Children's and young people literature criticism from literary education

Abstract

Children's literature criticism has always been moving in a slippery slope. On one hand, it has received the disdain of part of the criticism establishment. On the other hand, pedagogy and didacticism took control of the analysis. It is missed at least a theoretical frame where developing another kind of criticism that take into account every angle of this particular genre. In our view, it is necessary a vision that takes into consideration the literary aspect, the educational aspect and the formal restrictions, and sometimes expansions, which are conditioned by the audience it is addressed to.
This balance is done in some analysis but it is not always respected in such a young discipline in Spain. This article offers a frame where applying the criticism of children's literature with regards to its peculiarities. From our point of view, the same triangle that defines children's literature (literary component, educational component and adaptation to the implied reader) can be applied to criticism.
Consequently, we will find the appreciation of literariness of works, the treatment of the educational aspects and the adaptation to a reader in training as key aspects to practise criticism, especially from literary education.