The Continuum Encyclopedia of Young Adult Literature

Description

Young adult (or YA) literature and publishing are not simply flourishing. They represent perhaps the fastest-growing field of all. With graphic novels and so-called crossover works like the Harry Potter series selling in the tens of millions, the field of YA literature is one of the most dynamic and exciting in the U.S. and Canada. YA is increasingly an international phenomenon as well. The Continuum Encyclopedia of Young Adult Literature is the only reference guide to this phenomenon in any language. It is a collaborative effort by 200 authorities who contribute some 650 original, signed entries. These key contributors include: Michael Cart, Ken Donelson, Danny Fingeroth Ted Hipple, Teri Lesesne, Alleen Nilsen, Hazel Rochman, Stephanie Svirin, and many others. (Some are subjects of entries themselves.) Among the authors and educators written about are: Judy Blume, Robert Cormier, Chris Crutcher, Will Eisner, James Cross Giblin, Karen Hesse, S. E. Hinton, Robert Lipsyte, Lois Lowry, Linda Sue Park, Gary Paulsen, Richard Peck, Philip Pullman, Louise Rosenblatt, J. K. Rowling, Art Spiegelman, Dorothy Strickland, J. R. R. Tolkien, and many others. A considerable effort is made to include authors and graphic-novel artists who are not found in any other reference work on adult or children's literature. Another special feature is the topical article. These often include up-and-coming figures that are not covered in their own entry. There are 75 topical articles, including African American Literature; Asian American Literature; Australian Literature; Canadian Literature; Crossovers; Death and Dying; Fantasy; Feminist Fairy Tales; The Graphic Novel; Harry Potter - "Not Just for Kids Anymore"; Horror; Latina/Latino Literature; The Lord of the Rings and Beyond; New Zealand Literature; Science Fiction and Crossovers; Superheroes of the 1960s and Stan Lee; Witches and Dragons; Tween and Teen; Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow; and others. For easy reference, The Continuum Encyclopedia of Young Adult Literature features an appendix listing major-award winners as well as an index of names cross-referenced to entries where applicable.

BERNICE E. CULLINAN is Professor Emeritus at New York University and past president of the International Reading Association. She is the author or editor of over 30 books including co-author of Literature and the Child (fifth edition), as well as co-editor of The Continuum Encyclopedia of Children's Literature, published in 2001, with a trade edition issued in 2003. She lives in New York City. BONNIE L. KUNZEL is co-author of First Contact: A ReaderaEURO (TM)s Selection of Science Fiction and Fantasy, the Youth Services Consultant for the New Jersey State Library, and past president of the Young Adult Library Services Association, a division of the American Library Association. She lives in Somerset, NJ. DEBORAH A. WOOTEN earned her doctorate at New York University, has published with School Library Journal, and is a Professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Deborah Wooten earned her doctorate at New York University, has published with School Library Journal, and is Professor at the University of Tennessee.

"This volume contains over 650 entries on authors and themes, and will be most useful for the variety of authors not well covered elsewhere. This volume will be valuable because no other work attempts such a wide coverage of young adult literature. Recommended." -CHOICE, July 2006 "This volume contains over 650 entries on authors and themes, and will be most useful for the variety of authors not well covered elsewhere. This volume will be valuable because no other work attempts such a wide coverage of young adult literature. Recommended." -CHOICE, July 2006 "...this work covers young adult literature as distinct from children's literature, making it essential for libraries with patrons having an interest in this subject. The Continuum Encyclopedia of Young Adult Literature is recommended for academic libraries supporting teacher preparation and library sciences programs." -- American Reference Books Annual Mentioned in Today's Books "Book Register" (Abstract and Index), June 2006 -- Today's Books 'Book Register' The publication of this first-ever encyclopedia of young adult literature provides not only an indispensable and comprehensive companion to the genre but also offers compelling evidence that YA has, at last, come of age as a literary form deserving of study and critical examination. Bravo! --Michael Cart "This welcome encyclopedia is for anyone with a serious interest in the unique and lasting impact YA literature has made and continues to make." --Judy Blume "While this title will be useful as a desk reference for the young adult librarian, the comprehensive coverage of topics and people makes it equally appropriate for the serious student of YA literature." - Booklist, January 1, 2006 -- Rochelle Glantz * Booklist * "[T]he first to cover comprehensively what remains the fastest-growing field of the publishing industry. In about 1000 signed entries, the one-volume work aims to cover everything that is or is about YA literature, including graphic novels and such crossover books as the Harry Potter series. The wide-ranging entries will include, for example, "mythology and legend," "contemporary classics," "movie tie-ins," "disabilities," "Children's Choices Project," and "romance for teens." - Library Journal * Library Journal * " In total, thereare 800 A-to-Z articles (written by some 200 contributors), ranging inlength from half a column to ten pages. Featured are author entries on thelikes of Judy Blume, Robert Cormier, Ernesto Bethancourt, Stephen King, Dean Koontz, C.S. Lewis, and J.K. Rowling (though, surprisingly, V.C. Andrews has been omitted) and topical entries ranging from "Harry Potter: Not Just for Kids Anymore" and "Harry Potter Poem/Story" to "The Graphic Novel," "Recent Trends in YA Literature," and "Review Journals." Accurate and well written, these entries are impressive in quality as well as range.Bottom Line: Reading like a combination of NYPL's Books for the Teen Age and snippets from a basic YA textbook for MSLstudents covering topics and concerns of interest to YA specialists, this unique resource makes for a solid addition to academic libraries supporting YA literature courses or teacher education programs." -Laurie Selwyn, Grayson Cty. Law Lib., Sherman, TX -- Laurie Selwyn, Grayson Cty. Law Lib., Sherman, TX * Library Journal * "...will be the first to cover comprehensively what remains the fastest-growing field of the publishing industry." -Library Journal, August 2005 * Library Journal * "The remarkable growth of YA literature in recent years is evident in this massive one-volume encyclopedia. The 800 signed entries, written by 200 contributors, include author profiles, trends, and topical articles covering the usual genre designations and a few newer ones, such as -Chick Lit- and -Urban Legends.- Michael Cart's overview of YA literature affords a fine historical perspective of the field... nothing else of this scope is currently available."- School Library Journal, January 2006 * School Library Journal *