Childrens Literature Bibliotherapy

Overview of Childrens Literature

It has been reported that around 5,000 childrens books are published every year in the United States. The number increased from around 4,500 in 1994 up to 5,500 in the year 2000 and beyond. With the addition of the publications from smaller and independently owned publishers, the number of published children books is continuously growing. We cannot also deny the award-giving bodies such as the Coretta Scott King Award, Americas Awards, Pura Belpre Award, and the Tomas Riviera Mexican American Childrens Book Award in the expansion of the publication of childrens books (Cooperative Childrens Book Center CCBC)

The world has seen the importance of literature in setting an example for the children. The governments, schools, and parental communities now acknowledge the role of the stories in these books in shaping the character of children. The publishing industrys fastest growing and most lucrative market today is the childrens literature industry.

ith this in mind, I would like to focus my study on one of the most important uses of children literature, the bibliotherapy. In a nutshell, bibliotherapy is the use of books to help the patient recover, cope, or prepare to lifes challenges. In this paper, we are going to tackle some of the most basic and most profound issues in bibliotherapy.

What is Bibliotherapy
Bibliotherapy, in its simplest sense, is the use of books and stories for the therapy of the patient. Its meaning stretches in different directions and widens its scope even to the use of movies and the use of self help manual and books for adults.

The History
Since time immemorial, the earlier people used stories and poetry to inspire and educate their citizens especially the children. In the ancient Greece for example, there is a carved message in the library entrance saying, The Healing Place of the Soul.

In the modern times, reading books are used to treat patients. In America for example, the history can be traced back even in the early years of the 19th century. Benjamin Rush was regarded as the first American to recommend the use of bibliotherapy assist in the treatment of patients. In many cases, reading seems to be the best method for therapy, as manifested in the establishments of libraries in different mental hospitals in the United States in the middle of 19th century.

Many studies were done after World War I to determine what kind of reading will appeal to the soldier and patients in the hospitals to help in their healing and recovery. Studies had approved the effectiveness of bibliotherapy which managed the establishment of the New York Junior League of a Control Bureau for Hospital Libraries which circulates more than 70,000 volumes to the patients in the hospital. Nurses and librarians greatly help in recommending what books will be good for the patients. Ideally, the books that were recommended are the books that are light and diverting rather than too heavy and serious.

The Philosophy
The philosophy behind bibliotherapy is the acknowledgement of the patient that whatever problem he or she is experiencing at the moment, that problem was already encountered by someone in the past and had success in dealing with it. The thinking that we are not the only people who have experienced that particular situation and the thought that it is possible to succeed can be one of the greatest elements that will help in breaking the limiting belief of a patient.

The case of Roger Bannister for example is a good example in strengthening this claim. Roger Bannister is a former English athlete who first run a mile under four minutes. It is important to note that in the recorded history, no human was able to complete a full mile track below four minutes, yet Roger Bannister broke that record. What is important here is the number of people who ran under four minute months and years after Bannister broke the four minute mile. Since he broke it, thousands of people broke the four minute mile
People who had acknowledged that other people managed to succeed in the same problems they are encountering gained a new sense of hope that they can resolve their situations.

The Use of Bibliotherapy
In childrens literature, bibliotherapy is primarily used in assisting children in overcoming problems by having them read stories about characters who have successfully resolved a dilemma similar to their own. Situations like war, poverty, illness and death can bring resolution with the use of bibliotherapy.

However, the use of bibliotherapy is not limited in these situations. According to Leah Davies, bibliotherapy is directed to the following goals
identify and validate their feelings
realize that other children have problems similar to their own
stimulate discussion
foster thought and self-awareness
discover possible coping skills and solutions and
decide on a constructive course of action.

Almost the same goals were targeted by a course in Bibliotherapy taught in the summer of 2002 at Western Connecticut State University taught by Dr. Darla Shaw and Dr. Aram Aslaninan
identity and character building (Self concept)
family and culture (Understanding divorce and Blended Families)
the socialization Process (Social reasoning and problem solving)
the grieving process (Coping with death and loss)
prejudice (Aggressions and violence). (5)

Methods of Bibliotherapy
As stated earlier, the methods of bibliotherapy is quite simple. First is the selection of  books by a trained or knowledgeable party for the patients to read. Second is the reading itself and lastly, the reflection of the patient to the story with himself or herself or with other people.

However, the methods in Bibliotherapy had evolved dramatically since it was first used in the ancient times and with its introduction in the early 19th century. Most especially in schools, it undergone different developments in its implementation. Though reading of the story is still required and necessary, many other elements are introduced to increase the effectiveness of bibliotherapy.

In the paper of Dr. Darla Shaw and Dr. Aram Aslaninan entitled Bibliotherapy A Cross Discipline Course for Teachers and Counselors, they recommend the following techniques in using bibliotherapy in the classrooms.

Anticipation Guide a non-graded quiz will be given to the student for the teacher and student to acknowledge how much information they will need to learn.

Quick Write students are asked to write everything that comes to their mind on a given a topic within one minute. Later on, ideas are categorized and use in focus questions

Word Splash writing key words on the board wherein students are asked to use those works as they relate to the story.

