Reading Harry Potter

Fülszöveg

Books of Related Interest
A Century of Welsh Myth in Children's Literature
By Donna R. White contributions to the study
of Science fiction and Fantasy
"A highly readable volume. . . . [White] -makes some fascinating points about the importance of fantasy, its appeal to certain types of readers, and the différent perceptions of the genre in England and America. A sig-nificant study to support children's literature courses and for those with an interest in these distinctive myths."
—School Library Journal
Myth, legend, and folklore have been entrenched in children's literature for several centuries and enjoy continued popularity. This book examines how authors of children's fantasy literature from the 19th century to the present have adapted Welsh myth to meet the perceived needs of their young audience.
The Presence of the Past in Children's Literature
By Ann Lawson Lucas
Contributions to the Study of World literature
Time is one of the most prominent themes in the... Tovább

Fülszöveg

Books of Related Interest
A Century of Welsh Myth in Children's Literature
By Donna R. White contributions to the study
of Science fiction and Fantasy
"A highly readable volume. . . . [White] -makes some fascinating points about the importance of fantasy, its appeal to certain types of readers, and the différent perceptions of the genre in England and America. A sig-nificant study to support children's literature courses and for those with an interest in these distinctive myths."
—School Library Journal
Myth, legend, and folklore have been entrenched in children's literature for several centuries and enjoy continued popularity. This book examines how authors of children's fantasy literature from the 19th century to the present have adapted Welsh myth to meet the perceived needs of their young audience.
The Presence of the Past in Children's Literature
By Ann Lawson Lucas
Contributions to the Study of World literature
Time is one of the most prominent themes in the relatively young genre of children's literature. The historical novel of the West grew out of Romanticism and grew to full vigor in the era of imperialism and the exploration of the physical world. From the end of the 18th century, children's books flourished, partly in response to these cultural and politi-cal influences. After Darwin, Freud, and Einstein, literary works began to grapple with skepticism about the nature of time itself. This book explores how children's writ-ers have presented the theme and concept of time past.
Reading H arry Potter
CRITICAL ESSAYS
Edited by Giselle Liza Anatol
"Here is more proof that almost everybody is wild about Harry—academies as well as the hundreds and thousands of children, parents, teachers, and librari-ans around the world who have been charmed by this young wizard-in-training. This sampling of schol-arly essays will inform a thoughtful adult reader's appréciation of the Harry Potter books as literature and as a publishing phenomenon."
" i^Virginia A. Walter, Associate Professor and Chair, UCLA Department of Information Studies
J. K. Rowling achieved astounding commercial success with her series of novels about Harry Potter, the boy-wizard who finds out about his magical powers on the morning of his eleventh birthday. The books' incredible popularity, and the subsequent likelihood that they are among this generation's most formative narratives, call for critical exploration and study to interpret the works' inherent tropes and themes.
The essays in this collection assume that Rowling's works should not be relegated to the catégories of pulp fiction or children's trends, which would deny their certain influence on the intellectual, emotional, and psychosocial development of todays children. The variety of contributions allows for a range of approaches and interpretive methods in exploring the novels, and reveals the deeper meanings and attitudes towards justice, éducation, race, foreign cultures, socioeconomic class, and gender.
Following an introductory discussion of the Harry Potter phenomenon are essays consider-ing the psychological and social-developmen-tal experiences of children as mirrored in Rowling's novels. Next, the works' literary and
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historical contexts are examined, including the European fairy taie tradition, the British aboli-tionist movement, and the public-school story genre. A third section focuses on the social Values underlying the Potter sériés and on issues such as morality, the rule of law, and constructions of bravery.
GISELLE LIZA ANATOL is Assistant Professor of English at the University of Kansas, Lawrence.
Cover Image: ©Clayton Price Photography/CORBIS Vissza