Research Article

A Study on Critical Thinking Skills and Competencies in Children’s Literature: The Case of The Child Who Was Afraid of Books

Volume: 9 Number: 2026 September 24, 2026
TR EN

A Study on Critical Thinking Skills and Competencies in Children’s Literature: The Case of The Child Who Was Afraid of Books

Abstract

This study examines Susanna Tamaro’s The Child Who Was Afraid of Books in terms of critical thinking skills and competencies within the context of children’s literature. Critical thinking is considered a developmental process that enables children to organize their thoughts, question assumptions, evaluate situations, and make reasoned decisions. Therefore, literary texts addressed to children play an important role in supporting this mode of thinking. The study was designed as qualitative research. Document analysis, one of the qualitative research methods, was employed, and the data obtained from the text were analysed through descriptive analysis. The findings indicate that the work frequently includes the critical thinking skills of analysis, interpretation, evaluation, and inference. These skills are reflected through the protagonist’s inner questioning, conflicts with authority, and individual decision-making processes. In addition, among the critical thinking competencies, formulating questions, analysing problems, and interacting with others were identified as prominent. Overall, the findings suggest that The Child Who Was Afraid of Books has the potential to contribute to the development of children’s critical thinking and may be regarded as a valuable example of children’s literature.

Keywords

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Children's Literature

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

September 24, 2026

Submission Date

February 22, 2026

Acceptance Date

September 2, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 9 Number: 2026

APA
Türk, E. (2026). A Study on Critical Thinking Skills and Competencies in Children’s Literature: The Case of The Child Who Was Afraid of Books. Journal of Children’s Literature and Language Education, 9(2026). https://doi.org/10.47935/jclle.1894948
AMA
1.Türk E. A Study on Critical Thinking Skills and Competencies in Children’s Literature: The Case of The Child Who Was Afraid of Books. Journal of Children’s Literature and Language Education. 2026;9(2026). doi:10.47935/jclle.1894948
Chicago
Türk, Emrah. 2026. “A Study on Critical Thinking Skills and Competencies in Children’s Literature: The Case of The Child Who Was Afraid of Books”. Journal of Children’s Literature and Language Education 9 (2026). https://doi.org/10.47935/jclle.1894948.
EndNote
Türk E (September 1, 2026) A Study on Critical Thinking Skills and Competencies in Children’s Literature: The Case of The Child Who Was Afraid of Books. Journal of Children’s Literature and Language Education 9 2026
IEEE
[1]E. Türk, “A Study on Critical Thinking Skills and Competencies in Children’s Literature: The Case of The Child Who Was Afraid of Books”, Journal of Children’s Literature and Language Education, vol. 9, no. 2026, Sept. 2026, doi: 10.47935/jclle.1894948.
ISNAD
Türk, Emrah. “A Study on Critical Thinking Skills and Competencies in Children’s Literature: The Case of The Child Who Was Afraid of Books”. Journal of Children’s Literature and Language Education 9/2026 (September 1, 2026). https://doi.org/10.47935/jclle.1894948.
JAMA
1.Türk E. A Study on Critical Thinking Skills and Competencies in Children’s Literature: The Case of The Child Who Was Afraid of Books. Journal of Children’s Literature and Language Education. 2026;9. doi:10.47935/jclle.1894948.
MLA
Türk, Emrah. “A Study on Critical Thinking Skills and Competencies in Children’s Literature: The Case of The Child Who Was Afraid of Books”. Journal of Children’s Literature and Language Education, vol. 9, no. 2026, Sept. 2026, doi:10.47935/jclle.1894948.
Vancouver
1.Emrah Türk. A Study on Critical Thinking Skills and Competencies in Children’s Literature: The Case of The Child Who Was Afraid of Books. Journal of Children’s Literature and Language Education. 2026 Sep. 1;9(2026). doi:10.47935/jclle.1894948