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The Norton Anthology of Children's Literature: a review.

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Jack Zipes, Lissa Paul, Lynne Vallone, Peter Hunt, and Gillian Avery, eds. The Norton Anthology of Children's Literature: The Traditions in English

2471 pp. Norton 10/05 Paper edition ISBN 0-393-97538-X $65.00

The use of the term literature to describe books written for children is, for many academics, an oxymoron. Most university departments of literature and humanities still dismiss books written for children as unworthy of serious scholarly examination. A cursory look at the British, American, and World Literature editions of the Norton anthologies confirms this sentiment. Children's literature is, with rare exceptions, entirely absent from the accepted canon of great literature.

With the publication of The Norton Anthology of Children's Literature, University of Minnesota professor Zipes seeks to alter radically the bias against children's literature and improve its standing in academia. Courses in children's literature, where they are even offered, are typically intended as preparatory training for teachers and librarians. The editors...

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