. They express a need for children's books where children are depicted more nuanced, where girls can be strong and daring and the boys may be shy and crying. Pictures of parents/adults were not analyzed equally close by the parents in the study, although respondents indicated that they think it's important how adults are depicted, as they become a kind of template for how parents are expected to be and behave. In general they are experiencing today's children's books as largely stereotypical, but add that there seem to be a wide range of issues in contemporary children's book publishing, where even radical literature with clear gender problematization has its place. Many parents choose to completely remove books that they believe has too gender-stereotyped content, others see this type of literature as a good opportunity to discuss gender issues with their children. In the case of older children's literature and fairy tales, the majority of parents in the study express the importance of mediating the cultural heritage to their children. Parents express a need for children's literature where the act of breaking gender standards isn't too obvious or appears as the main purpose of the text, but is present as a natural background in the story. What parents want - besides great stories - are depictions of children where a wide range of emotions and personality traits are allowed regardless of the protagonist's biological gender.

Introduction. This empirical study investigates the attitudes of Swedish public librarians who work in the children’s and/or young adult departments, towards children’s literary classics. This is achieved by examining work with the Classics shelf, a genre classification located in the children’s or young adult section. Method. The empirical material consists of transcripts from interviews with seven children’s and young adult public librarians in four Swedish municipalities, the Classics shelves and the libraries’ policy documents. Analysis. The Classics shelves’ genre definition, target group and location were investigated and compared to the libraries’ policy documents. Interview transcripts were examined in regard to the explicit contents of the participants’ statements and divided in themes by perceptions of value, function and use of the literature in a library context. Magnus Persson’s concept of myths describing naturalised perceptions of literature was used to interpret attitudes. A concluding analysis was conducted using the discourse theories of Michel Foucault, Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe. Results. The analysis indicated both shared and conflicting attitudes to children’s and young adult literary classics, with perceptions predominantly taken for granted. Three coexisting discourses were identified: the Reading experience discourse, the Durability discourse and the Fresh discourse. These are mainly tied to different tasks and influenced by the librarians’ preconceived notions, workplace management and external influences such as media debates, with the user perspective as a prerequisite. Conclusion. The results show that the librarian accommodates contradictory and ambivalent views of children’s and young adult literary classics in the library. Literature is mediated indirectly and directly, and expresses the librarian’s personal experience rather than a professional identity. This is a two years master’s thesis in Library and Information Science.

Uppsatsen behandlar översättningen av de fem första kapitlen i Rapt à Bamako, som är ett autentiskt översättningsuppdrag och som kommer att publiceras av Bokförlaget Trasten under hösten 2010. En översättningsprincip för det aktuella uppdraget har bestämts utifrån översättningens förutsättningar, bestående av teoretisk bakgrund, måltextens syfte och kontext, genomgång av referenstexter samt en stilstudie av källtexten. Det framkommer att den kontextuella och lexikala nivån var de som gav upphov till mest svårigheter under översättningsarbetet, men att en stor del av de problematiska översättningsfrågorna kunde lösas med hjälp av översättningsprincipen i fråga. / The study deals with the translation of the five first chapters of Rapt à Bamako, an authentic translation assignment which will be published by Bokförlaget Trasten during fall of 2010. Based on relevant theoretical considerations, the purpose and context of the source text, a survey of parallel texts and finally a style analysis, a translation strategy for the task was formulated. The contextual and lexical levels of the translation turned out to be the most problematic ones, but the solution to the problem could often be found in the translation strategy.

Denna uppsats syftar till att undersöka de svenska förlagens syn på åldersöverskridande barn- och ungdomsböcker och i synnerhet crossover, samt att redogöra för hur begreppet crossover används bland förläggare, redaktörer, litterära chefer och andra branschpersoner. I syftet ingår vidare att spåra förändringar i utgivningen, samt att granska synen på böcker som riktar sig till både unga och vuxna utifrån att titta på hur de intervjuade resonerar kring målgrupper, kategorier, identifikation med karaktärer, böcker med dubbla tilltal och slutligen presentera en rad böcker som enligt de intervjuade kan anses vara crossover idag.  För att undersöka detta har jag utgått ifrån kvalitativa intervjuer med olika branschpersoner från svenska barn- och ungdomsbokförlag: bokförlaget Opal, Rabén & Sjögren, B. Wahlströms, Bonnier Carlsen, Vox by Opal, Gilla böcker, Lilla Piratförlaget, X Publishing och Mix förlag. Det litteratursociologiska perspektivet ligger till grund för att undersöka företeelsen crossover och jag har använt mig av följande begrepp; den litterära processen, litteratursamhället, värderingsdistansen, grupperspektiv, brett litteraturbegrepp och skapande förräderi. Studien kommer fram till att tanken om målgrupp är styrande hos de flesta förlagen i antagande av manus, att identifikation med karaktärer i samma åldrar som läsaren själv är grundläggande i det redaktionella arbetet, att gränsdragningen mellan barn- och vuxenlitteratur håller på att mjukas upp, att genren unga vuxna växer sig allt starkare på den svenska bokmarknaden, att de flesta branschpersoner är medvetna om företeelsen crossover men att det inte är ett bra försäljningsbegrepp, att det förekommit större satsningar på crossoverböcker i Sverige men som möt större motstånd av de klassifikations- och distributionssystem som råder idag, att crossover kan betraktas som genrelitteratur, samt att de flesta branschpersoner anser att det finns många crossoverböcker i Sverige fastän de kategoriseras under andra termer istället. Avslutningsvis är den svenska barn- och ungdomsbokmarkanden i ständig rörelse och förlagen är en naturlig del av den utvecklingen.

