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Review Of ' Growing Up With Literature ' By Walter E. Sawyer

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Reading is such an old, and timeless pastime that is enjoyed by many. Literature is not only something to help one to become more educated, or be used for entertainment, but it also can be used as therapy for those who need it. According to Walter E. Sawyer in his book Growing Up with Literature, bibliotherapy is simply a therapy for treating bodily disorders using books. Bibliotherapy began its work with librarians and teachers over a half-century ago and was created by David Russell and Caroline Shrodes. They have said that bibliotherapy is a process when the reader and the literature interact. Patricia Cianciolo also agreed with this idea and said that books help children understand more about human behavior, find interests outside oneself, and relieve stress in a controlled manner. She said that books could also help a person resolve problems for an individual personally, and help a reader find insight on their own behavior. The important factor in using bibliotherapy is to find books that will keep a child’s interest, age appropriate, and relate to the interests and motivation needs for the reader. Charlotte Huck and Barbara Kiefer also believed that bibliotherapy can be used for helping children with everyday anxiety and fears. They believe that in order to use bibliotherapy in this way, that there are three stages. The first stage is called identification, where the reader relates to the character in the literature. The next stage is called catharsis, which means to

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