Research Guides: Literacy in the Elementary School (62-221): Characterization

Definition:

Characterization - Process by which the writer reveals the personality of the character.

Terms for developing characters include:

Protagonist: Central character that is the focus of the plot; experiences the conflict in the story; does not have to be "good"
Antagonist: Character in conflict with the protagonist; could be a villain or have traits that are a complete contrast to protagonist; doesn't have to be a person

The Village by the Sea by Paula Fox
ISBN: 9780531057889

When her father enters the hospital to have open-heart surgery, ten-year-old Emma is sent to Peconic Bay to live with her tormented aunt and finds the experience painful until she meets a friend who suggests making a miniature village in the sand.
The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
ISBN: 9780690038378

An eleven-year-old foster child tries to cope with her longings and fears as she schemes against everyone who tries to be friendly.
Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren; translated by Florence Lamborn; illustrated by Louis S. Glanzman
ISBN: 9780590016551

Escapades of Pippi Longstocking, the strongest girl in the world, who lives with a horse and a monkey--but without any parents--in a villa at the edge of a Swedish village.
Bink & Gollie by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee; illustrated by Tony Fucile
ISBN: 9780763632663

Two roller-skating best friends--one tiny, one tall--share three comical adventures involving outrageously bright socks, an impromptu trek to the Andes, and a most unlikely marvelous companion.
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
ISBN: 9780805088410

Growing up with six brothers in rural Texas in 1899, 12-year-old Callie realizes that her aversion to needlework and cooking disappoints her mother. She prefers to study the natural world with her grandfather, which leads to an important discovery.

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