A collection of short stories by the noted New Zealand author, including "The Giant's Bath", "The Pumpkins of Witch Ginger", and "The Devil and the Corner Grocer".

A collection of short stories by the noted New Zealand author, including "The Giant's Bath," "The Pumpkins of Witch Ginger," and "The Devil and the Corner Grocer."

Throughout her childhood she was making up stories. Before she could write she drew them. By the time she was seven she knew she wanted to write books. Margaret Mahy was a wizard of words and a spinner of magical stories. She was New Zealand's best known author for children, wrote more than 200 books and often appeared in a purple wig or a penguin suit while she delighted audiences with vivacious readings of her stories. But who was Margaret Mahy? What was she like as a child? How did she become a writer? Where did her weird and wonderful ideas come from? Turn these pages and step into a world of the magical Margaret Mahy.

First published in 1992, this Sourcebook is a basic working tool for all those concerned with children’s reading. It will help librarians and teachers to select a comprehensive stock of children’s’ fiction for their institutions.The authors in the sourcebook have been selected on the grounds of importance, popularity and current availability. Author entries are arranged in alphabetical order and indexes provided by title, series, age-range and genre. Each entry consists of some background information, and evaluative comment on style of the book, a list of the authors books with publisher, date and price, and literary agent where applicable. There is a suggestion of similar authors, sequels, related series and reader age range.

Provides articles covering children's literature from around the world as well as biographical and critical reviews of authors including Avi, C.S. Lewis, J.K. Rowling, and Anno Mitsumasa.

Books in the Life of a Child explores the value of books and reading in the stimulation of children's imagination and their fundamental importance in the development of language and true literacy. It examines not only the vast range of children's books available but also how to introduce young people to the joys of reading in the home, the school and in the community. The book has been written as a resource for all adults, especially teachers, student teachers, librarians and parents, and those who care about the value of literature for children. It is a comprehensive and critical guide, with chapters on the history of children's literature and an analysis of its many forms and genres, from poetry, fairytale, myth, legend and fantasy, through realistic and historical fiction, to humour, pulp fiction and information books.