Barbara D. Stoodt-Hill, John Tyler Community College
Linda B. Amspaugh-Corson, University of Cincinnati

Publisher: Prentice Hall
Copyright: 2009
Format: Paper; 412 pp

ISBN-10:	0131589393
ISBN-13:	9780131589391

Our Price: £36.99
Status: Not Yet Published
Estimated Availability: 28 May 2008

The goal of the fourth edition of Children's Literature: Discovery for a Lifetime is to help teachers, librarians, and parents infuse literature into children's lives and to promote a lifelong interest in books.  The theme is "literature for a lifetime."  Some of the key elements of this text are to help educators select books that will enhance children's learning and development, implement literature in the classroom that will support the curriculum and meet established standards, identify books children will respond to, share literature that will stimulate their responses, infuse literature into elementary classrooms and homes, choose appropriate literature for English Language Learners, and enhance literature experiences with the computer and the Internet.

1.        Introduction to Children's Literature

2.        Understanding Literature

3.        Issues Relating to Literature for Children and Young Adults

4.        Picture Books: Visual and Verbal Art

5.        Poetry for Every Child

6.        Traditional Literature: Stories Old and New

7.        Modern Fantasy: Today's Magic

8.        People Now: Contemporary Realistic Fiction

9.        People Then: Historical Fiction

10.    Truth is Stranger than Fiction: Nonficiton

11.    Biography: Fascinating Real Life

12.    Literature about Children with Real-Life Challenges

13.    Literature about Children in Many Cultures

14.    Oral and Silent Literature

15.    Engaging with and Responding to Children's Literature

16.    Unit Studies: Learning with Literature

• Better differentiate among types of literature–help students identify where their characteristics overlap and where they diverge.

• Illustrates numerous ways in which literature can contribute to children's academic development–creates a repertoire of activities for boosting academic achievement through literature.

• Explores multicultural/international children's literature in cultural “groupings”–illustrates the notion of using a rich array of diverse literature in broad-based thematic units.

• Keeps readers abreast of the most current literature available–introduces significant trends in the field, and helps prospective teachers make sense of them.

• Introduce students to the creators of children's literature–model classroom study ideas they can share with pupils in their own classrooms.

• List titles that provide opportunities for children to “see themselves” in the stories they read.

• Organizes chapter material for thorough review–creates a handy reference for judging additional children's literature as it is encountered.

• Offers access to information about new/exemplary books and trends/issues–encourages students to interact with others in the field through a message board and a chat feature.

• Every chapter is extensively updated with recent children's literature.
• The vignettes have been updated to classroom snapshots that are classroom and text centered.
• Chapter 3 is entirely focused on issues in children's literature.
• Fantasy is emphasized throughout the text because it is very important for today's students.
• Middle school literature is included throughout the text.
• Graphic novels and Mangas are discussed in several chapters.
• Series books are recognized throughout the book because they interest students of all ages.