Books Received

Graphic Novels in Your School Library. By Jesse Karp. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2012.
This book begins with a concise discussion of the nature and history of graphic novels. It also includes annotated reading lists of notable graphic novels that are appropriate for inclusion in school library collections.

The Hunger Games Companion: The Unauthorized Guide to the Series. By Lois H. Gresh. New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 2011.
Intended for aficionados of Suzanne Collins’s Hunger Games trilogy, this guide includes useful background information about the trilogy’s connections to Roman gladiators, reality television programs, and many other topics. The book’s value as a reference work, however, is hindered by the fact that there is no index.

Listening to Learn: Audiobooks Supporting Literacy. By Sharon Grover and Lizette D. Hannegan. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2012.
The authors of this book convincingly argue that audiobooks can play an important role in developing children’s literacy skills and appreciation of stories. They also provide an annotated guide to some of the best audiobook versions of notable works of children’s literature.

Play: A Polyphony of Research, Theories, and Issues. Edited by Lynn E. Cohen and Sandra Waite-Stupiansky. Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 2012.
This collection of ten essays delves into the psychological and cultural complexities related to children’s play. The contributors draw on a wide variety of theorists, including Mikhail Bakhtin, Sigmund Freud, Ernst Jentsch, and Jean Piaget. Although none of the essays focuses specifically on children’s literature, several of them deal with the narrative elements in children’s play.

Walking Along: Plains Indian Trickster Stories. By Paul Goble. Pierre: South Dakota Historical Society Press, 2011. This richly illustrated collection features six Iktomi (spider-trickster) stories associated with Lakota culture. The book also includes a foreword by Albert White Hat, Sr., a Sicangu Lakota educator and author.