Book Description

The predecessor to More Books Kids Will Sit Still For culls the most exciting fiction and nonfiction released through 1989. The booklists are complemented by how-to chapters on reading aloud, storytelling, and other whole language-style activities guaranteed to entrance young children. ... Read more

Book Description

Move over, Freud, there's a new psychologist in the forest, and his name is Winnie-the-Pooh. In this witty book, Williams cleverly explores the psychological depths of the inhabitants of the Hundred Acre Wood: Piglet is compulsively shy, Eeyore is clinically depressed, and so on. In his unobtrusive way, Pooh is at the center of the puzzle, teaching each of his friends a little smackerel about themselves and leading them on the road to recovery. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A little disappointing, depending on what you're looking for
I bought this book because I read a lot of books on psychology AND I was introduced to looking at diverse themes through the "Pooh" world view when a frind suggested "The Tao of Pooh," by Benjamin Hoff. I got this book thinking it might be entertaining and illustrative as well.

It is entertaining for the first while, but generally not very illustrative. As the previous reviewer said, the more you know about shools of psychological theory the more you will enjoy the book. But if you are looking to either learn something about psychological theory OR looking for images and anologies that illustrate concepts in a striking or perceptive way, this is not the best book.

It is entertaining, but it can get old if you are not careful. The tone is very tongue-in-cheek, I had some good chuckles. The kick of the book is looking at the world of the Hundred Acre Wood through such over-the-top scholarly eyes. There is an "inside tone" to his dialog with the reader: sort of a "uninformed and unstudied individuals fail to appreciate this, but you and I can clearly see..." attitude runs through the entire book. I enjoyed that in the first few chapters, but after a while the joke got old. To be fair, I did read this in just a couple long sessions in just a couple days. It may be enjoyed more as a nightstand book where you read a chapter or two every few days.

In terms of learning anything new from the book, one is not likely to get more than a few nuggets of information about one theorist or another. The book is orgainized more by character and story than by psychological concept, so one never really gets to see a school of thought fleshed out in a way that enhances your understanding of it. But, if that's not why you're reading the book, you won't experience it as a short-coming.

It is a fun book, especially if you LOVE Pooh or psychology. If you love and know a lot about both this could be a good, light read to nibble on before bed or over lunch.

Satirical Ursinological Scholarship!
The more you know about psychological theories and Winnie-the-Pooh, the more you will enjoy this book. Dr. Williams blasts away with tongue-in-cheek satire aimed at the psychologist's belief that everything that is said, thought, dreamed, and done has many layers of significance. Unfortunately, that approach means that your enjoyment will be modest if your knowledge is correspondingly limited in either area. If you know little about psychology and have not read Winnie-the-Pooh, you may not get most of the humor in the book.

In Freud-like fashion, Dr. Williams begins by descrbing the case for Winnie-the-Pooh being a super psychologist. The thrust of this argument is that Winnie employs every method ever recommended by any psychologist or psychoanalyst somewhere in his fictional adventures. In fact, he often combines them in a single fictional encounter.

The book then recounts seven cases and Winnie's role in them.

Case 1 -- Pooh Cures Christopher Robin of Arktophobia (fear of bears)

Case 2 -- Pooh Assists Piglet to Mature

Case 3 -- Pooh at His Most Eclectic with Tigger

Case 4 -- The Problem with Rabbit

Case 5 -- Parenting: Kanga and Roo

Case 6 -- Wol's Problems with Communication

Case 7 -- Eeyore: A Case of Classical Depression

The cases are written up like Freud's with the exception that they are illustrated with many drawings from the original Pooh stories.

As an example of the approach, the book Winnie-the-Pooh opens with a reference to his living under the name of Sanders. That is never mentioned again. Dr. Williams provides a lengthy argument in favor of this meaning that Winnie-the-Pooh is describing himself as the Sand man, the bringer of dreams. This is an indication of his role as psychotherapist.

