Preface The Illustrated Book Introduction Folk Literature and Myth Fantasy Realism Poetry Historical Fiction Biography Informational Books Index
CHARLOTTE F. OTTEN is Professor of English at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She is the author of A Lycanthropy Reader: Werewolves in Western Culture and Environ'd with Eternity and has contributed articles to Shakespeare Quarterly, Milton Studies, Notes & Queries, and ELR. GARY D. SCHMIDT is Associate Professor of English at Calvin College. He wrote The Art of Robert McCloskey and Classic Models of Rhetoric. His articles have been published in Journal of the Rocky Mountain Medieval and Renaissance Association, Mediavalia, Medieval Connections, and the Children's Literature Association Quarterly.
?As Otten and Schmidt note in their preface, voice is a broad
metaphor. Thus, the 41 essays in this collection provide varied
approaches, examining point of view, focus, selection of details,
tone, and even illustrations as part of the narrative identity.
Eight genres, including picture books, fantasy, realism, and
biography, receive separate study in generally brief articles by
writers and more substantial analyses by critics. Too often the
writers' voices are weak prefatory testimonies about their
narrative habits. Some critical pieces are also weak: one, on books
for children in the middle years, does not mention a single text;
another concentrates on Canadian prairie fiction written for
adults. Balancing such lapses are especially perceptive pieces,
such as a study of William Mayne's Drift and an examination of
narrative bias in books on medieval history. In her contribution,
Jill Paton Walsh describes contemporary criticism as an
inpenetrable thicket of technical terms.' In most cases, the
critics here avoid jargon. They speak clearly, offering practical
criticism accessible to anyone seriously concerned about narrative
technique in children's literature.?-Choice
?Eight genres of children's literature are examined in terms of the
authorial voice and the critical voice. The result not only gives
insight into various authors but also shows how the narrator
differs functionally from one genre to the next. Excellent for any
course in children's literature.?-Emergency Librarian
"Eight genres of children's literature are examined in terms of the
authorial voice and the critical voice. The result not only gives
insight into various authors but also shows how the narrator
differs functionally from one genre to the next. Excellent for any
course in children's literature."-Emergency Librarian
"As Otten and Schmidt note in their preface, voice is a broad
metaphor. Thus, the 41 essays in this collection provide varied
approaches, examining point of view, focus, selection of details,
tone, and even illustrations as part of the narrative identity.
Eight genres, including picture books, fantasy, realism, and
biography, receive separate study in generally brief articles by
writers and more substantial analyses by critics. Too often the
writers' voices are weak prefatory testimonies about their
narrative habits. Some critical pieces are also weak: one, on books
for children in the middle years, does not mention a single text;
another concentrates on Canadian prairie fiction written for
adults. Balancing such lapses are especially perceptive pieces,
such as a study of William Mayne's Drift and an examination of
narrative bias in books on medieval history. In her contribution,
Jill Paton Walsh describes contemporary criticism as an
inpenetrable thicket of technical terms.' In most cases, the
critics here avoid jargon. They speak clearly, offering practical
criticism accessible to anyone seriously concerned about narrative
technique in children's literature."-Choice
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