Books Received

A Broken Flute: The Native Experience in Books for Children. Edited by Doris Seale and Beverly Slapin. Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press/Oyate, 2005.

Although organized as a reference work, this book does not feature the detached language found in most reference works. Instead, the contributors, who are mostly of American Indian descent, use a personal and often highly political voice. For the most part, the contributors take a scornful tone in the entries about children's books that deal with American Indians if the books are not written or illustrated by American Indians. Among the non-Native writers/illustrators criticized for their depiction of American Indians or their treatment of American Indian traditions and culture are Paul Goble, Gerald McDermott, and Laura Ingalls Wilder. On the other hand, the contributors tend to take a celebratory tone in the entries on books written or illustrated by American Indians, such as Joseph Bruchac, Louise Erdrich, and Delphine Red Shirt.

Dependent States: The Child's Part in Nineteenth-Century American Culture. By Karen Sánchez-Eppler. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2005.

Of particular interest to readers involved in childhood studies, this book also makes a contribution to the history of American children's literature. The first and longest chapter examines the relationship between literacy education and the development of children's literature between the 1820s and 1870s.

The Encyclopedia of New England. Edited by Burt Feintuch and David H. Watters. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2005.

American children's literature has deep roots in New England, a fact that is reflected in the pages of this massive reference work. The encyclopedia contains a number of entries that relate to children's literature, including "Children's Literature to 1900," "Children's Literature, 1900 to Present," "Didactic and Instructional Literature," and "Schoolroom Poets." There are also entries on New England authors who wrote for children, such as Louisa May Alcott, Lydia Maria Child, and Theodor Seuss Geisel.

The Important Books: Children's Picture Books as Art and Literature. By Joseph Stanton. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2005.

This brief but thoughtful book contains essays about the following picture book authors: Margaret Wise Brown, Arnold Lobel, Barbara Cooney, Maurice Sendak, William Joyce, and Chris Van Allsburg.

Living the Hero's Quest: Character Building through Action Research. By Mary Humphrey. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2005.

Marketed as a manual for teachers, this book provides lesson plans and practical tips on how to incorporate hero tales in character education programs.

Powerful Magic: Learning from Children's Responses to Fantasy Literature. By Nina Mikkelsen. New York: Teachers College Press, 2005.

Drawing heavily on her experiences working with children in elementary schools, Nina Mikkelsen reflects on the varied responses children have to fantasy stories. Each chapter focuses on children's responses to a particular book. These books include Leo Lionni's Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse, Raymond Brigg's The Snowman, and J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit.

Quests and Kingdoms: A Grown-Up's Guide to Children's Fantasy Literature. By K.V. Johansen. Sackville, New Brunswick: Sybertooth, 2005.

This book is intended to function as a tool that parents, teachers, and librarians can use to help young fans of fantasy literature find books that might appeal to their tastes. Although the book serves this purpose, it also provides readers with an overview of the history of fantasy literature for children. Arranged chronologically, the book covers key works by approximately one hundred fantasy writers, beginning with Marie-Catherine d'Aulnoy and Charles Perrault and ending with Neil Gaiman and Garth Nix.

Teaching Language and Literature in Elementary Classrooms: A Resource Book for Professional Development. 2^nd ed. By Marcia S. Popp. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum, 2005.

In the first edition of this book (which appeared in 1996), Marcia S. Popp argued that children's literature should be included in the elementary school curriculum. I am pleased to report that she has not backed away from this position in the recently released...