In the famous story where Winnie eats too much honey and cannot get out of the hole in the tree, Dr. Williams reinterprets this as Winnie-the-Pooh making an example of himself to discourage others from overeating rather than using aversion therapy on them.

To put this prescience into context, Dr. Williams points out that the Pooh stories date in the 1920s. In the text, he finds "frequent anticipation of theories and practices which more plodding psychologists arrived at much later."

I don't know about you, but I didn't think much about Jung when I read Winnie-the-Pooh. Obviously, the references were too subtle for me.

Those who have experienced psychotherapy will probably find humor in the observations made about Winnie-the-Pooh that they may have heard applied to themselves. Could the observations be equally apt?

This book is best enjoyed by a roaring fire on a cold night with a warmed snifter of brandy, and savored slowly.

After you have finished the book, you might consider the many instances where novels do show ways to solve psychological problems through their fictional developments. Could it be that we can use fiction to be our own therapist? Or, is someone else the therapist? If someone gave you the book, perhaps they are the therapist. If so, is the author the propounder of the theory . . . or is the character?

See the possibilities for humor in pomposity everywhere!

... Read more

Book Description

Most of the fairy tales that we grew up with we know thanks to the Brothers Grimm. Jack Zipes, one of the more astute critics of fairy tales, explores the romantic myth of the brothers as wandering scholars, who gathered "authentic" tales from the peasantry. Bringing to bear his own critical expertise as well and new biographical information, Zipes examines the interaction between the Grimms' lives and their work. He reveals the Grimms' personal struggle to overcome social prejudice and poverty, as well as their political efforts--as scholars and civil servants--toward unifying the German states. By deftly interweaving the social, political, and personal elements of the lives of the Brothers Grimm, Zipes rescues them from sentimental obscurity. No longer figures in a fairy tale, the Brothers Grimm emerge as powerful creators, real men who established the fairy tale as one of our great literary institutions. Part biography, part critical assessment, and part social history, The Brothers Grimm provides a complex and very real story about fairy tales and the modern world.
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Reviews (1)

For serious students of European fantasy literature
The Brothers Grimm: From Enchanted Forests To The Modern World by Jack Zipes (Professor of German, University of Minnesota) is an informed and informative examination of the lives of the famous fairy tale gatherers, writers, and preservers, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. From their humble origins amidst poverty and prejudice to their ultimate contribution to literature as a whole, The Brothers Grimm is a truly fascinating account and a "must-read" for serious students of European fantasy literature and folklore. ... Read more

Book Description

This anthology brings together the outstanding verse written for children over a period of five hundred years. It contains more than 300 poems written by 123 authors, and includes the rhymed precepts of medieval times, the admonitory verse of Elizabethan Puritans, the inspirational verse of Blake and Christopher Smart, the nonsense verses of Edward Lear and Lewis Carroll, the nursery verses of Robert Louis Stevenson and A. A. Milne, and the poetical imaginings of Christina Rossetti, Eleanor Farjeon, and Walter de la Mare. It has truly been called "A companion to the mature of all ages, no matter how young." ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great poetry selection
This book has a large selection of wonderful poems. Some are funny, some are touching, and all of them were enjoyable to my children. ... Read more

Book Description

Young people who feel marginalized due to physical differences or disabilities may benefit from discovering fictional characters who face similar difficulties. This unique bibliography surveys the field of children's and young adult literature published since 1990, identifying 200 quality books that deal with a wide range of contemporary health and self-image topics. ... Read more

