Books Received

The Bloomsbury Introduction to Children's and Young Adult Literature. By Karen Coats. London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2018.

In the world of children's literature textbooks, this volume stands out in part because Karen Coats's personal and authoritative voice resonates throughout each chapter. Grounded in the history of children's literature, the book includes chapters on all of the major genres within the field. Coats concludes each chapter with a section subtitled "Extending Your Study" in which she provides a list of recommended readings, suggestions for writing projects, and discussion tips. The book concludes with a useful chapter, "Entering the Professional Conversation," that offers detailed information about professional organizations, journals, and online resources related to the study of children's literature.

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Dis-History: Uses of the Past in Walt Disney's Worlds. By Jason Lantzer. New York: Theme Park Press, 2017.

A history professor at Butler University, Jason Lantzer looks at the Disney theme parks through the lens of public history. Lantzer discusses how the narrative elements in these parks combine to tell an idealized story of America's history, and how they have shaped contemporary American culture by cultivating a nostalgic desire to return to a past that never actually existed.

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The Edinburgh Companion to Children's Literature. Edited by Clémentine Beauvais and Maria Nikolajeva. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2017.

This collection of twenty-eight original essays is divided into three sections: "Contemporary Directions in Children's Literature Scholarship," "Contemporary Trends in Children's and Young Adult Literature," and "Unmapped Territories." The contributors come from many countries, giving the collection an appealing international flavor. Taken together, these essays provide valuable insights into the latest developments in the field of children's literature studies.

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Flood: A Novel. By Melissa Scholes Young. New York: Center Street, 2017. Set in Hannibal, Missouri, this adult novel draws extensively on Mark Twain's associations with the town. Melissa Scholes Young also grew up in Hannibal, developing a fascination with both Twain and his books set in their shared home town. For readers interested in Twain, Young's novel provides a provocative depiction of his continuing impact on the lives of Hannibal's residents.