The Voice of the Narrator in Children's Literature: Insights from Writers and Critics (Contributions to the Study of World Literature)

Although children's literature is now a recognized branch of English and American literature, much of the criticism of it has focused on teaching methodology, history, and basic exposition. Since children's books are no less a part of the literary tradition than adult books, there is room for new approaches to children's literature. While the importance of the voice of the narrator is emerging in criticism of adult fiction, poetry, and nonfiction, little has been written about this subject in children's literature. Examining the voice of the narrator can identify hitherto unexplored and unrecognized aspects of children's literature. The essays in this collection were contributed by noted authors and critics. Their inquiry is divided into eight genres--the illustrated book, folk literature and myth, fantasy, realism, poetry, historical fiction, biography, and informational books--and each genre is discussed in terms of the authorial voice and the critical voice. Each of the essays works toward an understanding of how the voice of the narrator functions in a given work or in the larger corpus of an author's work. The result is not only a greater understanding of how specific authors shape their material and how authors use voice for particular effects, but also how the narrator differs functionally from one genre to the next. This unique essay collection is particularly suited for use in children's literature courses. Because the contributors are some of the most significant authors and critics in children's literature in English, it should also be part of any academic library's holdings in the criticism of children's literature in particular and literary criticism in general.Gary D. Schmidt is the author of 'The Voice of the Narrator in Children's Literature: Insights from Writers and Critics (Contributions to the Study of World Literature)', published 1989 under ISBN 9780313263705 and ISBN 0313263701.