Book Description

Teachers and librarians will find this one-volume reference guide an indispensable tool for identifying anthologies and poem collections that have particular appeal to young adult readers. Comprised of two main components, this resource features an annotated bibliography of 198 poetry volumes and a thematic guide to over 6,000 individual poems. The carefully chosen anthologies and collections span reading levels from sixth to twelfth grade. Cited poets range from the classic to the contemporary, cover a broad ethnic and geographic spectrum, and range in style from humorous to tragic, rap to blues, free verse to rhymes, and limericks to haiku. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In 1992 two mothers founded Black Books Galore, the nation's leadingorganizer of African American children's book festivals, and set out to identifyand distribute fine children's literature that was for and about AfricanAmerican kids. Ultimately, authors Donna Rand and Toni Trent Parker selected astellar assortment of books for boys from birth through eighth grade forinclusion in this fabulous resource for boys (as well as hundreds more in theversion for girls: Black BooksGalore! Guide to Great African American Children's Books About Girls).Parents, teachers, librarians, and kids themselves will find this an invaluableresource, as well as a thoroughly enjoyable reading experience. The authorsinclude brief, lively descriptions of over 350 books, such as Charlie Parker Played Be Bopand The Watsons Go toBirmingham--1963, often including text excerpts and pictures of bookcovers to impart the flavor of the books. They include several special features,such as "The Creator's Reflections"--spotlights on talented authors andillustrators, from Angela Johnson to Tom Feelings to Mildred Pitts Walter--aswell as quotations from well-known African American personages and from youngreaders and their parents. The selections are arranged alphabetically by titleand numbered sequentially for easy cross-referencing. Each entry includes title,subtitle, author, illustrator, publisher of hardcover and paperback editions,original publication date, and a brief synopsis of the book. Significant awardsare noted, as well as any sequels, prequels, companions, or series titles. --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Book Description

These concrete, field-tested ideas help you effortlessly present the best of children's nonfiction books in irresistible ways. Booktalks and support materials for more than 350 nonfiction titles are organized according to topics popular with young readers: "Great Disasters," "Unsolved Mysteries," "Fascinating People," "Science," and "Fun Experiments to Do." ... Read more

Book Description

This is part of a new series of guides to contemporary novels. The aim of the series is to give readers accessible and informative introductions to some of the most popular, most acclaimed and most influential novels of recent years – from ‘The Remains of the Day’ to ‘White Teeth’. A team of contemporary fiction scholars from both sides of the Atlantic has been assembled to provide a thorough and readable analysis of each of the novels in question. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Interesting
This was a great little overview, covering the first four books. It was short and I read it quickly in one sitting. It does demonstrate that the author uses people and events from her own past. She weaves ideas for character and plot into something realistic seeming and not purely fantasy. There is no doubt that she likes to find and think up funny sounding names, as is mentioned too often in the book. Also, I do not believe that this book added a lot to my understanding of Harry Potter's story. (Why exactly did Voldemort want him dead in the first place? No suggestions were made.) There was a good section on her biography. By far my favorite part is toward the end where other books with similar themes are listed. (His Dark Materials, for example.) It's a good little book, but not much longer than a magazine in length. I enjoyed it. I may give it to a much younger pre-teen kid I know; he would like it too.

A Primer on studying Harry Potter
The is a well written and thought out book. I learned a lot about Ms. Rowling and the Harry Potter books. It was interesting learning what influnced J.K. Rowling and help her create the characters and of course the car from her second book. The book is small and would be a good addition to your Harry Potter library. Buy it and see inside Harry Potter.....

Intelligent and thoughtful
A thoughtful and intelligent companion to the Rowling novels that helps to identify themes and place the stories in their literary context. A worthwhile purchase for teachers and interested teens and adults; children will likely not be overly interested in such analysis.

Small book packed with interesting information
Although I've read many articles about the Harry Potter books and J.K.Rowling I found new and interesting information in this slim volume. For example, I didn't know what influenced J.K. Rowling's description of Professor Remus Lupin and his condition. Read the book and find out!

Four and a half out of five!
I've read a lot of books about Harry Potter, and a lot of them are not very good. But my only complaint with this one is that it's not long enough! Mr Nel the author knows a lot about Harry Potter, but he doesn't show off or get too clever about it. All of his ideas are interesting, like the prime numbers, and even though I knew some of what he says about JK Rowling already, I found out a few things too. Plus, the book is small and cute!