Think a Loud students are asked to read the story in the class or with a partner for the first time. They are asked to stop from time to time to insert insights, predictions, and questions.

Literary Circles students are divided into groups wherein they are given roles such as leader, vocabulary or quote person, illustrator, application person, and summarizer. Students are asked to do what is assigned to them.

Socratic Seminar a one open-ended question is posed by the teacher. Students are encouraged to take their side in the argument and asked them to defend their stance.

Mind mapping students are asked to make a map of a character of the story to be able to understand its way of thinking.

Eight Key Question the eight key questions on which to focus are the following story title, theme, characters, how they address conflict, were the characters correct in their actions, and comparison of characters, application of story to self or other events, important quotes or vocabulary words from the story, and was the story good literature.

Character Sketch examination of the inside and outside elements of the character. Comparison to themselves is also encouraged.

T Chart organization of the story into paired segments such as problem and solution, causes and effects, characters and characteristics, facts and opinions, vocabulary and definitions, chapter title and summary
Venn Diagram organizes the similarities and differences of the character in the story and the reader. The middle portion or wherein the circles intersect show the similarity of the character and the reader.

Letter Writing and Diaries encourage to take the students insights about the story and to reflect and connect them to themselves.

Discussion Webs students pose a key question from the story and then later take and develop a critical stance based on the key question.

Reader Response Journals encourage students to take note of the issues in each chapter and back them up with necessary evidence.

Readers Theater students are grouped and they are tasked to retell the story. The writer of the script can insert his or their point of view in retelling the story.

Poetry and Music encourage the creation of literary pieces such as poetry and music while taking a stance in the story line.

Bibliotherapy for Child Patients
We have learned earlier that the most common use of bibliotherapy in its earliest years is its assistance and for treatment and therapy of the patients. While the scope of the use of bibliotherapy has already expanded, its significance to the ill patients especially children is indispensable.

Other than the classical giving and reading of particular books to patients, the practice of bibliotherapy in patients has developed. The use of tours, puppets, and medical play have been described as effective interactive methods of familiarizing the child with the procedures in the hospital. However, these practices and methods are only advisable to be done with the patients that are able to do them. Otherwise, the patients will have to go back to the classical method of reading particular books.

Criteria for Judging and Evaluating Books
Stories and books have to be evaluated before being approved to be distributed for children. There are many cases where reading the stories became counterproductive in the treatment of children. In this reason, an evaluation of the stories and books is necessary. Among the criteria that are considered in the evaluation are the following

Developmental Appropriateness
This includes the specified elements necessary to consider for every patients. Among these are
cognitive abilities
language development
literary preferences

Content Accuracy
The evaluation using this category will be based on the current operating procedures and practices. Among these are
the depiction of nurses and their roles
parental visitation policies
preoperative preparation requirements
the depiction of inpatient surgeries that are currently performed on an outpatient basis

Other Criteria
The following are some of the additions that are also vital in the evaluation and assessment of a material that will be used for bibliotherapy.
Can be completed in one sitting
Clear and uncluttered pictures
The age of the characters in the books should correspond or relate to the reader or to the patients age

Recommended Books
Below are some of the recommended books categorized in accordance to their utility and use according to Dr. Darla Shaw and Dr. Aram Aslaninan
Self-concept  The Berenstain Bears-No Girls Allowed by S. Berenstain
Self-esteem  Dinosaurs are 568 by J. Rogers
Divorce and blended families  My Father is Far Away by R. Ballard
Social reasoning and problem solving  The Recess Queen by A. ONeil and L. Hulisks-Beith.
Death and Loss  10th good things about Arney by Judy Voirst
Aggression and Violence  Rainbow Fish by Marcus Feister
Skills for understanding the relationship between school and work  After Fifth Grade, the World by C. Mills.

Assessment of Bibliotherapy
In a paper entitled Medicine for the soul Bibliotherapy and the Public Library written by Elizabeth Brewster, it was concluded that it was agreed unanimously that bibliotherapy has positive effects to the community. The benefits that have been received from self-help books, lessons in coping with emotions and problems, or even just the self discovery from fictions outweigh any difficulty and expenses in implementing bibliotherapy. As he pointed out, bibliotherapy is the the real medicine for the soul.

In relation to this, Dr. Darla Shaw and Dr. Aram Aslaninan concluded that literature is best used in the application to the real problem in the real world. As directly stated, The world is interactive and functions through networking and collaboration. The same is true for literacy and counseling. Literacy works better when it relates to the real world and counseling is about the realities of life.

Conclusion
It was Charles W. Eliot that said, Books are the quietest and most constant of friends they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers. In many respects, these few words illustrate how the use of books has helped humanity to survive and prosper. One may wonder how a piece of literary piece can transform a sick body or a troubled mind to an able one, but the answer is simple It is because ideas move people. Books move people.

The invention of bibliotherapy is one of the most successful intersections of both leisure and practicality, and I believe that the use of books for both healing and recovery is just a start of how things we just consider as leisure can help us in our daily lives. As a student of bibliotherapy, I believe that in the future, more and more things that we just consider as leisure today will later be discovered as something that can save our lives.