The aim of this essay is to examine several categories of violence in Roald Dahl’s children’s fiction, with the background of fairy tale theory. Roald Dahl’s children’s fiction has raised criticism, and the grounds of it are reconsidered in this essay. Violence is a declining feature of children’s literature, and the sometimes-excessive use of it in Dahl’s fiction is conspicuous, therefore. If Dahl’s children’s fiction is located in the genre of fairy tales, however, and the violence analysed as a device inherited from this tradition, its function and effect become clear, as shown in this essay. In a study of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964), The Witches (1985), and Matilda (1988), I find that violence in Dahl’s fiction has three main effects; cautionary, entertaining, and cathartic effects. I also find that the burlesque quality of violence in Dahl’s work makes the charges of criticism less meaningful.

The purpose of this study is to analyze a children’s book to examine if it is a useful tool for teachers to use while working with the set values that the Swedish curriculum deems central to education. In order to create such a tool, a survey was made to ascertain what books are currently popular among Swedish children in the age range of 6-9, and the using indirect characterization and the literary concepts of theme and motif as a method, the goal has been to determine whether this book is suitable for working with questions that are related to the aforementioned values.The result showed that the chosen book, Guide for superheroes- part 6: Without hope, (2021) by Elias and Agnes Våhlund contained all of the five values that the Swedish curriculum deems central to education. The results, then, indicate that this book is a suitable tool to use while working with values in the classroom. However, this survey only analyzes the book as a tool and not how to use it in the education. The effectiveness of any tool is also dependent on how the teacher are using it, which I do not include in this study.

The Swedish society is becoming more and more multicultural. This means that the classrooms today consist of students from various backgrounds and cultures. According to the Swedish curriculum for primary school, it should be a social and cultural meeting place for children from various backgrounds and cultures, so that they can learn to live together in harmony through their education. Many researchers around the world come to the conclusion that children’s literature can be used to teach topics such as culture and cultural awareness and to create intercultural learning. Despite this agreement, however, children’s literature is not frequently used in the English classroom in grades 4-6 in Sweden. The purpose of this study is to examine how English children’s literature can be used in grades 4-6 to teach the ethical values reflected in the Swedish curriculum, especially those that concern integration. I will look at selection criteria for children’s literature with the purpose to teach some of the ethical values from the Swedish curriculum in the second-language classroom. Two primary sources serve as examples: Anthony Browne, Voices in the park, and Patricia Polacco, Chicken Sunday. Through a final discussion of methods, such as Aidan Chambers’ book talk, I show how these books may indeed be used to integrate teaching of the fundamental values with English as a school subject.