This study of Canadian adventure romance for adolescents seeks to demonstrate the cultural significance of the genre through close readings of James Houston's Frozen Fire and The White Archer, Monica Hughes's Hunter in the Dark and Ring-Rise, Ring-Set, as well as Markoosie's Harpoon of the Hunter. By means of a semiotic-structuralist approach I examine the texts as a signifying system conveying discourses that constitute a code of connection to the social context of contemporary young-adult readers.Structured on the formula: separation-initiation-return and informed by the symbolism of death-rebirth, the stories hold out the promise of a life-enhancing return. Roland Barthes's definition of myth as a mode of signification underpins my discussion of how the narrative conventions become vehicles of existential truths by replicating and intensifying adventurous experiences. With the quest for identity and the polarization between two worlds as structural determinants, the selected books juxtapose the values of Western civilization with those expressed through the Canadian North and its indigenous population. As a defining category of Canadian identity, the northern wilderness provides the space and the challenges for the protagonists' initiatory experiences. My application of the dichotomy self-other to the selected books provides a number of polarized positions such as civilization-wilderness, white-native, male-female, and conscious-unconscious, polarities through which the different discursive levels of the texts are generated. Arguably, the formulaic character of the journeys into the unknown allows the stories to signify on various levels, thus inviting both psychological and ideological readings of the texts.It is primarily through a recycling of narrative conventions that Houston and Hughes invest their work with significance. By focusing on the structural and thematic similarities of adventure romance, my examination attempts to elucidate the parallels to mythic adventure and archaic rites of initiation with the aim of validating the role of the genre as symbolic representations of the process of maturation and vicarious rites of passage. The conclusions I draw have a bearing on much of Houston's and Hughes's fiction, on the genre of romance as a whole, and to some extent on the adjacent genres of fantasy and science fiction. / <p>Behandlar James Houston, Monica Hughes och Markoosie.</p> / digitalisering@umu

Denna magisteruppsats är baserad på översättningen av de två första kapitlen i ungdomsboken Goggle-Eyes (1989) av den brittiska författaren Anne Fine. Uppsatsen undersöker effekterna av en främmandegörande översättningsstrategi med utgångspunkt i Antoine Bermans negativa analysverktyg och med avseende på undvikandet av förlust av ikoniska och klangfulla ord och förlust av uttryck och idiom inklusive namn. Analysen visar att det i många fall är möjligt att bevara ikoniska och klangfulla ord vid översättningen, utan att effekten på måltexten blir främmandegörande, medan bevarandet av uttryck och namn i flera fall kräver förtydliganden för att måltexten ska bli begriplig för målgruppen. / The present study is based on the translation of the first two chapters of Goggle-Eyes, a novel for young teenagers by the british author Anne Fine. The study examines the effects of a foreignizing translation strategy based on Antoine Berman’s negative analytics, concerning avoidance of the loss of sonorous and iconic terms and expressions and idioms. The analysis suggests that in many cases it is possible to keep sonorous and iconic terms in translation without creating a foreignizing effect that could make reading difficult for young readers. However, the keeping of expressions and idioms in many cases calls for clarification in order to create a target text that is understandable for the target group.