I think this would be a good introduction if you want to know more about Harry Potter. I hope the author writes more when there are more Harry Potter books to write about! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An essential part of a children's lit lover's library!
Most people who are in love with children's picture books are aware that the Caldecott award is given for the illustrations in picture books. This book gives the origins of the award and the guidelines for selection of the Caldecott Award-winning book.It analyzes specific illustrators/books that have been deemed Caldecott worthy over the past centuries including Chris van Allsburg, Marcia Brown, and David Weisner. Included at the end is a chronological list of every book awarded the prestigious Caldecott award. This is a great supplement to anyone's children's library. It gives great insight into the minds of these incredibly talented illustrators. ... Read more

Book Description

Why do images from beloved childhood picture books linger in our minds? How do picture books shape our lives early on and even into adulthood? In this book Ellen Handler Spitz explores the profound impact of reading to children, on the reader as well as the listener. She discusses well-known picture books and how they transmit psychological wisdom, convey moral lessons, shape tastes, and build a special bond between the child and the adult reader. ... Read more

Reviews (34)

A deep look inside picture books
Ellen Handler Spitz analyzes many children's stories in her non-fiction compilation entitled, Inside Picture Books. The author examines several of our childhood favorites focusing on the initial positive and negative effects these books have on the children and the long-term psychological effects they imprint in their minds. She focuses on many aspects of these books. She explains how the images within the books can often affect the interpretation of the reader. For example, Ellen Handler Spitz uses the story There's a Nightmare in My Closet by Mercer Mayer to show how the endings of these tales can adversely affect children for years after reading them. This example is about a little boy who decides to confront his monster (fears). Upon this confrontation, the monster becomes scared and begins to cry. After an initial feeling of anger, the boy begins to feel empathy and befriends the creature. The book ends with the little boy and the monster falling asleep together in bed while another monster creeps into the bedroom. By ending the book in this manner, the child is left without closure. Ellen Handler Spitz often over analyzes these books resulting in the loss of their enchantment. She wrote this book for someone working with children, specifically educators. It is written in a very scholarly fashion and is often difficult to understand. I enjoyed her analysis of the picture books, but it would have been more useful had she written it using less jargon. Also, it would have been useful if she had included more illustrations when she talks about the scenes occurring in the text. I would recommend this book to a college level children's literature class that is looking to dive deeply into the psychological factors that children's books hold. As for anyone interested in reading about various picture books to just get the basic meanings of them, I would caution them to stay away from Ellen Handler Spitz. Kelly R.

A Hard Reading Book
Spitz says this book is written for teachers, parents, and anyone else who deals with children on a regular basis, but her vocabulary is far higher than the average reading adult. She appears to be writing for her colleagues at the university. I feel, however, that she did an excellent job analyzing certain picture books, especially the psychological aspects as well as the obvious. When discussing a certain book, she makes reference to others and assumes we have read all these books. Half of them I had never heard of or even recall having them read to me as a child. This book is good if you are a college professor, but for the average reader, it needs work. S.D.

Spitz comments on the classics
"Inside Picture Books" by Ellen Handler Spitz is a complete breakdown of the different kinds of childrens' picture books. Spitz comments on dozens of picture book classics and shows us why some will always be favorites and some will not. She does this by using each chapter to talk about a particular type of picture book, including bed time stories and "feel good" books. Some other topics spitz addresses are how picture books are illustrated, the message and the endings.
Although I found the first chapter of "Inside Picture Books" a bit dull, I quickly gained interest as I read on. I found myself in agreement with some of the author's themes, like how children have to surrender to sleep and how books relate. Other themes (sexual insinuations) were hard for me to accept. Overall, I found this book well written, intriguing and a little controversial, and recommend it to various audiences. If you read to children or just want to read an in-depth, competent writter this might be a good book for you.

