The Hidden Adult: Defining Children's Literature (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

An eminent Canadian scholar and children's book author offers a dense, wide-ranging attempt to define children's literature. Nodelman explores what he sees as "a fatal contradiction at [the] heart" of texts intended for children. He describes children's literature as belonging to a genre, unlike any other in literature, defined by its audience. Yet he notes that children's books are produced, distributed, analyzed, and purchased by adults, who construct their own varying images of childhood. He has chosen six texts as case studies: Maria Edgeworth's "The Purple Jar," Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Hugh Lofting's Doctor Dolittle, Beverly Cleary's Henry Huggins, Ezra Jack Keats's The Snowy Day, and Virginia Hamilton's Plain City. His provocative discussion engages and synthesizes many serious works of contemporary scholarship, both inside and outside the field of children's literature, from critics as diverse as Jacques Lacan, Edward Said, and John Rowe Townsend. This major theoretical study, the capstone of a long and distinguished career, by an author who relishes the complexity and ambiguity he finds inherent in books intended for children, belongs in all academic libraries, as well as large public library collections.—Margaret A. Chang, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North Adams
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"Perry Nodelman is a leading scholar of children's literature and The Hidden Adult is arguably his magnum opus." - Beverly Lyon Clark, author of Kiddie Lit: The Cultural Construction of Children's Literature in America"

"A 'must' for any collection catering to librarians or any studying children's literature, especially at the college level." -- Midwest Book Review

"Drawing on his deep understanding of literary scholarship, postmodern theory, and children's literature for this learned work, Nodelman builds extensive arguments informed by philosophy, psychology, and culture studies as well as literary criticism. Highly recommended." -- Choice

"It is without question essential reading for professionals of all stripes engaged in the study of children's literature." -- Professional Connections: Resources for Teachers and Librarians

"Perry Nodelman is a leading scholar of children's literature and The Hidden Adult is arguably his magnum opus." -- Beverly Lyon Clark, author of Kiddie Lit: The Cultural Construction of Children's Literature in America

"The Hidden Adult is ground breaking; it will inform the study of children's literature for a long time to come." -- Children's Literature

"The capstone of a long and distinguished career, by an author who relishes the complexity and ambiguity he finds inherent in books intended for children." -- School Library Journal

"This is a massively important book. Go buy it." -- Peter Hunt, Children's Literature Association Quarterly

"Without question essential reading for professionals of all stripes engaged in the study of children's literature." -- BCCB, The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 408 pages
• Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press (August 26, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801889804
• ISBN-13: 978-0801889806
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #338,791 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A 'must' for any collection catering to librarians or any studying children's literature, especially at the college level, December 14, 2008

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

THE HIDDEN ADULT: DEFINING CHILDREN'S LITERATURE surveys the plots, themes, approaches and structures of six major works in his efforts to define the shared characteristics of children's literature. From ALICE IN WONDERLAND to DR. DOOLITTLE and HENRY HUGGINS, these classics are analyzed with attention to the 'markers' that point out this is children's literature - and then uses a rang of critical and culture viewpoints to define a theory of children's literature. A 'must' for any collection catering to librarians or any studying children's literature, especially at the college level.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

2 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Book Trailer for the Hidden Adult, September 12, 2008

By	P. Nodelman - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Length:: 2:10 Mins

Here's a book trailer for The Hidden Adult.