THE WEB OF STORIES: UNPACKING INTERTEXTUALITY IN THE CHILDREN'S LITERATURE
Keywords:
Interttextuality, literature, students, conversation, readers.Abstract
As educators, we have all witnessed the magic moment when a student’s eyes light up with recognition. It might be when they hear a familiar phrase in a new story, spot a character from a classic tale in a modern picture book, or notice that a plot feels strangely similar to another they’ve read. This spark of connection is not a coincidence; it is a fundamental principle of how literature works. It is called intertextuality, and understanding it is one of the most powerful tools we can bring to our teaching of reading and writing.
References
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Wilkie-Stubbs, C. (2013). Intertextuality in children's literature. In P. Hunt (Ed.), International companion encyclopedia of children's literature (2nd ed., pp. 181-190). Routledge.
