Children’s Literature and the Avant-Garde is the first study that investigates the intricate influence of the avant-garde movements on children’s literature in different countries from the beginning of the 20th century until the present. Examining a wide range of children’s books from Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Russia, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the USA, the individual chapters explore the historical as well as the cultural and political aspects that determine the exceptional character of avant-garde children’s books. Drawing on studies in children’s literature research, art history, and cultural studies, this volume provides comprehensive insights into the close relationships between avant-garde children’s literature, images of childhood, and contemporary ideas of education. Addressing topics such as the impact of exhibitions, the significance of the Bauhaus, and the influence of poster art and graphic design, the book illustrates the broad range of issues associated with avant-garde children’s books. More than 60 full-color illustrations demonstrate the impressive variety of design in avant-garde picturebooks and children’s books.

In order to place criticism into the discussion of children's literature, the author explores the writings of professors who have laid the groundwork in critical theory for all literature, explaining what literary criticism is, how it works, and why it is an important part of studying any literature. She introduces the prominent schools of literary criticism and shows how her students in children's literature classes, and teachers in the field, have become critics in their own right. Thebook contains brief introductions to some classroom practices which evolved from teachers reading critical theory, helping to create role models for others who wish to develop a program of critical theory in the elementary schools. The author includes extensive discussions of issues such as canon formation, realism in literature, and response theory, striving to introduce her readers to criticism to suggest its role in shaping all readers' responses to children's stories. She also encouragesthem to first be real readers who enjoy listening to the author's story before turning to someone else's theories about literature and searching for critical answers that fit their personal responses. A glossary of literary terms for new readers of criticism is included as well as an extensive bibliography for further reading on the topics discussed.

A hilarious, high-stakes adventure involving crooked casino boats, floating fish, toxic beaches, and one kid determined to get justice. This is Carl Hiaasen's Florida—where the creatures are wild and the people are wilder! You know it's going to be a rough summer when you spend Father's Day visiting your dad in the local lockup. Noah's dad is sure that the owner of the Coral Queen casino boat is flushing raw sewage into the harbor–which has made taking a dip at the local beach like swimming in a toilet. He can't prove it though, and so he decides that sinking the boat will make an effective statement. Right. The boat is pumped out and back in business within days and Noah's dad is stuck in the clink. Now Noah is determined to succeed where his dad failed. He will prove that the Coral Queen is dumping illegally . . . somehow. His allies may not add up to much–his sister Abbey, an unreformed childhood biter; Lice Peeking, a greedy sot with poor hygiene; Shelly, a bartender and a woman scorned; and a mysterious pirate–but Noah's got a plan to flush this crook out into the open. A plan that should sink the crooked little casino, once and for all.