Spitz's Inside Picture Books
Ellen Handler Spitz's nonfictional narrative, Inside Picture Books, explores and introduces us to several different types of picture books. Spitz writes of the power of picture books to affect a child either positively or negatively. The book begins with an introduction of Spitz's viewpoints. This introduction was too long, and not to the point. This made it hard to get into the book. In the next chapter however Spitz begins to introduce us to books. Spitz now finally captures our attention by drawing on an experience many of us can remember. This experience is being read to as a child before bedtime. Each book she analyzes focuses on many aspects of the book, including the books pictures, language, theme, and the readers' initial reactions, and emotional responses to the book. Spitz also focuses on the psychology of the picture books. In these psychological analyses, I felt she was looking too deep into the book. This made it hard to follow exactly what she was getting at. Spitz however does use great description throughout the book, and definitely is successful at accomplishing her purpose of introducing us to great picture books. I love to read children's books, and I did enjoy reading about the books that I have read before. I did not however enjoy reading about the books I haven't read as much. I would recommend this book to educators, students, and parents. However I would suggest that if you do read this book, you simply read it to learn about some great picture books, and not analyze your favorite children's books.

Too Analytical
Through personal experiences, and thorough analysis, Ellen Handler Spitz creates an informational reading providing us with her opinion of the hidden affects that picture books have on children. In reference to books about pets dying, war, bedtime books, and more Ms. Spitz analyzes various aspects, from the color and content of the cover, to the text, to the illustrations. Ms. Spitz commenced the book with an acknowledgement to the readers relating to our childhood experiences with books which really grasped my attention. She then lost my attention by following this recollection with a long drawn out explanation of her objectives of this book, and some personal experiences. From this point on I found it very difficult to get myself into this book. Ms. Spitz frequently used such an array of technical words that I found myself spending more time looking up words than I did reading the actual book. I feel that she read too much out of the content of these children books. Through the text and the pictures, books do give messages to children, but for her to say for example that the cover of the book The Accident "...with its conspicuous border, signifies, I venture, that death is a finality" is getting too psychoanalytical for my liking. (Spitz, 81) I also did not like how she would analyze illustrations with out having the illustration included for emphasis as to what she was referring to exactly. I would not recommend this book to anyone. I feel it ruins the fun that is meant to be had from reading books. ... Read more

Book Description

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. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

An impressive anthology of literary criticism
Expertly compiled and deftly edited by Giselle Liza Anatol (Assistant Professor of English, University of Kanas - Lawrence), Reading Harry Potter: Critical Essays is an impressive anthology of literary criticism draw from a variety of learned authors who all of whom regard J. K. Rowling's popular Harry Potter fantasy series as far more than mere popular culture pablum. Examining the Harry Potter works with regard to theories of child development, literary influences and historical contexts, and morality and social values, Reading Harry Potter is a multifaceted exploration of the Potter books as literature with lasting potential influence on both developing and mature minds today.

Simply Excellent.
Quite simply, this is the book I will use as my primary resource to teach Harry Potter from now on. I teach both undergraduate and graduate English Education majors and plan to order this book for all of my Adolescent Literature sections this coming year. Not only are the essays interesting and diverse, they really show how many different ways a reader can think about a text. Most interesting, however, is how these very different essays (and authors) speak to one another. Overall, a really fine group of essays about some very important works. ... Read more

Book Description

Over forty years ago, Joan Bodger, her husband, and two children went to Britain on a very special family quest. They were seeking the world that they knew and loved through children’s books.

In Winnie-the-Pooh Country, Mrs. Milne showed them the way to “that enchanted place on the top of the Forest [where] a little boy and his Bear will always be playing.” In Edinburgh they stood outside Robert Louis Stevenson’s childhood home, tilting their heads to talk to a lamplighter who was doing his job. In the Lake District they visited Jemima Puddle-Duck’s farm, and Joan sought out crusty Arthur Ransome to talk to him about Swallows and Amazons. They spent several days “messing about in boats” on the River Thames, looking for Toad Hall and other places described by Kenneth Grahame in The Wind in the Willows. Mud and flood kept them from attaining the slopes of Pook’s Hill (on Rudyard Kipling’s farm), but they scaled the heights of Tintagel. As in all good fairy tales, there were unanswered questions. Did they really find Camelot? Robin Hood, as always, remains elusive.