Le présent travail porte sur les relations entre l'être humain et l'animal dans le roman pour enfants Heidi Lehr- und Wanderjahre (1880) de l'écrivaine suisse et autrice de livres pour enfants Johanna Spyri.Le champ d’étude moderne Human-Animal Studies, également appelé études animales, constitue le cadre théorique de l'analyse littéraire de ce classique de la littérature pour enfants et adolescents de langue allemande, l’un des plus connus au monde, notamment en raison des adaptations cinématographiques modernes. La première partie du travail présente les Human-Animal Studies, afin d'analyser en détail, dans les deuxième et troisième parties, la relation entre les animaux et les personnages principaux du roman. La deuxième partie se concentre sur les animaux du village, c'est-à-dire les chèvres. Perçus avant tout comme des animaux de rente, les chèvres jouent des rôles tout aussi importants mais très différents pour le grand-père, Peter et Heidi et leur processus de développement. La troisième partie du travail est consacrée aux animaux de la ville, et donc aux chats et à leur relation avec les personnages principaux. En tant qu'animaux domestiques, les chats jouent un rôle différent de celui des animaux de ferme dans les villages ; c'est ce que montre la relation entre la protagoniste principale Heidi et les chatons qu'elle trouve dans un clocher de Francfort, ainsi que les relations contradictoires que Klara Sesemann, paralysée, et Mademoiselle Rottenmeier entretiennent avec ces animaux. L'objectif de ce mémoire est de montrer le rôle que jouent les animaux dans l'évolution des protagonistes - en particulier Heidi - et de se demander dans quelle mesure le roman reflète les ambivalences de la relation changeante entre l'homme et l'animal à l'époque de l'industrialisation dans la différence entre animal de rente et animal domestique. / This master thesis deals with the human-animal relationships in the children’s novel Heidis Lehr- und Wanderjahre (1880) by the Swiss author and children's book writer Johanna Spyri.The modern field of human-animal studies, also known as animal studies, provides the theoretical framework for the literary analysis of this classic of German children's and youth literature, which is one of the most famous children's books in the world, not least because of its modern film adaptations. The first part presents human-animal studies as a field of study, while the second and third part offers a detailed analysis of the relationship between the animals and the protagonists of the novel. The second part concentrates on the animals in the village, especially the goats. Perceived primarily as livestock, the goats play important but very different roles for the grandfather, Peter and Heidi and for their personal development. The third part of the work deals with the animals in the city, namely the cats and their relationship to the main characters. As pets, cats play a different role to the animals kept as farm animals in the countryside; this can be seen in the relationship between the main protagonist Heidi and the kittens she finds in a church tower in Frankfurt, as well as in the contrasting relationships that the crippled Klara Sesemann and Miss Rottenmeier have with these animals. The aim of this thesis is to show the role that animals play in the development of the protagonists - especially Heidi - and to ask to what extent the novel reflects the ambivalences of the changing relationship between humans and animals in the age of industrialisation, with a distinction between domestic animals and farm animals. / Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit den Mensch-Tier-Beziehungen im Entwicklungsroman Heidis Lehr- und Wanderjahre (1880) der schweizerischen Schriftstellerin und Kinderbuchautorin Johanna Spyri. Die moderne Teildisziplin HumanAnimal Studies, auchTierstudien genannt, stellt den theoretischen Rahmen für die literaturwissenschaftliche Analyse dieses Klassikers der deutschsprachigen Kinder- und Jugendliteratur dar, der nicht zuletzt wegen moderner Verfilmungen zu den bekanntesten Kinderbüchern der Welt gehört. Im ersten Teil der Arbeit werden die Human-Animal-Studies vorgestellt, um im zweiten und dritten Teil die Beziehung zwischen den Tieren und den Hauptfiguren des Romans im Detail zu analysieren. Der zweite Teil konzentriert sich auf die Tiere im Dorf, also die Ziegen oder Geißen, wie sie im Text genannt werden. Vor allem als Nutztiere wahrgenommen, spielen die Geißen für den Großvater, Peter und Heidi und ihren Entwicklungsprozess wichtige, wenn auch unterschiedliche Rollen. Im dritten Teil der Arbeit geht es um die Tiere in der Stadt, und somit um die Katzen und ihre Beziehung zu den Hauptfiguren nämlich. Als Haus- bzw. Heimtiere spielen die Katzen eine andere Rolle als die als Nutztier gehaltenen Tiere auf dem Dorf; das wird gezeigt an der Beziehung von der Haupt-Protagonistin Heidi mit den Kätzchen, die sie in einem Frankfurter Kirchturm findet, ebenso wie an den konträren Beziehungen, die die gelähmte Klara Sesemann und Fräulein Rottenmeier zu diesen Tieren haben. Ziel dieser Arbeit ist zu zeigen, welche Rolle die Tiere für die Entwicklung der Protagonisten – insbesondere Heidi – spielen und zu fragen, inwiefern der Roman die Ambivalenzen der sich wandelnden Mensch-Tier-Beziehung in der Zeit der Industrialisierung im Unterschied zwischen Nutz- und Haustier widerspiegelt.

Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur barns agens framställs i barnböcker som behandlar miljö- och klimatfrågor. Materialet i studien består av fyra finska bilderböcker för barn som behandlar teman kring miljömedvetenhet och klimatförändring. Studien syftar till att undersöka vilka former av agens som kan observeras i de analyserade verken och hur de gestaltas genom text och bild. Jag analyserar relationen mellan barnet och naturen som de fyra bilderböckerna förmedlar och undersöker om barnet i dem ses som en aktiv miljöaktör som har en skyldighet att agera för att bekämpa klimatförändringarna. Jag diskuterar även maktrelationerna mellan barn och vuxna och hur miljöansvaret är fördelat mellan dem. Som det teoretiska ramverket använder jag ett ekokritiskt perspektiv och tar stöd i teorier om barnlitteratur och bilderboksforskning. Jag knyter även an till forskning som diskuterar barnlitteraturens fostrande funktion och maktförhållanden samt till begreppen ekologisk läskunnighet och agens. Som analysmetod tillämpas närläsning. Utifrån analysen kan olika former av agens identifieras i de analyserade verken, varav en agens som betonar individuella val framstår som den mest centrala. I böckerna betonas individens ansvar för att lösa miljöproblemen, även om kollektiv agens och upplevelser av gemenskap skulle kunna bidra till att minska klimatångest och ansvarsbörda och ge en bredare bild av miljöarbetet. När det individuella ansvaret blir centralt, betonas också det lokala sammanhanget, vilket gör att de globala effekterna av klimatförändringen ignoreras. / The purpose of this study is to investigate how children's agency is portrayed in children's books dealing with the environment and climate change. The study material consists of four Finnish picture books for children that deal with the themes of environmental awareness and climate change. This study does not aim to define all forms of environmental agency but to investigate which forms of agency can be found in the analyzed works and how they are portrayed in text and image. I examine the relationship between the child and nature that the picture books convey and analyze whether the child is seen as an active environmental actor who has an obligation to act to fight the climate change or not. I also discuss the power relations between children and adults and how environmental responsibility is divided between them.  As the theoretical framework, I use an ecocritical perspective and lean on theories of children's literature and picture book studies. I also address research that discusses the educational function and power relations found in children's literature, as well as the concepts of ecological literacy and agency. As the analysis method I use close reading. Based on the analysis, different forms of agency can be identified in the analyzed works, of which an agency that emphasizes individual choices appears to be the most central. The books emphasize the individual's responsibility for solving environmental problems, even though collective agency and community experiences could contribute to reducing climate anxiety and the burden of responsibility and give a broader picture of environmental work. When individual responsibility becomes central, the local context is emphasized, the wider, global effects of climate change are ignored.

