Activity 5: Analyse a peer-reviewed journal article

Image source: Encyclopedia Britannica Kids

My final task required me to analyse a peer-reviewed journal article relating to the field of library services for children and young adults. I decided to look for an article that dealt with the topic of young people’s book awards. The article I chose, “Prizing Children’s Literature: The Case of Newbery Gold by Kenneth Kidd”, provides an analysis of children’s literature (CL) prizing, looking at its evolution over the years and considering the positive and negative aspects of prizing by using the John Newbery Medal as a case study (Kidd, 2007, p. 166-167). As a university student, I have analysed many journal articles for past assessment tasks, so I was aware of the basic considerations when evaluating peer-reviewed sources (i.e. purpose, intended audience, potential for bias, and research methods etc.). For my analysis, I set myself a 2000 word limit, employing a standard essay structure, including an introduction, three discussion points, and a conclusion. The first discussion point outlined Kidd’s intentions—identifying his arguments, his intended audience, analysing the title, abstract and introduction. The second discussion point provided a background analysis of other studies in this field and Kidd’s engagement with other literature. The final paragraph summarised the strengths and weaknesses of Kidd’s article in terms of the scope of research, the effectiveness of the structure, and his overall arguments and conclusions.

Overall, I argued that Kidd’s had written a strong article, raising the following points in my analysis:

• Kidd has engaged in extensive research, displaying a critical understanding of literature relating to the Newbery Medal, CL prizing, and book prizing in general
• The article contributes to the field of children’s literature studies by demonstrating how the prizing of children’s literature intersects and differs from the prizing of adult’s literature; considering not just the social and cultural context of prizing, but also the academic context; comparing various CL awards and considering their value and contribution to children’s literature. As Kidd himself notes, “the study of prizing can help us better grasp the origins, current status, and future possibilities of our profession.” (Kidd, 2007, p. 184)
• The article is well structured, with a clear introduction and conclusion. Kidd’s intentions were to consider the functions of CL awards and look at the evolution of prizing in socio-cultural and academic contexts. This is achieved by discussing the culture of critique in CL prizing
• By tracing the evolution of the Newbery Medal, the oldest prize for children’s literature, Kidd creates a linear structure that proves effective in providing readers with a clear understanding of how CL prizing has evolved in response to social and cultural change.

In assessing the relevance of CL prizes to library services, it is clear that prizing plays a significant role in the selection and acquisition process. Awards have been cited as an important factor driving title selection decisions, with selectors and library patrons viewing awards as a symbol of a title’s merit (OMDC, 2006, p. 8). However, librarians need to view literature prizing with a critical eye. As Chance points out, given that prizes are awarded under a number of categories, it is important to understand what a prize is awarded for so as to ascertain its merit (Chance, 2014, p. 13). For example, some committees, such as NBGS, bestow awards to titles that promote understanding of cultural diversity (CLRSIG, 2015). Thus, selectors should assess the value of an award in relation to how it contributes to the objectives of the selection process.

Word count: 549.

Bibliography

Chance, R. (2014). Young Adult Literature in Action: A Librarian's Guide. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.
CLRSIG. (2015). About NBGS. Retrieved from http://clrsig.org/nbgs.php.
Kidd, K. B. (2007). Prizing Children’s Literature: The Case of Newbery Gold. Children's Literature, 35, pp. 166-190.
OMDC. (2006, February). Canadian books count: A Study of the Ontario School Library and Public Library Acquisition Process [Fact sheet]. Retrieved from http://www.omdc.on.ca/Assets/Research/Research+Reports/Canadian+Books+Count/Final_Report_January_31.pdf.