One thing is certain. Joan Bodger brings alive again the magic of the stories we love to remember. She persuades us that, like Emily Dickinson, even if we “have never seen a moor,” we can imagine “how the heather looks.”

First published in 1965 by Viking in New York, How the Heather Looks has become a prized favorite among knowledgeable lovers of children’s literature. Precious, well-thumbed copies have been lent out with caution and reluctance, while new admirers have gone searching in vain for copies to buy second-hand. This handsome reprint, with a new Afterword by Joan Bodger, makes a unique and delightful classic available once more. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Ambling about in Fantasyland
You're enjoyment of "How the Heather Looks" may be in direct proportion to your ability to instantly recall scenes from classic British children's books. And not just the "classic" classics, mind you, but some rather obscure works indeed, classic for their quality instead of their familiarity. Do you know the illustrated verses of Randolph Caldecott? How about Arthur Ransome's "Swallows and Amazons" or Kipling's "Puck of Pook's Hill?"

I found that my interest waxed and waned along with my familiarity. I was thrilled to go to Tintagel and Sherwood Forest in search of King Arthur and Robin Hood. I delighted to visit with Mrs. Millne in the Hundred Acre Wood of Winnie the Pooh. Toad Hall and Rat's Riverbank are well-traveled terrain. Less so are the lands of The Borrower's, or the Gypsy Caravans or Pook's Hill. (I winced when they drove past Anlwick Castle without stoping. They missed out on quite an experience.)

The writing is very much like that of a person keeping a journal. Details do not fit into a story, and the narrative drifts along with the same randomness of the family. The only voice is Joan Bodger's, and her husband and children are foils for her to act upon.

All in all, it is a very pleasant little book that I enjoyed reading. I know I would have enjoyed it more if I had a library of British children's literature to browse through for familiarity.

A Wonderful Vacation
If you love children's books and/or are an Anglophile at heart, you will love this book. The Bodger family is on a quest around England to find Pooh's Enchanted Place, Toad Hall and other places from classic British children's books. In addition to enjoying their literary discoveries, I enjoyed Joan Bodger's descriptions of the special challenges of traveling with young children. Food, laundry, and places for their children to play are as important as locating Beatrix Potter's farm. While reading this book I felt as if I were on a vacation with some very good friends. I loved this book.

A classic book on England & children's literature
I would recommend this book to anyone- as a read-aloud, a travel book, or just something to read to yourself. Mrs. Bodger & her family truly loved English lit., and her love for it shines through. In this book you will discover Narnia, Beatrix Potter's country, Kipling's "Puck of Pook's Hill" ( a delightful look at old England) and many other such treasures. Mrs. Bodger's writing style is clear, her family wonderful- and the subject, English children's literature- will always be fantastic.

A very special travel book is back!
Thank goodness this book is back in print! A delightful serendipitous account of a young family's trip in England discovering places made famous in the children's books they love, even living in a caravan and "messing around in boats." A book I've treasured but been unable to find even in my county library. Now I'll have my own.

A classic? Ultimately unsatisfying.
I wanted to like How The Heather Looks, really i did. For all her alleged prowess as a story-teller though, Bodger was unable to fully engage my attention. Her writing style came between us, as did certain aspects of her story. On a trip to discover the landscape behind certain childrens classics, her family was curiously uninformed about where they were and what they were missing. One becomes tired of the phrase, "Later we found out..." or "If only we had known...". We are treated to a detailed explanation of how much her family knows about Gypsies, but we look in vain for that information when it would be appropriate; instead we are told of another castle passed by. I was sadly disappointed by the lack of information at the bottom of the story. ... Read more

