Product Description

'The longer I live, the more I am convinced of the importance of children’s books.' When Robert Bloomfield wrote this in 1817 he could have had no idea of the range of children’s books to come, nor of how in England fantasy would be their outstanding form. In this survey of 400 English children’s fantasies from 1850 to 2000, taking in authors from the well-known Charles Kingsley, C. S. Lewis and J. K. Rowling to the less-known Annie Keary, Edith Elias and Pete Johnson, Colin Manlove shows just how good their books often are as literature. He combines new interpretations of individual works with explanations of how and why their character changes over time, reflecting their different cultural settings. This book is intended both as a critical companion for children’s literature courses, and as a stimulus for the general reader and students at all levels. Selected by the editors of CHOICE as an Outstanding Academic Title for 2003.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #410643 in Books
• Published on: 2003-05-22
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 252 pages

Customer Reviews

Alice to Harry - an overview
In this compilation, Colin Manlove has produced a most useful reference work. Every familiar children's fantasy author is covered, as well as a great many unfamiliar ones. As might be expected, the vast size of the field of litereature encompassed does not permit in-depth treatment of any author in a work of this size. Nevertheless, Mr Manlove's pertinent and perceptive remarks will whet the appetites of his readers and should increase the following of many writers who have been out of print for a long time.