The purpose of the study is to highlight the possibilities that Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone can contribute to in the value-based work in teaching, as well as how the content can be used as a tool in teaching. This is with the hope that it will lead to an increased understanding and interest among teachers in how children’s and youth literature and value-based work can be combined. The study is a qualitative literature analysis based on Nikolajeva’s (2017) narratological literature analysis model. In the selection of literature, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2014) was chosen, which was the Harry Potter novel that was easiest for the author to access. The study’s analysis highlights three different subcategories: social responsibility, inclusion and exclusion, and laws and regulations. The result of the analysis shows that the book contains several events that can be related to the basic values ​​in the value base. Among other things, various scenarios emerge that students can relate to such things as exclusion, social community, and dilemmas. The study also shows that some rule violations can be related to what is morally right. The content of the book can contribute to the value-based work in teaching through the various events, which can be linked to students’ identifying with the story and which similarities and differences exist between the world in the novel and the real one. The content of the book can also be sued as a pedagogical tool, in that its content can capture students’ interest, which can lead to an increase in motivation. Important conclusions from this study are that Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone can be useful for value-based work, and also children’s and youth literature in general can be useful in teaching. / Studiens syfte är att belysa vilka möjligheter Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone kan bidra till i värdegrundsarbetet i undervisningen, samt hur innehållet kan användas som pedagogiskt redskap. Detta med förhoppningen om att det ska leda till en ökad förståelse och intresse bland lärare om hur barn- och ungdomslitteratur och värdegrundsarbetet kan kombineras. Studien är en kvalitativ litteraturanalys som utgår från Nikolajevas (2017) narratologiska litteraturanalysmodell. I urvalet rörande litteratur valdes Harry Potter and the Philospher’s Stone (2014) som var den enklaste romanen i serien för författaren att få tillgång till. Studiens analys belyser tre olika subkategorier: socialt ansvar, inkludering och exkludering och lagar och regler. Resultatet av analysen visar att boken innehåller flera händelser som kan relateras till de grundläggande värdena i värdegrunden. Det framkommer bland annat olika scenarion som elever kan relatera till som utanförskap, social gemenskap och dilemman. Studien visar även på att vissa regelbrott kan vara relaterade till vad som är moraliskt rätt. Bokens innehåll kan bidra till värdegrundsarbetet i undervisningen genom de olika händelserna, som kan kopplas till elevernas igenkänning och vilka likheter och skillnader som finns mellan Harry Potter världen och den riktiga. Innehållet i boken kan också bidra som ett pedagogiskt redskap, genom att dess innehåll kan fånga elevers intresse som kan leda till att motivationen ökar. Viktiga slutsatser med denna studie är att Harry Potter and the Philospher’s Stone kan vara användbar för värdegrundsarbetet, och även barn- och ungdomslitteratur överlag kan vara användbart i undervisningen.

The aim of this study is to increase knowledge on how librarians in Sweden can use the method “barnlitterära vandringar” (children literary walks, editor’s translation) for literacy and reading promotion for children and youth. The method hasn’t earlier been investigated in a library context. The study explores the experiences of librarians participating in a method workshop and their planning and application of the method at the libraries with children and youth. The study also includes an interview with Maria Nikolajeva, the creator of the method, to explain the scientific background and content of the method. The theoretical framework is based on concepts of fantasy and dramatizing, multimodality, literacy practices and three approaches to reading. The empirical material was col-lected with semi-structured interviews and the analysis was conducted with thematic analysis. The results show how the informants can implement the method when working with children and how the method workshop has changed their perspective and way to work with reading promotion. The study's conclusion is that the method complies with the library's mission, it is a method that is adaptable for children. The study also shows that the method requires a lot of resources in terms of time and staffing when implemented with children. The study high-lights the advantages and disadvantages of organizing children's literary walks as a reading promotional activity in an outdoor environment. It shows an insecurity connected to the method's name and how to market it to partic-ipants. The method includes multimodal elements that enable different literacy practices and can promote reading in different ways, such as increased book lending and an enhanced reading experience. Through adaptations the method can be used for all three approaches to reading. This is a two years master´s thesis in Library and Information Science.

In this paper, I study the silence in Bart Moeyaert’s two novels Kärleken vi inte förstår (eng. It’s Love We Don’t Understand, 1999) and Alla är ledsna nuförtiden (eng. Everyone’s Sorry Nowadays, 2018) with the help of Maria Nikolajeva’s theories of narrative perspective. I examine the narrative perspective in relation to the other characters’ appearances – focusing on the narrator’s priorities and voice – as well as how the silence is portrayed. Furthermore, by using a method of close-to-text reading I seek answers to the following questions: how is silence portrayed in Kärleken vi inte förstår and Alla är ledsna nuförtiden? What is the role of silence in the previous novels? The last question refers to in what way Moeyaert uses the silence in his novels. Finally, I concluded that the silence in Kärleken vi inte förstår is ambiguous. On the one hand, it is used by the characters as a tool of communication, and on the other hand, it works as a storytelling technique to withhold information from the reader as well as amplify the atmosphere or mood. Moreover, the silence in Alla är ledsna nuförtiden rather has the function of a theme or a motif as it forces the story to move forward. / I denna uppsats studerar jag tystnaden i Bart Moeyaerts romaner Kärleken vi inte förstår (1999) och Alla är ledsna nuförtiden (2018) med hjälp av Maria Nikolajevas teorier om berättarperspektiv. Jag utforskar berättarperspektivet i relation till hur de andra karaktärerna framträder – med fokus på berättarens prioriteringar och röst – liksom hur tystnaden gestaltas. Vidare söker jag svar på följande frågor genom att göra textnära läsningar av ovan nämnda verk: hur gestaltas tystnad i Kärleken vi inte förstår och Alla är ledsna nuförtiden? Vilken funktion har tystnaden i de ovanstående verken? Slutligen kom jag fram till att tystnadens funktion i Kärleken vi inte förstår är dubbel; å ena sidan används den av karaktärerna som ett verktyg för att kommunicera, å andra sidan som ett sätt att, av Moeyaert, undanhålla information från läsaren samt förstärka stämningar. Fortsättningsvis fungerar tystnaden i Alla är ledsna nuförtiden snarare som ett tema eller ett motiv då den tvingar historien framåt.