Book Description

With the phenomenally successful film Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, the bespectacled boy wizard’s popularity shows no signs of slowing. Here is a charmer of a book for everyone who has ever read and loved a Harry Potter book. Now available in paperback, this is a collection of warm and amusing letters in which kids from all over the world express their admiration and affection for the imaginative, resourceful Harry. In addition to a generous sampling of children’s enthusiastic, candid, and often humorous messages that illuminate reader’s love affair with Harry Potter, this book also includes interviews with a number of the letter-writers. In the interviews, Harry’s fans and newfound companions explore their personal enchantment with the young wizard as they consider the effect of the magical Harry on their lives. "The authors ... excitement for and love of the novels are apparent." — School Library Journal ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Harry at his best
The stories of enjoyment and excitment people have written about really struck my fancy. When the Harry Potter series first came out i thought 'Its just another kids book' but when my class was forced to read the first book Harry Potter and the philosephers stone i just had to get the rest of the series. I rate this book 100 out of 100.

a whole differnet world
harry potter has enchanted millions of readers from around the world and pulled the the children away from their television and showed them that reading is fun. read this if you want to see how far a child's imagination can carry him.

It's Great
It's great that people are finally listening to the kids point of views. Its the kids who made this series popular in the first place and then it spread to the parents and to other adults. Without these loyal fans, this series would not have been so popular and its about time that they get some credit for it. ... Read more

Book Description

Literature/Biography ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Very informative and fairly entertaining.
As a self-proclaimed James Barrie freak, I've read numerous books and newspaper-magazine articles about him. The Barrie chapter in Inventing Wonderland is definetly one of the most informative, but it loses a few points in the entertainment department. I read the Carroll, Barrie, and Milne chapters and thought that Jackie Wullschlager tends to examine her subjects a little too closely. At times, her meaning becomes lost in a pile of pop psychobabble, but the overall impressions were very clear (especially Carroll's disturbing fixation with on girls). Especially touching were A.A. Milne's bittersweet descriptions of pride in adult Christopher Robin but also longing to play with little boy just once more. Such nostalgic, personal pieces make the book is beautiful, but it would be about a thousand times more beautiful if the author had kept the stories a little simpler.

Those Strange Victorians
Victorians are experiencing something of a comeback after decades of censure as the strange, repressed, half-crazy relatives we don't want to tell anyone about. We are discovering that the Victorians were not so different from us.

The Victorians did, however, produce their own brand of eccentricity and none are as delightfully eccentric as the Victorian/Edwardian writers for children discussed in Inventing Wonderland. Jackie Wullschlager starts with that greatest of all Wonderland writers, the master himself Lewis Carroll and ends with Jazz Age Pooh creator A.A. Milne.

The eccentricity of these Victorian writers is their confident, and sometimes troubling, obsession with childhood itself. Wullschlager assures us, correctly, that these writers' obsessions did not cross the line into pedophilic behavior. To 21st century sensibilities this seems scarcely creditable, especially after reading letters by Lewis Carroll to various girl children. Carroll, Lear, Barrie and Grahame's effusions about childhood can only be understood within the context of the Victorian age, the age that produced and adored Wordsworth's overly quoted (then and now) "But trailing clouds of glory do we come/From God, who is our home" (Ode: Intimations of Immortality From Recollections of Early Childhood).

Wullschlager is, I think, a bit too dismissive of Milne, who is regarded in the text as a has-been, clinging to the last remnants of the Victorian celebration of childhood. Wullschlager's overall point in this regard, however, is well made. The Victorians invented and took seriously the concept of childhood as a wonderland. Consequently, they produced children's writers of a truly magnificent stature. When the concept of childhood=innocence & pleasure was abandoned, in the early 20th century (thank you, Freud!), the result was an almost tongue-in-cheek parody of the earlier writers. It just wasn't possible to take childhood that seriously anymore.

Writers for children have of course continued to produce masterpieces, largely in the fantasy area, but that particular brand of unself-conscious Victorian nonsense and idyllicism may be lost forever. The Victorians are not as strange to us as we may like to believe, but they are certainly unreproducable.

Recommendation: Interesting, well-written, well-paced. Not the most complete biographical sketches but a complete analysis of biography and art. Give it a try. ... Read more