Cette recherche vise à décrire l’évolution des conceptions et des pratiques relatives à la notion de phrase de cinq enseignantes de français vietnamiennes engagées dans une formation sur la syntaxe en grammaire nouvelle et la littérature de jeunesse. Afin d’examiner l’évolution des conceptions sur la phrase des enseignantes, nous avons effectué deux entrevues semi-dirigées, l’une avant et l’autre après la formation. Pour étudier l’évolution des pratiques d’enseignement de la phrase, nous avons observé une seule enseignante à deux reprises après la formation. De plus, celle-ci a décrit ses pratiques sur la phrase lors d’une entrevue téléphonique qui se déroulait à la fin de chaque mois (novembre 2011- mars 2012). Nos résultats montrent que les enseignantes ont changé leurs conceptions sur la phrase à la suite de la formation. En effet, dans la deuxième entrevue, nous avons noté une meilleure réussite dans l’identification des phrases, des critères d’identification plus convaincants, plus de précision dans les commentaires relatifs aux définitions et dans les explications des erreurs chez les cinq enseignantes. Quant aux pratiques, l’enseignante suivie a réalisé des activités autour de la phrase après la formation, ce qui constitue une évolution dans ses pratiques, puisqu’avant la formation, cette notion était négligée. Ses pratiques observées et déclarées indiquent qu’elle a intégré dans sa classe les notions clés de la grammaire nouvelle autour de la phrase et la littérature de jeunesse au service de l’enseignement de cette notion. / This research aims to describe the evolution of conceptions and teaching practices related to the notion of sentence of five Vietnamese French teachers involved in a training program about syntax in new grammar and children’s literature. To examine the evolution of teachers’ conceptions of sentence, we conducted two semi-structured interviews, one before and one after the training program. To study the evolution of teaching practices on sentence, we observed only one teacher after training. In addition, she described her practices on sentence in a telephone interview that took place at the end of each month (November 2011-March 2012). Our results indicate that teachers changed their conceptions on sentence. Indeed, in the second interview, we observed for the five teachers better results in identifying sentences, most convincing identification criteria, improved accuracy in the comments relative to the definitions and in explanations of errors. As far as practices are concerned, the teacher we followed has completed activities on sentence after training, which constitutes an improvement in practices since before training, this concept was neglected. Her observed and reported practices indicate that she has integrated in her class the key concepts of new grammar concerning the sentence and children’s literature in teaching this concept.

This study explores storybook illustrations in learning word meanings among English learners in a university intensive language program. The impact of children’s literature on the comprehension and vocabulary development of second language children is well-documented. However, the use of the literature with adults still needs to be researched. Therefore, a mixed-method study was designed (1) to investigate whether readers who read an authentic illustrated story differed from those who read the same story without illustrations; and (2) to learn more about the readers’ process of learning words from storybook illustrations. Results suggest that illustrations play an important role in both comprehending the text and learning individual words, however issues related to the accessibility of the text and readers’ ability to use context should also be taken into consideration. The findings support prior research that the benefits of learning from context take time to become robust. The study suggests that illustrated storybooks provide a rich context for adults to infer word meanings and recommends children’s literature as an alternative source of reading in programs serving adult English learners.

Genom att jämföra två bilderböcker undersöker det här arbetet hur döden skildras i barnlitteratur. Den kvalitativa litteraturanalysen fokuserar på hur text och bild skildrar döden och huvudkaraktärens sorg, samt vilka budskap illustrationerna förmedlar. Böckerna som undersöks är ROY av Gro Dahle och Svein Nyhus som publicerades 2009 samt Alla döda små djur av Ulf Nilsson och Eva Eriksson som publicerades 2006. Utifrån tidigare forskning om barn i sorg och sorgebearbetning redovisas hur man som pedagog/lärare kan möta dessa barn. Med hjälp av analysverktyg för text och bild presenteras vidare hur dessa böcker kan användas för att bearbeta frågor och funderingar som elever har. Sammanfattningsvis presenteras hur böckerna kan användas i undervisning, genom boksamtal. / By comparing two picture books, this study examines how death is portrayed in children´s literature. The literature analysis focuses on how text and image depict death and the main characters grief, as well as what message the illustrations convey. The books that will be analysed are ROY by Gro Dahle and Svein Nyhus, which was published in 2009 and All dead small animals by Ulf Nilsson and Eva Eriksson, which was published in 2006. The study will show ways to teach children in grief, based on previous research on children in grief and sorrow processing. And with help from analysis tools, discusses how the books can be used in teaching, through book calls.

