Surveying the landscape of children's and YA literature, this contributed volume shows how books have grown to include the wide range of our increasingly diverse society.

In this lively discussion Kim Reynolds looks at what children's literature is, why it is interesting, how it contributes to culture, and how it is studied as literature. Providing examples from across history and various types of children's literature, she introduces the key debates, developments, and people involved.

Children's literature is a rapidly expanding field of research which presents students and researchers with a number of practical and intellectual challenges. This research handbook is the first devoted to the specialist skills and complexities of studying children's literature at university level. Bringing together the expertise of leading international scholars, it combines practical advice with in-depth discussion of critical approaches. Wide- ranging in approach, Children's Literature Studies: A Research Handbook: - Considers 'children's literature' in its fullest sense, examining visual texts (such as picturebooks), films, computer games and other 'transformed' texts, as well as more traditional modes of writing for children - Offers a step-by-step guide to devising, starting and carrying out a research project (such as a dissertation or thesis), and advice on what kinds of research it is possible and profitable to undertake - Surveys the different methodologies and theoretical approaches used by children's literature scholars - Includes case studies, questions and exercises to reinforce ideas discussed in each chapter - Provides lists of further reading and a specialist glossary that will remain a useful reference resource This handbook will be an essential companion for those studying children's literature, whether as undergraduates, postgraduates, or beyond.

This supplement to standard children's literature textbooks will be a help to instructors as they engage their students in discussions about selection of materials, censorship, dealing with curricular issues, the need to understand administrative policies, community beliefs, and their responses to these issues. It is designed to help instructors discuss books in ways that inspire collegiality, collaboration, and scholarship in book evaluation and selection. Using actual case studies, resource reviews and/or scenarios of censorship, religion, violence, ethnicity and other issues, the instructor will be able to encourage discussion and reflective thought about real issues faced by teachers and librarians as they select materials for classroom or school library use. This supplement to standard children's literature textbooks will be a help to instructors as they engage their students in discussions about selection of materials, censorship, dealing with curricular issues, the need to understand administrative policies, community beliefs, and their responses to these issues. It is designed to help them discuss books in ways that inspire collegiality, collaboration, and scholarship in book evaluation and selection. Using actual case studies, resource reviews and/or scenarios of censorship, religion, violence, ethnicity and other issues, the instructor will be able to encourage discussion and reflective thought about real issues faced by teachers and librarians as they select materials for classroom or school library use. Guides for possible resources for help in researching situations will be included. This will prove a very valuable resource in teaching children's literature courses in schools of education and library schools, and useful to practicing teachers and librarians as well. Though the book is slanted toward the use of books as classroom materials, it will be a valuable asset to a school library's professional collection and certainly valuable to the training of pre-service teachers and school librarians. Each chapter begins with a bibliographic essay that introduces the topic to the reader. The essay is designed as a starting point for further discussion and research. A list of references for each chapter is provided at the end of the chapter. These references represent sources teachers can use to conduct further research to find multiple perspectives about books.

This book provides students and professors with a much-needed new system of categories for a differentiated description of children?s literature, systematically analyzing the field of children?s literature and articulating its key definitions, terms, and concepts.

Imagine if you had witnessed something horrific. Imagine if it had happened to your friend. And imagine if you hadn't done anything to help. That's what it's like to be Logan, an utterly frank, slightly awkward, and extremely loveable outcast enmeshed in a mysterious psychological drama. This story allows readers to piece together the sequence of events that has changed his life and changed his perspective on what it means to be a good friend and what it means to be a good person. This is What I Did: is a powerful read with clever touches, such as palindrome notes, strewn throughout the story and incorporated into the unique design of the book.

Children’s Literature and the Avant-Garde is the first study that investigates the intricate influence of the avant-garde movements on children’s literature in different countries from the beginning of the 20th century until the present. Examining a wide range of children’s books from Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Russia, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the USA, the individual chapters explore the historical as well as the cultural and political aspects that determine the exceptional character of avant-garde children’s books. Drawing on studies in children’s literature research, art history, and cultural studies, this volume provides comprehensive insights into the close relationships between avant-garde children’s literature, images of childhood, and contemporary ideas of education. Addressing topics such as the impact of exhibitions, the significance of the Bauhaus, and the influence of poster art and graphic design, the book illustrates the broad range of issues associated with avant-garde children’s books. More than 60 full-color illustrations demonstrate the impressive variety of design in avant-garde picturebooks and children’s books.