Essentials of Children's Literature - Softcover

One of the most precious gifts that adults can give to children is to awaken in them the joy of reading. The importance of children's literature -- in its ability to nurture intellectual curiosity, to encourage understanding of common human experiences, to heighten the transferable emotions of love, joy, pain, and laughter through words -- is immense and far-reaching in the development of the mind and the spirit. To read and share good books with children is not only a joyous and rewarding enterprise, but a gift that will last a lifetime. Lynch-Brown and Tomlinson have expanded their classic book on sharing literature with children, providing a concise, straightforward presentation on literature that will enhance and educate readers and caregivers of every age. An entire section of the book defines and describes specific genres of literature and discusses the types of books that fall within the category. Each category has its own chapter, including Poetry, Picture Books, Traditional Literature, Modern Fantasy, Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Nonfiction, and Multicultural/International Literature. Following the narrative in each of these chapters is a list of notable authors (poets, illustrators, compilers, and others) in the category. Within each chapter are two lists: recommended read-aloud books within the category, and general recommended books. These eight chapters include more than 2,000 recommended titles in end-of-chapter lists. The appendices provide a wealth of resources, including the most complete listing of children's books awards, an annotated listing of children's magazines with addresses for subscriptions, and a list of short story collections for children and young adults. Librarians, parents, teachers, and any other caregivers or community members who can share literature with children and young adults.

Carl M. Tomlinson taught graduate and undergraduate courses in children’s literature and language arts at Northern Illinois University. As an elementary school teacher, he packed his classroom with good children’s books and read aloud to his students every day. His research interests are literature-based reading and international children’s literature. In addition to Essentials of Young Adult Literature, he has co-authored Essentials of Children’s Literature (Allyn and Bacon) and is the editor of Children’s Books from Other Countries (Scarecrow/USBBY).

 

Carol Lynch-Brown taught graduate and undergraduate courses in children’s and young adult literature, reading, and language arts education at Florida State University.  She was a teacher in elementary school, grades 1, 2, and 4, and in middle school, grades 6 to 8, in St. Paul and Minneapolis Public Schools. She also taught English to young adults in French public schools. Literature was the foundation of her instruction in all these classroom situations. She is currently raising a teenaged grandson and seeing, once again, the benefits of literature in a young person’s life.