From Cover to Cover (Revised Edition) Evaluating and Reviewing Children's Books
An invaluable resource for professionals who wish to write book evaluations-and for all serious fans of children's literature!
This revised edition of From Cover to Cover offers a fresh, up-to-date look at some of the best examples of children's literature and also includes practical advice on how to write clearly articulated, reasoned opinions so that others can learn about books they have not yet read.
A brief, updated introduction clearly explains how children's books evolve from manuscripts into bound books and the importance of the many different parts of a book (jacket flaps, title page, copyright, etc.) and changes in the children's book industry, such as the creation of two new major genre awards. In addition, the author demonstrates how to think about and critically evaluate several different genres of children's books.
Included are sections about books of information (and the author's responsibility to document sources); traditional literature (myths, legends, tall tales, folktales); poetry, verse, rhymes, and songs; picture books; easy readers and traditional books; and fiction and graphic novels. There is also a concluding chapter on how to write reviews that are both descriptive and analytical, including a segment on children's literature blogs.
Updated material includes:
*An introduction that reflects the many changes in the children's book industry
*A section on genres, including a discussion of graphic novels
*A section on children's literature blogs
*An introduction of two new major genre awards: the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award and the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award
*And more than 90% of the books cited have been updated from the first edition to more recent publications!
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: USA, 1 April 2010
Format: Paperback / softback, 229 pages
Age Range: 0+
Dimensions: 15.2 x 22.4 x 1.5 centimeters (0.43 kg)
Writer: Horning, Kathleen T.
About the AuthorKathleen T. Horning is the director of the Cooperative Children's Book Center of the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She was also a children's librarian at Madison Public Library for nine years.Ms. Horning was the president of the Association for Library Service to Children of the American Library Association in 2007, as well as president of the United States Board on Books for Young People in 2003. She has chaired or served on a variety of children's book award committees, including the Americas Award, the Charlotte Zolotow Award, the John Newbery, USBBY's Hans Christian Andersen Award, the Coretta Scott King Award, the Mildred L. Batchelder Award, the ALA/ALSC's Notable Children's Books, and the NCTE Lee Bennett Hopkins Award committees, and she was selected to deliver the 2010 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture.She is the coauthor with Ginny Moore Kruse of Multicultural Literature for Children and Young Adults and of CCBC Choices, an annual publication reviewing the best books for children and young adults. She has a BA in linguistics and a master's degree in library and information studies, both from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
ReviewsIn a compact yet comprehensive format, Horning tackles the daunting task of coaching novice reviewers through the criteria and thought process used to evaluate children's literature. The introductory chapter provides an overview of children's publishing and the parts of a book. Subsequent chapters focus on specific categories of children's literature: books of information; traditional literature; poetry, verse, rhyme, and songs; picture books; easy and transitional readers; and fiction. Examples sprinkled throughout the text illustrate what to look for and questions to ask in each category. A final chapter addresses many of the pragmatic, "how-to" concerns of new reviewers. The book's minor drawbacks are its lack of a glossary or an appendix summarizing key questions to ask when reviewing each category. But the strength and value of Horning's book rest with her decidedly practical, rather than theoretical, approach.‘Cindy Lombardo, Ashland (OH) Public Library
"A user-friendly handbook."--The Horn Book
"An engaging read. Aspiring book review writers will treasure this book."--Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
"Anyone entering the field of children's book reviewing, or indeed, the wider field of children's literature, will find From Cover to Cover an excellent guide."--ALA Booklist
"Succinct, highly readable, and eminently useful."--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books