The aim of the study is to investigate what pupils in grade 1 think about reading aloud, reading alone, the selection of books, and the significance of reading. A subsidiary aimwas to examine the relation between the pupils’ experiences of reading in the home andtheir ability to discuss a text they have read. A sidetrack in the study aimed to see whether the pupils’ experiences of reading in the home affected their outlook on readingin general. The empirical material is linked in the discussion to earlier research on topics such as learning to read and the significance of reading aloud. The discussion also establishes a parallel to theories of literary envisionment. The methods for thestudy were observation of a book conversation and group interviews with four pupils who had taken part in that conversation. The selection of informants was based on their actions during the book conversation, which led to the selection of two pupils who wereperceived as being more active and two who were less active. The study shows that the informants have a positive attitude both to reading aloud and to reading alone, and three of four prefer reading on their own. In the choice of books it is clear that the pictures are very significant for the pupils. All the pupils say that reading is important and three of the interviewed pupils link the significance of reading to jobs and school, while the fourth drew a parallel to the importance of reading in everyday life.

This essay aim to explore how human and nature is presented in Bröderna Lejonhjärta and Ronja Rövardotter, by Astrid Lindgren. It also tries to answer the question how the relationship between the two is shaped; can any hierarchic structures be exposed in the relationship, and how do these, in that case, appear? The essay also problematize words and concepts along the way, such as nature, anthropocentrism and ecocentrism. The method for this study is an ecocritical theoretical base, with thematic analyzes of the books, regarding plot, relationships between characters and their surroundings, and also linguistic narratological techniques, such as the use of metaphorical elements. The different thematic episodes are put in relation to theories about vital materialism, presented in Vibrant Matter – A Political Ecology of Things, by Jane Bennett. I also do a comparative analysis between the two books by Lindgren, with the purpose of highlighting important differences and similarities. The essay ends by discussing how the main characters can be seen as very caring in their relationship to their surroundings, and how one, by applying the theories presented by Bennett, can interpret this caring as a strive towards existing in harmony with, and equal to, nature; a sort of mode or view that Bennett describes as a horizontal position. During the discussion I describe how this strive and position is expressed, and how these are interacting with cyclical systems such as the changes of the seasons and shift between life and death. The books as literature for children, and the main characters as children, is discussed in relation to this, supported by the text “När du är bättre än vi – Jantelagen, skammen och barnlitteraturen” by Maria Jönsson, from the book Du ska inte tro att du är något – Om Jantelagens aktualitet. / Denna uppsats behandlar och syftar till att undersöka hur människa och natur skrivs fram i Bröderna Lejonhjärta och Ronja Rövardotter, av Astrid Lindgren. Den försöker även att svara på hur relationen mellan dessa ser ut; huruvida man kan se hierarkiska strukturer i förhållandet, samt hur dessa i så fall ter sig. Uppsatsen gör det även till sin uppgift att längs vägen problematisera begrepp som bl.a. natur, antropocentrism, ekocentrism. Metoden för studien är en ekokritisk hållning, som går ut på olika tematiska nedslag i de båda verken, där handling, karaktärers förhållande till varandra och till sin omgivning, samt språkliga berättartekniska grepp så som användning av metaforiska inslag, lyfts och analyseras. De olika tematiska avsnitten prövas även mot Jane Bennetts vitala materialitetsteorier som presenteras i Vibrant Matter – A Political Ecology of Things. En komparativ analys görs mellan de båda verken av Lindgren, i syfte att synliggöra viktiga likheter och skillnader. Uppsatsen avslutar med att diskutera hur man kan se ett, hos huvudkaraktärerna, påtagligt vurmande för omgivningarna, samt hur man genom att applicera Bennetts teorier kan tolka detta vurmande som en slags strävan mot att existera likställt med naturen, ett slags läge som Bennett beskriver som det horisontella planet. Under diskussionen lyfter jag hur denna strävan och detta läge yttrar sig, samt hur dessa samspelar med cykliska system, så som årstidernas växlande, samt skiftet mellan liv och död. Verken som barnlitteratur och huvudkaraktärerna som barn lyfts och diskuteras i relation till detta med hjälp av Maria Jönssons ”När du är bättre än vi – Jantelagen, skammen och barnlitteraturen”, ur Du ska inte tro att du är något – Om Jantelagens aktualitet.