Editors' Introduction
Buy Issue for $25 at JHUPThe Lion and the Unicorn completes 2006 with another general issue that features four compelling essays that, in different ways, examine the flexible borders of Children's Literature. Each of the writers attempts to redefine or expand the scope of Children's Literature or Children's Studies. Katharine Jones argues the need for "Getting Rid of Children's Literature," and proposes that the term "Child Literature" be used as a way of addressing many of the difficulties of the genre and its critical discourse without losing sight of children and child readers. Christine Wilkie-Stibbs explores the concept of abjection found within young adult texts as well as in the lives of adolescents as reported in the popular media. She presents the child's body as a type of borderland that becomes an archetype of ambivalence and the center of discriminatory power. Dorothy G. Clark examines what happens to the narrative experience when children's texts are adapted in digital format and considers the ways that digital storytelling has affected what it means to be literate. Charles Hatfield provides a comprehensive introduction to the expanding body of scholarship on comics and graphic novels. He summarizes the recent trends in research and theory for Children's Literature scholars. Hatfield sees the possibility for Childhood Studies and Comics Studies to bridge the gap and acknowledge that these two fields have much to learn from one another.
In addition to these scholarly essays, this issue also features the 2006 Lion andthe Unicorn Award for Excellence in North American Poetry and the accompanying essay evaluating poetry published for children in 2005. This year's judges are Joseph T. Thomas, Jr., JonArno Lawson, and Richard Flynn. Both Thomas and Flynn served as judges for last year's poetry award and Lawson's The Man in the Moon-Fixer's Mask was one of four books selected as an Honor Book in last year's evaluation.
Editing a scholarly journal can be a demanding, daunting, and time-consuming task. L&U receives an astonishingly wide range of submissions and the editors regularly call upon members of the journal's editorial [End Page v] board as well as outside specialists to help evaluate manuscripts that are submitted for publication. They provide a necessary role in the production of an academic journal. These consultants provide detailed readers' reports that are used by the editors in determining which submissions to accept for publication. The editors depend on the consultants' expertise and recommendations in terms of evaluating the submissions. Oftentimes these readers' reports provide useful and detailed suggestions to help the authors in terms of the revision. Over the years, L&U has contacted a number of children's literature specialists to read manuscripts. These scholars have volunteered their time and expertise to help make L&U a source of significant Children's Literature scholarship. The editors of L&U are grateful to the many individuals who have served in this important role in the production of a peer-review journal. The following people have been outside readers for L&U and the editors would like to both acknowledge and thank them for their important service. Many have served as readers for different submissions. The editors wish to thank Janice M. Bogstad, Joel D. Chaston, June Cummins, Mahide Demirci, Eliza T. Dresang, Richard Flynn, David Galef, Dianne Johnson, Michael Joseph, Gene Kannenberg, Jr., Kara Keeling, Kenneth Kidd, Don Latham, Teri S. Lesesne, Roderick McGillis, Philip Nel, Nathalie op de Beeck, Petros Panaou, Anne K. Phillips, Suzanne Rahn, David L. Russell, Katharine Capshaw Smith, Jean Stringam, Anita Tarr, Joseph T. Thomas, Jr., Nancy Tolson, Constance Vidor, Mark I. West, Donna White, Ian Wojcik-Andrews, and Naomi J. Wood for their service as outside readers for L&U.
